Menu

I'm hosting Christmas dinner for the first time this year, and I want to serve a meal that is traditional but uncomplicated to make. To start, I'll offer my signature appetizer: shrimp. This time I'm salt-roasting them and pairing them with a lemon-pesto.

For the main course, I'm skipping the honey-baked ham and roasting a whole beef tenderloin. It's served alongside a roasted red pepper and black olive sauce. On the side? Fresh citrus and cranberry salad and a giant casserole dish of classic macaroni and cheese. Interested in these recipes? Keep reading!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and if you've all of a sudden realized that you're in charge of planning, cooking, and hosting a dinner, don't freak out. I've got your back — and an incredibly easy menu that can be put together in just about two hours. For the appetizers, take some help from the store. Pick up your favorite cheese, crackers, dried fruit, and nuts. Use these items to throw together an uncomplicated yet stunning cheese display. When it comes to the main course, the simpler the better. Serve turkey breast roasted with lemon and thyme, mashed sweet potato paprika puree, and a hearty, healthy portion of braised kale.

Thanksgiving isn't about the quantity of food, it's about the quality of conversation you have while enjoying the meal. Want more fast Thanksgiving recipes? Here's 10 awesome and uncomplicated dishes.To savor the menu described here with loved ones, get the recipes after the break

Since vegetables are the new meat, this year on Thanksgiving, why not serve an entirely meat-free meal?! The holiday can be just as delicious without the turkey. Start with an easy but luxurious appetizer: gorgonzola crostini drizzled with honey and sprinkled with chopped nuts. For the first course, offer a velvety, make-ahead pumpkin soup that's garnished with crunchy sweet potato chips and tangy sour cream.


Although there's no meat, the main course should still be a showstopper, so go all out with roasted vegetable cornucopias with homemade gravy. A tender green salad with champagne vinaigrette completes the meal. Get the recipes for this wonderful menu, after the jump.

Right now it seems as if every chef is looking to the South for inspiration. So why not take a tip from the likes of Alton Brown and John Besh and serve a Thanksgiving meal that oozes with Southern charm? Plan a dinner that highlights simple and delicious cooking. Start with an unfussy roast turkey recipe that's seasoned with lots of salt and pepper and served with a rich turkey gravy.

Keep things uncomplicated and bake an oyster dressing with bacon and hot sauce outside of the bird. It's spicy, bready, and deliciously briny. Whip up a batch of mashed potatoes loaded with sour cream and white cheddar cheese. Finally, round out the menu with a bourbon-cranberry compote. It's the perfect sweet-tart accompaniment to succulent turkey. To be inspired by this collection of curated recipes, keep reading.

If you have plans to party-hop this Saturday night to celebrate Halloween, why not make an entire evening out of it by inviting friends over beforehand for a simple and spirited dinner? Especially if drinking is on the agenda, you'll want to fill up on some hearty carbs. Start with devils on horseback, a crowd-pleasing appetizer that involves bacon-wrapped shrimp and a spicy dipping sauce. For the main course offer bats and cobwebs: bow tie pasta with melted mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and chicken sausages. Throw in a mixed green salad, crusty bread, and you've got a Halloween meal.

Get the easy recipes I recommend, after the jump.

This Sunday, I'm having friends over for a delicious dinner to celebrate the Fall season. Although my guests are carnivores, I'm trying to embrace a more meat-free lifestyle and want to encourage my friends and family to do the same. Thus, I'm serving a vegetarian menu; it will be so full of rich autumnal flavors that no one will miss the beef! For starters, I'll assemble a wonderful spread with sliced apples, a huge chunk of Point Reyes blue cheese, honeycomb, and homemade spiced walnuts. When we sit down to the table, each person will get their own individual vegetable potpie with sweet potato biscuits. A mixed green salad with dijon vinaigrette rounds out the savory and scrumptious meal.

Although the vegetable pot pies are somewhat laborious, they can be made in advance. Check out the recipes I plan on using here.

The premiere of Sex and the City 2 is little more than a week away, and I don't know about you, but I'm excited! So much so that I've decided to invite my girlfriends over for nibbles before we go see the film. Since a couple of friends are pescaterians and we'll probably splurge on snacks at the theater, I'm keeping the menu light, finger-friendly, and meat-free. To start, there's mushroom pizzas with goat cheese; they're so delicious nobody will be able to have just one slice.

Spicy tuna tartare is irresistible and elegant offered on waffle-cut potato chips, while classic Caesar salad turns into an instant appetizer when scooped into endive spears. These uncomplicated recipes are after the break, but if you prefer a menu of bites inspired by episodes of the show, you'll find them here. Otherwise, keep reading for the pizza, tartare, and salad recipes.

Every year I attend the Butter and Eggs Day parade in my hometown. Since 2006, I've hosted a brunch before the parade. However, this April I'm doing something different and will invite everyone over for a big seafood barbecue after the parade. We'll start with grilled garlic shrimp and flatbreads with caramelized onions, sausage, and manchego cheese. The stars of the show are oysters and sardines.


We'll enjoy the oysters both raw and cooked (with chanterelle mushrooms and parmesan), while the sardines will get charred on the grill. On the side? A huge bowl of Spring pasta salad with escarole, radishes, and peas. Want to see these recipes? Please read more