thanksgiving recipe #1

and the joy of snacking (for some)

thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

adopted holiday, i should say. ever since we moved here 10 years years, i have loved to host thanksgiving.

this was our first thanksgiving in san francisco, and it was the start of something special to me. also, how good is this picture? yes, we were trying to re-create that picture of jesus—though, none of us religious, mind.

early november really feels like the start of the holiday season to me, and the celebrations really do start mid-november, with all of the friendsgiving celebrations taking place.

we would begin to get our house all cosy, as the weather really dipped in sf around early nov. never too much, just perfectly so—blue, cold crisp mornings with warm, sunny days. then it would drop off again at night.

our friend, alex would host thanksgiving a lot too—as he always had a magnificent back yard. although, i specifically remember a very rare bird being served one year, and so i think tim graciously took over hosting the following year. poor, alex!

i have such fond memories of our early days in sf. i feel so grateful to have made such wonderful friends pretty much instantly, and were welcomed with open arms. i almost miss those early days.

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charred broccoli crostini with whipped ricotta, anchovies, pecorino and calabrian-chili-spiced honey

now, i am not a snacker per se, and i never have been. but i do love a pre-dinner nibble to wet the whistle. the saltiness of the anchovies contrasting the charred broccoli and spicy-sweet hot honey is such a good, single bite. good job, there was enough for more than one each! 

you can make the calabrian-chili-spiced honey beforehand, and it will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month. i honestly put it on everything, and it tastes so much better than store-bought hot honey.

of course—you can make these for any occasion, but they are especially good during the holiday season.

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serves 4-6 people

1 baguette, sliced on the bias

1 cup of ricotta, whipped

5-6 stems of baby broccoli

1 tin of good quality anchovies, like cantabrian

pecorino

calabrian-spiced-hot honey

white or black pepper

flaky salt

calabrian-spiced-hot honey

this really is just my preferred way to make this, but you can figure out your own ratios based on this recipe.

i like a 2:1 ratio of honey to calabrian chili paste. simply mix 2 parts honey to 1 part calabrian chili paste and stir to combine. it really is that simple, but i am telling you it will be the best hot honey you have ever tasted.

the crostini

begin by turning the oven on to 375 degrees.

next spread all of the cut baguette pieces onto a baking sheet, drizzling each with a little olive oil and sprinkling with some flaky salt. pop into the heated oven for around 10 minutes or until they are all nice toasted but not charred (unless you like it like that). once toasted, remove and set aside to cool.

next, starting in a cold cast iron pan, place the broccoli into the pan with approximately 1 inch of water and a good pinch of flaky salt. turn the heat onto high and let the broccoli braised and then eventually the water evaporate. keep the heat on high, and let the cooked broccoli char a little on the bottom of the pan. once charred to your liking, remove from the heat and set aside, still in the pan, to cool.

once cool, chop the broccoli into smaller, bite-sized pieces ready for assembly.

now to begin assembly! take one piece of toasted baguette and spread on a good layer of whipped ricotta. *i like to whip my ricotta with a little salt and lemon zest, but you can just whip it—it tastes good as it with all the other ingredients.

next layer on the charred broccoli—adorn each one with one anchovy, a little drizzle of the hot honey, a shower of pecorino, more flaky salt and a little white or black pepper.

re-peat until every crostini is filled, and enjoy!

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more thanksgiving recipes coming this week, and next!

talk soon

xo