[1] A delicious vegetarian/vegan stuffing with dried and fresh mushrooms (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Fresh cremini mushrooms (also spelled crimini) can be replaced with white button mushrooms (photo ©Christine Siracusa | Weusual | Unsplash).

[3] These are fresh shiitake mushrooms (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[4] These are dried shiitake mushrooms (photo © Umami Information Center).

[5] This is the favored brand of recipe developer Hannah Kaminsky. You can find them on Amazon (photo © Sugimoto).

[6] Use a sourdough loaf or an Italian loaf for the bread cubes (photo © Maison Kayser).

[7] Use fresh parsley, never dried. Flat or curly: it doesn’t matter (photo © Cava Mediterranean Restaurant).

We love stuffing. We’d rather have stuffing than the turkey. When the last bit of turkey is gone, we know we’ll have more, sometime soon. But we never get around to making another pan of stuffing (stuffing? dressing? see the difference below).

Here’s a mushroom stuffing recipe from Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog that everyone will enjoy—including vegetarians and vegans.

She’s particularly fond of the dried shiitake mushrooms from Sugimoto in Japan (they have a U.S. website and are also on Amazon).
 
 
SUGITAKE DRIED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Shiitakes are Japan’s favorite mushrooms. In certain preparations, dried Sugimoto shiitake mushrooms are a better choice than fresh ones for several reasons. They have much better flavor, enhanced nutritional attributes, and of course, will last a lot longer in your kitchen.

 
“Of course,” says Hannah, “most importantly for their culinary value, Sugimoto shiitake mushrooms are incredibly delicious because the drying and rehydrating process produces guanylate, a natural umami enhancer. Guanylate amplifies the umami taste of all foods, making dishes richer, bolder, and simply better.

“That’s a whole lot to be thankful for right there. It should go without saying that these powerful little mushrooms definitely deserve a place of honor in your stuffing. I’ve got the perfect dish to grace your menu right here.”
 
 
RECIPE: BROWN BUTTER MUSHROOM STUFFING

Tangy sourdough and umami mushrooms are the foundation of this hearty, comforting stuffing. Infused with autumnal herbs and nutty browned butter, it’s a side dish you should invite over for Thanksgiving dinner.

You can also enjoy it any time of the year. There’s nothing seasonal about mushrooms, sourdough, and stuffing.

The flaxseeds are very high in fiber with a good amount of protein and a charming flavor. They’re also rich in heart-healthy fat. You can omit them if you like

Prep time is 20 to 30 minutes soaking time for the mushrooms, 15 minutes more for the other ingredients. Cook time is 35 to 45 minutes.

To make ahead of time, the stuffing may be prepared up until the final baking stage 1 day in advance; cover and chill until ready to bake.

We tried the recipe with 2-day-old challah instead of sourdough, also delicious. Just make sure you toast it first to get the bread cubes more dry and crisp.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SOAK the mushrooms in 3 cups of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms but reserve the liquid. Separate the caps from the stems; slice the caps and finely mince the stems. Set aside.

2. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Spread the cubed bread pieces as a single layer on two baking sheets, making sure the cubes don’t overlap. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until evenly toasted. Set aside and increase the heat to 375°F.

3. SET a large saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. Continue stirring, gently but continuously, for about 5 to 8 minutes. The butter will turn golden brown and begin to smell nutty.

4. ADD the onion, celery, cremini or button mushrooms, shiitake, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and become highly aromatic, 10 to 13 minutes. Add the poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper, cooking for 1 minute longer to incorporate.

5. TURN off the heat and sprinkle in the flaxseeds, tossing the vegetables to coat. Introduce the toasted bread and stir well to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Transfer to a larger bowl if needed to stir properly.

6. ADD the vinegar, shiitake soaking water and/or stock if needed, hazelnuts, and parsley. Mix well, making sure everything is thoroughly incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spreading it out in an even layer.

7. BAKE for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown all over. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
 
 
 
STUFFING OR DRESSING: THE DIFFERENCE

It’s simple:

 
While the idea of stuffing the bird appeals to many, most experts recommend cooking a separate dressing.

For food safety reasons, stuffing in the cavity of the bird must reach the same 165°F temperature before it is ready to serve. If you have a vegetarian dressing, it’s not an issue.

(But if you have a dressing made with raw meat or seafood, do make sure it cooks to 160°F.)

It’s also a heck of a lot easier to make dressing, both in placing it in a pan instead of spooning it into the turkey cavity; and in avoiding the labor of scooping the stuffing out of the bird.

There may be regional traditions that select one term or the other. We grew up in the northeast, where it was always “stuffing,” no matter whether in the bird or in a casserole dish.

“Dressing” referred to salad dressing.
 
 
MORE STUFFING RECIPES

Allow us to use the words interchangeably in the recipe names. The cook decides if it’s going to be stuffing or dressing!

Certainly, everyone who drinks Bordeaux wine knows of Château Lafite Rothschild, the premier cru classe of the Pauillac region of Bordeaux. If they’re lucky enough, they’ve had it more than once. But a bottle of the 2008 vintage, which is ready to drink now, is $995. The 2009 Carruades de Lafite, the winery’s second label, is $359. What’s a wine lover on a budget to do?

We have a solution below. But first, a bit about the producer.

Starting out in 1868 with Lafite, today Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild is a large wine group. In Bordeaux, the group owns four additional properties in addition to Lafite and Carruades:

 
The company also distributes Château Paradis Casseuil in the Entre-deux-Mers region, and Château Odilon in the Haut-Médoc.
 
Lafite Rothschild owns wineries in areas beyond Bordeaux. In France, these are typically referred to as domaines. This use of “domaine” is also customary in France’s other famed wine-making region, Burgundy.

Why chateau versus domaine? Here’s more about it.

These beyond-Bordeaux wineries of Lafite include:

 
Then there’s Les Légendes, a wine collection we loved at first taste. It has become part of our regular drinking.
 
 
LES LÉGENDES COLLECTION

Three decades ago, the Rothschild family was inspired to create a new wine collection, where each wine would be an excellent expression of its appellation.

The motivation for creating the Les Légends Collection was to ensure that wine lovers everywhere could taste the originality of each Bordeaux appellation at an affordable cost.

And so, Les Légendes range was born.

The wines express the freshness and elegance of Bordeaux, and are very affordable—as little as $15 a bottle. An amazingly low cost, yet they’re made with the same care and attention as the Grands Vins of Lafite Rothschild. These are classy wines.

You don’t need to cellar them: They are ready to drink when they are released (Lafite Rothschild has to be cellared for at least 10 years after release; 15 to 20 years is ideal).

The red wines use grapes purchased from vineyards neighboring Domaines Lafite Rothschild (Les Légendes Pauillac uses actual grapes from Lafite Rothschild vineyards). The white wine grapes are from the Entre-deux-Mers region of Bordeaux.

We were fortunate to taste the red wines in order of complexity. Each wine got better and better—in a lineup where each was excellent (as is the Bordeaux Blanc).
 
Les Légends Red Bordeaux Wines

 
Les Légends White Bordeaux Wine

 
Your task is to find these beautifully balanced wines—and pop the cork without delay! Here’s a store locator.

Here’s more about the portfolio.

We raise a glass to Les Légends!
 
 
________________

*Château is the French term for a country house or castle, and is most commonly used by the wineries of Bordeaux.

[1] Bordeaux and steak: a classic combination (photo © D&D London).

[2] Les Légendes Collection: five wonderful wines (photo © Taub Family Selections).

[3] Les Légendes St. Emilion: a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc with anise, plums and blackberries, a savory edge of leather and tar and an earthiness that wine people call forest floor.

[4] You don’t need a rack of lamb to enjoy these wines, but it’s a beautiful pairing (photos © Now And Zin).

[1] An “everything” goat cheese log (all photos © Vermont Creamery).

[2] Serve any seasoned cheese log on a cheese board, or as an optional add-on to the salad course. You can buy an everything log ready-to-serve from Vermont Creamery, or season your own plain log.

[3] One of the 8 varieties of seasonings you can use on a log or cheese ball. Here, dried cranberries, sultanas, rosemary, and orange zest (the recipe).

[4] Fresh herb and nut cheese ball

[5] Clover honey-flavored goat cheese, one of Vermont Creamery’s seven goat cheese log varieties.

[6] Smoky pepper jelly-topped goat cheese log, another of Vermont Creamery’s seven goat cheese log varieties.

[7] Thank you, ladies!

If you love goat cheese, this tip’s for you. You can take a plain goat cheese log, roll it in your favorite herbs and spices, and add eye appeal to your cheese board. You can combine your favorite spices and herbs to create, for example, an:

 
No doubt there are more options, but these are the ones we made.

TRIVIA: What countries eat the most cheese? See the top curd lovers below.
 
 
HOW TO SEASON GOAT CHEESE LOGS

The ingredients are simple: goat cheese log(s) and seasonings of choice.

To make the everything bagel goat cheese log, you can purchase everything bagel seasoning, or mix your own from black and white sesame seeds, dried minced garlic and onion, poppy seeds, and fine sea salt.

1. PLACE a few tablespoons of seasonings on a flat plate or a piece of wax paper or parchment.

2. ROLL the goat cheese log in the seasoning to cover the entire log. As necessary, press the seasoning into the log. If you need more coverage, place more seasoning on the plate and continue to roll.

3. WRAP the log in wax paper or parchment and twist the ends to seal. Refrigerate until ready to use.
 
 
VERMONT CREAMERY GOAT CHEESE

One of our favorite American cheese companies, Vermont Creamery has been making exquisite fresh and aged goat cheeses, cultured butter, and other dairy products (crème fraîche, mascarpone, sour cream, quark).

They are truly wonderful products. One item in the line, goat cheese logs, are available in:

 
Each of these is absolutely delicious, and we can eat an entire 4-ounce portion for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

That’s how much we love goat cheese and Vermont Creamery goat cheeses in particular.

See them all, plus a store locator, at VermontCreamery.com.

While we prefer Vermont Creamery’s moister, creamier, artisan goat cheese logs, you can purchase less expensive mass-produced logs at Trader Joe’s, Aldi and other markets, and roll your own.
 
 
CHEESE TRIVIA: WHAT COUNTRY EATS THE MOST CHEESE?

Our immediate reaction was “France,” but we were surprised at these statistics:

National Cappuccino Day is November 8th. We’ve already had two cups of it, and wish we’d already made this no-bake cappuccino cheesecake. The recipe is by Heather Baird of Sprinkle Bakes, developed by Go Bold With Butter, a great recipe website where everything is tested and dee-licious.

This cheesecake is light, creamy, and not overly sweet. And, let us repeat: It’s no-bake!

The recipe is egg-free; the filling is set with gelatin.

The instant espresso powder in the recipe gives the cheesecake a more pronounced coffee flavor. If you can’t get hold of it, you can substitute instant coffee granules.

There are more cappuccino recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: NO-BAKE CAPPUCCINO CHEESECAKE

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 30 minutes.
 
Ingredients For The Crust

 
For the Filling

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the crust. Stir together the shortbread crumbs and melted butter until the crumbs resemble wet sand. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

2. POUR the milk into a small saucepan and sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the surface. Let stand for 2 minutes. Place the pan over low heat and cook while stirring just until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

3. BEAT the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, sugar and vanilla until well mixed; gradually beat in the gelatin mixture.

4. COMBINE the instant espresso powder with 1-1/2 tablespoons of hot water; stir until dissolved. Gradually add the coffee mixture into the cheesecake batter.

5. REMOVE the pan from the refrigerator. Spoon the batter over the crust and spread evenly. Cover and chill until set, about 4 hours. To serve, loosen the cheesecake from the sides of springform pan using a small knife or an offset spatula. Remove the springform collar (sides).

6. PIPE or spread whipped cream over the top of the cheesecake and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. However, if you will not be serving all of the cheesecake within a couple of hours, consider stabilized whipped cream, which will not collapse. Whipped cream can be piped on top of the cheesecake in a spiral using a piping bag and a plain 1/2-inch decorator tip, or you can swirl it on using an offset spatula.

7. STORE the cheesecake in the refrigerator.

 
 
MORE CAPPUCCINO RECIPES

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CAPPUCCINO

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ESPRESSO DRINKS

[1] Cappuccino cheesecake (photos £1 and #2 © Heather Baird | Go Bold With Butter).

[2] This is a no-bake cheesecake!

[3] Enjoy a slice with a hot or iced cappuccino (photo © The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf).

[4] A frozen cappuccino soufflé. Here’s the recipe (photo © Etoile | Chandon).

[1] >Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter has chocolate richness with no added sugar (all photos © Fix & Fogg).

[2] Everything Butter, a blend of 8 nuts and seeds, is a multiple award winner.

[3] Cashew Butter is available in Creamy and Oaty Nut Butter.

[4] Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is an epicure’s version of Nutella.

[5] Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Toast is garnished with granola clusters and freeze-dried raspberries. You can also add a layer of jam or a drizzle of maple syrup or date syrup.

[6] These No Bake Peanut Butter Bars are made with Smooth Peanut Butter topped with dried raspberries; but we made ours with Hot & Smoky Peanut Butter and chopped peanuts.

[7] These peanut butter and jelly cups are so much better with F&F PB.

[8] Stuffed sweet potatoes with black beans, corn, avocado and cashew butter-yogurt sauce.

[9] Everything butter pesto: a dip, a sandwich spread, a base for a salad dressing.Here’s the recipe.

What happens when two corporate lawyers in New Zealand decide to leave corporate life? If they’re foodies with great palates, they choose to make artisan food that’s sustainable, and delicious. They decided to make Fix & Fogg, “the world’s best nut butters.”

Now, the title of “the world’s best” isn’t an absolute except, perhaps, in athletic competitions. But Fix & Fogg nut butters—almond, cashew, hazelnut, and peanut—have won awards worldwide.

And while we’ve only tasted artisan nut butters from the U.S. until now, Fix & Fogg are certainly on the podium at The Nibble’s award ceremony.

Personally, peanut butter is our favorite nut butter. We’ve tasted our share of good artisan PBs, but Fix & Fogg is beyond good, very good, even excellent: It’s exciting peanut butter.

It made us say WOW after the first spoonful, and immediately scrap that evening’s dinner menu for several protein-rich tablespoons of F&F.

That’s why Fix & Fogg is our Top Pick Of The Week: delicious on your table and a delicious small gift and stocking stuffer (or a box of four jars).
 
 
WHAT MAKES FIX & FOGG SO VERY GOOD?

 
Because our favorite nut butter is peanut, we didn’t try almond and cashew. The peanut butter flavors we tried were outstanding. The Coffee & Maple PB has the crunch of ground coffee beans in addition to ground peanuts. What a delight!

We’ll keep these three flavors, plus Smooth and Crunchy flavors, stocked in our pantry going forward.
 
 
THE FIX & FOGG LINE

There are different variations of almond, cashew, hazelnut and peanut butters. Each one we tried was superb.

One reason the peanut butter may be so better than other artisan PBs we’ve enjoyed: They’re hi-oleic peanuts. We’d never heard the term before, but here’s what we now know, in the footnote* below..

 
A note: the chocolate butters—peanut and hazelnut—are not sweet. Don’t expect Nutella. The chocolate provides an almost savory richness—the nut butters have a small amount of added sugar, but are not sweet.

The Smoke And Fire is nicely smoky and tingly: not a heavy hand of either. As Goldilocks said about the third bowl of porridge: “Just right.”
 
 
HOW TO USE THE NUT BUTTERS

We know that you need no advice in order to spread nut butter on a sandwich and eat it straight from the jar. Have you tried it in dessert sauces, savory sauces, and dips?

If you’ve never cooked or baked with nut butter, F&F will inspire you. There are also plenty of recipes: for blondies, bowls, cookies, crumbles, muffins, noodles, scones, and much more.

You can download the e-book of 75 recipes.

We’ve already dug into:

 
You can peruse the recipes on the website if you don’t want to download the e-book.
 
 
GET YOUR F&F

Head to the Fix & Fogg website for the best selection.

There are currently six flavors on Amazon.

Try any of the retail stores: Central Market, Fresh Direct, Sprouts, Gelson’s, Kings, Market Of Choice, Streets Market, Thrive Market, United Supermarkets, and Whole Foods Market. (But again, for the largest selection, go to F&F directly).

Stock up for yourself, for party favors, stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, and mini gifts to hand out year-round.
 
 
ABOUT FIX & FOGG

The name Fix & Fogg comes from two characters from the classic 1873 adventure novel, Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: Phileas Fogg and Detective Fix. Like the story, the idea of embarking on a great journey, taking risks, and trying new things, resonated with F&F’s founders.

“Although we’re not quite sold in 80 countries around the world,” they say, “maybe one day we could do just that.”

Beyond New Zealand and Australia, the brand has sailed to China, the Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Tahiti and the U.S.

Come on Canada! Come on Europe! Come on Latin America, where the peanut and cashew originated. Great nut butters await you!

Toward their sustainability goals, Fix & Fogg is the first New Zealand-owned food manufacturer to be awarded B Corp certification.

B Corporations are businesses that act in ways that benefit society as a whole. B stands for beneficial.

What defines B Corporations is their belief that the purpose of a company is not just to make money, but to also do social and environmental good.

B Corp entrepreneurs are committed to a vision of using their businesses as forces for good: for inclusive, environmentally-sustainable prosperity. You can profit while doing good.

The B Corp certification was launched a decade ago. More than 2,200 companies in more than 50 countries are now certified. Here’s more about them.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PEANUT BUTTER

> THE HISTORY OF CASHEWS

*Hi oleic peanuts (yes, that’s the spelling) are known as “long-life” peanuts. They are only grown in a few places around the world. There’s a natural substitution of oleic acid for linoleic acid, which provides a much longer shelf-life. These are non-GMO; there is no molecular manipulation involved in this process at all. It’s all conventional breeding. Hi oleic peanuts stay crunchy and taste great for up to 10 times longer after roasting than regular peanuts. They’re also higher in monounsaturated or “good” fats. Here’s more about them. At this time, there are no other hi-oleic nuts.

†There are small amounts of sugar in the chocolate flavors and small amounts of maple syrup in the maple flavors.
 
 

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