Eating In, Dining Out

'Tis the Season to Cook, Serve Savor Local Specialties

Adding a gourmet touch to the yuletide table is easy, especially with a little help from St. Louis' chefs and vintners. Each offer an assortment of savory original recipes perfect for this year's round of holiday buffets and cocktail gatherings.

Setting the seasonal table with a little originality can be a challenge. This year  I took inspiration from the Hermann Wine Trail vintners and the St. Louis Originals – St. Louis’ independent restaurateurs. Each has created unique recipes designed to give the holiday menu a gourmet touch using traditional favorite ingredients such as cheese.   Cheese is a popular element in holiday recipes and is the theme of the recent  Just Say Cheese Holiday Wine Trail. The annual event produced by the Hermann Wine Trail presented a collection of unique cheese dishes paired with wine. For example, Chef Andrew Durbin of Stone Hill Winery’s Vintage Restaurant’s pairs a Traminette with his Ham and Cheese Crisps, a sophisticated yet simple recipe using …

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Sweet Potato Dishes To Be Thankful For

Forget the mini-marshmallows or the streusel topping for those Thanksgiving sweet potatoes. Instead give that sweet potato side dish or dessert a new look with creative recipes your guests will be thankful for.

Mountains of mini marshmallows and tons of brown sugar will surface once again this Thanksgiving via the sweet potato. Candied sweet potatoes calls for almost a half-pound of brown sugar and a full bag of mini marshmallows blankets the average sweet potato casserole. While many consider either of these two iconic recipes mandatory on the Thanksgiving menu, there are alternatives. For inspiration, check out your favorite farm-to-table restaurants where local chefs are busy creating recipes for fall’s most versatile vegetable. You'll find it in soups, biscuits, cakes and roasted veggie medleys.  With such an assortment of recipes, you'll need to stock up. Thankfully, the new sweet potato crop is now on the market. Stuckmeyer's Farm and …

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