“Stuff it!” – and we don’t mean the bird!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL-STARS!

Welcome to Chef Cosmo’s gratitude gastronomic delights for your all-star Thanksgiving feast! Stuffing is the core dish to any turkey-day meal, whether you cook a turkey or not. Even our vegetarian all-stars can have a field day with stuffing recipes.

holiday dysfunction: 1. unable to function normally as a social unit
The family Thanksgiving meal brings out the best and worst out of each of us – the comedy, the drama, and the love… reminiscing about good times and not so great times… meeting new family members and missing lost loved ones.

Chef Cosmo has matched each Sun Sign's quirky-dysfunctional traits with holiday humor and a stuffing that’s perfect for them! So when you’re sitting around the table and the conversation gets too hot… yell “stuff it!” and enjoy the quiet yummy moments.

(Thank you to our recipe source... Food Network Magazine's November article
“50 Stuffings”.)

P.S. For those of you who call it "dressing" - we say... you dress Barbie, not turkeys!

 aries
march 21 - april 19

Overindulgent, courageous, hot-tempered and needs enough spice to push everyone out of their way!
Stuffing #37: Spicy Bacon with Jalapeño Chiles – a classic cornbread stuffing with a hot twist will calm these fiery rams!

taurus
april 20 - may 20

Frugal, intense, stubborn, resourceful and quietly demands earthy foods and down-home cooking.
Stuffing #12: Giblet – comfort food personified… a bit boring maybe, but sure to soothe your Taurean bull!

gemini
may 21 - june 20

Gossipy, restless, irritable… you must have exotic ingredients to placate these impractical and stimulating twins!

Stuffing #44: Curried Basmati with Pine Nuts and Dried Fruit – there's enough going on with this dish to hold your Gemini’s interest… both of them!

cancer
june 21 - july 22

Cautious, over-nurturing, sensitive, moody and will stealthily infiltrate your kitchen with homey goodness!
Stuffing #1 (of course): Classic – sage, thyme, and all the basic greatness that Moms have secretly whipped up for decades!

leo
july 23 -august 22

Willful, proud, overbearing and dramatic – their passion for casseroles and sauces make stuffing a staple in their definition of food groups!
Stuffing #16: Spinach-Gruyere – classic stuffing base with leaks, mushrooms and lots of cheesy, creamy, casseroleness to hide the vegetables and satisfy their dramatic taste buds!

virgo
august 23 - september 22

Critical, picky, Über-organized – Virgo’s love of simple, healthy food is only equaled by their benevolent sharing nature!
Stuffing #48: Vegetable Rice – mixed roasted veggies tossed with al dente white rice seasoned with herbs… can be easily vegan-afied!

libra
september 23 - october 22

Flirtatious, instigator, flighty – Libra needs a lot of textures and tastes to share with friends… make sure you let them orchestrate the dinner plans!
Stuffing #28: Chorizo-Manchego – classic sausage base with fresh chorizo, sourdough bread, oregano, chopped dates, and a beautifully aged, buttery Manchego cheese… this complicated masterpiece will hold your Libra’s attention and bring out their loving social graces.

scorpio
october 23 - november 21

Secretive, extreme, obstinate – always passionate and striving for perfection, you may want to keep Scorpio out of the kitchen if you want to serve dinner on time!
Stuffing #10: Oyster – classic stuffing with dry Vermouth and freshly shucked oysters, this should live up to their desires!

 sagittarius
november 22 - december 21

Extravagant, impatient, fanatical – these global gypsy spirits need a positive, grudge-free dinner table… help them help you!
Stuffing #14: Porcini – classic stuffing with shallots, rosemary, prosciutto, and sliced porcini mushrooms; this tantalizing mix will inspire our adventurous Sagittarians!

capricorn
december 22 - january 19

Self-contained, dogmatic, status-seeking – our realistic, hardworking Capricorns are secret romantics who love being an essential part of the family unit.
Stuffing #6: Caramelized Onion – classic stuffing tossed with golden, sweet caramelized onions and parmesan… a scrumptious combination to comfort these old souls.

aquarius
january 20 - february 18

Argumentative, non-conforming, tactless – always surrounded by an entourage, the Aquarian dinner table is large, loud, and uniquely bonded!
Stuffing #26: Squash-Prosciutto – classic sausage, switched up with prosciutto, combined with butternut squash, onions, and tossed with roasted pine nuts; this innovative Italian blend was Aquarian-appropriate ahead of its time!

pisces
february 19 - march 20

Dreamers, indecisive, temperamental – our all-star romantic fish are big fans of creatively plated crustaceans and will bring a romantic glow to any occasion!
Stuffing #36: Crab – rich cornbread stuffing with baked ham, green peppers, and lots of fresh crabmeat… add a few candles, some nice music and even the most dysfunctional family will find harmony.



Chef Cosmo's potato salad!

Happy 4th of July holiday weekend everyone! Here's the must-have dish for this holiday and if you don't have an honored family tradition potato salad recipe or want to shake up the barbecue or pot luck this year... then use this mouth-watering recipe. Be sure to make a lot so it lasts all weekend!

1-1/2 lb small Red potatoes
5 eggs (hard boiled)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup brown mustard
3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup Black Olives, chopped
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
2 Green Onions chopped

Boil potatoes until tender then let cool. Boil eggs for no longer than 10 minuets and let cool. Chop potatoes and eggs, add veggies, olives, seasoning, lime juice and mustard. Toss with extra virgin olive oil let set for half hour and then toss with mayonnaise.

And don't forget to spend some positivie time appreciating the great service our men and women are engaged in as soldiers in our military. They should all be home for this holiday, but hundreds of thousands will be at their posts around world thinking about their familes. We thank you!

Enjoy the fireworks, live each moment, and hug each other!
Chef Cosmo and paSous