Thank you for entering the drawing for 
Chef Hari and 
Chef Vikas (my god, how could you not love those two handsome faces! swoon! click on their links and see their videos on ifood.tv, an AWESOME site for cooking enthusiasts)
cookbook called 
Modern Indian
As you can tell, I’m going through a de-cluttering phase, basically purging my home because I know that in order to make room for shiny new crap I have to get rid of all the old crap and tschotchkes , which I think is Yiddish for “shit I don’t need.” Ok, really, my husband threatened to withhold all of my holiday gifts until I go clean my room and stop unnecessary purchases.
I don’t label myself a compulsive shopper because that would require medication and an extra monthly expense that I’d just rather spend on alcohol. Let’s just call it “model consumerist and creative cabinet stuffer.”….continued…
On Thanksgiving, we packed the kids in the minivan and headed to Orlando to my brother-in-law’s for a “Boston Market Takeout Thanksgiving.” Oh, don’t groan, it really wasn’t bad at all. While you were all scrubbing layers of grease off your pans, all we did was crumple up take out containers. The best part of celebrating the holidays with people who don’t cook is knowing that the entire turkey carcass is MINE…..ALL MINE.
Such a silly thing to be smug about, but I consider the endless potential of leftover bones just as exciting as the roasted turkey itself. And since we only have turkey once or twice a year, I act like Tom of Tom & Jerry with icons of turkey flashing in my eyes. I could make stock (freeze and use throughout the year), gumbo, casserole, soup and my favorite….Turkey Congee (rice porridge)
Normally, when I spend holiday dinners with other cooks and chefs, it’s a silent game of strategy. But how would you politely and tactfully be the first to lay dibs on the turkey bones if you are a guest? Since many of you will have turkey again for Christmas dinner, I’m going to share my secrets with you. But if you click through to read…you’ve just waived away your right to use these tricks against me. Deal?
The moment my toes met carpet this morning, I could feel 12,035 pounds of heavy clouds whoosh towards my home, settling just above my tangled mess of hair. I should have just made myself a bloody mary, grabbed a bag of peanut M&M’s and surrendered back to bed, as there was no way that I would come out ahead at the end of this day. I knew it was over. I had an out of control problem and needed to address it head-on.
(sigh) “I’m sorry, Emeril. I’ve got to give you up, sweetie….continued…
