Great Recipe for Home Entertaining - Pheasant with Cranberry Peppercorn Sauce

I recently made this dish for a dinner party, and it was a huge success; succulent, flavorful, and simple! I know some don't really care for Pheasant, but with the seasonings, it wasn't at all "gamey." But if you can't bring yourself to eat pheasant, you can easily substitute a roasting chicken or turkey breast. Here is the recipe for 4 guests, as it appears in "An American Bounty":

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 whole pheasants, trussed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup dry red wine
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons ruby port
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Dilute the cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water and set aside.
2. Pat the pheasants dry with paper towels and rub the skin with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavities with the thyme and bay leaves.
3. Place the pheasants on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 55 to 60 minutes, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, or until the juices show no trace of pink when the thigh is pierced with a kitchen fork.
4. Remove the pheasants from the roasting pan; set aside and keep warm. Immediately add the wine to the roasting pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring; scrape the pan well to release all the browned bits on the bottom. Pour the juices into a saucepan.
5. Add the broth, cranberries, sugar, and cracked peppercorns to the saucepan and simmer over medium heat until the cranberries are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Stir the diluted cornstarch if necessary to recombine and add it to the sauce; simmer for 2 more minutes.
7. Stir the ruby port and butter into the sauce. Add salt to taste. Cut the pheasants in half and serve with the sauce.

I served this with wild rice and it went nicely with a Santa Ema Reserve Merlot. For presentation, this dish has beautiful color, so I simply chose to plate it on a clean white dinner plate, like Raynaud's Hommage Dinner Plate.

Spring Pastels Are In | Anna Weatherley Colors Porcelain Dinnerware is Your Dinnertable Must This Spring

According to a Elle Decor "trend alert" pastels are it. Pastel colors from buttercup-yellow to pale green are not just for your baby's room; they are showing up in springtime fashion, fabrics, and furnishings. The Colors Dinnerware Collection by Anna Weatherley is ahead of the game with it's mint green and powder blue china. These colors are refreshing; a sweet and fabulous look for your table!

The dinner plates, chargers, and salad plates have a rippling rim encased in gold for a wonderful movement on the table. The cups in this collection have an understated yet eye catching look with a pure white porcelain outside and just a touch of color on the inside, thus keeping with the fresh look of the dinnerware. If you want a refreshing look for the spring and summertime, then the Colors collection by Anna Weatherley is for you. To see more springtime inspired dinnerware by Anna Weatherley available at Sallie home.

Traditional Home Entertains With William Yeoward China, Stemware, and Cachepots!

To celebrate 20 years in publication, Traditional Home threw an ever so fancy party! To create the correct ambiance of this party, they created a upscale table set using William Yeoward. Each table was set with Avington Porcelain Chargers, Gosford dinner and salad plates, and Flavia Stemware with an Knowle magenta cachepot as the centerpiece. To commemorate the occasion, William Yeoward Vesta flutes were used for the toast. By using a William Yeoward table set, this party looked absolutely amazing. To create this same table, find William Yeoward crystal and china on salliehome.com.

It's Not Easy Being Green: Anna Weatherley's Bright Green Dinnerware

It's not easy being the Bright Green Dinnerware from Anna Weatherley; this beautiful color has been discontinued and there are only a few pieces left. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to feature this vibrant dinnerware. There is no better way to eat your corn beef and cabbage than on one of these plates. The charger, mixed with other colors, is a wonderful way to brighten up table setting. If you are missing or have broken a Bright Green dinner plate, bread and butter, saucer, charger, teacup or latte cup or if know of some one who has, find the replacement at Sallie home. Click here to view more wonderful dinnerware pieces from Anna Weatherley available at Sallie home.

The Twelve Days of Christmas...Dinner Plates by Rosanna

Now that Thanksgiving is over, you can start thinking about Christmas with a clear conscience. The Twelve Days of Christmas Dinner plates by Rosanna are a great way to start preparing for the pending holiday. These plates are amusing and adorable as they count down to Christmas with all the images the holiday brings to mind - from a partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummers drumming. The plates are made of a refined china and come in a set of four. This dinnerware will surely help make your table festive for Christmas. Click here to view more holiday home decorations from Rosanna Inc. available at Sallie home.

Price: $70