Thayer in the Kitchen

I found a number of recipes that attempted to mimic the biscuits that are served at Red Lobster restaurants.  This was originally posted on food.com, but I made a number of adaptations.  I was very pleased with the results and would have happily eaten all the biscuits myself.  Arthur is not a biscuit fan but admitted these were very good.  They are in no way healthy, but they make a tasty occasional treat. 2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup cold milk 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Topping ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the butter into the baking mix.  Add the milk, cheese and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder.  You should have a stiff dough that you can roll out.  Lightly flour a surface, roll out the dough 1" thick and cut into biscuits.  Place the biscuits on an ungreased pan. To make the topping melt the

We had Thanksgiving yesterday with one of my daughter's and her family.  They requested that I bring mashed potatoes with leeks and said I had made the dish before. I didn't remember making it but I did a bit of searching and found what sounded like a very good recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website. 4 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and preferably organic 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter 4 leeks, white and light green portions, finely chopped and rinsed well 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 1⁄2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper or to taste   Cut the potatoes into large, uniform chunks. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover partially and cook the potatoes, stirring once or twice, until they are very tender, about 30-40 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, in a fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the le