So Christmas has come and gone. Another day that comes with umpteen hours of planning and re-planning. Writing a menu and then re-writing a menu to accommodate all of the tastes of the guests in attendance. You want to be bold and impressive, but not be slaving in the kitchen for days. At least with Thanksgiving the menu is set by tradition. But Christmas is a different story.

This year I was entertaining my in-laws. There were 8 adults and 2 kiddies. Although they are willing to try everything I make for them, they are still warming up to my culinary experiments. I wanted to set a menu that was full flavored and inspired by Italy, but not predictable. It seemed to simple to me to have lasagna or chicken piccata. So here’s what I went with:

Christmas Dinner 2009

Mom’s Famous Italian Chopped Salad

Salute Roast of Pork, glazed with blood orange marmelade, roasted over fennel and sweet potaotes
Four cheese Italian potatoes au gratin
Haricot Vert sautéed with garlic
Roasted acorn squash with hazelnuts and balsamic reduction

And for dessert-

Christmas cookies and croquembouche

The salad was supposed to go out before the main course, however, a few people were late because of weather and traffic and so everything went out at once. Although, a slight change in plan, it still went over big, with the leftovers going home with my mother-in-law. Here’s the recipe for my mom’s famous Italian chopped salad.

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped into small pieces

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup candied walnuts

3/4 cup or 4 oz of blue cheese (I use Danish blue, but she likes the crumbles)

1/2 cup homemade balsamic vinaigrette

Just toss all the ingredients together and serve. Reserve a few walnuts and a few crumbles of cheese to garnish with.The recipe for the dressing is simple. 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon honey, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup good quality olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Purée on a blender or whisk until incorporated. Toss into salad gently. This salad is good anytime. It’s light and zippy (yes, zippy) and can be easily made into a main dish by adding grilled chicken or salmon.

To make the roast, I purchased a salute roast from the butcher and brined it the night before serving in salt, brown sugar, orange juice, and fennel fronds. When I was ready to roast the piggy, I set it up on a bed of sweet potatoes, fennel, and blood oranges. I roasted it at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes and then let it rest for 30 minutes. The meat was a perfect medium well (which was a little more than I like, but the brine helped to keep the meat juicy and flavorful.) Every 30 minutes I brushed the roast with homemade blood orange marmalade which I made a few days earlier.

Everything turned out perfectly. We had a few leftovers, but well that made a great dinner tonight as orange glazed pork tacos with fennel and black beans.

Always thinking of the next meal (which won’t be for awhile)

Katie

Lots of Flowers
A beautifully set table, vintage crystal and china is always nice
A pretty and  simply stocked bar set-up
Candles and glowing lights
Festive cocktails, good wines, after dinner ports
Delicious food, hearty entree and scrumptious deserts
Lively conversations with family and friends!
Furry friends

Lots of flowers

A beautifully set table with vintage china and crystal

A pretty and simply stocked bar set-up

Delicious food, a hearty entree and scrumptous desert!

Julia Child's hearty Bouef Bourgogne

Furry friends and Christmas trees

Cheers!

The Feast Day for St Stephen falls on 26 December (Boxing Day), hence the Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas:

“Good King Wenceslas looked out
on the feast of Stephen, …” 

I have no idea why this is called St Stephen’s Pudding.  There is no reason given with the original recipe, where it is suggested as an alternative to the usual heavy fruit filled Pudding traditionally served on Christmas Day, but it somehow seems fitting to serve it on 26th December.  We love traditional Christmas pudding, but this I find makes a similarly comforting, but lighter lemony-apple & raisin flavoured dessert for Boxing Day, when the first course is usually cold meats and vegetables served with chutney and pickle. It is a good way to use up any suet you have left from making your rich fruit Christmas pudding. For a more lemony pudding than the original I add not only the zest of the lemon, but the juice as well, putting in less milk.  I felt that the pudding needed a slightly longer cooking by an extra 30minutes, or so.  The addition of ½-1tsp cinnamon or ginger and some small pieces of crystallised ginger would add a lovely extra dimension.

The original recipe for St Stephen’s Pudding comes from Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course and she says it was passed on to her by an East Anglian television viewer. In River Cottage Food Heroes, a programme broadcast a few days before Christmas, there was a recipe for Thimble Mill Pudding, which is somewhat similar.

St Stephen’s Pudding
(Serves 4-6)

4oz (110g) white breadcrumbs
2oz (50g) self-raising flour, sifted
2oz (50g) light brown soft sugar
3oz (75g) shredded suet
a pinch of salt
4oz (110g) seedless raisins
2 medium Bramley cooking apples, peeled and grated
1 lemon – Grated zest & juice
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk, aprox - (total amount of lemon juice & milk should be 3tbsp)
Optional extras:
½-1tsp cinnamon or ginger 4-6 pieces of crystallised ginger, chopped (as well as or in place of the raisins)

1.  Lightly grease a 3 pint/2 litre pudding basin.

2.  Combine all the breadcrumbs, flour, sugar, suet and salt (plus spices if using) in a large mixing bowl.  Add the raisins, grated apple and grated lemon zest and stir well. (Plus the chopped ginger if using.)  Add the lemon juice and stir well. 

3.  Mix the egg and milk together and stir into the mixture.  Stir well to thoroughly combine the ingredients.

4.  Spoon the mixture into the pudding basin, pushing it down well with a spoon.  Cover the basin tightly with its lid.  For a lidless basin cover with a sheet of baking parchment with a pleat in the centre to allow for expansion and then with a sheet of foil.  Secure with string.

5.  Boil a kettle, pour the boiling water into a saucepan to about halfway.  Bring to the boil, fit a steamer on top and then reduce to a medium heat.  The pudding can also be cooked in a panful of simmering water. Steam the pudding for 2½ hours, checking reguarly to keep the water level topped up. If you have an electric stacking steamer then this can be used very successfully, also regularly checking the water level.  (You can also use a slow cooker or pressure cooker - consult the instruction booklet for timings.)  

6.  Serve with custard, cream or alternatively with brandy or rum butter.

 

Christmas Dinner 2009

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Dinner was a great success. There was a slight change in the menu as my co-chef found a beautiful piece of Prime Rib that couldn’t be passed up; the end result was delicious and flavorful. I also decided to roast the potatoes. I consumed too many mashed potatoes on Christmas Eve and the thought of pureed vegetables was a bit sickening.

Feeling the post-holiday blues? Don’t fret, start planning your New Years Eve dinner/party. Speaking of New Years, with 2009 winding down I’ll be spending the next week rewinding the year and sharing some of my top food moments of 2009. Also on deck is my first restaurant review. Thanks for all who have been reading; it’s only a matter of months until I’ll be on the Food Network!

So…, this was interesting. This was scary. This was exciting. This was rewarding.

I love tamales, particularly the Mexican and, of course, the Panamanian versions; I just never tried making either. The task seems daunting and too tedious to get involved. But then, I love a challenge and I was ready to take this  one on. I started with the ones from Panama ‘cuz, well. You know. That’s where I’m from.

Tamales are usual fare for any celebration, Christmas, NYE, weddings, parties. In Panama, they come in a variety of sizes, but most commonly they are large enough to make it a full meal. They’re made of corn, filled with chicken, pork and more recently, seafood. Ours are different in that they are cooked in a leaf from a plant called bijao. Don’t ask me what else it produces, because I have no clue. But the leaves look a lot like bananas leaves, however the taste is quite different. You know what’s sad? I don’t remember what they taste like. That’s depressing.

Unfortunately, the leaves aren’t available stateside, so I had to improvise and replace them with foil paper. I don’t much enjoy the taste banana leaves impart on food, which is why I didn’t use those. I also forgot to get prunes, but we will survive. I promise you. You know what I found out once I made this? It ISN’T as tedious as I thought it would be, nor was it all that time-consuming.

Are you ready? Here goes nothing–well, something amazing, but that’s not the saying. Y’know what I’m sayin’? This recipe will yield about 20-25 tamales, and they will freeze quite well.

Tamales Panameños
Ingredients
2 lbs yellow corn hominy, dry
2/3 cp pork fat or vegetable oil
2 tsps sea salt
2 pkts Sazón

4 lbs pork short ribs
1 pkt Sazón
2 onions, chopped
1 large can tomatoes, diced
4 culantro leaves OR 1/2 cp cilantro, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps sea salt
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried oregano
1 bottle beer
1 tsp habanero sauce (optional)

12 oz pitted prunes, about 25
1-1/2 cp seedless raisins
1 cp pitted olives
about 1/4 cp capers
1/2 cp roasted red pepper (pimentos), sliced
Aluminum foil cut into pieces about 6 inches wide

Now for the method; Although I’ve listed all the ingredients together, I will break down the process for the different components: preparing the hominy, then the pork, and putting it all together.

Corn time, baby!
Rinse the hominy and put it in a large pan, add the 2 tsps salt and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and cook for about 2 hours or until the grains are tender. Once it is done cooking, strain and rinse the hominy. Allow it to cool. Once the corn cools, you will need to run it through a grinder using the finest setting. I’m not sure if using a food processor would work, but it might do the job just fine.

For the piggy part.
While the corn cooks, prepare the pork. Cut it into 2-inch cubes and season it with salt and black pepper. Heat a medium-sized pan and add about 1 tbsp vegetable oil and brown the pork pieces and set aside. After browning the pork, add the onions, garlic and culantro and cook until the onions are softened. Then add the tomatoes, paste, oregano, Sazon make sure to remove the drippings stuck at the bottom of the pan. Add the pork back to the pan, then the beer and enough water to cover. Bring it to a boil, put a lid over it and lower temperature to a simmer; allow it to cook for about 45 minutes or until the pork is very tender.

Time to put it all together.
First off, pour yourself a glass of wine, preferably red. First, you’ll need to season the corn dough or masa. After you grind it, add the pork fat, the Sazon packets and about 2 cps of the juices from the pork, don’t be shy about the onion pieces falling in. Knead all of this very well, you want to make sure it is evenly distributed. The masa’s consistency should be soft, but not runny.

The pork, it should be chunky, but not too large, so break it apart a bit and keep some of the pan sauce. Line up the raisins, prunes, pimentos, olives and capers.

Take a sheet of foil, spread about 1/3 cp or so of the masa over 2/3s of the sheet. Put a few pieces of pork close to one of the ends of the masa, put a couple of olives, capers, a prune and a few raisins. Now fold over the foil so that the rest of the masa covers the filling. Fold the foil like an envelope: first fold the top once, then the sides. Make sure to flatten the foil, you want it to be a tight seal.

Fill a large stock pot with water, drop 2 bay leaves and 3 cloves of garlic–no need to peel them. I did this because I don’t have the bijao leaves which add flavor to the tamales. This way the water will have its own flavor and will not just draw it out from the tamales. Bring the water to a soft boil and drop the tamales in one by one. Allow them to cook for 1 hour.

Remove the tamales from the water, lay them upside down to allow any water that might have seeped through to drain out. Remove the tamales from the foil packets and serve.

I wanted to make a gingerbread cake last year for dessert on Christmas, but it was too crazy and I never got around to it, so this year I was determined to make it! My mom has a great recipe for it from her The Silver Palate Cookbook, so we decided to make it. It’s very simple to put together and tastes delicious served as is or topped with whipped cream.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Add egg, sugar, and molasses. Mix well.
3. Pour boiling water and the oil over mixture. Stir thoroughly until smooth. 
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until top springs back wen touched and the edges have pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan.
5. While the gingerbread is still hot, pour glaze over top and cool in the pan, set on a rack.

Lemon Glaze:

• 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Sift sugar into a bowl; add lemon juice and mix well.

Merry Christmas from East Wenatchee, Washington! I am incredibly thankful to be home and spending time with my family.  While we didn’t have a white Christmas at the house, there is a small dusting on the mountains. 

We have been having the same breakfast casserole on Christmas morning since I can remember.  It seems like most families have their own version of a breakfast casserole/soufflé.  Ours is Dijon-maple flavored and we make it the night before so it has a chance to sit in the fridge overnight and get custardy.  Also, this way everyone is free to open presents instead of slaving away in the kitchen. 

As mentioned in the previous post, most of our Christmas recipes are on hand-written note cards from the seventies or eighties.  Here is the breakfast soufflé card:

This dish isn’t super fancy, but it is incredibly easy to make for a crowd and I haven’t heard a complaint yet. 

Maple-Dijon Breakfast Casserole

1lb Jimmy Dean Maple Breakfast Sausage

6 Slices of Sourdough bread cut into cubes

1.5 Cups Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese freshly grated
4 Eggs

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Real Maple Syrup

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Pepper

2 Cups Half and Half

Dry Bread slices on cookie sheet for 2 hours.  Arrange  bread cubes in buttered casserole dish.  

Fully cook the sausage and chop into crumbles. 

Layer sausage on top of bread. 

Beat eggs.  Add mustard, syrup, salt and pepper, half & half and beat 1 minute more.  Pour over sausage and bread.  Make sure all of the bread is covered with the egg mixture.   Sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake for 45 minutes on 350 degrees. 

What is your version of the breakfast casserole?? I would love to hear everyone else’s adaptation.

Hope your holiday is filled with fun and happiness!!

Love,

Lindzee

Growing up, Christmas meant driving around the neighbourhood with my mother admiring the lights on other peoples houses. It meant listening to carols ad nauseam at various retail jobs (Starbucks was the worst by far). It also meant that no matter how many letters I wrote, Santa would not be coming down our chimney and potentially damaging my mother’s demi-tasse collection and brass fireplace coverings.

Christmas is a time for families Christian or non-Christian to get together, remind each other that they are loved and leave it at that. It is about getting together with all your best Jewish friends and going to the movies, or going bowling on Christmas day. It is another day to tell those that you love, that you love them and are happy they are around (most of the time). This year, I am abroad in sunny Florida visiting with my bf’s family. Although they are not religious, I still find myself a little weepy today thinking of my family in Toronto gathering to have anything but turkey and keeping the television and radio off to avoid hearing “Silent Night” done by the Canadian tenors one more time.

Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I am part of a celebration I’ve always been excluded from or at least felt excluded from and that makes me slightly uncomfortable. I am used to being ostracized and longed to go to the movies with all the other Jews and daydream about Jude Law in a mustache. Feeling including – as opposed to excluded – is new for me.

I know what you’re asking – what the hell does this have to do with food HH? – well I’ll tell you, I woke up this morning and made raspberry scones and scrambled eggs and it made me feel calmer. I remember the year I had no money for presents and made muffins instead. Food brings people together – like Christmas, Hannukah, Thanksgiving, Passover – and food adds glorious memories, like the time the racoon ate the strawberry shortcake intended for dessert at the sedar.

So I guess, all I’m saying is this – savour the food in front of you and the company beside you and that is enough, Christian, non-Christian or whatever. Happy holidays whatever you celebrate and bon appetit.

And now another perspective on how to “Tap your troubles away.”

Merry Christmas to everyone!  The holiday season is my favorite time of year and Christmas Eve happens to be my favorite part.  My family has a tradition of hosting a fondue party every Christmas eve.  Lots of dipping, eating and having fun.

And any Frei family holiday would be complete without a lot of red wine spilling.  This year was no exception:

 Fondue? Don’t mind if I do!  I love fondue – I think it might be because I am a sauce person. I am obsessed with sauces.  Fondue is the only meal I can think of where you dip every course and every bite.  In the words of Lustopher Hardy – “A little bit of heaven”. 

We generally setup the fondue around my parent’s kitchen island, which promotes lots of socializing.

Even Mavie (who has severe IBS (not joking) and is not allowed people food) tried to get a piece of yumminess. 

For those of you not familiar with fondue, we have three courses for the party:

The Cheese

The Meat

The Chocolate

Easy to remember since it is the three basic food groups .

I am sure some of you will be able to relate to this, but all of our family’s Christmas recipes have been around for so many years that they are stored in this little messy handwritten card holder my mom keeps.

 I love looking through all these recipes every year.  I even found a couple of Tomato Aspics (sick).   We don’t make that anymore. My favorite was this recipe written on a Goodyear Tire notepad. Hehe.

 Here are the fondue recipes.

 Don’t worry, I retyped them .

The Cheese Course

As previously mentioned, the night begins with the cheese fondue.  I really could just have this course and be fine for the rest of the night.  It is sooo freaking good. I have seen people make cheese fondue with many different types of cheeses and ingredients.  We never stray from the traditional.  Why fix what ain’t broken? 

Important note: When eating the cheese you must be careful.  It has been said that if you drop your piece of bread or fruit into the cheese you must kiss the person next to you.  Generally, this gets a little strange because I am usually eating fondue with my family.

Traditional Cheese Fondue (Adapted from handwritten recipe circa 1972 by Pam Frei)

½ Pound freshly grated Emmentaler Swiss Cheese

½ Pound freshly grated Le Gruyere Cheese (Do not use processed Gruyere.  The year we tried the processed is the same year we tried the chocolate fountain.  It will forever be known as the year of the fondue failure and subsequently the year without a Santa Claus)

1.5 Cups Dry White Wine

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1.5 Teaspoons Cornstarch

1 Garlic clove halved

½ Teaspoon Nutmeg

Salt and White Pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons Kirsch Cherry Liquor

Dippers

Loaf of French bread cubed

2 Apples cubed

Roasted potatoes for dipping (optional)

Rub garlic on inside of large pot with two forks.

 Remove garlic solids.  Add white wine and lemon juice and heat over medium heat.  Heat till air bubbles rise but to not boil.  Whisk in cornstarch so there are no lumps.  Reduce heat to low.  Add a handful of cheese. 

 When cheese is melted add another handful.  Do not boil.  Add in nutmeg, salt and pepper and Kirsch.  The Kirsch adds great flavor.  At this point, we add the cheese mixture to a crockpot on high, so it doesn’t burn.  Use fondue sticks to dip.

 The Meat Course

The meat course is a little different because the eater is actually cooking their own meat. 

There are fondue pots (we have 3-4) of heated beef bouillon and red wine (one year we experimented with peanut oil) and over the years we have tried the different combinations of the following:

Shrimp (peeled and deveined)

Steak (cut into chunks)

Chicken (cut into chunks and generally marinated)

Salmon (cut into chunks)

Mushrooms

Peppers          

 Heat the following over a stove until boiling and add to fondue pot.

2 Cups of Beef Broth

1 Cup Red Wine

We like to use Sterno, not tealights, as a heat source.  Otherwise, it doesn’t get hot very fast.

Now for the dipping sauces – I try to make these the day prior to the party:

Sweet and Sour (my personal favorite)

½ cup Apricot Preserves

¼ cup Catsup (this cracks me up!  Anyone know the difference between catsup and ketchup?)

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 Tablespoons Major Grey’s Chutney

Heat all ingredients until it reaches a simmering stage.

Mustard Sauce

1/2 Cup sour cream

1/3 Cup mayonnaise

1.5 Tablespoons prepared mustard (the French’s kind. Not the Dijon)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Teaspoon horseradish

Combine all ingredients and mix well

Blue Cheese Dressing Sauce

This can easily be used as salad dressing to.

¾ Cup sour cream

½ Teaspoon dry mustard

½ Teaspoon salt

½ Garlic clove minced

1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ Cup mayonnaise

3 Oz. Crumbled blue cheese

Combine all ingredients with the exception of blue cheese in a large bowl.  Mix for 2 minutes on low speed.  Slowly add blue cheese and blend 4 more minutes.  Refrigerate 24 hours prior to serving.

Teriyaki Sauce
We take a shortcut and use Yoshida!

  The Chocolate Course

I am usually so stuffed at this point that I can barely walk, but I always make room for just a bit more since the chocolate is so good.  Our recipe is super simple but really yummy!

Chocolate Fondue

2 Large bars of Symphony Chocolate with Toffee Bits – This stuff is the best and adds a little extra crunch

½ Cup Whipping Cream

2 ounces of Bailey’s Irish Cream (optional)

Heat chocolate and whipping cream over double boiler over low heat.  Stir until melted.  Transfer to chocolate fondue pot.  

We have this super cute hot fudge warmer thing we use:

Dippers

Use any combination of the following:

Bananas sliced

Mandarin Oranges

Strawberries

Apples

Pineapple

Pound Cake (bite size)

Cheesecake (bite size)

Leftover holiday cookies

At this point in the party I am generally ready to pass out since I am so full. 

I hope you have all have a wonderful Christmas!  I would love to hear about your Christmas traditions.  Please post them in the comment section. 

Be safe, be merry and eat & drink with reckless abandon!  You can work it off later!

Love,

Lindzee

PS.  I wish Mr. Barrera could have been here!  Hope you are having fun in b-town!

My Christmas Tree

First-off, Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours! What is on the table for dinner tomorrow? Checkout the ever evolving holiday menu, remember, keep it simple and delicious!

First course:
Spiced butternut squash and lentil salad

Second course:
Filet of beef
Root vegetables puree
Braised & glazed carrots
Brussels sprouts  w/ pancetta and chestnuts

Third course:
Butterscotch Budino

Simple and delicious!

Safe travels and happy cooking!

When I was young, every year at Christmas my Mom made over 100 pans of Christmas fudge.  The refrigerator in the basement almost always had pans stacked up waiting to be given out as a thank you – to teachers, neighbors, friends, family – or to anyone who happened to stop by during the holidays.

I waited in anticipation for fudge season to arrive, because then maybe I’d get a turn to lick the spoon or be on-hand for the pan scrapings that Mom would put on a plate for us to eat.  But most every drop of “real” fudge was poured, while still hot, into the disposable aluminum pans that lined the chopping block awaiting their steamy, chocolaty contents.

And they were all to be given away – much to my dismay.

I have carried on the fudge making and giving tradition with my own kids and they too can’t wait for fudge season.  Last Sunday, I was making the season’s first batch, and they were standing around the stove waiting with bated breath for the finished product and the scrapings.  But just like when I was young, my kids only get the scrapings.  The rest of the pans we give away.

Our family fudge tradition reminds me of Christmases past, from my own childhood, but I’m so happy that my kids see the true meaning of this particular tradition: the best gifts are given, not received.

Happy Christmas Eve! In honor of Santa’s whirlwind sleigh rides every December 24th, we’re taking you on our own lightning speed trip of the country this holiday Thursday - our Mid-Week Mini-Break. Here we’ll show off the the best Goodwill finds on the World Wide Web, to give you a taste of what you’ll find at a Goodwill near you. Hope you enjoy…

…Blog Posts We Really Like This Week!:

Get Your Martha On spotted exactly what she'd spent hours in retail stores looking for - the perfect soup tureen - for $4.99 at her local Goodwill. A Christmas miracle? Nope, it's just your everyday Goodwill good luck!

Get Your Martha On: Yesterday, however, I braved the crowds at Goodwill for a little peek. And I spied a soup tureen from across a sea of used furniture. Yes! Finally! And only $4.99! Can I get another exclamation mark (and an amen), please?!?!?!

Sometimes your favorite find is something you'd never even think to look for. In the Purple House found this vintage children's encyclopedia set from 1947 - full of whimsical rhymes, art & songs, and just $5 for it all.

In the Purple House: I had to go to the Goodwill today, for some raw materials… While I was there, I spotted a big box on the floor. “Children’s encyclopedia $5.” My first thought was “where will I put them?” (I have a bit of a children’s book problem…er…collection.) My next thought was “who cares?…I need them.”

Feel lucky, friends of Ms. Bower - Katie did her Xmas shopping at Goodwill & found some incredible gifts, including this sparkling punch set for $9. So stunning - and so smart!

All Bower Power: Anyone else still shopping for Christmas presents?  …I was totally inspired to shop till I flopped by all the great finds at my local Goodwill store… This punch set comes complete with 12 mini glasses and a serving bowl.  And not only does the $9 price tag tug on my heart strings but the star design that adorns the sides of the slightly square sides really makes this find sparkle.  No entertainer would regift this one!

And don’t forget A Good Look’s online Guides to GoodwillNyNj to find a Goodwill near you! So far, we’ve posted guides to Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. If you live in the Bronx, Staten Island, or anywhere outside the city, we’ve got you covered, too: our official website lists all of GoodwillNyNj’s store locations throughout Greater New York and Northern New Jersey: just click here!

Happy Holidays – and happy holiday shopping!

I typically choose music over movies most of the time. But during the holidays, one of my favourite traditions is to make different spreads of bitings and appetizers to enjoy in front of the fireplace to accompany a couple of good films that come highly recommended. Keyword is good because like most people, I dislike bad movies. 

Here is an easy snack perfect with some drinks in front of the fireplace – Madras Maple Walnuts, ready in 10-15 minutes. 

Madras Maple Walnuts

Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts halves, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. butter
¼ cup pure Canadian maple syrup
1 ½ tsp. Arvinda’s Madras Masala 

Method of Preparation: Preheat oven to 275F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add maple syrup and Arvinda’s Madras Masala and mix together. Cook for 3-5 minutes on medium-high or until maple syrup slightly bubbles and reduces. Add walnuts and coat well. Spread walnuts onto baking sheet and bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Be careful not to burn walnuts. Serve with drinks or on a cheese plate. 

As for movies, here are three of my selections: 

Something political – SHARKWATER (2006)
Toronto native Rob Stewart, activist and filmmaker uncovers the truth about one of the earth’s most beautiful and fascinating creatures, the elusive shark. Sharkwater is stunning visually and displays Stewart’s love and passion for sharks, awakening emotions within us to also join in his journey to protect the world’s sharks and appreciate their true beauty and innocence. Moving yet gutwrenching.

Something whimsy – GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1998)
This modern take on Charles Dicken’s classic novel Great Expectations starring Gwyneth Paltrow (Estelle), Ethan Hawke (Finn) and Robert De Niro, is set in the Florida Keys then moves to contrasting, sophisticated and cultured New York City. Character development, cinematography, and visually beautiful setting make this a worthwhile watch. Director Alfonso Cuarón adds a splash of various shades of green in the backdrop and cast wardrobe, evoking feelings of a whimsical and almost dream-like setting. This is an annual holiday must-see for me. 

Something good-hearted – AMAL (2007)
Local talent,  Toronto native, award-winning film director Richie Mehta brings us the humble story of Amal, a poor and deeply honest auto rickshaw driver in New Delhi, India. Mehta’s story shows us, “sometimes the poorest of men are the richest” and that happiness in life can be achieved and found in the purest and most simple things. Definitely a must-see for anyone who circuits the film fests — great performances and stellar film direction. The feel-good storyline and greater life messages in this film is the cherry on the top! 

Those are my holiday film pics; if you have any good recommendations please drop me a line. 

Listening to: Life of Mono by Mono.

Alright, I admit, I haven’t seen *too* many movies this year, but I think I’ve seen enough to make a “Best Movies of 2009″ list for my blog! [JSYK: I haven't seen any of the huge movies such as 'Up', 'Precious', 'Star Trek', 'Inglorious Bastards', or 'Avatar', so don't freak out that I didn't include them]

Agree? Disagree? Comment!

These are in no specific order.

‘The Hangover’
I think this is probably my favorite comedy, ever. If you haven’t seen it, you really need to. So much better than Superbad in that it’s a bit more than solid “raunchy” comedy, but there is a just enough of that as well. The fact that it takes something so common as a guy’s weekend in Vegas and turns it into a huge fiasco is hilarious. Huge thumbs up to this one.

‘Knowing’
This movie was truly terrifying. I think it played really well on the viewers fear of the unknown, and it did it very well. I know a lot of people are going to disagree with this one, but I really enjoyed it. The end was kind of *meh*, but I think it, in an odd way, worked out really well.

‘Milk’
So, this *technically* came out in 2009, January 30th I believe, so I’m putting it on here. I just watched it this past weekend, and I absolutely loved it. The casting was tremendously well-done, as was the acting. It didn’t shy away from being too “vulgar”, as some people would call it, and I give props to the actors for going all-out for this out. Truly touching and powerful film.

‘Paranormal Activity’
The hype over this movie before it’s wide-release was legitimately insane. I saw it the first day it was shown in the Portland-area and I still freak out at night. It was so simple, but so frightening. It took a place where we feel so safe, our homes and bedrooms, and turned it into a place of nightmares. I think it played with our imagination to the highest degree, and overall succeeded. Although it is fictional, yet was marketed as based on a true story, it has got to be one of the scariest films I have ever watched.

‘Coraline’
Fabulous. I had thought for the longest time that this was a Tim Burton film, but it’s not, but I still loved it. It was entertaining, but still a bit disturbing [from what I've heard, it stays pretty true to the book in that sense]. I tried to watch it in 3-D at home, but it just hurt my head, so who knows if that would’ve added to the movie at all. But, all in all, I really enjoyed the story and animation. Also, I am fairly sure that the town ‘Coraline’ takes place in is based on Ashland, OR, which is pretty cool.

Reasons why my bf’s parents are awesome:

1. They toast spelt bread for me to dip in my soup.

2. They make a cranberry pecan pie recipe with spelt and margarine to be HH friendly.

3. They let PJ and I borrow their car to go to an outlet mall.

Greetings from sunny Florida, where it’s sunny but a little on the cool side. I’m currently parked on Sanibel island where we are staying around the corner from “McT’s House of Shrimp – the best house of shrimp, ask anyone.” I had no idea there were numerous houses of shrimp or that anyone would have opinions about them. Who knew? We went to Costco the other day and I had to fight the urge to convince large women waffling over deep fryers to shift their interest to the juicer 10 feet away.

We checked out the Calphalon outlet store but nothing seemed appealing. Don’t get me wrong, I need all things kitchen related but everything seemed remarkably expensive for a factory outlet and I’d rather buy it at the Bay or Homesense where I can return it in Toronto.

Two couples came over for dinner tonight and suggested I sell my baked goods at the organic farmers market this weekend. I knew I should have brought that table cloth!

We’re in the homestretch, the final countdown to Christmas. With only a few days to go, it’s time to follow Santa’s example and take one last look at that too-long to-do list. There’s a pretty good chance that a few checkmarks will be missing. But at this point I’m ready to breathe a sigh of relief and figure if it ain’t done, it probably doesn’t need doing. It’s time to relax and enjoy the long weekend with family and friends.

Christmas has always been a special time in our house. Without question, we have had more than our fair share of chaos and excitement.  Lots of wonderful memories were born out of all that pandemonium. When we were very small, there were the visits from Santa. Every year a neighbor dressed in a red suit and white beard stopped in for a last minute naughty and nice inspection. We then spent the rest of the night before Christmas in overdrive, antsy with anticipation. When we got a little older, we spent Christmas on Pleasant Lake. We loved spending Christmas in the country, especially when it snowed.

And there were all the presents. Dad was in sales and he was good at it. When sales were up, we all enjoyed a bountiful Christmas. My mother shopped for the three kids, her parents, his parents, the cousins, the mailman, the paper boy and who knows who else. Dad shopped for her. He was always tight lipped and never asked for help or opinions. By Christmas Eve speculation about Dad’s gift to Mom ran high. Guesses were thrown about but he kept silent.  

I was ever so proud the year I guessed right. I was eight and out of the blue I blurted out that he had bought her a mink stole. (It was quite a long time ago, when women still wore stoles and fur was not yet politically incorrect.) Everyone laughed and thought I was adorable.

Until the next morning when my mother let out a shriek of joy and danced around the living room with the soft, warm fur draped over her bathrobe. After the excitement died down, all eyes turned to me. How did I know? I just shrugged. The fur had been hidden next door at the Caruso’s, had I overheard something? “Absolutely not,” I protested, “No one told me anything. I just knew.”

Unwilling to throw caution to the wind, the next year Dad pulled me aside a few days before Christmas. He wanted to know if I could again divine his plans for my mother. I thought for a minute or two and then gave an answer close enough to the truth to make him nervous and cement my reputation as a Christmas psychic.

And so began a little father-daughter tradition. I became his sidekick and he took me with him when he picked up Mom’s gift. I rarely, if ever, helped him pick it out. No, that he did alone. The fur stole aside, jewelry was his gift of choice for Mom. Sometime over the long Thanksgiving weekend he would sneak away for a few hours. He would visit Dana’s Jewelers and pick out a special treasure. In exchange for my silence, I was invited to join him on the return trip to fetch the bauble just in time for Christmas.

Mr. Dana would always unveil the pin or pendant, ring or bracelet with a subtle and stately flourish. My Dad stood proud and pleased as I gave the appropriate ooh and ah. Driving home, Dad would remind me that this was our secret and I was again sworn to silence.

He needn’t have worried. I never dreamed of telling. I didn’t want to be left at home on the next clandestine visit to Mr. Dana’s. And even more important, I felt a fierce rivalry with my older sister. I would have carried those secrets to the grave. Knowing something that she didn’t was just too good to give up. Enjoy a lovely Christmas filled with fun and surprises!

Bon appétit!

Savory Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard Bread Pudding

Take a break from a traditional stuffing, this dish goes beautifully with poultry or pork. Make it a part of one of your holiday feasts and enjoy!

Serves 6-8

1 pound butternut squash, cut in cubes

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 medium onion, chopped

8 ounces mild Italian sausage, casings removed

12 ounces Swiss chard, chopped

4-6 cups day old country-style bread, cut in cubes

8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

4 eggs

1 cup half & half

Pinch nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put the squash in a large ovenproof skillet and sprinkle sage, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, toss to coat.  Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Add the onion to the skillet and toss to combine. Return to the oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven. Let cool.
3. While the vegetables are roasting, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the Swiss chard to the skillet and continue cooking until the Swiss chard has wilted. Let cool.
4. Put the bread cubes, sausage and vegetables in a large bowl; toss to combine. Add the goat cheese and toss again.
5. Generously butter a 2 quart casserole dish. Put the bread mixture in the dish. Whisk together the eggs, half & half and nutmeg. Carefully pour the liquid over the bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and bake until piping hot and golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Feel free to make a comment; I’d love to hear from you. Just click on Leave a Comment below. To subscribe to my blog, just scroll back up and click on the Sign Me Up button.  

For a printer-friendly version of this posting visit my website: www.susannye.com/id6.htm. You can find lots more recipes on my website: www.susannye.com.

©Susan W. Nye, 2009

My little McGhetto sis turned me on to this drink. I enjoy the fact that it isn’t a sweet cocktail, yet the grapefruit isn’t overwhelming or bitter. It’s one of those old-fashioned, classic and classy cocktails. I can almost picture Ingrid Bergman sipping on one of these as she awaits for Bogie.

The traditional recipe, and the one Brandy shared with me, calls for grenadine syrup. I switched it for some Creme de Noyaux instead; the result is a cleaner, more grown up taste. Me thinks. I have been serving them on the rocks, but it is possible the original recipe called for it to be strained and served up. Enjoy it either way, just do!

Bourbon Blinker-Nouveau
Fill a tall glass with ice, add:
1-1/2 to 2 oz bourbon, (go for decent quality)
1/2 oz Creme de Noyaux
2 oz white grapefruit juice
Add all the ingredients and stir. Top it off with diet ginger ale (this is optional, but I find that it makes the drink light and airy).

Thanks, B. Here’s looking at you, kid!

Firstly, I have to praise you guys for such insightful, meaningful responses to my last post. You amaze me! It appears most all of us could stand to improve our intuitive eating and foodship. I was thinking of you ALL when I wanted another coconut bite last night! I held off for 10 minutes, drank some water, conversated, and I did still want that coconut bite…so I had one! My Christmas dinner is pictured below + a green salad (not pictured). I did pretty well, I think!

Question: Did you exercise intuitive eating after that friendly reminder? Did you improve your holiday “foodship” from last year?

Anyways, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday! It is certainly white in Chicago!

Our Christmas was wonderful, and filled with…

Mom wanted to know if her Italian Christmas dinner was blog-worthy. Answer: HECK YES! It was wonderful, mama!

One of my favorite gifts was something I stole from a good game of Dirty Santa — Christmas mini dishes and bowls. The mini dishes look like boobs!

We also received custom wedding ornaments (so cute!), University of Illinois ornaments, games, and the down comforter we’ve wanted for our bed.

And I think most of you recall, Mark and I got one another a treadmill for Christmas. Love it! I haven’t gotten a workout in since Tuesday evening, but my brother and I are headed to the tennis club after lunch!

The deadline for the Prevention Cookbook is quickly approaching now! The Prevention Cookbook is currently packed with over 70 bloggie-inspired recipes!! You submit a recipe (email to Mrs.RD44@gmail.com), and you receive a cookbook AND a chance to win this giveaway package!

Details…

So here’s what I’m thinkin’ for the Prevention Cookbook…

1. If you submit at least 1 recipe, you will receive a copy of the “cookbook”.
2. If you submit at least 1 recipe, you will win 1 entry into a giveaway drawing (TBD as to what the prize will be, but I ASSURE you, it will be worth copying, pasting, and emailing me a favorite recipe!).
3. If you submit a recipe to one of several “categories”, you win additional entries into the giveaway. Two recipes….2 entries…three recipes…3 entries, and so on*. And, of course, our recipe book grows.
4. Your blog site/name will be associated with your recipe(s) — hello, blog traffic! (Side note: Heretofore, don’t pick a horrible recipe!)
5. Recipes should be relatively healthy (i.e. lard is bad, canola oil is good). If you have the nutritional information for your recipe, each recipe you enter wins you an ADDITIONAL entry for a total of 2 entries each and a total of 12 entries!
6. Email me your recipe(s) by January 1, 2010 (WEIRD, 2010!) to Mrs.RD44@gmail.com

Recipe categories will be:

• salad
• soup
• appetizer and hors d’oeuvres
• entree and main dishes
• casseroles and side dishes
• desserts and sweets

On January 1st, participants can expect a cookbook filled with delicious recipes delivered straight to their inbox, helping to start the new year right! Get to sendin’!

Thank you for such a great response to the cookbook, I am so excited to get to cookin’!

Who’s heading out to SHOP today??!

Not me. Be safe!