Holly Jolly Christmas 2010.

Christmas 2010 was definitely holly and jolly. Not only did I have four days off, but I got to spend time with family and friends, socializing, cooking, and eating - what we do best! And isn't that part of the blessing of the holiday season??? Weeks before Christmas, my dad, stepmom and stepsister started planning the Christmas meal. I offered to make dessert and my Nana's traditional stuffing. We settled on a menu and at the last minute a few additional changes were made, but here's what we ended up with:

BBQ chicken and ribs (made by Dad and served with a traditional BBQ sauce and an apricot mint spicy sauce (Bobby Flay recipe);
Potatoes Au Gratin (made by Clarissa);
Traditional Stuffing (made by yours truly);
Green Bean Casserole (made by Clarissa);
Creme Brulee (made by Uncle Stormy); and
Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes (made by Madame Munchies).

Everything turned out fantastic, each dish was flavorful and complimented one another very well. Prior to making the stuffing, I had consulted my Nana about a few steps she didn't include in her recipe and I ended up tweaking it and making it my own. There's nothing like my Nana's stuffing and I think I actually improved it.

Nana's Traditional Stuffing (adapted by Madame Munchies)
Serves 8-10

2 large white onions, chopped fine
3-4 celery stalks, chopped fine
1/2 pint of button mushrooms, chopped fine
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
4 tbs. unsalted butter
3-4 tbs. fresh thyme, chopped
15 oz. seasoned croutons
1 head of roasted garlic
1 lb. turkey necks
1 lb. turkey giblets
water
salt and pepper

In a large stockpot, add the turkey necks and giblets, cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim the foam and reduce to a simmer for 2-3 hours. Continue to skim as it simmers. Add more water to the pot, if any of the turkey parts are no longer submerged in water. When the stock is ready, strain and save the turkey necks. Discard the giblets. When cool to the touch, pull apart meat from turkey necks and chop finely.

While the giblet broth is simmering, heat a large skillet and add the butter. After the butter has melted, add the chopped onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms. Saute until soft and add the fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, add the seasoned croutons, sauteed veggies, turkey meat, and roasted garlic. Mix together well. With a ladle, add the giblet broth to the crouton mixture and incorporate. Add additional broth, until the mixture is moist but not super soggy. Season to taste.

Put the stuffing into a lightly greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350-375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

I failed to get a picture of the molten chocolate lava cakes, but the link above gives you the visual as well as the recipe. A super easy dessert and it's also rather impressive for entertaining. Instead of serving it with it freshly whipped cream, I bought a pint of vanilla bean ice cream. Decadent, rich and uber chocolately, it was the perfect ending to an already coma-induced meal.

Christmas Dishes.

This Christmas was definitely one of the better ones for me personally. While it was major change of scenery (compared to the last few years in Indiana), it was a pleasant surprise in many ways. My dad invited my uncle over for Christmas under the guise of preparing one of his recipes, Poulet en Foillette. Until recently, I knew he was a fabulous cook, but didn't know that in November 1978, he was featured in a dead column called Guys and Galleys in the Los Angeles Times. This section featured home cooks and their personal recipes. I was eager to search for a copy of the article through the archives and was lucky enough on Christmas Day to find and purchase a copy through the LA Times website.

But more pleasing than this, was the opportunity to spend quality time with my uncle, father, brother and my dad's new ladyfriend, and yes, get to prepare and sous chef a wonderful Christmas meal. Uncle Stormy walked me through all of the steps in preparing said Poulet en Foillette, a fancy phrase for Chicken wrapped in phyllo dough. But foodies, trust me, this not simply chicken wrapped in phyllo dough.

Chicken breasts (on the bone, skin on) are poached in a swimming pool of lemon juice, vermouth, various herbs and chicken stock for about an hour. Once cool to the the touch the meat is removed from the bone and sliced into decent hunks of meat. Two sheets of phyllo dough are generously brushed with butter. The phyllo dough is sprinkled with seasoned bread crumbs, then a piece of chicken is wrapped with prosciutto and placed near the top of the phyllo dough. Grated mozzarella cheese is sprinkled, along some with gruyere and the phyllo concoction is gently folded and wrapped into a lil' burrito and brushed again with more butter and sprinkled with a wee shake of paprika. Baked in the oven for 15-20 minutes and doused with a gravy made from the leftover poaching liquid, this dish is a masterpiece fit for one's mouth.

My dad's lady friend made a side dish of roasted brussel sprouts and potatoes with pancetta and shallots, a perfect sidekick for the main event. I put together a simple salad and baked some homemade "no knead" bread again, which according to my uncle, was a great mop for the leftover gravy on the plate. I also baked a batch of linzer cookies, which weren't my most favorite cookie, but my best linzer recipe is still packed. Good vino, good conversation, lots of belly laughing, and celebrated were had by all. I hope you and yours enjoyed a most memorable Christmas with your loved ones. I'm looking forward to setting aside time to do this again, it was well worth the work and the weight. Here's to more fabulous dishes in 2010. Cheers. More importantly, it was a great opportunity to spend time with family and to enjoy each other's company, which is rare these days.