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.

Oh the weather outside ain't frightful.....

...really, it isn't. I mean, you may not think it's even Christmastime around here, but it is. And it's nearly 77 degrees. Los Angeles, man. What else can I say? And what better way to celebrate the season than to invite friends from The Ripple Effect over for some gaming, some laughing, and of course, some eating.

Tonight, I made a mixed green salad with a dijon balsamic viniagrette for a starter. Simple, yet delicious (it really is all about the dressing, after all). Marinated some minced shallots in a good balsamic vinegar with some salt and pepper. Whisked in a bit of dijon mustard and some finely grated Parmigiana (Grana from TJ's) and added some olive oil. The dress truly is the star in this performance, so I didn't add any further toppings or hoopla.

For the main course, I tried a new recipe - Braised Pork Ribs and Italian Sausage (sweet and hot). Braised with onions, peppers, basil, chili pepper flakes, white wine, whole Italian tomatoes and served over cooked pasta, it seemed to be a crown pleaser. The dish is topped off with crispy pancetta, sliced scallions, and some finely grated Parm. A good choice, say, if you're housebound as a result of a nasty blizzard, or just because in my case, you can't resist the pork.

And for the grand finale, a tribute to all desserts Italian in nature....tiramisu. Quite simply one of the easiest desserts to put together and yet it still has the "wow" factor when dinner guests take that first bite. I substituted Frangelico (hazelnut liquer) for the kahula (some recipes call for rum) and I think it worked out just fine. The only issue I've found with tiramisu recipes is that more often than not, you use more ladyfingers than the recipe calls for and you end up needing more of the espresso/liquer mixture for dipping. I'm glad I bought extra.

I hope you are able to take the time and spend it with loved ones, whether family or not. As the song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year".....I know, I know, cliche. But it worked!!

Post Turkey Day.

I have good news, remember here where I attempted my first turkey and ruined it? And I cried and cried over burnt green beans? Well, suffice to say, I have redeemed myself in the turkey department and the green bean department. My dad was a little weary of me taking over the turkey reins, but I pleaded my case. Meet Gary (depicted above), our organic fresh turkey, this was right before he was electrically carved by my dad. All in all, the turkey turned out great, moist and flavorful.

I have to say the gravy ROCKED! With the neck and giblets, veggies and herbs, I made a turkey broth, which was the base for the homemade gravy. A little white wine, some butter, flour and BAM (can you hear Emeril?), a killer gravy. It was rich and there's leftovers which I believe I will pour everything that comes my way the next few days!!

Kudos to my dad for making his chorizo stuffing (he should've made more) and sweet potatoes with bourbon. Again, tasty, tasty, tasty. That chorizo stuffing and the gravy together were a match made in heaven. These two dishes have become staples for my dad, I don't he can go without them during the holiday season.

I made green beans with toasted walnuts in a lemon dijon vinagrette from the November issue of Bon Appetit. The viniagrette (minced shallots, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard and olive oil) is a great combination with crisp, warm green beans. This dressing is a great compliment to any variety of green veggies. My brother, Benjamin, enjoys cranberry sauce (I can do without it) and so I tried a new recipe this year from my Martha Stewart Christmas Cookbook, a cranberry sauce with driend cherries recipe. It also featured orange zest, orange juice, minced shallots, and grated ginger. Sweet, but let's face it anything beats a can of cranberry. I mean, we go to all the trouble of making a nice turkey, pies, stuffing, the works and then someone yells out, "Pass me the can opener??" So wrong, but that's another topic of discussion.

Don't shoot me, I'm not a huge pumpkin pie eater either, but I referred back to the November issue of Bon Appetit for this year's pumpkin pie with walnut brown sugar topping. Served with some fresh whipped cream, it was a great ending to a great feast. Of course, the company couldn't be beat and neither was the wine. I hope you and yours had a memorable Thanksgiving this year. To many more!!!!

Honorary Mexicans for a Day.

Hola amigos! I had a serious craving for some carne asada over the weekend and decided my Memorial Day would be spent honoring veterans by chowing down on some carne asada tacos and corn (Mexican style). I took my Latin inspiration from none other than Rick Bayless, author, chef, and PBS personality. I prepared a rustic roasted tomato salsa, which packed a helluva lot of heat to accompany the juicy, perfectly cooked carne asada (which I cooked my indoor grill). The carne asada (I used flank steak) marinated since morning in a garlicky ancho chile rub consisting of ground ancho chile powder, dried oregano, brown sugar, cumin, salt and pepper. Warm soft corn tortillas and guacamole turned these tacos into bites of bliss. I steamed some ears of sweet corn and doused them with a little butter, homemade mayonnaise, chili powder and squeezed some lime juice on them. The combination of sweet corn with the heat and acidity of the chili powder and lime juice, made for a dynamite explosion of flavors in my mouth. I kept tooting my own horn yesterday, mainly because it was my first attempt at salsa (THAT GOOD) and carne asada! My mouth and my belly were so happy, they were performing their own version of a "happy dance". Every meal should be so fruitful.

my funny valentine.

Valentine's Day 2009 - all by myself...don't want to be all by myself....yes I'm singing Celine Dion as I type this post! In all seriousness, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I treated myself to a matinee of He's Just Not That Into You, it was rather entertaining. A post earlier in the week (on The Wednesday Chef) motivated me to try and make this "no-knead" pizza dough. I had some left over mozzarella and feta cheese. I made a simple tomato pizza sauce thanks to Tyler Florence's recipe on Food Network (Super simple, 1-2 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tbs. evoo, 1-28 ounce can tomato puree, 1 tsp. dried marjoram, 1 tsp. dried basil (Note I substituted Italian seasoning for both dried herbs) and simmer for at least 30 minutes once you bring it to a boil). I'm not the most adept at tossing the pizza dough, but the texture of it was magnificent! Now if I could only master....how thick or thin....without losing the air bubbles, which create lovely air pockets for the dough. The crust was super duper! Rustic indeed, but I think with a little practice, I could become good at this.

leftovers

Wish this picture wasn't so "flashy", I'm still getting used to the various flash choices available to me on this digital camera. I truly intended to take a picture of the blueberry-lime cobble with ginger-cornmeal biscuits before biting into it, but completely forgot. Hope you had a pleasant 4th, ours was very low key. In fact, we didn't have "plans" until Thursday evening. We spent most the day watching a movie, going to a garage sale and eating pizza. As the evening drew near, we headed up to Kendallville to have a mini cook-out with Paul's parents and watched the fireworks over Bixler Lake. All in all it was a nice time. As always I offered to bring a dessert and what spells out patriotism more than a blueberry cobbler??? (Pie I suppose, but given the time frame I was not about to go there...). This recipe actually called for lemon zest, but alas there were NO lemons at Wally World the night before the 4th of July. Perhaps all of northwestern Fort Wayne had the same idea I did. :) Maybe not. So instead I used limes and worked out perfectly. All I can say is a little ground ginger goes a long way, faint bursts of ginger in the biscuit topping was a nice touch.

memorial day.

Last Monday was Memorial Day and while I should've been enjoying the "cook-out" and socializing with Paul's family, I was lying on his mother's couch sick as a dog a majority of the time. This was my dessert contribution to the festivities however. Paul loves cheesecake (and I learned so does his sister) and he's been asking me to make a traditional New York cheesecake. The above depicts the results thereof. I have made cheesecake two other times in my life and neither of those recipes were traditional. So I took on the challenge and decorated the cheesecake with half a pint of raspberries from a local farm. I was surprised to find that the recipe not only included softened cream cheese, but sour cream as well as heavy cream. I believe the sour cream is what gives it that smooth and light texture. Everyone seemed to enjoy it as only a quarter of the cheesecake was left. Always a good sign.

Thanksgiving 2007 - Looks can be Deceiving......

Keep in mind these pics are from Thanksgiving 2007, I haven't been able to share them based on sheer embarassment. I could formulate some Martha Stewart classic Thanksgiving story filled with delicious eats and treats, family bonding and other hoop-la, but that would be lying and well........I don't want to be labeled as a liar.

Isn't it interesting how photos offer a visual capture of what seemingly looks good but really isn't?!?! Have I peaked your interest enough for the gruesome details????? The wonder of grace should've really hit me on Thanskgiving Day - I prepared a feast for two, and while some dishes struggled others were flat out a hit! The menu included Martha Stewart's Classic Roast Turkey and Gravy, Nana's Amazing Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with Tarragon Herbed Butter, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and Homemade Dinner Rolls. Dessert was Paul's choice - a real homemade Pumpkin Pie ( no cans of pumpkin puree, people, from a real freakin' pumpkin).

The highlights of the meal include the everything but the gravy, turkey and green beans. I burned the green beans! How might you ask? Simple - in a rush to finish the gravy, which Paul takes credit for, finish the mashed potaters, and plate our food, I thought I turned off the burner that had the green beans (which were perfectly cooked prior to their meeting with hell), come to find out I didn't. After realizing what I had done, I took the pot off the burner and having no room to put the hot pot anywhere, set it on my cheap countertop, which then BURNED my countertop. So now I have a lovely ring of burnt laminate to always remind me of said unfortunate event.

Now onto the worst of it all.....the bird. That poor poor bird. Thank God I can laugh at this all now because I have a witness (can I get a witness?) who will verify I was not laughing, in fact I was in tears when all was said and done. At least I had a nice $40 Pinot Noir from California to soothe my weary soul. There is no other way to say this with class, but the bird was too damn salty. Martha's recipe called for the turkey to be brined (a method in which you give the bird a day or two bath in water, sugar, salt and other accoutrements). Keep in mind the original recipe was for an 18-20 lb. bird, my bird was 9 lbs. I made the recipe in 1/2, including the brine. After I made the brine, it didn't look like it would cover the bird completely so I made the WHOLE brine recipe instead, therefore killing my bird with salt. Lesson learned - trust your culinary instinct, please, for the love of God. Paul suggested that this year (2008) I should not brine the bird, but I have to master this bird!!!! One thing I can say for it was that it was the most MOIST, TENDER, and JUICY bird I ever ate!

As much as I want this blog to display my culinary victories, I have to come to terms with the fact that there will be culinary casualties as well, this being the BIGGEST blunder of them all (let's hope)!