Good Fortune in the New Year

New Year’s Eve is a hopeful night: we kiss the old year good-bye in anticipation that the next one will bring all the good fortune that may have eluded us in this one. Perhaps this year it is especially enjoyable to say “sayonara” or “adios” to the old and bring in the 2011 babe with open arms.


Whether 2010 was a great, good, fair or disastrous one for you, it is human nature to look ahead with anticipation and folks have been doing this since the beginning of time (literally). They have also set up some rites and superstitions to beg the fates for favor in the new year. Many of these concern food and, although we tend to lean toward reality and less to chance, we still enjoy tempting fate in our favor with customs and foods.

Prosperity, health, and happiness have been the usual wishes for a new set of calendar months and are forecast in many ways. In Southern United States, eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day has been considered lucky. I am not sure of the origin of this custom, but the following dish for black-eyed peas is extremely nutritious and very economical—so it should be an omen of prosperity and health which would likely result in happiness:

Happy New Year Black-eyed Peas

2 ½ cups soaked but not cooked black-eyed peas, drained
6 oz. ham, diced
4 oz. Mexican chorizo, crumbled
1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil
½ medium onion, diced
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
½ large green pepper, diced
½ large red pepper, diced
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried chervil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. vinegar (apple cider preferred)

Place peas in large Dutch oven or kettle. Heat oil in large skillet. Add chorizo, ham, onions, garlic and peppers. Saute over medium heat for 8 minutes. Add to peas in kettle. Add 4 cups water, the bay leaf, thyme and chervil. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam; lower the heat and simmer, partially covered 45 min. to 1 hr. or until tender but not mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add salt, pepper and vinegar. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Although the Chinese New Year is celebrated sometime between January 21 and February 19, I have always enjoyed incorporating Chinese New Year traditions into our New Year celebration. For one thing, a great Chinese buffet for a New Year’s Eve party is a welcome change from the Christmas decorations and buttery excess. A great way to finish this party is to pass around home-made Chinese fortune cookies and read your prophecy for the coming year. These are a little tricky, but really not hard to make and, of course, you can make up the fortunes which can be really fun.

Follow the directions exactly for the best results.

Chinese Fortune Cookies
Makes about 1 dozen

1 egg white
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
Pinch salt
¼ cup sifted flour
¼ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2 large baking sheets. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 3 inches long and ½ inch wide. Whisk the egg white and flavorings until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour salt and sugar together and whisk into the egg white mixture. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 3 inches apart; wait until batter has spread out to approximately 2” diameter. Tilt the baking sheet to achieve a uniform and round appearance. Do not put too many on one sheet as you must work quickly while they are hot to shape them. Once they are too cool, it is too late. (You can use any hardened cookies for crumb topping on ice cream.) Bake for 5-7 minutes or until ½ inch of outer edge of the circle has turned golden brown. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other. Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the Fortune on the cookie close to the middle and then fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin to hold their shape until firm.

Be careful not to burn your hands—working quickly is really important. It is a good idea to put no more than 2 or 3 cookies on the first sheet until you see how many you can do before they get cold. While making several batches, I found I got much better at it and so could do more at one time.

Happy New Year!

Plan Ahead for New Years Eve and Day

There are certain occasions when even an avid cook likes to take a step back and go the easy route and for me, New Year’s is one of them. After all the festivities and special baking and cooking of the past month, it’s time to do something less complicated. Yet, New Year’s Eve and Day are really fun holidays when I love to entertain.


I think dining out on New Year’s Eve is a good idea—for one thing, the woman in me loves to get dressed up and this is the occasion. Our area restaurants have special nights planned just for the occasion.

One year we had some friends in before going out for dinner and I served a champagne punch.  It is so delicious, all it needed was a meat and cheese tray from Koplin’s. I consulted Kip Earny at West End Liquor and he gave me some champagne suggestions I’ll pass on.

For the punch, I used a basic domestic, brut or extra dry, such as Cook’s or Korbel. Both these wines are inexpensive, but add the requisite bubbles to the punch. If you’re looking for a genuine Champagne from the Champagne region of France for your evening’s toast, try Moet and Chandon White Star (about $50); or if you’re looking for something enjoyable and interesting but less sophisticated, try an Italian sparkler such as Moscato D’Asti or Prosecco.

On New Year’s Day, we usually have a laid back, football day like most Americans; however, I encourage friends and family to stop in and partake of my New Year’s Day Chili. When my children were little, we lived much closer to family and many people came to our house every New Year’s. Rather than have the big family dinner, I started the tradition of making a big pot of chili early in the day; and putting out bowls of grated cheese, sour cream, lime wedges and diced avocado for toppings. Everyone helps himself and grabs a hot corn muffin and watches football—or not. For dessert I put all the remaining Christmas cookies and candy on a pretty plate and encourage people to clean it up. The next day, anything sweet left in the house is going the way of the old year.

New Year’s Eve Champagne Punch

24 oz. pineapple juice
24 oz. pink grapefruit/tangerine juice
1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. grenadine
1 10-oz pkg frozen raspberries (unsweetened)
2 bottles domestic champagne

Chill the juices; combine with lemon juice and grenadine. Put into punch bowl with ice ring or cubes. Just before serving, pop the champagne and pour carefully down the side of the bowl and add the raspberries. Serve.

New Year’s Day Chili

3 pounds ground beef
2 onions, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, diced fine
4 cans chili beans
1 48 oz bottle tomato juice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sweet paprika
¼ tsp or to taste, cayenne pepper

Brown ground beef. Drain excess fat with bulb baster. Add onion celery, and minced garlic. Add beans and tomato juice; stir. Add all the spices and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered for 1 ½ hours. Serve with bowls of grated cheddar, sour cream, avocado and lime wedges. Leave a bottle of Tabasco on the counter for the really macho guys.

Corn Muffins

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
4 tsp. baking powder
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup Canola oil
1 egg
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 425. Grease or spray muffin cups. Put dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Combine oil, egg and milk. Add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir only until blended. Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake for 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. Serve with butter and honey.

New Years Eve Party Planning

There are many reasons why James Beard is considered one of the great gastronomes in modern history; great food of course, but also a really practical approach to great food.


Back in 1954 when he was known as Jim Beard, he wrote a simple, soft-cover book called Jim Beard’s Complete Cookbook for Entertaining. In it are many complete entertaining ideas and suggestions hosting great occasions. Most of them are utterly simple and straightforward.

After all the dinners, buffets and parties which I have hosted for Christmas, it is with welcome relief I turn to his little book for New Year’s Eve. I like to entertain a few friends on New Year’s Eve for an evening of good music, good conversation, sometimes a few games or cards, but usually just the fun of being together to bring the new year in. Even so, it seems daunting. The usual festive food seems too rich for this evening, yet it should be substantial enough to satisfy and to absorb any alcohol people might be drinking.

James Beard’s book is uncompromisingly masculine. Practical, hearty, delicious, without unnecessary frills it nevertheless hits the mark as outstanding party fare. His New Year’s Eve Party is perfect.

For snacks during the evening: Cheese tray, sausage tray, breads and crackers.

For a late supper: Chicken chili, tortillas, rice salad, Christmas cakes, coffee.

It sounds do-able, doesn’t it? The cheese tray should have an interesting assortment of cheese including a blue cheese, a piece of good aged cheddar, a wedge of Swiss or Gruyere and a soft ripe cheese such as Camembert or Liederkranz. Serve crisp rolls and crackers and have a substantial chunk of butter to accompany the tray.

Visit Buchanan’s or Meatheads in Red Wing for a good assortment of sausage. Salami, liver sausage or Thuringer would be good, or whatever smoked sausages you see and want to try. Add rye bread and pumpernickel, a bowl of good pickles and several different types of mustard.

The chicken chile recipe is a great do-ahead dish

For 10 persons, buy 2 large or 3 medium chickens, cut up. Place the chicken in a large kettle. Add an onion with 2 whole cloves inserted, 3 cloves of garlic, ½ bay leaf, 2 or 3 hot peppers (such as jalapeno), 1 tablespoon salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is just tender. Remove from the broth and cut the meat from the bones. Return the bones to the broth with 2 tablespoons chili powder and another clove of garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for an hour. Strain and remove excess fat.

Chop 2 large onions very fine. Sauté in 6 tablespoons chicken fat or butter until lightly browned. Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and ½ teaspoon cumin. Add this to the broth and let it cook down rapidly for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning; you may want more chili powder. Add the chicken pieces and 1 can of tomato puree mixed with a little of the broth. Heat thoroughly. If needed, add a little butter and flour kneaded together to thicken the sauce. This butter-flour mixture is known as beurre manie. Serve the chili in a large tureen or bowl, with a goodly sprinkling of chopped toasted almonds on top. Note: This can be made a day or two ahead and heated at the last minute. Steam the tortillas at the same time and serve them hot with plenty of butter.

Rice Salad

This can be made in advance and kept refrigerated. For 10 persons, cook 2 cups of rice until just tender. While still hot, add ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon tarragon. Cool.

When this is thoroughly cooled, add ½ cup each finely cut green pepper, pimiento, parsley, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped ripe tomato and 1 cup chopped seeded cucumber. Blend well; just before serving, dress with additional dressing and arrange on lettuce leaves. Garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs and sliced olives.

Christmas cakes

Arrange a plate of any holiday goodies you may have: cookies, fruit cake, stuffed dates, and any sweets available. A large bowl of fruit is also nice to serve.

The beauty of the menu is that you can fill in with any other foods or interchange the specific sausages, cheeses, sweets, etc. It’s an extremely versatile menu plan that has the delicious and unusual chicken chile as its center and allows the host to have a happy new year, too.

Bread Pudding

In France it’s called just “pudding” and in Belgium it’s known as “bodding,” but the British really began the tradition of using stale bread for a bread pudding.


All cultures seem to have some form of bread pudding. A comfort food for centuries, there are many ways to make it. Sometimes savory, more often sweet, it can be a main dish for supper, breakfast, brunch, a dessert or an item on your party buffet. My friend came back from a holiday party raving about the apple and cheese bread pudding cooked and served in a miniature crock pot. Delicious, she said.

I couldn’t resist. I looked on the internet and through many cookbooks looking for an apple-cheese bread pudding and came up with a few. I didn’t find any that were meant to be cooked and/or served in a crock pot, but I figured bread puddings should adapt to that appliance beautifully. Here are the winners of my very tasty and comforting foray into a lovely dish.

Apple Cheddar Bread Pudding (adapted from Food Network.com)

I made this in both individual ramekins and in a larger soufflé dish. The ramekins can be frozen after baking and brought out for the number of people you are serving. The ramekins can be placed in a larger baking pan lined with a kitchen towel. Pour hot water to come up halfway and bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees or until thoroughly hot. Uncover and top with a small amount of grated cheddar. Put foil tops back on and turn oven off. Leave for 10 minutes before serving.

5 or 6 slices of whole-wheat bread
¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 large tart and crisp apples or 1 apple and 1 ripe pear, cored, peeled and diced
3 large eggs
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 325. Coat 2-quart soufflé dish or 8 individual ramekins with cooking spray. Trim crusts from bread and cut each slice to fit bottoms of ramekins or to fit into soufflé dish bottom. Fill with any leftover bread. Coat top of bread with cooking spray, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Scatter cheese over bread and top with fruit. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until blended. Whisk in milk. Pour mixture evenly over other ingredients. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, plain or with a dessert sauce.

Crock Pot Apple and Cheese Bread Pudding

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup water
Cooking spray
6 slices French bread, Italian bread, or any firm bread, toasted and cubed
½ cup golden raisins
1 thinly sliced, peeled apple
¼ cup melted butter
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups milk
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

In small saucepan, combine sugar and water and boil over medium-high heat until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes; set aside. Spray interior of small crock pot with cooking spray. Layer half of the bread cubes in bottom of crock pot, add half the syrup, raisins and apples; repeat with remaining cubes, syrup, raisins and apples. In mixing bowl, combine butter, eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over bread mixture. Cook on low setting for 3 hours. Lift cover and sprinkle with cheese; replace cover and watch until cheese is melted. Serve from crock.

Here is a dish that would really make a good impression at a brunch. Bread puddings are perfect for buffet service, as they hold heat well and are also good at room temperature with a heated sauce. Here the apple-cheese theme is carried out with the apples served separately.

Cheese Bread Pudding with Caramelized Apples

2 cups stale bread, cubed
½ pound Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 ½ cups whole milk
3 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp melted butter
½ tsp. salt
2 medium apples, cored, peeled and sliced thickly
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar (packed)

Butter a 1 ½ quart baking dish. Layer half the bread cubes in the dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread cubes and cheese. Beat remaining ingredients together and pour over bread and cheese. Let stand one hour. Place baking dish in a 9” x 13” pan and pour water into pan to a depth of one inch. Place pan in preheated 350 degree oven and bake one hour. Meanwhile, saute apples in butter. Sprinkle brown sugar over apples in skillet and continue to saute until apples are tender and caramelized. Serve on the side of Cheese Bread Pudding.

An Alternative for New Year's Eve

Today, the day after all the Christmas festivities, may not be the time to think of more parties and festivities—but for most of history, Christmas day actually started the twelve day period of partying which ended on January 6, the Epiphany or “Little Christmas”. The commercialization of Christmas started moving the days of celebration to immediately after Thanksgiving and ending them abruptly on January 2. Now it seems like the stores are decorated soon after Halloween.


I like the idea of partying between Christmas and at least New Year’s, if not Epiphany, since many of us have some days off of regular work and have a little more time to enjoy the fun. But since Christmas celebrating has been going on so long, I really think it’s a good idea to have a change of pace so one year I  planned a Chinese buffet .

The Chinese New Year actually falls between January 20 and February 20, but the idea of a Chinese buffet on New Year’s Eve appeals to me on many levels. The flavors are not those of our traditional holiday foods, which are heavy on sweets and light on veggies; the opposite is true of Chinese foods. The decorations can turn from twinkling lights and evergreens to plain but colorful food cartons, Chinese lanterns and confetti.

New Year’s Chinese Buffet

Egg Rolls with Shrimp and Pork
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Barbequed Chicken Wings
Deep-fried Shrimp Balls with Roasted Salt and Pepper
Asparagus tips with Chinese-Mushroom Sauce
Ham Fried Rice
Fortune Cookies

Egg rolls with Shrimp and Pork

½ pound fresh bean sprouts
½ pound raw or cooked shrimp
3 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil
½ pound lean ground pork
4 cups finely chopped celery
2 to 3 medium fresh mushrooms, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold chicken broth or cold water

1 pound egg-roll (won-ton) wrappers approximately 7” square

3 cups canola or peanut oil for frying

Rinse sprouts and refrigerate them in a bowl of cold water for 2 hours. Drain and pat dry before using. Shell and devein shrimp (or use frozen, cooked and cleaned shrimp) and cut into fine dice. Set aside. Pour 1 Tbsp. oil into wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add wine, soy sauce, sugar, shrimp and mushrooms and stir-fry for another minute. Transfer entire contents of pan to a bowl and set aside. Pour the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil into the same skillet and heat to moderate. Add celery and stir fry for 5 minutes, then add the salt and bean sprouts and mix. Return the pork and shrimp to the pan and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cook, stirring constantly until the liquid starts to boil. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir to recombine it and add, stirring, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

For each egg roll, shape about ¼ cup of filling with your hands into a cylinder about 4 inches long and an inch in diameter and place it diagonally across the center of a wrapper. Lift the lower triangular flap over the filling and tuck the point under it, leaving the upper point of the wrapper exposed. Bring each of the two end flaps one at a time, up to the top of the enclosed filling and press the points firmly down. Brush the upper and exposed triangle of dough with lightly beaten egg and then roll the wrapper into a neat package. Cover filled egg rolls with a dry towel. (Now is the time you can refrigerate rolls, covered, or freeze in single layer and then pack into freezer bags for deep frying later).

Using deep fryer or wok, heat 3 cups oil to 375 degrees. Place 5 or 6 egg rolls into the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with purchased sweet and sour sauce.

Ham Fried Rice

½ cup defrosted frozen peas
3 Tbsp. canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups boiled Jasmine rice
1 tsp salt
2 ounces boiled ham, cut into ¼ inch dice. (about ½ cup)
1 scallion, including the green top, finely chopped

Using a 12-inch wok or 10-inch skillet, set over high heat and pour in 1 Tbsp oil. Reduce to medium heat. Pour in beaten eggs. Lift gently with a fork and push to the back of pan until all eggs are spread across the bottom of the pan to cook. Transfer them to a small bowl and break up with a fork. Pour remaining oil into pan, add the rice and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until all grains are coated with oil. Add salt, then peas and ham and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Return the eggs to the pan, add the scallions and cook only long enough to heat eggs through. Serve at once.

Christmas Dinner

Every Christian country has its special observances and foods for the feasts of Christmastime. In America we have blended a great many of them to make an American tradition; but the vestiges of all the cultures can still be distinguished. Our family is a blend of English, French, German, Swedish and Latvian. It’s fun and challenging to come up with a Christmas dinner that is representative of all of them and still American.


The menu may change from year to year to honor new family members or just to keep it interesting, but the main traditions are always present because it comforts and enfolds us in the family circle present as well as providing a bridge to the past. As I grow older I think more and more of all the ancestors that I never knew but whose blood nevertheless runs through my veins. Cooking traditional foods, as I guess they did, links us to each other and keeping those traditions alive links us to the future as well. Someday, hopefully, our great-great grandchildren may feast on the same dishes that we fix for our Christmas dinner today.

The Swedish, Latvian and German contingencies are relegated to a Christmas Eve buffet or smorgasbord and we concentrate on the English and French for Christmas dinner. The English, God bless them, are not usually known for their fine cuisine, but when it comes to a “joint” (meat) they are rarely surpassed. So here is my menu for this year:

Shrimp with cocktail sauce

Cheese ball with assorted crackers

Christmas punch

Wild Mushroom Bisque

Standing Rib Roast with Madeira Sauce and Herbed Yorkshire Puddings

Browned Brussels sprouts with Bacon and Cheese

Potatoes Dauphine

Green Salad

Buche de Noel

Plum Pudding with Hard Sauce

Wild Mushroom Bisque (adapted from Victoria magazine Nov/Dec ’07)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup sliced leek
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 ¼ cups chopped baby bella mushrooms
2 cups Wild Mushroom Stock (recipe follows)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 cup dry white wine
¼ cup butter
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme

Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add leek, garlic and mushrooms; cook until mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add Wild Mushroom Stock; bring to a simmer. Whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice, cream and wine. Add butter and thyme. Simmer over medium heat for about 6 minutes.

Wild Mushroom Stock (makes 2 cups)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
½ cup chopped celery
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 cups dried wild mushroom blend
4 cups chicken stock

Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add wild mushroom blend and chicken stock; simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Strain stock, discarding solids.

Standing Rib Roast with Madeira Sauce and Herbed Yorkshire Puddings (adapted from Cooking Light)

Roast:

1 (5-pound) rib-eye roast, trimmed
1 garlic clove, halved
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Sauce:

1 cup water
2 Tbsp flour
½ cup Madeira wine
½ cup beef broth
½ tsp black pepper

Puddings:

1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups milk
1 Tbsp chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
5 large egg whites
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 450. Rub roast on all sides with garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place fat side up on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake roast at 450 for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 and bake an additional 1 ½ hours or until thermometer registers 145 deg. (medium) or desired doneness. Place roast on a platter and let stand while finishing the sauce and Yorkshire puddings. Reserve 1 ½ Tbsp drippings from pan for puddings.

To prepare sauce, wipe remaining drippings from pan with paper towels, leaving browned bits on bottom of pan. Combine water and 2 Tbsp flour in a small bowl. Add Madeira to pan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add flour mixture; cook 1 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in broth and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Keep warm. Preheat oven to 450.

To prepare puddings, coat 12 muffin cups with reserved pan drippings. Combine 1 ½ cups flour, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add chopped thyme and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 (do not remove puddings from oven), and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden. Yield: 12 servings.

Buche de Noel with Marzipan Mushrooms (adapted from Bon Appetit, December, 2000)

14 servings

Filling:
2/3 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp flour
½ cup marzipan, cut into ¼-inch pieces
6 Tbsp butter, cut into 6 pieces, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract

Cake:

6 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup flour
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Frosting:

¾ cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp butter
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Marzipan Mushrooms (see recipe)

For filling: Bring milk to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk yolks and sugar in small bowl until well blended; whisk in flour. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 1 ½ minutes. Transfer to processor; cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Add marzipan; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in butter 1 piece at a time, then both extracts. Cover and refrigerate filling at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

For cake: Preheat oven to 350. Butter 11x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment. Whisk eggs, ¾ cup sugar, vanilla and salt in large metal bowl. Set bowl over pot of simmering water. Whisk until just warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Sift flour over; fold in until just combined. Gently fold in butter (do not overmix, or batter will deflate). Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Sift powdered sugar over towel. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Turn hot cake out onto towel. Peel off parchment. Starting at 1 long side and using towel as aid, gently roll up cake jelly-roll style. Cool. Unroll cake. Spread filling over. Reroll cake; place cake, seam side down, on platter. Refrigerate cake while preparing frosting.

Frosting; Bring cream and butter to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to melt butter. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates; whisk until melted. Transfer to medium bowl. Let cool at room temperature until thick enough to spread, about 1 hour. Starting 1 inch in from each end of cake, cut on diagonal to remove one 3-inch-long piece of cake from each end. Attach 1 cake piece at sides of cake near each end. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake and pieces. Using tines of fork, draw concentric circles on cake ends to resemble tree rings. Draw fork along length of cake to form bark design. Garnish with Marzipan Mushrooms.

Marzipan Mushrooms (makes about 10)

2/3 cup marzipan
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Make about 10 mushroom stems by rolling dime to quarter size pieces of marzipan into cylinders. Make large and small mushroom caps by rolling dime to quarter size piece of marzipan into balls; then pinch into cap shape. Attach stems, pressing gently. Dust with cocoa.

Christmas Eve

We waited anxiously in the warm car at the corner of 28th Street and Utica for the Greyhound bus that was bringing Grandma from North Mankato to our house for Christmas. It was Christmas Eve and the excitement and anticipation had almost overwhelmed me. I was not sure how much more I could take. Still, there was church and supper and cleaning up the kitchen to go before (finally) we opened the presents from each other. Then time to hang the stockings, put out the cookies and milk and off to bed to await Santa.


But all that stuff between church and presents was a problem. Why did the grownups want to eat on a night like this? And what they ate!! We always had several fish dishes in the Catholic tradition (though we weren’t Catholic) and lots of Scandinavian dishes (though we weren’t Scandinavian) and then a buche de Noel because my Mom was French. Lutefisk? Pickled herring? Oyster stew? I’m sorry to say, yes, yes, yes. The buche de Noel was good, but it meant waiting for a dessert course. Some years Mom and Grandma just put out Christmas cookies on plates for us to help ourselves during the present opening, or perhaps a frozen ball of ice cream rolled in coconut or chocolate shot after the presents were opened. But I have vivid recollections of sitting at the dining room table with a bowl of oyster stew in front of me that I just couldn’t get down. I still don’t like the fringed oysters swimming in a sea of buttery milk flecked with black pepper.

When I had a home and family of my own, I dispensed with both the lutefisk and the oyster stew substituting a delicious (albeit expensive) lobster bisque—and I made a simple lasagna to be eaten by children after four o’clock church, so we could get to the presents and off to bed. The adults could eat the bisque and a wild rice casserole or Swedish meatballs and the obligatory herring a little later in the evening, perhaps washed down with a glass of celebratory champagne.

The bisque is a little complicated to make, but worth it! My oldest son has carried on this tradition in his home and after many requests, now gives it as gifts to his lucky neighbors, friends and relatives in Madison.

Christmas Eve Lobster Bisque

1 can cream of celery soup
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of shrimp soup
12 oz. lobster meat—in shell
12 oz small shrimp (salad size)
2 cups beef bouillon
2 cups half and half
1 onion
6 Tbsp plus 2 Tbsp. butter
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups dry white wine
1 large red pepper,
1 large yellow pepper
1 large orange pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Melt 6 Tbsp butter; add flour and stir until bubbly. Add bouillon and half and half. Stir until thick. Take off heat and set aside. Remove lobster from shells; dice and refrigerate. Break shells. Put in saucepan with wine and reduce to 1 cup. Remove shells by straining; keep liquid and discard shells. Add canned soups to thickened mixture. Finely dice peppers and onion. Saute in 2 Tbsp. butter until tender. Add to soup along with thyme, cayenne and the wine reduction and stir until thick and hot. Puree in blender in batches if necessary. Return to pan; add lobster meat and shrimp. Heat and serve.

Turkey (or chicken) Wild Rice Casserole

½ cup wild rice
½ cup white rice
1 Tbsp. butter or chicken fat
3 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1 small can mushroom pieces, drained
1 tsp. salt
2 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
1 Tbsp. sherry
1 cup shredded turkey or chicken
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 Tbsp. scallions, sliced (optional)

Pour boiling water over wild rice; let sit for 30 minutes. Repeat. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter or chicken fat in large skillet. Add onion and almonds; saute for 5 minutes but do not brown. Add both wild and white rice, mushrooms, salt, chicken broth, chicken and sherry. Simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to sprayed casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

To set up a Christmas Eve table with something for everyone, pour bisque into an attractive soup tureen; arrange herring, pickles, deviled eggs, relishes, pickled beets and whatever cold foods your family will enjoy on large relish tray on table. Add hot rolls or limpa bread and Turkey-wild rice casserole. Make a lovely plate of Christmas cookies and perhaps some ice cream balls. Merry Christmas!

More Last Minute Gift Ideas

There are a lot of jokes about people (usually men) who save all their shopping until the day before Christmas and then frantically run around trying to find gifts for everyone on their list. That is not a happy situation—but I actually think it’s kind of fun to go out and find little treasures, last minute stuff for the family celebration on Christmas Eve.


Since this is a cooking column and I am interested in foodie stuff, I did take a spin around Red Wing looking for those food-related Christmas tidbits to brighten my menu, my table, or for our evening’s entertainment, the dice game. (If you didn’t read yesterday’s description of the dice game we pass around dice, everyone who shakes doubles grabs a gift from under the tree—then when all are distributed, we open, display and play again; this time to take our favorite gifts from other people. We keep what we have when the time is up. These are all small, generic gifts).

My first stop was Meatheads meat and deli shop. There I found the Wee Willie Barbeque sauce that I love. If you want this award winning sauce or any other Wee Willie products, you must get them at Meatheads in Red Wing—they have an exclusive. They also carry Pietrafesa brand sauces and condiments. They are made locally, too. Meatheads makes smoked sausages on the premises and they will be a great addition to my smorgasbord. Actually, you can put together your own gift basket or buy a gift certificate (good for lunch, as well).
Smokey Row café and Jenny Lind Bakery smelled wonderful when we walked in at lunchtime. They have julekaka!  I picked up a delicious almond coffee cake to try and drooled over the pies, tortes, cookie trays and other baked goodies—all would make wonderful gifts. You can make your own gift package there, too.
Most of you know that if there’s a gourmet item you must have in Red Wing, Buchanan’s is the place to go. I picked up a whole bunch of pickled goodies, (Brussels sprouts, asparagus, snap beans, eggs) and cranberry horseradish, among other things. As far as I know, you can’t get the old flame room McGarvey coffee anywhere else in town and now there are a lot more exotic coffees from all over the world under the brand name of Papalatte. And, oh yes, Limburger cheese—almost as smelly as lutefisk and with the same small following—but when you’re hankering for limburger, go to Buchanan’s.

At the Uff Da shop there were wonderful Scandinavian platters, candlestick holders, napkins, linens—all to grace a beautiful Christmas Eve table. If you’re planning ahead for next year, they have all the special appliances—aebleskiver pans, Swedish pancake pans, krumkake iron, Rosette iron—you name it. Again, you can put together your own gift basket there and if you want food items, choose from cloudberry preserves, lingonberries, Swedish caramels, thin crispy crackers, coffees or some really good (I had a sample) pepperkakor already gift wrapped. Throw in a cookie stamp and you have a very special gift.

Well, across the street to Moments on Main—a truly delightful store. If you’re looking for something special and not too pricey, there were lots of things to choose from. The glittery pinecones caught my eye immediately. There was one that was a tree decoration that I really thought was beautiful. Some red and green pottery bowls were in my price range and would be perfect for holding candies or other goodies. Special teas, tiny soaps, other small but elegant dice game things were all around the festive store.

Now it’s time to go home and wrap my dice game stuff, set my beautiful Christmas Eve table and await the most beautiful night of the year. Merry Christmas.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

It’s almost here—the big day and I have a couple of things left to buy. Host-hostess gifts, gifts for service people, teachers, the neighbor who sometimes blows the snow off the driveway—you know. Then there are the dice game gifts. In our family gathering, we always play the dice game so that means having lots of small but interesting gifts under the tree, wrapped but with no name on the tag.


If you don’t know what the dice games is—here goes. Everyone brings a few inexpensive but really fun gifts and puts them under the tree. When the game begins, we pass a tin pie pan with a pair of dice around the circle of people. Everyone rolls the dice in the pan and passes it to the next person. If you roll doubles, you pick up a gift, but don’t open it. Continue until all the gifts are gone. It doesn’t matter whether everyone has one or not. Then everyone opens his gift and must show it and talk about it to the group. When all the gifts are opened and displayed, the dice are passed again. This time when someone rolls doubles, he/she can take a gift from someone else. There should be a time limit on this phase of the game. When time’s up, everyone keeps what he has. It is always hilarious and seldom does anyone go home without something.

I left this category of gifts until last and decided to run around Red Wing and find some interesting stuff. Boy was that fun and kind of a break from serious shopping.

First stop, Meatheads. I couldn’t decide whether to try their special brats or a barbeque sauce. They had samples of the sauce and it was so delicious I decided to buy a bottle of that for some lucky person. It’s called “Wee Willy’s World Champion Barbecue Sauce”. It’s made in Minnesota and the first barbecue sauce to win the prestigious Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue held in Lynchburg, Tennessee and a Meatheads exclusive. It was a hard choice between the wild rice brats and the sauce, but I was afraid the brats wouldn’t hold up so well under the tree.

Next, West End Liquor Store where owner Kip Earney was happy to help me pick out a wine to take to a party. He steered me toward either a Riesling or a sparkling wine to go with holiday food, something almost any host can use this time of year. I went straight to the Washington State Rieslings, because I know them and love them, but I was drawn to a lovely German bottle, all dressed up in holiday style. Mosel land Ars Vitis was my pick. This should make a hit at the dice game.

Uff Da Scandinavian Gift Shop is one of Red Wing’s claims to fame and I knew I’d have fun looking for something special in there. Keep in mind that I am on a budget for these gifts of around 10 or 15 dollars max. The shop had so many beautiful one-of-a-kind things I wanted (not to give, but to keep) but not a great many in my price range. I was about to settle on some small wooden candle holders when I saw some adorable wooden egg cups from Norway ON SALE. Sorry folks, I bought the 8 they had left for an early Christmas present for myself.

Across the street to Moments On Main and I immediately found several small gift packs already put together and wrapped as if anticipating my quest. Since I am a foodie, and this is a food column, I am trying to stay on track so I chose an especially attractive small box of Earl Grey tea infusers, from Tea Forte and a ceramic single server for the pyramid-shaped infuser. If you are a tea drinker, this would be a perfect way to treat yourself to something special after shopping and stressing—even better taken in a bubble bath with some scented soap from New Tree—also included in the pack.

Whew, a lot of shopping and a lot accomplished but while in the neighborhood, Zig talked me into resting at Sarah's Restaurant (formerly Norton's) and splitting Sarah’s famous Gooey Chocolate Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream. A perfect ending

Merry Christmas!

Tips for Enjoying the Holidays

The following column ran in 2006, but I have had several requests for it since. So here it is again, with its ever timely advice on enjoying the holiday season.


We are in the thick (pun intended) of the holiday party season—the season for eating along with all the other joyous activity. You have undoubtedly read the millions of articles found in periodicals at this time about how not to gain the infamous 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year. I have read them so often, I almost know them by heart—and yet, I have never actually gotten through the whole season without gaining some weight. I am happy to say that I never gain 10 pounds, but 2 or 3? Yes.

Here’s a sampling, if they have somehow missed you:

l. Find the veggie tray on the buffet table and fill your tiny plate with as many colorful veggies as you can.

2. Make your drink of choice seltzer with lime.

3. Skip the heavy sauces and gravies served along side the foods—eat them plain.

4. Ask if low-fat versions of the food are on the table or available from the restaurant kitchen.

5. Always fill up on fruit or a small bag of fat-free popcorn before going to a
party so that you won’t be as tempted by the goodies.

6. Squeeze in all the extra walking and workouts you can. Park your car far away from the door, take the stairs, not the elevator and enroll in a couple of classes at the gym.

7. Position yourself as far away from the buffet table as possible, so as not to be tempted by the high-calorie treats.

8. Choose 2 gingerbread cookies, or a baked apple for dessert instead of the pecan pie.

9. If something really isn’t as special for you, don’t eat it even if it only appears on tables this time of year.

10. Leave the party or the table before you feel too full. Eat slowly; enjoy the company and leave feeling virtuous.

Good advice of course. But when I came across the new rules for holiday eating on the internet, I couldn’t resist passing them along.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. You can’t find it any other time of year but now, so drink up! It’s Christmas.

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or half and half. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other peoples’ food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and a vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies: apple, pumpkin, mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Reread the tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Okay, maybe this isn’t the best prescription for a great holiday season, but it does put things into perspective. You don’t have to go crazy and gain 10 pounds, but you can indulge a bit and join in the food celebration. Moderation anyone?

Christmas Traditions

During a discussion at brunch, a group of us were discussing Christmas traditions. It started because it’s so close to Christmas and many of us are not going to get everything done—actually, I think that’s a tradition in itself. So, it was a natural segue into what things can be given up.


Later, one of the group took me aside and asked me if I knew that most of the Christmas traditions that we consider essential, i.e. Christmas cards, decorating the outside of the house, baking specific cookies, buying endless numbers of gifts for everyone from our families to the mailman, etc. actually started in the ‘20s and ‘30s. I didn’t. But on further consideration, I’m not really surprised. I guess he was for giving up the traditions and having a sane Christmas—but I’m not using the neutral gender “he” when referring to him.

I’ve thought for years that Christmas is the Iron Man race and the Olympics for women. I also think it’s about time for us to relax and enjoy the season without going into a frenzy of preparations. But what traditions do you give up?

I decided years ago to take a poll of the family and ask each member what his/her favorite tradition is—the one that, if missing, would make it seem like it wasn’t really Christmas. I got many interesting answers—and none that I expected. One child, then in his teens, named the Advent Calendar ceremony. Another still insists that it isn’t Christmas without the dice game. There are certain kinds of cookies (see column for December 9) that must appear on the cookie platter. What about the rest of the food?

Christmas Eve supper in my childhood was usually oyster stew. I don’t know if I still don’t like it because of its taste or because we had to eat it, and all the trimmings and then sit and talk (these were the adults’ rules, of course) and then clean up the kitchen—all before opening presents and putting up our stockings. It was the worst food in the world, but this was before the days that the kids could determine the menu. Actually, when my grandmother was there, we had lutefisk until my father put his foot down and said nothing that smelled that bad was coming into his house anymore.

When I was running a household of my own and in charge of all things Christmas, I decided to have an appetizers buffet which would include some of the traditional foods of all our nationalities. We were a combination of Swedish, German, French, English and, later, Latvian. We usually had Swedish meatballs, pickled herring, shrimp with cocktail sauce, English Christmas bread (not sweet, flavored with saffron), a platter of home-made corned beef (always made by my mother and brought to our house) and a variety of cheeses. I think there were other things that just popped up every year—and we ended with a Buche de Noel accompanied by ice cream balls rolled in coconut or chocolate shot. This was actually a pretty easy meal, since everyone brought something and the Christmas cookies which I like to bake were served throughout the evening while we were opening gifts.

For Christmas brunch we always had a big bowl of fruit and two casseroles—an egg bake and a cheesy-chili dish called John Wayne’s Casserole, along with sweet breads and coffee cakes.

Dinner? Usually roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, any kind of potatoes, a green salad sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and dressed with a special dressing, and ending with English plum pudding with two sauces.

I have put a few of these recipes in this column before, and if you are interested in any of the ones that aren’t here, e-mail me at lgudrais@charter.net

English Saffron bread (also called Christmas Bread)

1 cup scalded milk
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ cup water
1 tsp. saffron dissolved in 1 Tbsp. Cognac
¾ cup white raisins
½ cup finely chopped blanched almonds
½ cup lukewarm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. dry yeast
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
6 cups bread flour

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water to which 1 teaspoon sugar has been added. Let sit for 10 minutes to prove. (Yeast mixture should be bubbly or foamy).

Place hot milk, butter, sugar, salt and water in mixing bowl. Beat in 1 cup flour. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add lemon rind and saffron and dissolved yeast mixture. Add raisins and almonds. Beat in remaining flour with dough hook for 10 minutes (or knead for 10 minutes by hand).

Put into greased bowl and turn to grease top. Let rise, covered, until double in bulk. Punch down once. When double in bulk again, form into round loaves. Let rise until double once more then bake at 350 degrees at 40 minutes. Frost with a powdered sugar frosting.

Corned Beef

Make a brine to cover brisket: Put salt in water until an egg will float . Weight meat down with something heavy and cover. Leave for 8 days; turn after three days. (An earthenware crock is best). Take out; rinse in cold water. In large Dutch oven, cover meat with water and bring to a boil; pour off. Cover with water again and add one package mixed pickling spice (about 2 tablespoons) and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Simmer, covered for 3-3 ½ hours or until tender.

On a large piece of aluminum foil, sprinkle paprika to cover. Take meat from pan and wipe off. Put on foil wrap. Keep in the refrigerator until very cold. Slice very thin before serving.

English Plum pudding with two sauces

1 cup very light molasses (or sorghum)
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped beef suet
1 cup apples, chopped
1 cup raisins (light or dark or mixed)
3 cups flour
Optional: nuts or candied fruits, chopped

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Put into a greased mold; any Pyrex-type bowl or metal container. Steam in steamer or bowl over pan with simmering water for 3 to 3 ½ hours. Check often for water in steamer not to go dry. Serve with one or both sauces.

Vanilla Sauce:

½ C. butter
1 C. water
1 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Mix flour and sugar together. Melt butter in saucepan and add water and flour mixture. Mix well. Cook, stirring constantly until thick. Cool slightly; add vanilla. Keep warm until serving time.

Hard Sauce

2 Tbsp. rum or brandy
2 Tbsp light cream
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 stick soft butter

Into blender container put the rum or brandy, cream and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Cover and blend on high speed for 5 seconds. Add butter and remaining cup confectioners’ sugar. Cover and blend on high speed for 30 seconds, stopping to stir down if necessary. Turn into serving dish and chill until firm.

The Perfect Duo: Chocolate and Vanilla

There are some flavors that are perfect matches—lamb and mint, ham and mustard, apples and cheese. For me, chocolate and vanilla is the perfect duo. I’ve never been a chocolaholic, but pair it with vanilla, say in a hot fudge sundae, and I can’t even think about resisting it. The pie of the month for December brings these wonderful flavors together in a festive, delicious and surprisingly easy-to-make way—Black Bottom pie.


I have made this pie for Christmas often over the years and have never failed to get rave reviews. The soft, chiffon filling has the seasonal flavor of rum and the always popular dark chocolate on the bottom. Top it with clouds of whipped cream and some chocolate curls and it makes a spectacular presentation. Be sure to make more than one.

This year I came across a variation of the standard Black Bottom pie and I loved it! The addition of bananas is a natural pairing with rum and chocolate. I can’t believe I never thought of this before. Another favorite recipe of mine is technically not a pie at all, of course, but the ultimate in the vanilla-chocolate combo—Boston Cream Pie. Enjoy these lovely desserts for all the family and party times this season—January and diet month is just around the corner.

Black Bottom Pie

9-inch baked pie shell
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs, separated
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
3 Tbsp. cold water
2 Tbsp. rum
1 ounce melted unsweetened chocolate (cool)
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar

Bake pie shell. Stir together ½ cup sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Blend milk and egg yolks; stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture boils. Reserve 1 cup of the custard mixture; set aside. Soften gelatin in cold water; stir into remaining hot custard mixture. Stir in rum. Place pan in bowl of ice and water, stirring occasionally until mixture mounds slightly. Combine chocolate and reserved custard mixture. Pour into baked pie shell. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in ½ cup sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Fold remaining custard mixture into meringue. Spread on chocolate mixture. Chill at least 3 hours or until set. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, piped from a pastry bag into cloud-like puffs around pie. Make chocolate curls and scatter over pie.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

1 baked 9-inch pie shell
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
2 large firm ripe bananas, cut into thick slices
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ½ tsp. dark rum
½ tsp. unflavored gelatin
½ cup whipping cream
5 large egg yolks
3 Tbsp sugar
½ cup chilled whipping cream
¾ cup chilled whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar
2 firm ripe bananas, thinly sliced on diagonal

Stir chocolate, whipping cream and butter in heavy saucepan over low heat until chocolate and butter melt and mixture is smooth. Spoon 6 Tbsp chocolate mixture into prepared crust. Spread chocolate mixture with back of spoon to cover crust bottom completely. Let stand until chocolate mixture is cool but not set, about 20 minutes. Reserve remaining chocolate in saucepan. Arrange banana slices atop chocolate, pressing lightly. Combine vanilla and dark rum in small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over and let stand until softened. Bring ½ cup whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan. Whisk egg yolks and sugar to blend in another small bowl. Gradually whisk in hot whipping cream. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 4 minutes; do not boil. Add gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin melts. Transfer custard to large bowl. Chill until cool but not set, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Whip ½ cup chilled whipping cream. Fold into custard in 2 additions. Spoon custard into crust. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Stir reserved chocolate over low heat until just warm and pourable. Carefully pour onto center of filling. Tilt pie, rotating to spread within ¼ inch of pie edge. Chill until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes. For topping, beat ¾ cup whipping cream with 2 Tbsp sugar to firm peaks. Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag with large star tip. Pipe rosettes around inside edge of crust. Place banana slices in ring alongside rosettes.

The Most Versatile, Simple, Elegant, Attractive, Inexpensive and Delicious Holiday Dessert

Trifle (tri’f’l), n. 1. something of little value or importance. 2. a small amount or sum. 3. a dessert.


My definition: the most versatile, simple, elegant, attractive, inexpensive and delicious holiday dessert I know.

The English are usually credited for this wonderful dessert and it was originally made with a small amount of leftover cake—which had little value after it was stale. In order to make it palatable, they soaked the cake with sherry or rum and layered it with whatever fruit preserves were on hand, custard and whipped cream. Then they studded it with slivered almonds and served it up in a pretty glass dish which showed off the layers of cake, custard and fruit.

Today, I make trifle frequently for our guests at the inn for the same reasons stated above: it uses up cake and fruit and looks and tastes great. But at holiday time its value soars. This dessert is not only a showstopper, but it is incredibly easy to put together and can incorporate all manner of ingredients. If you have a footed bowl especially made for trifle—great; but any pretty glass bowl will suffice as long as it is clear and shows off the lovely layers of your dessert. After you assemble your trifle you can wrap it in plastic wrap and set it in your freezer until you are ready to thaw and serve it and it will look and taste like it was just made.

At our inn we make individual trifles in bowls which are miniatures of the larger special trifle bowl. I can vary this dessert according to whatever I have around. This chocolate cherry version is especially popular—mimicking the chocolate-covered cherry candy most people love—and looks especially festive at Christmas.

Individual Chocolate-Covered Cherry Trifles

For each trifle:

1-2” square red velvet cake (or other chocolate cake), cut in half horizontally
2 Tbsp. cherry sauce (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard sauce (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp hot fudge sauce (recipe follows)
3 Tbsp. sweetened whipped cream

Put ½ slice cake in trifle dish. Cover with 1 Tbsp. hot fudge sauce, 1 Tbsp. cherry sauce, 1 Tbsp. custard sauce, and 1Tbsp whipped cream. Place second half of cake over and repeat layers ending with 2 Tbsp. whipped cream. Top dessert with maraschino cherry if you wish.

Cherry Sauce

1 can sour pie cherries (or 1 pkg frozen)
1/3 cup sugar
1Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water
Few drops red food coloring
Few drops almond extract

Pour contents of can into saucepan (if using frozen cherries, add ¾ cup water to cherries in saucepan). Add sugar and heat to boiling. Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and add to simmering sauce, whisking as you add. Turn heat up and let bubble until mixture thickens and clears. Remove from heat and add almond extract and food coloring.

Vanilla Custard Sauce

1 3-oz box instant vanilla pudding
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup half and half

Empty pudding into large bowl and add milk and half and half. Whisk for 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Cover and put into refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. Whisk before using.

Hot Fudge Sauce

¾ cup semisweet chocolate pieces
¼ cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 5-oz can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk

In small saucepan melt the chocolate and butter. Add the sugar; gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat. Cool slightly.

Microwave method: Put chocolate pieces, butter, sugar and evaporated milk in microwave saucepan. Cook on high for 1 minute. Stop and stir well with whisk. Continue to cook on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture thickens. Cool slightly.

Traditional English Trifle (easy method)

1 18 ½ -ounce package Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden cake mix
2/3 cup Marsala wine
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
3 12-ounce packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained
1/3 cup sugar
1 recipe Vanilla Custard Sauce (above)
1 ½ cups chilled whipping cream
½ cup slivered toasted almonds (optional)
1 ½-pint basket fresh raspberries

Prepare cake according to package instructions, substituting 2/3 cup Marsala for water. Bake cake and cool completely. Cut cake crosswise into thirds. Cut cake lengthwise into 1-inch-wide slices. Set aside.

Mix thawed raspberries and 3 Tbsp sugar in large bowl. Set aside.

Arrange enough cake slices in 12-cup trifle dish to cover bottom. Spread raspberry preserves over cake slices. Sprinkle ½ the almond slices over cake. Spoon 1 cup of raspberry mixture over cake, allowing some to show at sides of bowl. Pour 1 ½ cups custard sauce over; smooth top. Repeat twice. Cover and refrigerate or freeze trifle at this point. Using mixer, beat ¾ cup chilled whipping cream to stiff peaks. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe whipped cream decoratively over trifle. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

You Can Never Have Too Many Cookies For Christmas

I am still baking for Christmas. I know I have written many columns on organizing and doing Christmas cooking way ahead and having a less stressful holiday season; still there’s something to be said about doing the baking while it’s snowy and the carols are playing.


Actually, I did make tons of cookies which were pretty much gone after the Inns of Red Wing had their annual Christmas tour last Sunday. Now, I am heading for Madison to the home of our oldest son and his family for Christmas and everyone requested cookies—so I am starting again.

In this part of the country, cookies are mostly Scandinavian or German—as are the myriad breads and cakes baked at this time of year. Here are the cookies that I traditionally bake for our family (and woe is me if I forget one).

Snowballs, Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Teacakes or White Mice (all the same cookie)

Note: these cookies are a staple at most cookie spreads at Christmas; however, there is a great difference in them. Many are so dry and powdery that people avoid the powder-sugar coated balls because they have been stung so many times. I guarantee that if you use this recipe, the cookies will melt in your mouth and everyone will go back for more. I can’t keep these in the house without freezing and hiding them.

1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. water
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar; add water and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour and pecans; chill 3 or 4 hours. Shape in balls 1” diameter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 325 deg. oven about 20 minutes. Cool; roll in powdered sugar.

Scotch Shortbread

Note: these have to be the easiest good cookie in the world; three ingredients—no chilling time—can be rolled over more than once and decorated any way you like.

¾ cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
¼ cup sugar
2 cups flour

Heat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar in mixer. Add flour. If dough is too crumbly you can mix in 1 to 2 Tbsp. soft butter. Roll dough ½ to 1/3-inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut into small shapes (I use tiny cookie cutters) or cut with a fluted cutter into diamond shapes. Place ½ inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes or until set. Remove from baking sheet and decorate with frosting, powdered sugar or melted white chocolate and sprinkles.

Gingerbread Boys

½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark molasses
¼ cup water
2 ½ cups flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. soda
¾ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice
Raisins
Candied cherries
String licorice
White icing (recipe follows)

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in molasses, water, flour, salt, soda, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Cover; chill 2 to 3 hours. Heat oven to 375. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut with gingerbread boy cutters; place on ungreased baking sheet. Press raisins into dough for eyes, nose and buttons. Decorate and trim as desired with other decorations. Bake 9-11 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and trim with white icing.

White Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. soft butter
2 tsp. hot water.

Mix and add more water, a few drops at a time until icing is of the consistency that can be used in a pastry tube or plastic bag with corner snipped off.

Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter softened (no substitutes)
½ tsp. almond extract
2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup blackberry preserves (seedless)

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp. almond extract
2 to 3 tsp. water

Combine sugar, butter and almond extract. Beat at medium speed until creamy (1-2 min). On low speed, add flour and beat 1-2 min. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. With thumb, make indentation in center of cookie. Fill each center with about ¼ tsp. preserves. Bake for 14-18 minutes until edges are lightly browned at 350. Make glaze and drizzle over warm cookie. Makes 3 ½ dozen.

Here’s another really easy, really fast and really good cookie. These are the ones I go to if I need a lot in a hurry.

Almond Toffee Bars

1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 egg yolk
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
1 largest-size milk chocolate Hershey Bar
½ cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds

Cream butter and sugar in mixer. Add rest of ingredients and mix until well blended. Pat with hands (flour hands or spray with Pam first) evenly into jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (do not over bake). Lay Hershey bar on top of hot cookie dough. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread evenly over dough—sprinkle nuts over chocolate. Cut into small squares. Makes 70.

Plan Ahead Then Relax and Enjoy

Planning ahead is never more of a boon to the harried person-in-charge-of-Christmas than now. The entire holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is a marathon Olympics for the homemaker.


There are numerous articles about how to keep your sanity, do less, etc. I have been reading them since I was first married, umpteen years ago. Let’s see, get the family to help with home chores, shopping, wrapping, making cookies, the works. I tried many of them. When my three boys were small, I was anxious for us to spend time in the kitchen together making Christmas cookies. So I got them all cute aprons, made lots of cut-out cookie dough, lined up the cookie cutter, the frosting, the decors, etc. The first five minutes were exactly the way it would be in the classic book on family fun. Then, the demon called “boy” entered and things deteriorated into rolling dirty dough into ugly worms and fighting over whose “cookies” were more like guns, monsters, you-name-it, and ended with dough being thrown around the kitchen until I put a fast halt to the melee.

I gave up on this particular family fun and baked the cookies myself; however I didn’t want to relieve the stress by doing less than I wanted to do, and decided the secret was in planning ahead.

Now, we all know people who have all their gifts bought and wrapped by July, and their cards in the mail the day after Thanksgiving; that’s not me. But if you didn’t really have to cook and bake a lot during the holiday season, wouldn’t it be great? You’d have time to do family fun stuff that everyone wanted to do, shop to your hearts content, decorate the house, have friends over for all those parties you really mean to give every holiday season and don’t and finally use those great gift-wrapping ideas for your gifts instead of stuffing everything in gift bags and tissue on into the wee hours of Christmas Eve.

Here’s the system I use: go back to the everyday meal planning scheme, using the Woman’s Day planner, or your own favorite—just do it, for every day in December. And make the meals very basic; hamburger, tacos, spaghetti, chili, baked chicken, soups and sandwiches, whatever your family likes that is really simple. Keep a bag of washed and torn salad greens in the refrigerator and replenish it whenever needed. Keep cut up veggie sticks in the crisper drawer and buy lots of easy, fresh seasonal fruit around like Clementines or regular oranges, apples, pears. Then plan out the special events you know you will be hosting. For me, that’s a Christmas Eve buffet, Christmas morning brunch and Christmas Dinner. In addition, three of four children will be here from long distances and 2 of the grandchildren, so I will have other meals on the days preceding and after Christmas proper.

I have a lasagna casserole in the freezer, lots of cookies in the freezer, a cake (as yet unfrosted) in the freezer, beef stroganoff, partially done (you have to add the sour cream at the last minute) in the freezer. The big Thanksgiving turkey that I roasted for the three of us is now waiting to become sandwiches, casseroles, whatever while the family is here. Add to these assorted hors d’oeuvres, dessert sauces, etc.

I wasn’t always this organized, it took me many years of being too worn out to enjoy much of the festivity that I was creating before I took a long, hard look at how I could change that and still provide all the goodies that I wanted my family to have and remember. Cooking ahead was my answer. I do it all through the fall, whenever, I am making chili or pasta sauce, etc., I make double and freeze half. If you do the advance planning, it really makes all the difference.

Our Christmas morning Brunch

Chilled fruit juice of choice
John Wayne’s Casserole
Sausage Strata
Mexican Salad
Fruit Compote
Christmas wreath coffee bread
Bran Muffins
Danish Puff
Coffee

I’m including a couple of the recipes if you want to try them. Both the casseroles can be made (actually, should be) the night before. The fruit goes together in a flash the night before. I use frozen fruit medleys. Let thaw and pour a can of lemonade concentrate (undiluted) over the fruit in a large bowl. The sweet breads can both be frozen, the bran muffins can be held as batter for 3 weeks or baked and frozen indefinitely; the salad dressing is made ahead.

John Wayne’s Casserole (serves 8)

2 cans (4-oz) chopped green chiles, drained
1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1 lb. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
Two-thirds cup evaporated milk
1 Tbsp flour
½ tsp. salt
One-eighth tsp. pepper
2 medium tomatoes, sliced

In large bowl, combine grated cheeses and chiles. Turn into a well-buttered (or sprayed) shallow 2-quart casserole.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Combine egg yolk, milk, flour, salt and pepper; mix until blended. Fold whites into egg yolk mixture. Pour egg mixture over cheese and “ooze” through cheese with a fork. Do not over-mix. Cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. If frozen, allow to completely defrost before baking. Bring casserole to room temperature and bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and arrange tomato slices around edge of casserole. Bake 30 minutes longer.

Mary’s Sausage Bake

2 ½ cups onion and sage croutons
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 lbs. Jimmy Dean brand pork sausage (regular)
6 eggs, beaten
Three-fourths tsp. dry mustard
2 ½ cups milk
1 can mushroom soup
½ cup milk
½ cup sour cream

Brown sausage and drain. Place croutons in 9x13 sprayed pan. Sprinkle cheese on top, sprinkle fried sausage over cheese. Beat eggs with milk and mustard; pour over all. Refrigerate overnight. Before baking, mix milk, soup and sour cream. Spread on top of casserole. Bake for 1 ½ hours at 300 degrees.

Cooking Ahead

We had Thanksgiving at my brother and sister-in-law’s home this year and it was absolutely delicious! Especially wonderful was someone else doing most of the cooking—I only had to bring rolls and pies. My sister-in-law is not only a wonderful cook she is also very organized and thoughtful. She had lots of Zip-lock containers standing ready for sharing the leftovers with her guests. Now, that’s a real gift!




Back home, I am in the midst of baking cookies for the open-house tour of the bed and breakfasts on December 5. I am finishing up food gifts and continuing to cook breakfasts for my guests. When will I find time to fix our meals? I decided to devote a day to making “frozen assets” to pull out on those busy December days we are all about to have so that we will still be eating sane and delicious meals instead of supporting our local MacDonald’s.



What’s in your refrigerator? Mine held the turkey dinner leftovers, a large quantity of ham from a few days before Thanksgiving, and two pork chops defrosted but not cooked because we were too busy enjoying the remnants of the turkey, and some leftover roast beef. I also had a large supply of sweet potatoes in my larder that I bought on special for $.38/pound and a large quantity of red grapes that were quickly losing quality.



Four hours later I put two foiled turkey dinners (complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish, and corn pudding), one Shepherd’s pie, one hamburger pie, 2 ham loaves with cherry sauce plus one for dinner that night, a loaf of dill casserole bread, a Ziploc bag full of thin-sliced roast beef for sandwiches and some grape-cherry compote for serving at the inn into my freezer.



Now you know that I love to cook, so this was a fun day for me—but even if you don’t, the sense of accomplishment and the labor you have saved for later when you are really pressed is worth every moment. Those frozen assets in your freezer will really pay dividends this month.



The ham loaf dinner that we had on the day I cooked was especially delicious. I am not sure why ham loaf has gone out of fashion, but I am glad I resurrected this old-fashioned recipe. I made some changes to bolster nutrition and cut fat—and it was totally delicious. The cherry sauce was fantastic and because I used dried Montmorency cherries, it was less expensive than buying either the canned pie cherries or the frozen (available at Trader Joe’s). I think the dried cherries have a much more intense flavor as well. The sweet potatoes that I got such a buy on at were very pale in color. I have read about this variety, though I had never come across it before. They are sometimes referred to as Honey Sweets. I decided to go with the name and use honey in their preparation. Although they looked odd (such a pale yellow instead of deep orange) and they probably lacked some of the beta-carotene in their more colorful cousins, they still contain loads of vitamin C, E, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and quercetin. They have a low glycemic index, so that are a good choice for avoiding insulin resistance, a precursor to Type II diabetes. Oh yes, they are loaded with fiber—3.2 grams per ½ cup serving of mashed.



Ham loaf with Cherry Sauce



Ham Loaf (makes 3 small loaves 3x2 ½ “)



1 ½ pounds ham

½ pound fresh pork

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup fine bread crumbs

¼ tsp. pepper



Put ham and pork in food processor, slightly frozen; pulse until coarsely ground. Or, use food grinder with medium blade. Mix all ingredients together and pack into well-greased (or sprayed) loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done.



Cherry Sauce



½ cup dried Montmorency cherries

2 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. cherry wine (optional)

¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. cold water



Put cherries, sugar and 2 cups water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cherry wine and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust for sweetness and intensity of flavor. If flavor is too weak, reduce by cooking longer; if too intense, add water. If too sweet, add more lemon juice; if not sweet enough, add more sugar. Cherry sauce should not be cloyingly sweet. Off heat, add almond extract if using. Mix cornstarch and cold water and mix until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to hot cherry mixture and cook on medium until sauce is thickened and clear. Serve over ham loaf and pass extra on the side.

WARNING! Holiday Party Eating Tips: Wrong Way and Right Way

We are in the thick (pun intended) of the holiday party season—the season for eating along with all the other joyous activity. You have undoubtedly read the millions of articles found in periodicals at this time about how not to gain the infamous 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year. I have read them so often, I almost know them by heart—and yet, I have never actually gotten through the whole season without gaining some weight. I am happy to say that I never gain 10 pounds, but 2 or 3? Yes.


Here’s a sampling, if they have somehow missed you:

l. Find the veggie tray on the buffet table and fill your tiny plate with as many colorful veggies as you can.
2. Make your drink of choice seltzer with lime.
3. Skip the heavy sauces and gravies served along side the foods—eat them plain.
4. Ask if low-fat versions of the food are on the table or available from the restaurant kitchen.
5. Always fill up on fruit or a small bag of fat-free popcorn before going to a
party so that you won’t be as tempted by the goodies.
6. Squeeze in all the extra walking and workouts you can. Park your car far away from the door, take the stairs, not the elevator and enroll in a couple of classes at the gym.
7. Position yourself as far away from the buffet table as possible, so as not to be tempted by the high-calorie treats.
8. Choose 2 gingerbread cookies, or a baked apple for dessert instead of the pecan pie.
9. If something really isn’t as special for you, don’t eat it even if it only appears on tables this time of year.
10. Leave the party or the table before you feel too full. Eat slowly; enjoy the company and leave feeling virtuous.

Good advice of course. But when I came across the new rules for holiday eating on the internet, I couldn’t resist passing them along.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. You can’t find it any other time of year but now, so drink up! It’s Christmas.

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or half and half. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other peoples’ food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and a vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies: apple, pumpkin, mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Reread the tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Okay, maybe this isn’t the best prescription for a great holiday season, but it does put things into perspective. You don’t have to go crazy and gain 10 pounds, but you can indulge a bit and join in the food celebration. Moderation anyone?

The Season for Celebrating

If you’re looking for something to celebrate this time of year, there’s no dearth of special holidays. For starters Hanukkah begins today and goes for 8 days. If you don’t celebrate Hanukkah, perhaps you might put out a wooden shoe filled with straw for St. Nicholas’ reindeer next Monday or you may be preparing to celebrate St. Lucia Day on December 13th. If those days don’t resonate, how about the Mexican Posada Feast on December 15th? You get the idea—and of course, Christmas is coming, followed closely by New Year’s Eve and Day.


All of these special days have special foods that go with them and whether you actually celebrate the holiday or not it is fun and festive to fix some of the appropriate foods.

I grew up in St. Louis Park and many of my friends and schoolmates celebrated Hanukkah. Jane Lieberman, who lived next door, was a close friend and our families took turns celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah; that is they came over for a get-together once during the Christmas season and we went over there for one night of Hanukkah. The food I remember loving best was potato latkes served with applesauce and sour cream. And I was envious of Janie because she got presents for eight consecutive days.

Another friend, whose name was actually Lucia, came from a Swedish family that always celebrated St. Lucia Day on December 13. Lucia, the eldest daughter, was usually the Lucia Day queen as befitted her status and her name. She wore a crown of lighted candles and served delicious buns and coffee to the family and guests. I was invited once and so impressed with everything, but especially the food: lussekatter (Lucia buns), baked in a traditional S shape and flavored with saffron and ginger-flavored cookies called pepparkakor.

If you’re in the celebrating mood, try all of these foods and sample the cultural dishes of each.

Potato Latkes

Traditional for Hanukkah because foods fried in oil is a ritual symbol of the oil in the temple lasting for 8 days. Originally these were tradition for German Jews, but have been adopted as a symbol by East European Jews, replacing the buckwheat blini fried in goose fat.

2 cups finely grated potatoes
¼ cup finely grated onions
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix potatoes and onions. Let stand for 10 minutes and drain off accumulated liquid. Press and squeeze vegetables to remove all possible liquid. Add salt, pepper, baking powder, egg and flour. Mix well. Heat butter and oil in 10-12-inch frying pan over medium high heat. Drop batter by tablespoonful or mixing spoonful into fat mixture. When brown on underside, flip latke over and brown other side. Adjust heat so that cooking time is about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sour cream and applesauce.

Golden Applesauce

8 assorted apples
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh apple cider
½ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Core, peel and cut the apples into large chunks, tossing them with the lemon juice in a large heavy pot. Add the cider, sugar and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the apples are very tender, 15 minutes. Uncover the pot and cook for 5 minutes more to evaporate some of the liquid. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Use a potato masher to coarsely mash the apples with the juices. Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days.

St. Lucia Saffron buns (Lassekatter)

4 cups flour
1 ¼ cups lukewarm milk
1 package dry yeast
1 egg
½ tsp. saffron, crushed
½ cup melted butter
¾ cups sugar
¼ tsp. salt
15 almonds, ground
½ cup raisins

Dissolve yeast in ¼ cup lukewarm milk. Dissolve crushed saffron in 2 tsp. brandy. Mix milk, saffron, sugar, salt egg, butter and small amount of flour. Add yeast and remaining flour; beat with wooden spoon until smooth and firm. Sprinkle with flour, cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Turn out on floured baking board and knead until smooth. Divide into portions and make buns in different shapes, such as the traditional S shape. Place on buttered baking sheets, cover and let rise. Brush with slightly beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds and bake in hot oven (400) for 10 minutes.

Pepparkakor

2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1 tsp. ginger, ground
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
½ tsp cloves, ground
¾ Tbsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter
1 egg
5 cups flour

Heat sugar, syrup and spices to boiling point. Add baking soda and pour mixture over butter in bowl. Stir until butter melts. Add egg and sifted flour and blend thoroughly. Knead on baking board. Chill. Roll out and cut with fancy cutters such as Christmas trees, hearts, animal forms, etc. Place on greased baking sheet and bake in slow to moderate oven (325 F). 8-10 minutes.

Hanukkah

Tonight at sundown, Hanukkah begins. Growing up in St. Louis Park, I had many friends and neighbors who belonged to the Jewish faith and I was lucky enough to be invited to share in Hanukkah celebrations every year. My memory of those celebrations is of a wonderful mixture of joyous fun and solemnity. Oh yes, and food.


Hanukkah is celebrated to honor the Maccabean conquest over powerful Syria more than two thousand years ago. After the battle, the Temple of Jerusalem was in shambles and had been desecrated. While re-sanctifying the temple, the Maccabees found only a small amount of oil for the eternal lamp in the temple—enough to last for one day. The miracle is that the oil (and thus the light) lasted eight days. For eight days, the commemorative celebration is one of lights, joy and feasting. Prayers are said, gifts are exchanged, the eight-candle menorah is lit and a celebratory meal is served—traditionally including latkes—potato pancakes.

Other very traditional dishes served at Hanukkah are beef brisket, short ribs or pot roast; noodles or a noodle pudding known as noodle kugel, carrots and something fried in oil such as doughnuts or rugelach (filled and rolled cookies). Applesauce is usually served alongside the latkes and pareve sour cream substitute. *

A good starter is the traditional Jewish chopped liver, served with crackers or matzo.

Chopped Liver (makes 5 cups)

2 pounds chicken livers
1 cup rendered chicken fat
2 cups diced onion
1/3 cup Madeira wine
4 hard-cooked eggs
¼ cup minced Italian parsley
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Saute chicken livers in 2 Tbsp. chicken fat until barely pink inside. Overcooking will make them dry. Put in a large bowl. Saute the onions in same skillet in 3 more Tbsp. chicken fat. Add the Madeira and deglaze the pan. Pour into the bowl with the livers. Add the peeled eggs, coarsely chopped, the parsley, salt, pepper and remaining chicken fat to the bowl. Toss to combine. Transfer in small batches to a food processor and pulse a few times to chop coarsely. Repeat with remaining mixture. Season to taste and chill.

(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!)

*According to traditional Jewish practice, mixing dairy and meat products is forbidden. Dairy substitutes are identified with the word pareve.

Noodle Kugel

1 pound wide egg noodles
6 eggs
4 cups half-and-half or imitation (pareve, see *note above)
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ Tbsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese (or pareve)
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10x13 baking dish. Drizzle some oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook the noodles for 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Drain. Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir in the ricotta and raisins. Add the drained noodles. Pour the noodle mixture into the baking dish. Place the filled dish in a larger pan and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides. Cover the entire assembly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until the custard is just set. (Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!)

Honey-Roasted Carrots

2 ½ pounds carrots, peeled
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice carrots into thirds crosswise on a sharp diagonal. Bring water to a boil in a large pot with a steamer basket. Add carrots to the basket; reduce heat to medium and steam until tender, 5 minutes. Combine oil and honey in a large bowl. Drain carrots and toss in the oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Place carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve. (Adapted from Celebrate! By Sheila Lukins).

Here’s an interesting change from apple sauce for those potato latkes:

Roasted Apples

¼ cup sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Gala apples, cored and cut into quarters (leave skins on)

Preheat oven to 400. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add apples and toss to coat. Spread apples in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing halfway through, until tender but firm, 30 to 35 minutes. (Martha Stewart Living)

Happy Hanukkah!