New Years Eve is Fondue Night!

Among the side dishes was a generous fondue, from which the prelate served himself without stint. But, oh surprise! Not recognizing its appearance and believing it to be a crème, he ate it with his spoon instead of using his fork, which from time immemorial had been the custom with this dish. All the guests, astonished by this peculiar behavior, looked sideways at one another, with imperceptible smiles.
~Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin


Fondue is our New Years Eve tradition. It's such good food, and so accessible that everyone can graze all evening.

We have a lot of fondue pots - I practically collect them. So, when I do fondue, it becomes a meal, not just an appetizer. In addition to the fondue dips detailed below, I have a Mongolian hot pot for hot oil so thin strips of beef can be fried and dipped.

Ingredients for dipping:
French bread cubes
Ham cubes
Fresh veggies (broccoli florets, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, celery)
Fresh fruits (bananas, apples, strawberries)
Black and green olives
Pretzel rods
Marshmallows
Pound cake cubes

The Fondue Recipes

Cheddar Cheese Fondue:
¾ cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoons ground dry mustard
1 tbsp flour
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Heat milk, worcestershire sauce, mustard and flour in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling. Gradually stir in Cheddar cheese. Continue heating until all the cheese has melted. Rub the inside of a warm fondue pot with garlic clove and pour mixture in. (Save the garlic clove - you'll be rubbing more pots with it.)

Swiss cheese fondue:
8 oz shredded swiss cheese
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup dry white wine
Pinch white pepper
1 clove garlic

Heat wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cheese and cook until melted, stirring frequently. Add the corn starchand pepper. Continue to cook until thick and smooth, stirring frequently. Rub the inside of a warm fondue pot with garlic clove and pour mixture in.

Israeli Fondue:
1 avocado halved and stoned
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 ounces grated Edam cheese
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp sour cream

Mash the avocado with lemon juice. Heat wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cheese and cook until melted, stirring frequently. Add the corn starch, sour cream, and avocado mixture. Continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes until thick and smooth, stirring frequently. Rub the inside of a warm fondue pot with garlic clove and pour mixture in.

Chocolate Fondue:
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until it is just melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to a warm ceramic fondue pot - we put this in our Hershey Kiss fondue pot.

Boxing Day! More Ham & Cheesy Puff Pastries

Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr), originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants.
~Fairly Well Established Historical Fact

"Few Americans have any inkling that there even is such a thing as Boxing Day, let alone what the reason might be for a holiday so named...even though Boxing Day is celebrated in Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada, not all that many in those countries have much of a notion as to why they get the 26th of December off. Boxing Day might well be a statutory holiday in some of those lands, but it's not a well understood one."
More About Boxing Day

A few years ago my sister Carrie added Boxing Day to our family holiday season traditions. The first year she had the event, December 26 - the official date of Boxing Day, landed conveniently on a Saturday. Because the day after Christmas does not always accommodate us, we have modified Boxing Day to fit in with our American work schedules. The first Saturday after the 25th is Boxing Day.

Why Boxing Day? Mainly because we really like to get together over the holidays but we all have families with different Christmas traditions and everyone pretty much likes to be at home on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Boxing Day has become the perfect time to spend time together, have some fun, exchange gifts - and, of course, have some yummy chow!

The Boxing Day Theme this year is "finger foods."

I'm going with the Ham & Cheesy Puff Pastries, but this time with a ham mousse filling.

Filling:
Ingredients:
6 oz soft cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 oz ham chopped in cubes
2 tbsp chopped green onions
Preparation:
Blend ingredients in food processor until smooth

Cut the tops off the puff pastries and spoon the ham filling into the center
Replace tops

Christmas Dinner

Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall, Brawn, pudding, and souse, and good mustard withal. Beef, mutton, and pork, and good pies of the best, Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well drest, Cheese, apples and nuts, and good carols to hear, As then in the country is counted good cheer.
~Thomas Tusser

Christmas dinner! Ham, Au gratin potatoes, gougére, and fresh broccoli florets, with (of course) cookies for dessert! Everything was excellent, as evidenced by the fact that the only thing left over is a bit of ham - which I already have some recipes in mind for.

After dinner, we watched the totally awesome Transformers movie, which Santa had left under our tree. I hadn't really expected to enjoy this movie, but it was really fun!

The Recipes:

Ham: A 10# ham, cooked in the oven at 325 for about 3 1/2 hours. I poured some honey and orange juice over it, and basted it every 40 minutes or so. Once I took it out of the oven (let it rest for about 20-30 minutes before carving) I mixed some of the pan drippings with a little more orange juice, some orange marmalade, and brown sugar over medium heat. This is a nice glaze for the sliced ham - but should be applied as a condiment, not a gravy.

Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
Lightly grease an oven safe glass dish
Peel and thinly (about 1/4") slice the potatoes
Put a layer of potato in the dish, a little salt and pepper, very thin butter pats, and cover with cheese
Repeat layers until all the ingredients are in the dish
Pour in cream
Cover and cook right along side the ham in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours
When you take the ham out of the oven, uncover the potatoes and raise the oven temp to 400 - which, conveniently, is the temp to cook the gougére
Cook and additional 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown

Gougére

Broccoli: Fresh florets blanched (3 minutes in boiling water)

Served with a chilled Pinot Grigio.

Christmas Cookies!!!

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!
~Charles Dickens

Making cookies is one of our Christmas traditions. The boys and I spend practically all day baking. We have a lot of fun, and we end up with a lot of yummy cookies!



This year we made:
Rolled Sugar Cookies, which we then decorated (Same as every year, Pinky)
Chocolate cookies with cherry frosting, butterscotch frosting, and minty frosting
Peanut butter cookies with chocolate frosting*
Pecan pie cookies**

*These have traditionally been everyone's favorite, but the
**Pecan pie cookies, which Ryan made may push them out of first place.

Black Beans & Yellow Rice

Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear. ~Aesop

The Recipes

Black Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb black beans
1 ham steak
1/4 butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 small jalepeno pepper finely chopped
1 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8-10 cilantro leaves
6-8 cups water
7 chicken bouillon cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Soak the beans overnight
Melt the butter in a large pot
Stir in onion, jalepeno pepper, and garlic
Chop the ham into bite size cubes and add to the pot
Let cook for about 3-5 minutes with frequent stirring
Add beans, water and bouillon cubes and bring to a boil
Add white and cayenne pepper. cilantro leaves
Cover and reduce to a simmer for aprx 1 1/2 hour, until beans are tender

Yellow Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain rice
2 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic
1 bay leaf
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl
Cook on high for 9 minutes
Cook on medium for 17 minutes
Let sit for 5 minutes
Remove bay leaf

Rob's Birthday Dinner (Sunday) - Beef Stroganoff

You're now alone in a room that looks like a vat of beef stroganoff exploded in it.
~The Gamemaster

I make my stroganoff for Rob on his birthday every year. It's his favorite.

This is an excellent recipe I am sharing. It's one of my specialties, and I am giving away the secrets here... ...at least I think I will... ...

The measurements listed are really approximate. I just kind of 'eyeball' the amount of any particular ingredient in this recipe. This served 4, with 2nd servings (always anticipate a desire for 2nd helpings of this dish).

The Recipe

Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
1-2 pounds good beef, (steak, roast, sirloin tips, whatever looks the best) chopped into very small bite-sized pieces (trim as much fat as possible)
4 tbsp butter
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 can beef consommé
Salt to taste (be conservative - the consommé has salt)
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
16 oz sour cream (Get the sour cream out of the fridge when you start cooking)
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat
When the butter is bubbling, but not brown, add the onions and stir them for about 2 minutes
Stir in the garlic
Add the beef stir frequently until it is completely browned
Salt if/as needed
Pour in the wine and beef consommé, and the worchestershire sauce
Bring to a boil while stirring
Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream

Serve over white rice (yes, RICE, not noodles!!).
The finishing touch - top with a sprinkling of chow mien noodles. The chow mien noodles add a delightful crunch to the texture, and complement the flavor of the dish perfectly!

Benihana

I could understand them coming back with any amount on the award. But to find that Benihana's not responsible, I don't get that.
~Jacqueline Colaitis, after losing a $16 million lawsuit claiming that Benihana was responsible for her husband's death 10 months after he had dined there

I didn't cook tonight because I had a late holiday business lunch at Benihana. Mmmmm...

Food Thoughts

I hadn't been to a Benihana for years. The food is still excellent - is there any better fried rice anywhere? - I had the chicken, it was delicious (albeit a little over salted). Everything, really, was as as tasty as I remembered.

The thing that seemed different was the service. It was kind of... lackluster compared to what it once was. The chef did a great job preparing the food, but he may as well have been on his own in a kitchen.

Maybe it's the "Flying Shrimp" lawsuit?

I don't know.

Breaded Baked Chicken & Mashed Potatoes

Remember what I said -if you want your mashed potatoes to be the tastiness, you have to use real butter and heavy cream!
~me

Probably the first meal I ever learned to cook, and I learned it because I loved it! It was actually shake-n-bake and boxed mashed potato flakes but I've modified the meal since then.

The Recipes

Breaded Baked Chicken
Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/serving)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use the 3 cheese variety)
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
1 tbsp Tony Chachere's cajun spice
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375
Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry
Mix bread crumbs, corn flakes, and Tony Chachere's in a dish big enough to accommodate the chicken breasts
Beat the egg and milk in a dish of similar size
Dip each breast in the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture
Be sure to coat the breast evenly and thoroughly with the breading
Place chicken breasts in an oven safe dish and bake for 40 - 50 minutes

Mashed Potatoes:
Ingredients:
Potatoes (1 lrg/serving + 1 "for the pot")
Note: The following measurements are based on 4 servings
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation:
Peel and quarter potatoes
Boil for 20-25 minutes until very tender (but not breaking apart in the water)
Drain in a colander and return to pot
Use a masher to mash potatoes
Add butter and let it melt into the potatoes
Add cream, salt and pepper
Mash with a beater set on whip for 2 minutes more or less until potatoes have desired consistency

Served with:
Corn
Dinner rolls

Baked Potatoes

For me, a plain baked potato is the most delicious one....It is soothing and enough.
~Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher

This is an easy one! Pick your bakers, wash them, wrap them up in aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 400 and cook potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size. You can test by sticking a fork into the thickest part of the potato - if the fork slides in smooth, it's good!

Remove from oven, remove from foil, split, salt and pepper to taste. Top with any combination of:
Butter
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Chives
Chili
Bacon Bits

Chicken Quesadillas

It is not the fault of the mouse but of the one who offers him the cheese
~Mexican Proverb

I do get cravings for good tex-mex food from time to time. I've given up on finding any around here, unless I make it myself. So I do.

The Recipes:

Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
1 lrg tomato
1 small red onion
6 Cilantro leaves
Jalepeno pepper
Garlic
Lime
Salt & pepper
Preparation
Cut the tomato in half, remove seeds, and cut it into very small pieces
Cut the red onion into very small pieces
Cut the cilantro into very small pieces
Slice the jalapeno pepper into tiny pieces (to taste)
Put all into a bowl
Put about 1/8 tsp crushed garlic in
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the lime in half and squeeze 1/2 juice
Mix

Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
6-8 large corn tortillas
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/serving)
Olive Oil
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
Cilantro
Garlic
Salt & pepper
Lime
Preparation
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces
In a large pan, saute chicken over med-hi heat in olive oil
When chicken is cooked and starts to brown add about 1/4 tsp garlic, chopped cilantro and stir
Squeeze the juice from the other lime half over the chicken and let sit on medium heat
Preheat oven to 325
Place 3-4 tortillas on cookie sheets
Spread the cheddar and jack cheese on the tortillas
Spoon the chicken pieces over the cheese
Cover each tortilla with another tortilla
Bake for about 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melty and the tortillas are a little crisp around the edges
Remove from oven and cut into triangular wedges
Serve with
Pico de Gallo
Sour Cream
Salsa
Avocado slices

The meal was nicely rounded out with black beans and spanish rice.

Food Banks, in a Squeeze, Tighten Belts

No Recipe tonight - it's pizza night. (recipe here)

Food Thoughts

Here is an article from the NYT about food banks in need. If you can, please think about donating to your local food bank.

Food banks around the country are reporting critical shortages that have forced them to ration supplies, distribute staples usually reserved for disaster relief and in some instances close.

“It’s one of the most demanding years I’ve seen in my 30 years” in the field, said Catherine D’Amato, president and chief executive of the Greater Boston Food Bank, comparing the situation to the recession of the late 1970s.

Experts attributed the shortages to an unusual combination of factors, including rising demand, a sharp drop in federal supplies of excess farm products, and tighter inventory controls that are leaving supermarkets and other retailers with less food to donate.

“We don’t have nearly what people need, and that’s all there is to it,” said Greg Bryant, director of the food pantry in Sheffield, Vt.

“We’re one step from running out,” Mr. Bryant said.

“It kind of spirals,” he added. “The people that normally donate to us have less, the retailers are selling to discount stores because people are shopping in those places, and now we have less food and more people. It’s a double, triple, hit.”

The Vermont Food Bank said its supply of food was down 50 percent from last year. “It’s a crisis mode,” said Doug O’Brien, the bank’s chief executive.

For two weeks this month, the New Hampshire Food Bank distributed supplies reserved for emergency relief. Demand for food here is up 40 percent over last year and supply is down 30 percent, which is striking in the state with the lowest reliance on food banks.

“It’s the price of oil, gas, rents and foreclosures,” said Melanie Gosselin, executive director of the New Hampshire Food Bank.

Ms. Gosselin said household budget squeezes had led to a drop in donations and greater demand. “This is not the old ‘only the homeless are hungry,’” she said. “It’s working people.”

Lane Kenworthy, a professor of sociology and political science at the University of Arizona, agreed, saying: “The overall picture is that household incomes are kind of stuck. There’s very little way to increase income, and most people have a very heavy debt load. Any event that increases your costs is really, really troublesome, because you’re already stretched thin.”

The food bank in Manchester delivers provisions to a housing project each week, and on a recent Monday, Matthew Whooley, 26, of Manchester, was waiting in line with his wife, Penny, and their four children.

“Every week there’s less and less food,” Mr. Whooley said. “It used to be potatoes, meat and bread, and last week we got Doritos and flour. The food is getting shorter, and the lines keep getting longer.”

More

Eggs, Benedict

Yet, who can help loving the land that has taught us Six hundred and eighty-five ways to dress eggs?
~Thomas Moore

Eggs Benedict is a tasty repast. Plus, I get to call everyone "Benedict." Do you like your eggs, Benedict? How are the eggs, Benedict? Hahaha! *guffaw* *snort* *giggle*

The Recipe

Ingredients:
Eggs (1/serving for the eggs benedict, 3 yolks for the Hollandaise sauce)
1 tbsp vinegar
Canadian sliced bacon
English muffins (1/serving)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 dash cayenne pepper
Preparation:
Boil about 3" of water in a large, deep pan and add the vinegar (this helps the eggs hold together)
Gently crack the eggs into the boiling water
Poach for about 3 minutes, or until egg is the consistency you like
Broil the canadian bacon slices
Split and toast the English muffins
To make the Hollandiase sauce:
Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and boil
Put the butter in the top of the double boiler and melt
Mix the 3 egg yolks with the salt, lemon juice and cayenne pepper
Whisk the egg mixture into melted butter in the double boiler and stir until it starts to thicken
Remove from heat
To serve:
Layer from bottom to top: toasted english muffin, slice of canadian bacon, poached egg, hollandaise sauce.

Ribs & Baked Potatoes

Ribs must be America’s favorite barbecue dish.
~Anonymous

Baby Back Ribs were on sale the other day, so I picked up a couple of racks. It's like a summer barbecue, except it's freezing cold, and I cooked them in the oven.

The Recipes

Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients:
2 racks Baby Back Ribs
Bottle of Barbecue sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Tony Chachere's Cajun Spice
Tabasco
Salt & Pepper
Preparation:
Cut the rib racks into pieces that will fit into a big pot full of water
Boil for about an hour
Mix the barbecue sauce with the other ingredients until it has the amount of "bite" you like
Remove the ribs from boiling water and put in oven safe pan
Pour the sauce on
Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes
Put under broiler for 8-10 minutes to make them crisp

Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
Baking potatoes (1/serving)
Butter
Salt & pepper
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chives
Preparation:
Clean potatoes and wrap individually in foil
Cook in oven at 350 degrees for about an hour (they can cook right alongside the ribs)
Remove from foil, cut open, and slather generously with any of the toppings you want

Served with: Blanched broccoli, and 3 cheese texas toast.