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Showing posts from December, 2005

And a Happy New Year's Feast

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For every action, as I unaccountably remember from high school science class (you see, Mr. Clarke, I was listening), there is an equal and opposite reaction. Which, roundly translated to life right now, means that plunged into expansive, hospitable holiday mood I issue to each and every one of my friends a warm invitation to lunch -- only to sit slumped, head in hands, as I wonder how I'm going to feed them and hold on to my sanity. This season is fraught with contradictions: it's a time when you feel friendly, want to see people, indeed want to sit eating and chatting with them, but what with having the children home from school needing to be entertained at all times and in the aftermath of frenzied, family-wrought Christmas activities, you do not always have the energy for the follow-through. Feast by Nigella Lawson I have to applaud anyone with even the idea of a New Year's Day lunch in their planning. I do not have to worry about feeding all my friends on New Year'

A Little Useless Information

The largest item on any menu in the world is probably the roast camel, sometimes served at Bedouin wedding feasts. The camel is stuffed with a sheep's carcass, which is stuffed with chickens, which are stuffed with fish, which are stuffed with eggs.

Today is Boxing Day

No, don't get the gloves out. If you have read as many old British mysteries as I have then you have come across Boxing Day. If not, then here's the scoop. The tradition of Boxing Day began in 19th-century England under the reign of Queen Victoria, although the exact origin of its name is unclear. One theory connects it to the tradition of clergy opening the alms boxes on the day after Christmas to distribute money among the poor. Another suggests that the name came from the practice of merchants handing out boxes of food or clothing to their apprentices the day after Christmas as a sort of Victorian-era bonus. In any case, the tradition of charity remains at the heart of the holiday. It's celebrated each year on December 26 -- unless that date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, in which case the holiday takes place on the following Monday. Many modern Brits associate Boxing Day with yet another tradition -- Christmas leftovers and family gatherings. This custom, too, can be ti

Holiday Eating Tips

This was all over the internet last year but I haven't seen it around lately, so without further ado... Holiday Eating Tips 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. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas! If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

Strada a la Noel!

From my dear friend, Marcia. This looks so good! I notice that Marcia and I both make sure to have mimosas on Christmas morning. Do we know how to celebrate or what? 2 3/4 inch slices of baked ham (usually purchased from deli) 6 English muffins 1 can evaporated milk 1 can artichoke hearts drained 8 eggs grated parmesan cheese salt and pepper 1 bunch of chopped green onions....tops too! minced garlic.....to taste Butter 9 x 13 baking dish. Slice and quarter muffins...place in dish. Cut ham into 1/4 in. little squares and scatter over muffins, also the chopped green onions, chopped artichokes, and minced garlic. Scramble eggs with milk and pour evenly over entire dish. Salt and pepper. Grind just a little nutmeg, or sprinkle regular ground, and finish with grated parmesan on top. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least a few hours...I usually do this the morning before, then the next morning bake in a 375 oven

Separating the Sheep From the Goats

I have said all along that this is not a true cooking blog, being more of the back room for my main blog . If I ever needed proof of that, all I had to do was read this rant excoriating food sections for using stock photography and praising food blogs for doing original photography. Whatever. Because original photography makes the blog credible? To me it's about the writing not the photos. I wouldn't care if food blogs never had photos frankly. In fact this little bit may have been about this spot. UPDATE: I now know of one food blog that also uses stock photographs. I won't mention their name or URL here. I will say that it's not one that get's mentioned a lot. Very polite and nice not to name me, if so. And if this isn't that blog, well, then there are two people who don't care to take home photos of their food when a stock photo represents something just as well. Here's the deal. It's very freeing having no street cred anyway with the food blog

Makar Sankrat/Pongal

This January 14 Hindu holiday celebrates the new solar year, considered to be the beginning of the new day for the gods and the end of their six-month night. It is observed quite differently in each region and has a different name depending on where it's celebrated -- Pongal in the south of India and Makar Sankrat in the north. But most festivities include a common theme of ceremonial cleansings, offerings, and celebrations of the harvest, and food plays an important symbolic role. Pongal, which means "to boil over," refers both to the concept of bounty and to the traditional dish of rice boiled in milk, which is given to the gods as an offering. Sesame seeds, or til, are looked upon as a symbol of health and friendship. Sweets made from sesame and jaggery -- a special kind of sugar -- are exchanged on the holiday along with the saying, "accept these sweets and speak sweet words." The tradition reminds people to resolve past quarrels so that friendship can t

Chocolate Mint-Filled Cookies

I cannot for the life of me remember where this recipe came from. I only know it is simple, a fantastic combination of chocolate and mint, and an easy way to make sandwich cookies. It has occurred to me that if I needed chocolate cookies for making a crumb pie crust and couldn't find those Nabisco cookies that these would be a good substitute. Rose made these yesterday to add to our Christmas array. Step 1: 2/3 cup softened butter 1/2 cup sugar Cream butter and sugar. Step 2: 1/4 cup light corn syrup 1 egg 6 ounces melted semisweet chocolate Add corn syrup and egg and blend. Add chocolate. Step 3: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Combine flour, soda and salt and add, beating well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or put in the freezer for 40 minutes. Step 4: 1/3 cup sugar Form dough into 1/2-inch balls (about 96) and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake an even number at a time, 12-15 minutes at 350. Step 5: 48 chocolate cov

Happy Holidays in Iran: Shab-e Yalda

An interesting feature by Cooking Light featured other holidays held around this time of year. I was surprised to see many that I hadn't heard of so am going to share them with y'all here. In Iran, the winter solstice, which falls on December 21, is hailed with Shab-e Yalda -- the birthday of the sun. It's a celebration of the triumph of light over dark, good over evil. It is thought that on the longest night with evil at its zenith, light needs help to overcome darkness, says Najmieh Batmanglij author of New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies. Therefore, Shab-e Yalda is traditionally celebrated with the family building a bonfire outside and gathering around a brazier inside until sunrise. They entertain one another with dancing, poetry, and storytelling. Food also plays an integral part. In Iranian culture, certain nutritional properties of foods are considered hot and others are considered cold (regardless of temperature or level of

Holiday Eating Myths: #3

Myth: Great cooks and festive parties place our willpower at risk. Reality: Research indicates that it's not the parties that prompt us to eat, but being around friends and family that may lead to diet missteps. In a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, researchers found that dining in a group causes the average person to eat 44 percent more calories than they normally would eating alone. Strategy: Mindful eating is the key to maintaining your equilibrium during social situations ... try taking a smaller serving. Make a conscious effort to balance your plate with plenty of fruits and veggies, and a healthy portion -- about three to four ounces -- of protein .... Also take a second to look at every bite before you eat it. This psychological connection will help you keep a mental checklist of how much you're consuming. Cooking Light , Dec. 2005

Holiday Eating Myths: #2

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Myth: Eat a lot of turkey and you'll be snoozing shortly. Reality: Studies have linked L-tryptophan -- an essential amino acid found in cooked turkey -- to a feeling of sleepiness, but it's unlikely that eating turkey during the holidays will have a sedating effect... In order for L-tryptophan to cause sleepiness, research has shown that it needs to be eaten alone, on an empty stomach... The real reason a nap is so appealing after any big meal is the large amount of energy required to digest it... Strategy: One way to avoid a post-meal energy drain is to approach a big dinner with an appetite that's in check. Avoid eating smaller-than-normal portions for breakfast and lunch, which may leave you feeling ravenous at dinner and prompt you to eat more than normal... Cooking Light , Dec. 2005 This myth-buster has been all over the news lately. I think they are also forgetting the large amount of energy required to get the meal ready! Naturally, everyone needs a little nap la

Holiday Eating Myths: #1

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Myth: Most people put on five to seven pounds during the holidays. Reality: The average weight gain during the sis-week span from Thanksgiving to New Year's is just under one pound, according to a yearlong study of nearly 200 people published in The New England Journal of Medicine ... "The weight increase isn't dramatic -- but the research did reveal something significant -- study participants did not reverse their gains during the following months," says Susan Z. Yanovski, M.D. ... This has led obesity experts to speculate that the small weight gain from year to year, contributing to the more substantial gains many people experience as they age. Strategy: ... Sneak in a little physical activity every day to burn off additional calories and benefit from the stress-reducing effects of exercise. Also remember, if you want to avoid overindulging with a food you really love, this is not the only time of year you can eat it. Cooking Light , Dec. 2005

Christmas Ideas

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Nothing is easier than giving a magazine subscription and often it is the introduction to new and enjoyable reading, as my husband found when his parents began giving him Invention and Technology. I would recommend: As Chow tells you themselves, they put the fun back into food . I have never cooked a recipe from this magazine but it is consistently entertaining and informative. Fine Cooking's articles are all done by chefs, cookbook authors and the like. However, they still are very practical and useful. I particularly like when they will do a master recipe such as for baked pasta, giving a basic formula and then provide various examples as to how to change it up. Cook's Illustrated is well known for testing every recipe over and over and over. Undeniably it does get good results. However, Christopher Kimball annoys the heck outta me and I really dislike their habit of putting extra recipes on their website with limited access. Most of the time by the time I get around to rem

Thought for Food

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. C.S. Lewis

A Little Useless Information

Beethoven who was a coffee lover, was so particular about his coffee that he always counted 60 beans each cup when he prepared his brew.

Weekend Joke

Early one spring morning, Papa Mole decided to check out the sounds and smells of the new season. He traveled along his burrow until he could stick his head out and survey the area. It was such a beautiful morning, he quickly called to Mama Mole to come join him. Papa Mole said, "It is such a beautiful spring morning. I hear the birds singing and I smell ... bacon ... yes, someone is frying! It smells so good." Mama Mole said, "It is indeed a beautiful morning and ... why, yes ... I think I smell someone cooking pancakes. Yes, delicious buckwheat pancakes! Come quick, Baby Mole, you must experience these delectable sounds and smells!" Baby Mole raced along the burrow but could not squeeze past his parents. Mama said, "Do you smell those delicious smells of breakfast, Baby Mole? Doesn't it make you hungry and happy that spring is here?" Baby Mole replied, somewhat disgruntled, his voice a bit muffled as he tried to squeeze past his parents again, "

Wow!

I just noticed the hits jumping and found out that my mother's Amaretti recipe was a winner in The Domestic Goddess' and Al Forno's Cookie Swap . Woohoo! It is so nice of them to have hosted this swap and to give out a prize. That is the great thing about food blogs. They don't just award winners ... they have real, honest-to-goodness prizes! Very exciting! Thanks to all who voted for it and I hope that you enjoy making those very easy cookies. I tried them yesterday using pecans and vanilla instead of almond extract and they were delicious that way also. So it is a versatile recipe too.

Pecan Butter Balls

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Or as they are known at our house, Mexican Wedding Cakes, since my mother first made this cookie from a Mexican cookbook when I was young. This version, another from our favorite, never-fail cookie book, Cookies Unlimited by Nick Malgieri, is the best I have ever had. The only changes I made were to use the mixer for the entire process (Malgieri calls for mixing the flour and nuts in by hand) and to double-roll the cookies in powdered sugar; once when they come out of the oven and once when they are cool. Malgieri calls for rolling them only when they are cool. If you don't have a mixer, of course, all this can be done by hand. Makes about 50 cookies 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon water (or dark rum, bourbon, or brandy) 2 cups flour 8 ounces (about 2 cups) pecan pieces, finely chopped, but not ground 1 cup confectioners' sugar for finishing 2 cookie sheets or jelly roll cove

Getcha Hot Links Here

COOKIE CONTEST WINNERS Here are the winners from The Dallas Morning News' annual Christmas cookie contest (free registration required). check out the Decadent Cookies , Bar Cookies (where the Heavenly Apricot Cobbler Bars and the Chocolate Topped Rum Bars caught my eye), Family Recipes , Easy Cookies (here the Nutella Nuggets and Choco-licks caught my interest), and Decorated Cookies . JIMMY'S IS BACK If you're from Dallas, that's all you need to hear to head down to the rebuilt Jimmy's Place where it's better than ever . CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS Best Wine Book Ever says SlashFood. Stocking Stuffers recommended by Cook's Illustrated (via SlashFood). Food Markers are food coloring in a marker for those decorating moments that require a fine touch. BREADFRUIT What the heck is breadfruit anyway? I remember reading all about it in the Nordhoff and Hall books about the mutiny on the HMS Bounty but never knew anything about it. Melissa De Leon has the scoop .

Chicken With Fresh Mushrooms

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From my favorite Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo, this is a light stir-fry that goes well over rice. I had thought of making Moo Goo Gai Pan since I had chicken breasts and mushrooms to hand but it turned out that I didn't have enough other ingredients to make me page through the book for options. I'm glad I did. This simple dish was delicious. I made the variation with broccoli stems. I didn't have time to let the chicken sit for the requisite half hour for velveting but knew that the recipe would need the chicken to be mostly cooked. I simply brought a few cups of water to a boil and dropped the chicken slices in. They turned white almost immediately and I emptied the pot into a strainer. Although not as soft as the velveted chicken would have been, they were just fine. 1 pound sliced chicken breast, velveted 1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms 4 tablespoons oil 2 quarter-sized slices peeled ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 2

Master Recipe for Velveting Chicken

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This is from my favorite Chinese cookbook, the Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo ( my review ). Velveting ensures not only tenderness but also imparts a velvety texture to meat, chicken and seafood. Kuo is the only person I have seen consistently mention that you can velvet in water as well as oil. I usually velvet in water. If you have time to do it,velveting makes an amazing difference in texture. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into the size and shape needed for your recipe Velvet coating: 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon dry sherry 1 large egg white 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon oil 2 cups oil Put the cut meat into a bowl, add the salt and sherry, and stir. Beat the egg white only until the gel is completely broken -- it should not be frothy, lest the coating to puff and disintegrate upon cooking. Add this to the chicken, sprinkle in the cornstarch, and mix well. Add the tablespoon of oil and stir until smooth. Let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for at

Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

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From our favorite, never-fail cookie book, Cookies Unlimited by Nick Malgieri. I made these delicious, chocolate packed cookies yesterday to freeze for Christmas. These are a snap except for one bit ... when you are mixing the egg mixture with the flour mixture about halfway through you begin to think that you will never be able to do it. There really is very little liquid to mix in, but if you keep working at it all the ingredients gradually become incorporated. Also, I know the different chocolates are "added for a subtle richness" but ... since I am lazy and don't care about those subtleties ... I use a 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. And they are still quite delicious. Makes about 60 biscotti (I have never gotten more than 40) 1-3/4 cups flour 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted after measuring 2 teaspoons baking powder Pinch salt 1-1/4 sugar 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 6 ounces milk chocolate, cut into 1/4-

Cookie Swaps and Secret Cookbook Santas

Find these in today's Blogging Around over at my other place.

Weekend Joke

Did you hear that in New York the Stop and Shop grocery chain merged with the A&P? Now it's called the Stop & P.

Thought for Food

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. M. F. K. Fisher

Cranberry Nut Bread

We had this every Christmas when I was growing up. Somehow it is a bit different (and, of course, I would say better) than the usual cranberry bread one finds. I haven't made it for years because of the general lack of interest in cranberries around my household ... but I may try it this year and just freeze slices for myself. Step 1: 2 cups flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon soda 1 cup sugar ¼ cup shortening Sift all together. Cut in shortening. Step 2: 1 egg, beaten ¾ cup orange juice 2 cups cranberries ¹⁄₃ cup chopped nuts Add eggs and juice, stirring only until mixed. Add nuts and cranberries. Bake at 350° for 1¼ hours. Cool well before removing from pan. Let stand overnight before slicing. Very crumbly. Be careful slicing.

Classic Christmas Candy

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You can't go wrong with Hammonds Candies . Begun in Denver in 1920 they've been making candy the old fashoned way ever since. I usually have an order of candy canes in the very least coming from them at Christmas. It really is some of the best candy ever and worth the price.

Thought for Food

Is there no Latin word for Tea? Upon my soul, if I had known that I would have let the vulgar stuff alone. Hilaire Belloc

Is Nothing Sacred Any More?

I guess we all know the answer to that. But I am so naive that I was shocked when I saw this at a site that specializes in Chocolate Deities. Via Slashfood .