Not with a bang, but with a whimper

Seems to be how we'll end this year. Despite my high hopes and excitement for the holiday season, five illnesses (including stomach viruses on Christmas day) in two weeks put quite a damper on the festivities. In addition, my great aunt, the single loveliest 93 year old woman ever, passed away a week before Christmas. So, things have not been terribly jolly in these parts.

Regardless, let's look on the bright side.

My aunt was not only a lovely senior citizen, but holy cow would you look at this toddler portrait? The cuteness. It is staggering.



The Peanut adores his "big gift" - a tool bench.



Even nights spent sick on the couch can be cozy with a terrier-shaped lap warmer and twinkling Christmas lights.



We are now almost, very nearly, better. So we can hopefully look forward to starting the new year with a bright new outlook.



Happy 2012!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

And I am digging it. Even if it means taking a half day of annual leave just to accomplish a trip to the damn post office (Tip: If you're going to ship something heavy, like, I don't know, a box of wine, not that you would because that's illegal, use the flat rate boxes so you don't spent $46 dollars (!!!!) on shipping. The nice lady at the post office may remind you of this but you won't want to unpack your illegal box of something-that-is-not-wine in front of her, so you will foolishly spend $46 rather than reveal your liquid secret (which only cost $20 to buy). Also, Merry Christmas to my brother. Here's hoping your gift makes it on base.).

Anywho, postal exploits aside, things are shaping up to be quite merry around here.We've already visited Santa - he flew in by helicopter to the College Park Aviation Museum. And my squirmy little toddler patiently waited in line for over an hour (so, that's like five days in toddler time) to see the Big Guy. But the Big Guy had candy and was seated a few feet from an elevator with buttons and chimes, so patience was indeed rewarded.








And our tree is up and decorated! Chris and I have a tradition of imbibing hot spiked drinks and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" while we trim the tree.








We also stopped by Zoo Lights at the National Zoo. The Peanut was not terribly impressed with all the pretty lights (I'll post some of those later), but he was enthralled by the miniature trains. They were decorated with an odd assortment of plastic figurines, including Homer & Marge toys, a slew of Sesame Street characters and My Little Ponies. It looked like two decades worth of Happy Meal toys were put to good use.



Also, in case you're wondering - my mounted police obsession continues, unabated.



Wait. That's not festive enough. How bout now?




Muuuuch better. Hope your days are merry and bright!

(But screw Christmases being white. I have no use for snow.)

New Year, New Sauerkraut.

I'll have you know that I composed this entry less than 24 hours before the Washington Post declared sauerkraut, yes - sauerkraut, in for 2011. Does that make me the Sylvia Browne of food trends? I don't know, but I have been predicting big things for whoopie pies for some time now. Take note.

I actually made this for Christmas Eve (what? You don't celebrate the birth of Christ with fermented cabbage?) where I learned from my Pennsylvanian sister-in-law that some folks in her home state believed it brought good luck if eaten on New Year’s Day. Sauerkraut with sausage and apples is a staple on my Granny Anny’s table during any meal in which turkey is involved and it’s nothing like the biting, pungent stuff slopped on ball park hot dogs. It’s salty, sweet and just a tad acidic.

Sauerkraut with Sausage and Apples

Ingredients:

• ½ package of Polska Kielbasa, sliced (the kind in the grocery store near the lunch meat will do)
• 1 apple, peeled and sliced (I use Fuji. Perfectly sweet and holds its shape well)
• 1 package Kosher sauerkraut (not that it will be Kosher for long. What with the sausage and all)
• ¾ c. apple cider
• 1 heaping tbs brown sugar
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. ­­Fry sausage in large skillet with apples until all are nicely browned and fragrant.
2. Rinse and drain sauerkraut in colander
3. Add drained kraut to apples and sausage. Add cider, sugar and liberally sprinkle of salt and pepper.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cider has reduced. About 20 minutes. At this point, taste and feel free to add more sugar, salt or pepper.
5. Serve immediately or transfer to a baking dish and heat through in oven before serving.

Festivus Cocktails

Care for a drink?

So, we decided to be a little swank and host a few friends for cocktails this past weekend. Although our bar was the main focus of the evening, I did get the opportunity to try a few new things in the kitchen. Somethings turned out fantastic, others were so-so. I made a pretty kickass punch and Costco meatballs were a hit as usual. Unfortunately, my first attempt at gougeres left a little to be desired and Splenda-fied cupcakes were sucktacular.

Do you love my garland? And the reflection of my tree? I think there's food in the photo somewhere.

The menu:

• Roasted corn and bacon gougeres. These were good but not quite as airy and puffy as I expected. They tasted like fluffy quiche filling.
• Caramelized onion and blue cheese squares (recipe below). Looked horrendous, but were great if you like blue cheese.
  
• Crab dip (recipe below). Not surprising for an MD party, the bowl was practically licked clean.
  
• Pita chips with hummus and red pepper spread
• Barbecue meatballs
  
• Crudite with a lemony herb dip
• Cheese plate (smoked gouda, brie and an interesting cheddar-like stuff with sun dried tomatoes, crackers, apple, figs, salami and prosciutto)
• Linzer cookies . Total pain in the ass recipe. I do not recommend making these if you are a normal human being with a normal level of patience, but they were pretty.
  
• Creme de menthe brownies (recipe below)
• Strawberry cupcakes with Splenda. Yuck. I won't even bother you with a recipe.

Same food, only a closer, grainier picture. Yeah, I'm still playing with my camera . . .

Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Squares

(Top and bottom tiers)

adapted from epicurious.com

Ingredients:

• 1 ball of pre-made pizza dough, left out at room temp for an hour or so
  
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large onions (about 2 pounds), halved, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (I used Roquefort)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface to shape of baking sheet. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray, smooth dough out on to it. Bake until not quite brown, about 10 minutes.
  
• While dough is in oven, begin to caramelize onions*. Melt butter and oil in skillet over high heat. Add onions, cooking until soft and beginning to brown. Add rosemary, sugar and salt. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking onions until completely browned, about 20 more minutes.
  
• Top dough with onions and sprinkle blue cheese over top. Bake in oven until cheese is good and melty, about 10 minutes

*To save time, you can caramelize the onions the night before, then just top dough and toss in oven before guests arrive.

Decadent Crab Dip
You would think that as a Maryland native, I would already have a crab dip recipe ingrained in my skull. However, I've actually been a little intimidated to make anything crabby. Here in MD, you are judged on your crab dip and crab cake skillz and that is a lot of pressure. Finally, I got up the courage to ask my fabulous Uncle Bill for his popular recipe. Turns out that it's so easy there's barely a "recipe" per se.

Note: I was a little scared of the canned crab but it was actually pretty good. Feel free to try with fresh crab if you'd rather.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 packages cream cheese
• 1 pound lump crab meat (I used Phillips in the black can)
  
• 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Old Bay seasoning
• 2 handfuls of shredded cheddar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
  
• Melt butter in skilled over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until translucent.
• Add cream cheese and stir until softened. Fold in crab.
  
• Add Worchestershire and Old Bay to taste. I probably used about a teaspoon of each.
  
• Toss in one handful of cheddar and combine.
  
• Transfer mixture to small baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar and sprinkle with Old Bay. Bake until bubbly. Serve with sliced baguette. Inhale.
  

*Ingredients can be heated and combined ahead of time, then baked right before guests arrive.


Creme de menthe brownies

Ingredients:

First layer:

• Brownie mix, prepared and baked according to directions.

Second layer:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons creme de menthe

Third layer:

• 6 oz (half a smallish bag) chocolate chips
  
• 6 tablespoons butter

First Layer: Bake brownies according to directions. Cool completely

Second Layer: Combine 1/2 c. butter, powdered sugar and creme de menthe. Beat well. Pour over the cake layer and chill until firm.

Third Layer: Melt together the chocolate chips and remaining butter. Pour over cooled second layer. Chill until the chocolate sets.

Cut into 1" squares (they're pretty rich).

Fa La La La La

La La La Laaaaaa! Happy holidays, everyone! We are so very, very full right now. This season we celebrated two Christmas meals with Chris's family and three with mine. Plus, we're hosting a little cocktail party (with snacks, of course) this weekend. And my gym is closed til January 2nd. Sheesh.

Well anyway, let's go ahead and have virtual seconds-- this was the Christmas night menu at our house:

-Salad (Romaine, Roquefort, pecans and fuji apples with balsamic vinaigrette)
-Duck breast with a port-cherry sauce (recipe below)
-Risotto
-Sweet potatoes roasted with sage
-Lemony haricot vert with shallots

-Rum cake
-Creme de menthe brownies

Duck Breast with Port-Cherry Sauce
Adapted from epicurious.com
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed, halved
• 1 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1/2 cup ruby Port
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
• 4 6-ounce duck breast halves

Directions:

• Combine first five ingredients in small sauce pan over medium high heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally until reduced and syrupy, about 20 minutes.
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. High heavy oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Score the skin of the duck breasts with a paring knife. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
  
• Sear breasts skin side down for several minutes, until skin is brown and crisp. Flip breasts over and sear for a minute or two. Remove skillet from stove and place in preheated oven. Cook until medium rare, about 10 minutes.
  
• Remove to cutting board and allow to rest. Taste cherry sauce and season with salt and pepper. Slice duck thinly on the diagonal and top with sauce.
  

More Giftable Sugar

I like making candies and goodies and whatnot, but I have a fear of anything that involves a candy thermometer. That's too much pressure. It means that if I'm off by one of two degrees -- ka plow!! Hot melted sugar explodes all over my kitchen and it's the end of society as we know it. Okay, maybe not. But I'm still intimidated by recipes that call for constant temperature monitoring. Soooo, for the past couple of years I have totally cheated and used Rachael Ray's Five Minute Fudge Wreath recipe to make yummy chocolate treats (and yes, that photo is atrocious). I branched out a bit this year and took my fudge making to the next level. A recipe that called for actual boiling of butter and sugar. I'm getting there . . . I'm getting there.

Cherry Almond Fudge
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds,
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Combine butter, evaporated milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a hard boil for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly.
  
• Remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Fold in the almonds and cherries. Add vanilla.
  
• Pour into an 8 by 8-inch square baking pan. Chill until firm, about 2 to 4 hours. Cut into 12 squares.

Sugar and Spice

For the holidays, these pecans are everything nice. They're a great snack and make easy edible gifts.

Spiced Pecans
Adapted from The Washington Post, December 2002

Ingredients:

• 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 pound (about 4 1/2 cups) pecan halves

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
  
• Combine sugars and spices in small bowl
• In a large bowl, beat egg white and salt with a fork until frothy. Toss in pecans until evenly coated.
• Add sugar mixture, toss pecans again until well coated.
  
• Spread evenly on baking sheet. Bake in oven 30-40 minutes, until crisp and dry, stirring occasionally. Cool and store.
  

Thanksgiving Pre-Game

Although my mom is technically hosting, I'm doing a ton of cooking for the holiday this week. In case you're interested, here is the menu we're having:

• Baked brie and water crackers
  
• Herb brined turkey with Riesling gravy
• Corn bread stuffing (with sausage and apples)
• Mashed potatoes
• Vegetables (to be determined, based on whatever looks good at the market)
• Cranberries in Pinot Noir
  
• Sweet potatoes with caramelized apples
• Fresh rolls
• Lemon ginger cheesecake
• Birthday cake (for Kenny! Happy Almost-1st Birthday!)
• Chocolate pecan squares

To get a jump on things over the weekend, I made the cheesecake and cranberry sauce, assembled the sweet potatoes and prepped the bread (baked cornbread, diced and dried it) for stuffing. I also prepped some layers of the cranberry chocolate torte I'm bringing to dinner on Wednesday night with Chris' family and made the chocolate pecan bars. Whew - that's already a lot of cooking!

If you're still looking for an excellent recipe for cranberry sauce or sweet potatoes, take a look below!