Post Christmas Dinner

I promised the readers of my weekly column in The Leaf Chronicle a copy of our menu for Christmas Dinner (which wasn’t prepared until the following Saturday).  I love having the menus of tried-and-true meals, served by real people, for my own use, so perhaps you will find some appeal in this menu.  If you have offered the same thing on your blog (or elsewhere) I hope you let me know—I’d love to check-it-out.

The menu:

Rosemary Prime Rib

Brussels Sprouts

Bourbon Carrots

Barley Casserole

Almond-Citrus Salad

Rosemary Prime Rib

6 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp crushed rosemary

2 tbsp olive oil

1 (7 lb) 4-rib prime rib roast, chine bone removed

1 c sour cream

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp prepared horseradish

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; rub over roast. Let roast stand at room temp for 30 mins.

Bake at 450 degrees for 45 mins on lower rack of oven.  Reduce temp to 350 degrees and bake 45 – 50 mins or until meat thermometer inserted into roast registers 145 degrees (medium rare) or 160 degrees 9medium).  let stand 20 minutes

Combine sour cream, lemon juice, and horseradish; serve with roast.

Southern Living 2003 annual recipes

(For the record, we prepared our roasts for 45 minutes in our oven, then moved them to the grill, which we had preheated to a medium heat.)

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

4 slices bacon, chopped into one-inch pieces

1 lb baby Brussels sprouts, thawed

1/2 c heavy cream

1 tbsp cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat, remove cooked bacon.

Cook sprouts in bacon drippings until they start to brown; add cream, salt and pepper.  Cover cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes; add lemon juice.  Top with cooked bacon just before serving.

This is actually a conglomeration of a few recipes—not sure where it originated.

Bourbon Carrots

3 c water

1 1/2 lbs baby carrots

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp bourbon

Bring water to boil, add carrots, sugar and salt.  Return to boil and cook 5 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter and brown sugar in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir in  carrots and cook stirring occasionally, 2 –3 mins or until well coated.  Add bourbon and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 more mins.

Southern Living 2003 annual recipes

Barley Casserole

1c barley

1/4 c butter

2 medium onions, chopped

4 ozs. mixed specialty mushrooms, chopped

4 c chicken broth

Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add barley and cook—stirring frequently—until barley is browned.  add chopped onions and mushrooms to sauce pan; cook until tender.  Transfer to a casserole dish, stir in chicken broth.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Charlene Saunders Thomas (my mom)

Almond-Citrus Salad

2/3 c vegetable oil

2 tsp grated grapefruit rind

1/2 c fresh grapefruit juice

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 grapefruit

2 oranges

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

3 c torn spinach

3 c torn leaf lettuce

3 c iceberg lettuce

1/2 c sliced celery

1/2 c chopped green bell pepper

1/4 c Sweet-and-Spicy Almonds

Combine oil, rind, juice and dressing mix in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

Peel and section grapefruit and oranges, and place in a large bowl.  add avocado and next five ingredients.

Add dressing, tossing to coat.  Sprinkle with Sweet-and-Spicy Almonds.

serves 8

Sweet-and-Spicy Almonds

1 c sliced almonds

1 T butter, melted

1 1/2 t sugar

1/4 t ground cumin

1/4 t chili powder

1/8 t dried crushed red pepper

pinch salt

Combine almonds and butter, stirring well.  Combine sugar and remaining 4 ingredients; sprinkle over almonds, tossing to coat.  Spread on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees  for15 minutes, stirring occasionally; cool.

(Make a double batch to use as an appetizer or hostess gift.)

Southern Living 1996 Annual Recipes

Camembert and Berries

While we were stationed in Germany—many, many years ago—I was introduced to camembert cheese on toast with preiselberen (kind of like mini cranberries).  The presentation at our then favorite gasthaus, Berg Wirt, was this:  two pieces of white bread, toasted and cut on the diagonal, served alongside a breaded and baked mini wheel of camembert with a dollop of preiselbeeren.  It was delicious and I ordered it e-v-e-r-y- time we went there.

Since then, I have prepared and enjoyed camembert and brie in a variety of fashions.  Heck, there are few things I enjoy as much a slice of good brie on a fresh Triscuit (Velveeta on white bread, anyone?), but I recently tried a recipe recommended by a friend and am in love!  (Thanks Amy!)

(This is the recipe I referenced in this post about a creative evening with friends and family.)

Your ingredients:

berries, I used blackberries, but this would work with just about any type of berry (2 cups)

agave nectar (2 T)

fresh rosemary (about 1 T, chopped—reserve some for garnish)

a small wheel of camembert (or brie)

a fresh baguette, sliced

butter

balsamic glaze*

Mix the berries, agave nectar and rosemary together—allow juices to extract from the berries while you prepare the baguette slices.

Spread each side with butter, then brown on a griddle.

Transfer baguette slices to a baking sheet, top with a slice of camembert and the berry mixture; place in oven set at 400°, until cheese is melting.  Transfer to serving platter, drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve!

This is now one of my “go to” favorites! 

*for the balsamic glaze:  mix 2 cups of balsamic vinegar with 1 cup of brown sugar in a small sauce pan, heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer mixture until reduced by (about) half—mixture should be thick and syrupy.  (Refrigerate the remainder and use on other stuff—hamburgers, vegies, whathaveyou!)

Thanks for your indulgence,

Summertime grilling

Not being a big fan of hot weather, there are a few things I do enjoy about the summer—not the least of which is grilling most of our meals.  In actuality, we are year ‘round grillers, but we truly step-up the game during the summer months.
Everything from chicken legs and hotdogs to beef filets and prime rib have been prepared on our grill.  I would like to expand my repertoire with regard to main dishes, but the accompanying dishes, as well. 
I’ve prepared the more obvious side dishes on the grill—corn on the cob, potatoes and vegies—but there are some many more opportunities to use the grill. 
I started thinking about this while I was preparing one of my family’s favorite appetizers last week—mango brie quesadillas (thank you, Stacy)—and committed to myself that I would start investigating the aisles at our local book store for grilling books.  (Yup—that means I’ll be buying yet another cookbook, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.  Don’t be a hater—it’s for my family for heaven’s sake.)

Truth is, as I typed that my mind went to Barefoot Contessa and Giada De Laurentiis cookbooks already in my collection.  They probably have a few recipes in there, but I am pretty sure Bobby Flay or another grilling expert would have it all neatly packed into one volume.  Again, this will require some exploration.
In the meantime, I wanted to share the recipe I came-up with the other night.  I had thawed some chicken breasts, but did not have a marinade planned.  Since I had the mango standing by for the quesadillas, I decided to use them in the marinade.  I actually buy mango in a jar—the kind packed in juice—because it is quick and easy to use for morning smoothies. 
Looking in the fridge and realizing we are heading out of town for a few days, I decided I needed to use the remnants of an open yogurt container.  A mango yogurt marinade started to formulate in my mind.  It’s loosely based on a recipe I got from my friend’s, Brooke’s, sister, Lynn. I usually use plain yogurt for marinades, but all we had was vanilla Greek yogurt—again, for smoothies.  Here’s how it played-out:
for six boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. of yogurt
1/2 cup of mango juice (from jar)
1 T fresh lime juice
garlic (I had to use powdered because I was flat-out of fresh—if was okay, but it’ll never happen again.  I used about 1 t, but will use 2-3 minced cloves when I make it again.)
chopped cilantro, about 3 T
2 t curry powder
3 T olive oil
I allowed it to marinade for about 1 hour, but will allow more time the next time I make it.  I grilled over medium-low heat.  don’t ask me how long—as I rarely do it the same way twice.

Do you have any favorite grilling recipes? Will you share them with me, please.  I enjoy cookbook recipes, prepared by people in restaurant-worthy kitchens, but the best ones come from real people in their real kitchens.
Thanks for your indulgence.

A Cool Find

The weekend we went to visit my cousin, Stacy, we did a little shopping at an antique mall.  While I was astounded by the selection of items, I was equally astounded by the prices (it was located in Decatur—an Atlanta suburb).  Wow!  I think I’ll stick closer to home for the bargains!

One item we were willing to drop some high dollar coin on, however, was this:

Any ideas?

Well, if you were able to identify the case, you probably going through a similar phase of life as we are:

“middle aged* with the ability to travel”

*with a 20-something’s mentality

It is a mini liquor cabinet in a travel case . . .

 

I was really proud of myself when I found a different case (albeit empty) in the same shop—was already toting it around, claiming it as my own, when Darren said he had found a better one. 

“Do you even know what it is?” said my smug-little-self.

 

He said he did and instructed me to follow him.  So follow, I did—passing numerous booths with interesting content in an effort to humor him. 

Of course, he had found this one--complete with four stainless cups, two stainless shot glasses, a stir-spoon and a horn-look, bakelite handle bottle opener.

 

What a find! 

 

All of this made and brought to you by:

 

Note the fancy, schmancy snap

Bakelite is tricky—looks like the real thing (horn) doesn’t it?

Our drink du jour . . . an Old Fashioned made with Rye Whiskey.  Oh, and thanks to my cousin, we’re now Maraschino cherry snobs . . . only Luxardo will do!

We actually didn’t use the Orange bitters—we used Angostura® bitters.

Here’s the recipe I followed and we all agreed was the best we had (taking a reflective bow as I type this) :

2 oz bourbon whiskey
2 dashes Angostura® bitters
1 splash water
1 tsp sugar
1 maraschino cherry
1 orange wedge

Mix sugar, water and angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back end of a spoon. Pour in bourbon, fill with ice cubes, and stir.

Read more: Old Fashioned recipe http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink407.html#ixzz2Musfda4c

(Mixer’s notes:  I actually used Rye Whiskey—the one in the pic above—and only one slice of a Clementine orange.)

Well, I hope you don’t think less of me for this post!  Rest assured we “drink responsibly;” it’s one of the many reasons we love living within walking distance of our favorite restaurants.

thanks for your indulgence.

“that cilantro tzatziki-like sauce”

I made this sauce last summer and since then, my husband has requested it regularly.  I cannot remember what I served the first time I prepared it, but it seems to go with everything!

We call it “that cilantro tzatziki-like sauce.”

It requires:

32 ozs of plain yogurt

1/3 – 1/2 of a bunch of cilantro, chopped

the juice of  1 - 2 limes (about 1/2 cup)

4 cloves of garlic—pressed

 

I use the leaves and stems of the cilantro.

The limes exceptionally juicy—I only used 1 1/2.

Make sure the garlic cloves are a good size—mine nearly filled the the receptacle side of the press.

Combine all with the yogurt.  I prefer to do this a day in advance, but have used it as soon as 2 hours after I prepared it.

 

Tonight I served ground beef  browned with onions.  I added salt, pepper, marjoram and rosemary, then a can of stewed tomatoes (chopped).  I served the beef mixture over brown rice, then we topped it with chopped tomatoes, feta, olives (not me—can’t stand them), cucumbers and that cilantro tzatziki-like sauce.

I hope you try it—then let me know how you serve it.

Thanks for your indulgence,

Time for thanks

was it just last week?  it seems like at least a month ago.
we gathered together—family and friends—to celebrate the national day of gratitude.
the menu was much the same as it always:   turkey, dressing and the rest, but this year we tried a few new recipes.  my favorite among the new dishes was the the cranberry relish.  it was a last minute recommendation from my mom—she had enjoyed it when our friend, sherry, prepared it last year.  a quick search on the epicurious website yielded the recipe we sought.  a few improvisations made it my new favorite.  I’ll share it below, but first a few shots of our dining room on the big day.







Okay, the recipe . . .
Cranberries in Bourbon

• 
  1 pound (about 4 cups) cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until cranberries are tender and sugar is dissolved, stirring once, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir in bourbon. Refrigerate cranberry sauce until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.) Transfer to bowl and serve.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEYh53B
my changes:
I used two packages of cranberries (didn’t measure); 1 cup sugar and one cup of light brown sugar; the cinnamon and I added about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, fresh ginger root to the roasting process. 
it was delicious!
the other change this year was that I prepared the turkey using a brining method.  I am sold!  we always smoke our turkey—as we did this year—and I love it prepared this way.  the additional step of brining made the turkey even more moist and tender—if that is possible.  the brining ingredients are simple, but there are a lot of them—so I made it simple by using a prepared jar of brining spice I purchased at our local culinary shop, Ingredients.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEQc0Ue
Thanks for your indulgence,

a romantic notion to do some baking . . .

About two weeks ago a few new books arrived at Hodgepodge, the one I was looking forward to the most . . . The Romantic Prairie Cookbook.  I immediately dropped my copy into my basket, fully intending to read through it that night.

Well, the reality is I am still reading through it, but I really like what I see so far.  The premise of this collection of recipes is a reflection of the prairie way of life.  Author, Fifi O’Neill has compiled recipes from the kitchens of those who value environmental harmony, as well as their family heritage. 

I don’t have my own garden, nor am I as dedicated to organic gardening as I should be, but this book—it’s delightful content of recipes, stories and photos—is sure to motivate me to do better. 

Often I wait for a special occasion to try new recipes.  Yesterday, I decided a Labor Day was enough of an occasion and I wanted to make something from The Romantic Prairie Cookbook.  I then commenced to cajoling my eldest daughter into spending time with me on my day off.  She agreed and came over to help me in the kitchen.

The recipe we chose was blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake.  It was very easy to make—the instructions were clear, the ingredients uncomplicated and readily available.  We decided to make half-a-dozen of the mini bundt cakes and we poured the remainder into a loaf pan.

When all was said and done, we learned that is is easy to overfill those mini bundt cakes and fresh blueberries make a better presentation than frozen, but the cakes were tasty and I will make them again.

There are more than 100 recipes packed into this beautiful book and I look forward to preparing many of the recipes I’ve already marked to try.  I will try to remember to let you know about my favorites.

One thing is for certain, this book will always have a place in my cookbook collection, just as Romantic Prairie Style has become one of my go-to books for home décor inspiration.

thanks for your indulgence,

Cinco de Mayo Salsa

It’s Cinco de Mayo and I’ve decided that my contribution will be to share my favorite salsa recipe with my readers.  It’s super easy and very tasty.  It’s adapted from a recipe my friend, Bellamy shared with me years ago when we were living in Georgia.
So here’s what you need:

3 cans of Mexican Recipe Stewed tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 small red onion
pickled jalapeños, to taste
sea salt, to taste
Step 1
Dump one can of tomatoes into your food processor or blender, along with the leafy ends (stems and all) of your cilantro
. 
Pulse until it looks like this:
Step 2
Empty first batch from the food processor into a mixing bowl.
Dump the second can of tomatoes into the food processor, along with the onion.  I usually quarter my onion before throwing it in.  Pulse until it is the same consistency as above, then add to the mixing bowl.


Step 3
Dump the last can of tomatoes into the food processor, along with a couple tablespoons of jalapeños.*  Pulse the food processor, then add to mixing bowl. 

* for a spicy salsa, add more jalapeños or some of the pickling juice; I also prefer fresh jalapeños (cored and seeded), but the pickled ones are usually on hand when I decide to make salsa.
Add salt to taste, but I usually don’t add any, as our favorite chips are pretty salty.

I hope you enjoy!  I know my family does.

Now, I think I’ll go paint something using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint^TM Barcelona Orange—I feel like painting with a bright color today!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

(My Leaf Chronicle article for Nov 20th)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. One thing I’ve noticed as I get older, a survey of my peers results in the same opinion. Most of us prefer Thanksgiving over Christmas. Further, most of site the same or similar reasons—less hubbub! Not so much to do to prepare for it—just fix some dinner and invite the family and friends over. It’s almost like any other Sunday for many of us—just more food.

Some of us travel. Well, that’s an understatement, being that it’s the most traveled holiday, but as I am retailer, I gave up even the thought of traveling on Thanksgiving! I don’t have those crazy 3 A.M. sales at Hodgepodge, but it’s a busy weekend anyway, so I can’t imagine being away.

So, for the past nine years, Thanksgiving has been at the King Kompound and that makes me VERY happy. My sister, Kendall, and her family are always part of the day and for that I am grateful. Between the two of us, we whip-up some rather tasty dishes that generally leave us quite satisfied.

Every year we try to think of some new dishes to prepare, but we’re hesitant to give up the tried and true recipes that we all enjoy. So, we usually make them all! This has really become a problem, because we just keep adding to an already large menu. Desserts alone are numbering close to the double digits!

One year I ventured on the wild side and made a dish using baby Brussels sprouts. They were amazing—even my youngest went back for seconds. The problem is I have less-than-no idea where that recipe went. I have tried replicating it—with acclaims and adoration pouring forth from Kendall who happily attests, to those being subjected to my experiments, that the original recipe was truly delicious. It’s very frustrating.

Tonight I will sit down with my cookbooks. I’m going to find a new vegetable recipe—one that doesn’t involve Brussels sprouts, but I do want it to be unusual. I’d also like a different green salad recipe. I’m looking forward to perusing my extensive cookbook collection for something mouthwatering.

I also need to do a little preparation for our table setting. I think I’ve written about the fact that I use a painter’s drop cloth canvas for our tablecloth before, but this year I want to make it fitted. I hope to find the time to cut it apart and create the tablecloth I’ve always intended it to be. If it doesn’t get done for Thanksgiving—it will get done for Christmas—even if I have to pay someone to do it for me!

As I think about my plans for my table setting this year, I decided to look back at pictures from years past (Yes, I take pictures of my table settings—when I remember—they come in handy for blogs and newspaper articles.). I really did like the table last year. I used a primitive three-tiered display, loaded down with gourds, pumpkins and Indian corn, as my centerpiece. As mentioned last week, a length of burlap served as the topper on my drop cloth.

I have to say—this was one of my favorite settings. And, true to the nonsense I spew at luncheons and other meetings I’m asked to attend as the speaker, I used the same basic setting for Christmas. I only changed the centerpiece.

(Of course, true to my form of these past few months, I failed to take any pictures of this year’s table.  The place settings were almost identical, but my centerpiece was simple.  I just used my twelve hole sugar mold with my artichoke votives.)

I’d love to hear about some of you Thanksgiving traditions, trials and tribulations.

Thanks for your indulgence,

Seasonal Eats

My article for the Leaf Chronicle, originally published on Sep 25th—getting caught-up again!

I know I’ve been going on and on about how much I enjoy this time of year—the changes that take place are wonderful. For one thing, I feel as though I’ve got more energy; perhaps it’s the cool morning walks. But I don’t think it is just me. I’ve noticed it in others as well—smiles come easier and folks will stop and chat, without diving for an air conditioned space.

One thing I look forward to the most is the change in our menu planning. The kids have come to accept the fact that there are certain foods I will not prepare during the summer. For instance, I will not make spaetzle, chicken divan or lasagna until the temperatures cool down.

 

Beef Bourguignon became a new required fall recipe last year.

(I had a short-lived recipe affair with Julia Child last year; “short” only because of time limitations.) I’m gearing-up for my first batch of the season. Also in waiting are the recipes for chili, wedding soup and gumbo.

Do you do this, too? Do you have seasonal recipes?

I hope so, mainly because I can’t really justify my reasons and it would be nice to know that I’m not alone in my seasonal menu edicts. It’s not as if I have to hang-out over a wood burning stove without the benefit of a/c. It’s not because I don’t eat these foods during the summer—Jane Burney’s Chicken Divan and soups are some of my favorite meals—year ‘round. In fact, I eat soup all summer long. Perhaps it is the “comfort food” status of most of these dishes; the fact that, in and of themselves, they imply cooler temperatures and cozy kitchens. Whatever the reason, I know my kids are looking forward to a change in the dinner menu offerings at the King Kompound.

I guess I could loosen-up a little and now that I think about it, I did fix gumbo twice this summer!

I’ve also found that with the change of season, I am itching to do some entertaining. It is difficult to squeeze in some time with family and friends, though. Darren’s new work schedule doesn’t have him home very many hours and we tend to fill-up our dance cards well in advance! I will have to put some thought into it, but we can probably get something on the schedule.

I’m looking forward to sitting outside, talking with friends (without “glistening”), bonfires and charades by firelight.

Do you have fall rituals? Are you a football tailgater? Perhaps you like to drive through the beautiful Smoky Mountains to take in the changing foliage. I hope you’ll take a minute to share some of your favorite fall customs with me.

Thanks for your indulgence,