'Wrapping up' Christmas....

This has been a great week for reconnecting with family and friends. I have enjoyed the time spent with parents, in-laws, extended family, and friends. I am grateful that I recovered so quickly from being sick, and just in time for Christmas, too! We have traveled all over the area - DC, DE, PA...we head back from DC to TX on Thursday (New Year's Eve) in time to bring in the new year with friends. I look forward to a bit of peace and serenity once the holidays have passed. This has been the busiest season I have ever had with Thanksgiving (and those 11 pies!), London, being sick, and finally travel to DE/PA to visit family.

Resolutions...Do YOU have one???

The new year is nearly upon us. As with many of you, I am considering what, if anything, I will adopt as my New Year's resolution. I generally avoid making such committments since they are usually tossed aside by the end of January, but I think I may give in this year. My New Year's Resolution will involve working on my website - expanding it to evolve into something much more exciting. Writing has always been one of my passions, and food is an even bigger passion than writing. I look forward to sharing my love of all things food: recipes, restaurant reviews, history of food, nutrition, etc.

And to anyone out there who might actually be reading this: What is *your* New Year's Resolution???

I (had) lost that Christmas spirit...but it's back!

Well, it has been a rough week or so. After all of the hustle and bustle associated with Thanksgiving, London, and Christmas preparations my body finally gave in to it all and forced me to slow down. I am feeling much better as of this morning and have regained my Christmas cheer along with my health!!! I have baked no cookies, and my annual homemade eggnog had to fall by the wayside this year to allow for my body to heal...I am hopeful that I can make up for this before the season ends...

Goodbye, London...

This (self-proclaimed) London-girl is back in TX, lamenting the fact that she had to leave after such a seemingly short visit...

Truly I feel as if London is the place I belong. My eyes teared as the plane alit from Heathrow's runway to return us to Dallas, and I sadly watched the English countryside grow smaller as we traveled further and further away. The culture and buildings and people are so quaint...London is surely more beautiful at Christmas than even New York City. The city itself is cleaner and the people seem friendlier. I would move there in a heartbeat!

Our driver to and from Heathrow is a renouned Indian chef who has an extensive list of people for whom he has cooked, including, but not limited to, Princess Diana and other British royalty, much of the Hollywood crowd (ie Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, etal), and many mid-eastern royalty. He has even cooked for President Obama...I am not exactly sure why we were fortunate enough to have him drive us, but I certainly enjoyed my time with him. He has many stories to tell, and he did so during the entire drive to and from the airport. He has lived all over the world, and travels extensively.

More on London...

I have been having a *smashing* time here in London! I spent some time in Hyde Park on Wednesday wandering about their holiday 'Winter Wonderland'. I was not so far from Buckingham Palace, but decided not to walk the rest of the way there (I had seen it a couple of years ago after all...) and instead just took my time people-watching and scoping out the food stalls and rides. We had dinner at the Wolseley that night. It came highly recommended; however, I found the food to be quite traditional and ordinary. Please make no mistake, the food was fine, but it did not knock my socks off as did the food at some of the other places we have eaten. I would say the clientelle was generally an older crowd, perhaps many of whom were long-time customers.

Thursday was spent at Covent Garden. I took a tour of the Royal Opera House of London. It is generally filled with about 20 people; however, there were only 3 of us on the tour, so we had the place to ourselves...It is an impressive building. What the general audience sees of the stage and public areas is but a fraction of the actual building. They have an enormous area where they build the props for whatever show for which they are preparing. And they store the current sets assembled. Each set is on a separate 'grid' and they can move the floor to set up the stage without having to take apart/put together the sets for each show. This allows less wear and tear on the sets, as well as enabling them to put on multiple shows each week, sometimes even two different shows a day! After the tour I wandered about Covent Garden, enjoying the markets and outside performers while indulging in a hot cocoa. Lovely!

That night was the holiday party for my husband's office here in London. We gathered at a club called 'The Loop'. We did not have a formal sit-down meal, but rather a selection of heavy hors d'ouvres. The music was pulsating (translation: loud) and everyone seemed to have a good time. I rather enjoyed meeting everyone...it is a wonderful group of people.

Today my husband and I took the tube over to the London Bridge area and visited the Borough Market. It reminded me of Seattle's Pike Place Market, only with even more character and charm. Lots of meat, cheese, and fruit stalls; fresh poultry hanging about (yes, feathers, heads and all)as well as venison and rabbits and other meats - again, looking fresh from the kill...I savored a mulled wine as we meandered through. And today was a day for my brown hat and gloves!!! It was a bit chilly out. A sign at the Porter and Oyster bar advertising a 'beef, guiness and oyster pie' grabbed our attention, so we wandered in only to discover they had stopped serving hot foods until 6pm (it was 3pm)...so we promptly seated ourselves in a nearby pub (called The Tavern) to wait it out...and it was well worth the wait...The pie was brought out(basically a beef pot pie) with 2 raw oysters on the half shell sitting next to it. The waitress told me to break open the crust and pop in the oysters for a couple of minutes to cook them. I, of course, quickly obliged...the steam poured out as I pulled apart the crust, and those two succulent oysters dove in, eagerly I have to believe. What a treat!!! My husband had ordered a Meantime Stout which I also sipped on. It paired so well with the beef and oyster pie...Mmm, Mmmm...

"Ring, Ring"....why, I believe it's London Calling!

We arrived safely in London on Saturday and have spent the past several days wandering about and eating and pubbing. Last night we had our 'Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese' fix. We met up with another couple and enjoyed a smashing meal and hand pulled ales. The pate' and cheese plate (yes, it included Cheshire Cheese) were as delicious as I had remembered, and the lamb shanks were beautifully done. I followed up my meal with a lovely bread and butter pudding surrounded by warm custard. My husband had the spotted dick, also surrounded by the warm custard, and we each enjoyed a glass of port to finish off the meal.

Lunch earlier was spent at a cafe' we found near the hotel...my husband had the Croque Monsieur while I ordered the shephard's pie (made with lamb). Not bad, but also not fantastic enough to return...

Dinner on Sunday was quite memorable. Eight of us met up at the Harwood Arms. I'll admit, it was quite the trek to the other side of town (a decent 30 minutes) but well worth the journey. It is a charming pub with delicious food. The special was a loin of venison served with fried potatoes (not really french fry style, more whole peeled new potatoes) and a brussels sprouts/cauliflauer medley. This was perhaps the best venison I have ever eaten. It was beautifully done to a warm center, sliced and topped with small mushrooms. We had the poached salmon with horseradish sauce and minced apple to start off the meal, and they brought out a bread basket with a very tasty bread which I believe had oats in it, but I forgot to ask. Waiting for the cab outside the restaurant after the meal we spotted two red foxes wandering the local neighborhood - quite close in fact! It seemed a bit odd to see them meandering about the city streets, certainly not something one would expect to see in London...And the cab ended up taking awhile to pick us up, so we ended up back in the pub for another quick pint of a hand drawn ale (okay, the guys had the pint, I watched!)

Fruitcakes!!!

It is finally feeling and looking a lot like Christmas. This morning I awoke to the wonderful vision of snowflakes falling outside my window...IN TEXAS!!! No, it didn't stick, but I did manage to take a couple of pictures of the snow which had settled on the roof and shrubs. And then - POOF!! - it was gone, just like that! Oh, well! I was at least able to make the first fire of the season in our fireplace tonight...it crackles at my feet as I type. And I have a tradition of drinking a Manhattan with the first fire of the season, so I did that instead of roasting chestnuts on the open fire. One, I did not have chestnuts. Two, I did have bourbon and vermouth...

Last night I made 2 of my 3 batches of fruitcakes...tonight I will bake the final batch. Each recipe yields 12 small fruitcakes. I will let them dry out for a couple of days, and then I will 'marinate' them with a sugar syrup/bourbon/Grand Marnier mixture. It will take a good 3 weeks for them to 'cure' and then those babies are ready to eat!

I am a bit ahead of schedule this year with my decorating and Christmas shopping due to our upcoming London trip. This has been one of the busiest seasons I remember, but I have most of my tasks out of the way and can (hopefully)thoroughly enjoy London and the rest of the holiday season. I'll have to remember to do this again next year...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Well, not exactly yet, but hopefully by tomorrow's end the house will be well on its way to its holiday transformation. Christmas brings a new set of food festivities in our household. Fruitcakes start off the season in early December. They need to be made 3-4 weeks prior to handing out so they have time to 'cure'. My fruitcakes have a white cake base, which varies from the traditional dark cake base you might normally envision. I also do not use any glaceed fruit. Instead, I opt for a mix of high-quality dried fruits which I reconstitute in a sugar syrup (with lemon and orange juices added). Along with the fruit mixture, pecans, walnuts and almonds are folded into the batter just before baking. They are baked in mini loaf pans, then wrapped in cheesecloth to dry out for 2-3 days. Finally, I soak them in the sugar syrup mixture I used for the fruit, with a bit of Maker's Mark bourbon and Grand Marnier added to prolong the shelf life. ;) These babies are not passed around from year-to-year nor are they used as doorstops...and they pair extremely well with a ruby port. MmmMmmm!

Christmas caroling is another tradition in our neighborhood. A group of us gather sometime about a week before Christmas and wander the neighborhood gracing all with our lovely voices (I tried unsuccessfully to type that with a straight face!)...I bring a big batch of homemade eggnog for the adults - I even have a special pewter bowl and ladle for this occassion...and trust me, after a little eggnog we sound terrific! ***Please note: it is imperitive that all parties partake in the eggnog in order to appreciate how 'terrific' we all sound....

I am traveling to London in December with my husband and am especially looking forward to seeing the city during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. On our last visit there we dined at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese where we ate the best meal we had while in London. I hope we find a free night to relive the experience. Other than that I have not planned out any food adventures yet, but I am sure I will make the best of our travels.

Final Thanksgiving Thoughts

Pie Night was another success. For me this night has evolved into almost another holiday all on its own. It began innocently enough several years ago after we had a 'pie surplus' and decided to invite a couple of friends over to help resolve the 'situation'. It stayed smaller until last year, and then it just seemed to blossom!!! The best parts about Pie Night are the gathering of fabulous friends and family, the laughter, the stories, and of course, the pie. It is a wonderful way to wrap up Thanksgiving and really sums up what this holiday is all about. Thank you to all of our friends...we are truly fortunate to have you in our lives!

Thanksgiving Re-cap

What a fabulous day! I do believe I am done cooking for the rest of the weekend...I ended up with 11 pies: 2 each of cherry, pecan and pumpkin; 1 apple; 1 apple w/ brandied raisins; 1 chocolate; 1 banana cream; 1 coconut cream. I also have several mini meringue tarts, some with lemon curd, some with cranberry curd...I have not tried those yet. Dinner was phenomenal. I was up late last night with pie activities so I did not get as much meal prep done as I had planned. As a result I spent the entire day cooking, setting the table, making the centerpieces for the table, etc. But I loved every second of it, and it all turned out beautifully. The feast included both roast turkey and smoked turkey - the roast one was an organic 'Heidi's Hen' from Whole Foods, bread 'stuffing' (I didn't stuff the turkey, so technically it is dressing), mashed potatoes, bourbon sweet potatoes topped with pecans, green beans with almonds, brussels sprouts roasted with chestnuts and proscuitto, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potato rolls with dried cherries, and butterflake herb rolls. We served dinner with both a Cava and a Pinot Noir, and there was sparkling cider for the younger folks. We were so full from dinner that we didn't even have any pie until almost midnight...how crazy is that to have 11 pies and not dip into even one of them all day??? But dip into them we eventually did. My scale is relegated to the deepest corner of my closet for at least a week or so...no need to see the damage staring up at me!!! Well, I am exhausted...finally time for me to retire for the night, perhaps even the weekend. My body is full of the wonderful aches that come from spending all day and night in the kitchen. I am one lucky woman - and so very thankful for the family and friends in my life!

Final Pie Results...

The tally is in: 8 completed pies (2 each of apple, cherry, pecan and pumpkin); 1 half-finished chocolate pie; 1 banana cream pie yet to make; bite-sized meringues (lemon and cranberry) to assemble last minute. We also smoked a turkey breast, along with some scallops, habanero peppers and pecans. We had to do two rounds of pecans because the first batch somehow got burned...I now have a grocery run tomorrow for pecans to finish off my sweet potato dish for dinner. Not bad for a day's work, eh?

Pies and Turkeys and Smokers, oh my!

Ah, the day I have been anticipating for days, even weeks! Today is pie-baking day, as well as the day we smoke the turkey breast. (I have the image of the Dunkin' Donuts guy in my head, only he is saying 'Time to bake the pies!' instead of 'Time to make the donuts') This may be the last I see of my couch for the remainder of the day...my legs and back will be aching within hours, but a wonderful ache that will be! In a few short minutes I will head out to fire up the smoker. It is rather large and will take close to a solid hour to come up to temperature. My turkey breast went into the brine last night. I did a simple brine of salt and brown sugar (about 1/2 c Kosher salt, 1/4 c brown sugar and 1 1/2 gallons of water). Once the smoker is heating up I will take out the turkey breast, pat it dry and apply the rub...then into the smoker it goes!

Pies will follow. Last night I moved the crusts from the freezer to the fridge, which was cleaned out and ready to hold lots of pie. I made a lemon curd and cranberry curd last night to use for my mini meringue pies. I am experimenting to see if the meringue holds up better in bite-sized portions than it does in a full-sized pie. I will be using the mini phyllo dough shells to test...

Two days until Thanksgiving!!

Turkeys are in hand, perishables are bought, and flowers for my centerpiece are in water as I write...All of my pies crusts are made and ready to be rolled into delicious treats for my family and friends. Last night I made the cranberry sauce (my best batch ever if I do say so myself!) and made sure I had the wood for my smoker. I am using apple and maple woods this time around. Speaking of smoking, in addition to my turkey breast I will smoke the habanero peppers given to me last week by our friends, some pecans, scallops and possibly some shrimp. Some of our neighbors will help fill any leftover space (it is a large smoker) with salmon and another turkey breast. I have this idea that if I throw some cranberries and a couple of cinnamon sticks in there I could bring cranberry sauce up to new heights...I will let you know if and how that works! And tomorrow is my big baking day. I will rise early to get the smoker going, and then the pie-baking frenzy will begin!!! When I go to sleep tomorrow night I will be counting pies instead of sheep...is there a better way to end the day?

My son is home from college, and I know he is looking forward to a break from the dining hall food selections he has been presented with these past few months. His food requests include risotto and pumpkin soup. Of course he is most looking forward to all the pies after the Thanksgiving meal...he loves pie! Wednesday is pie-baking day...and also the day I smoke the turkey breast. The day will begin with getting the smoker going. It takes a little time for it to come up to temperature, but I can finish prepping the turkey while I wait. Once the turkey goes in the smoker my husband will monitor the temperature during the day, and I will jump into the pie-baking festivities! It is a day loaded with food prep - and lots of dishes!!!

Yesterday I wrapped up the majority of my grocery shopping. I will pick up the turkey and turkey breast on Tuesday along with any perishibles.

Butterflake Herb Rolls

Today I made 2 batches of Butterflake Herb Rolls. The recipe is essentially a Parker House Roll with an herb butter slathered on each one before folding. As per my mother-in-law I line 12 together in a loaf formation (butter spread between each roll) before baking. Each recipe yields 24 rolls (2 rows of 12). They are delicious...I don't prefer them to the Sweet Potato rolls I made yesterday; however, they can hold their own at the dinner table. I use the herb butter mixture from my MiL's recipe and a different Parker House roll recipe which uses butter rather than shortening. So now I have two types of bread to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, with plenty extra for leftovers the next day. I cannot wait!!!

Throw together meal...

Last night I did not feel like going to the grocery store, and I also did not have a whole lot going on in my fridge/pantry...I gave the last of the leftovers to my son, then took inventory of what I did have to make a complete and healthy meal. This is what I came up with: whole wheat penne pasta, frozen broccoli, raisins (organic), lemons, walnuts. So I cooked my penne pasta, then added the broccoli (which I had cooked while waiting for the pasta), raisins (which I added to the broccoli during the final seconds of cooking to plump), olive oil, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, walnuts (which I roasted on top of the stove, adding balsamic vinegar and salt at the end), and a grating of parmesan cheese to finish. If I do say so myself, the results were outstanding. I had 3/4 of a bottle of wine left in the fridge from the previous night's meal, so I poured myself a glass and feasted away on my new creation. It was quick, easy, healthy and inexpensive. Love that!!!

Update on rolls

I baked 3 batches of my sweet potato rolls with cherries and cardamom. The house still smells delicious with the faint traces of cardamom lingering throughout...I had a total of 48 rolls, but that number has decreased by around 1/2 a dozen! They better make it to the freezer quickly or there may not be any left for the Big Day. Actually, being the wonderful wife I am I will wait until my husband has had a chance to sample them and offer up an opinion before I relegate them to the depths of the freezer.

With respect to making the rolls, I did 2 batches in my Kitchen Aid mixer - the method I have always used. The third batch I tried in my new Cuisinart food processor. WOW! It was so easy to use and the dough turned out perfectly. I did not notice any difference between the two methods in the final product. I think I will be using my new Cuisinart a lot more than my old one. I especially love the fact that the flour doesn't 'poof' out when I use it. I made most of my pie dough in this as well, and again, the results were terrific. I will update on the results of my future uses...

Mmmmm, bread is rising!

I sit here on a brief break to update on the Turkey Day breads. I have made 3 batches of my Sweet Potato Rolls - a tried and true recipe I have used since 1996 when I saw it in the November Bon Appetit Magazine. As I sit they are going through their first rise. In about another hour I will punch down the dough and shape each batch into 16 crescent rolls. I can almost smell the aroma of the rolls baking, mingled with the dried cherries and cardomom wafting through my entire house...so heavenly!

Thanksgiving Breads...

November 18, 2009
Tomorrow I will make my sweet potato rolls (with dried cherries and cardamom), and perhaps even my mother-in-law’s Butterflake Herb rolls. Since I don’t use trans-fats, I have replaced the shortening in her recipe with real butter – but that is my only modification. Sometimes I include some sort of rosemary bread or rolls with my Thanksgiving meal, but I haven’t decided if I will do that this year. I also plan to measure out my dried fruits and nuts for my fruitcakes, which I would like to make next week so they have time to ‘cure'(a 3-4 week process). I soak them with the sugar syrup I use to plump the dried fruit and add Maker's Mark bourbon and Grand Marnier to balance the sweetness and provide a kick...After several weeks they are ready for distributing to friends and family. Believe me, these are not your ordinary fruitcakes! They have a white cake base and I use dried rather than glaceed fruits. The mixture includes apricots, blueberries, sour cherries, currants, and cranberries - all dried of course. I have had wonderful luck with the dried fruits at Whole Foods. My mouth is already watering!!!

Turkey Day Prep Work!

November 17, 2009
Yesterday was a great day. I made more of my pie crust dough for the freezer, I cubed bread for my stuffing – also in the freezer, and I even dried the habanero peppers Mike and Tanna gave me this weekend. I will smoke them on the day I smoke my turkey (the day before Thanksgiving and also my mom's birthday!). This weekend I was able to get most of the groceries I will need for Thanksgiving. I have my perishables yet to buy, and my turkey will be picked up the Tuesday before Turkey Day…but not a whole lot left to get. My tablecloth is washed and ready to spread on my table. Dishes are accounted for, and I will buy/arrange flowers et al for my centerpiece on Tuesday the 24th. So all in all I feel fairly ready for the big day. I look forward to our times with family and friends...and that is what it is really all about...

Part 2: Recreating lost entries

November 14, 2009
Recreating Blog Entries…Continued
My previous entries have been lost somewhere in Cyberworld…so I am trying to retrace my steps to document what I have done for Thanksgiving preparations and when…too bad I didn’t think to back up my previous entries.
On Friday, November 6th I ordered my turkey. This year I am trying an organic turkey from Whole Foods. I ordered a 14-16 pound hen and will most likely also buy a turkey breast to smoke. Last year I served three types of turkey: the traditional roasted turkey, a smoked turkey and a fried turkey (provided by a good friend). The fried turkey was tasty, but the smoked turkey was phenomenal! I did a southwestern rub on it and used mesquite and apple woods in my smoker. This year I am considering using Indian spices for my rub…I think the fusion with the apple wood smoke will pair nicely. However, I am still researching this and have not yet made up my mind. Knowing me I will wait until the day before and still modify at the last minute.
On Thursday November 12th I did some prep work for my pies – I mixed up my pastry flour and cubed butter for the freezer. On Friday I made 4 of the 10 pie crusts that I will need for Thanksgiving. I made 2 crusts for my apple pies and 2 crusts for my pumpkin pies. I had planned to have them made by the beginning of last week, but got side-tracked with my Christmas shopping. I used my new Cuisinart food processor…Wow! I bought the new 16 cup processor from Williams-Sonoma (yes, 16 cup…it is exclusive to W-S) and really wasn’t sure it would be that big of a difference. But it was. My flour didn’t ‘poof’ out of the top due to the new seal-tight system, and the locking blade made turning out the dough much easier when I didn’t have to worry about the blade falling out. I also made use of the extra bowls. It comes with the 16, 12 and 4 ½ cup bowls. I was able to use the small bowl to grind my gingersnaps and pecans for my pumpkin pie…every step I can get thru now will be that much less I have to do later!

Re-creating lost blog entries....

November 1, 2009

Goodbye Halloween, Hello November!

It is November 1st and our annual cul-de-sac Halloween gathering is behind us. We enjoyed the trick-or-treaters, the costumes and, most importantly, the company of neighbors and friends - complete with a fire pit this year! (Thanks Bill!!). It is now time to move on to Thansgiving preparations...Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday of the year...the emphasis is on family, friends and food. What could be better? There is no stressing about who I need to give gifts to and what the perfect gift is. It is all about giving thanks and appreciating one another. Food is my biggest life passion, and no other holiday allows me to express my genuine appreciation for my family and friends through food than Thanksgiving.

Having stated that I appreciate not having to stress about the gift-giving, I must clarify that Thanksgiving is not a stress-free holiday for me. But it is generally good stress. I am able to challenge myself, try new dishes, make more pies...ah, pies. Have I mentioned that I make multiple pies for Thanksgiving? It began with six pies the first year we hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Crazy, huh? Well, there is a story behind the madness - a madness, by the way, which resulted in TEN pies last year (yes, TEN)! The history in my husband's immediate family is that his mom has had a houseful at Thanksgiving since before I first began joining in the holiday festivities. She always has at least 10 pies, and last year I believe a record was set: fifteen pies! When I first began 'negotiating' with my husband to stay at our house for Thanksgiving (we live in TX, they are in the northeast) the bargaining chip was pies. He finally consented after I agreed I would make six pies to keep the tradition alive. By this point our sons had gotten used to a series of pies and would have been disappointed at the lack of such gluttony. Do we eat all of those pies ourselves? Not really. What has evolved to be known as 'Black Friday' to most has become 'Pie Day' among many of my friends. Those who join us for dinner on Thanksgiving partake of the pies after dinner, and the next day we pull out the leftovers and invite friends over to share the goodies.

And now it is that time of year once again. I will be planning the Big Meal, the number and types of pies to make, and eagerly awaiting my son's return from college. I am setting out to document the process I go through each year and welcome anyone who is interested to sit back and enjoy the ride! Bon Appetit!
Posted by the cleansed palate at 11/1/2009 8:25 PM | Add Comment



DAY 2 OF THANKSGIVING PREPARATIONS

There is not a whole lot going on today...I did buy a few staples that will keep until the Big Day...and I will continue to do so to spread the cost out over the month. I usually order my turkey on the first of November, but this year I am contemplating getting my turkey from Whole Foods. In the past I have ordered it from a local meat market. I like to support such specialty businesses when possible; however, I have been less than satisfied with their offerings recently. And the price is significantly higher...

The other 'complication' I have this year is I am headed to London with my husband the week after Thanksgiving, so in addition to planning the Big Meal I am trying to have my Christmas shopping finished and the house decorated before we leave. This also means I will need to have my annual fruitcakes made and in the process of 'marinating' before we leave for London.

Posted by the cleansed palate at 11/2/2009 8:13 PM | Add Comment

testing out the blog...