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Christmas dinner 2012

December 29, 2012 by Mary Frances 15 Comments

I wish I could have shared this with you before Christmas, just like they do in the magazines. I hope now this may guide you and be helpful for New Year’s Eve or a New Year’s Day dinner party.

A big holiday like this requires a big presentation. Last year, I made a whole beef tenderloin. This year I did a crown roast of pork. Too big really for our party of eight, but I do have some big eaters, and one of my sons and one guest had four chops each! And then the leftovers were divine. I think I’ve already mentioned that I really enjoy and truly taste the nuances of a huge meal like this the next day, as leftovers. The busyness of working to get it all right, the timing and making sure each guest is happy, preoccupies me during the main meal. However, even I could tell, this was darn good!! Impressive and beautiful to boot!

But truly, the best part about a big celebration like this is that my whole family pitches in and we work together to pull it off. They helped to set up the bar area, chop herbs and clean vegetables and yes, even helped with the clean up in a major way. Our last guests left a little after midnight. Then all four of us worked to clean up and then we stayed up talking until 3 am! For my husband and me, spending time like this with our boys is the most precious of all.

One of our guests at our Passover celebration evened remarked about how well we all worked together as a family, to get the dinner on the table and make our guests feel comfortable. I feel proud that our boys have learned to entertain and that they enjoy sharing their love of good food. Serving and sharing love and food makes everyone happy – what could be better?

Here’s my whole menu:

– Straight up martinis with great olives for many of us at cocktail hour
– Homemade cheddar cheese straws – finally I found a stellar recipe for these from The New York Times – make ahead and they will keep for a while – recipe to come
– Texas smoked salmon tartare on blue corn chips
– Warm artichoke dip with red pepper, celery, fennel strips and crostini crackers
– Bowls of mixed olives, toasted corn nuts and lightly salted cashews

THE DINNER:
– Roasted butternut squash soup with bourbon, served with homemade Polish bread
– Crown roast of pork with fennel, sage, garlic and lemon
– Italian beans – the best – recipe to come!
– Sautéed apples in a little butter with cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of lemon
– Roasted asparagus with olive oil and lemon zest

– Homemade Christmas cookies – all recipes are here on the blog plus special bakery cookies
– Fantastic coffee from our older son

I’m noticing here that it might seem as though I had a lot of lemon going on, but the meal did not taste that way at all. Everything worked together beautifully and was delicious!!
CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH FENNEL, LEMON AND GARLIC – adapted from Melissa Clark and The New York Times
– serves 12 – 16

2 heaping tsp. fennel seeds
Rosemary leaves from 4 – 5 bushy sprigs
7 – 8 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves and tender sprigs
Lemon peel strips from 1 lemon – thinly peel the lemon with a vegetable peeler
2 tsp. fennel pollen (optional)
1 heaping tbs. plus 1 pinch coarse kosher salt
1 heaping tsp. cracked black pepper
7 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 crown roast of pork (18 ribs)
4 large onions, peeled and sliced into ¼” slices

In small skillet, toast fennel seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Place toasted fennel seeds, rosemary, garlic, sage, lemon peel, fennel pollen (if using) and all of the salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse processor to chop everything up, then add olive oil slowly, and blend until the mixture becomes a paste, scraping down sides occasionally with a rubber spatula.

Wipe pork very dry with paper towels, then smear the herb paste all over the meat, making sure to coat the middle and the crevices on the sides of the chops.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let marinate for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Bring the meat to room temperature for at least 1.5 hours before roasting.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Put a thin film of olive oil in the bottom of your roasting pan and spread it around with your fingers. Place onion slices down to form a rack for your roast. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top of the onions and salt and pepper them. Place your roast on top and roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn heat down to 350 and continue roasting until meat registers 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer. Let rest 20 minutes before carving.
Starting at eight o’clock we enjoyed Cognac sugarplums, pecan crisps, Hello Dolly squares, cut-out sugar cookies, date bars and special bakery cookies that a guest brought. With a great cup of joe, this is a very nice way to end a big meal.

Broccoli and shiitake mushrooms

December 24, 2012 by Mary Frances 14 Comments

The countdown is here! Christmas is tomorrow. I made this fantastic side dish for dinner last night that was so rich and flavorful, definitely worthy of a holiday dinner, yet so simple. I know you’re all ready for tomorrow but the season is a week long, so try this out.

It’s a new way of preparing and cooking broccoli for me. You get to enjoy the tasty stems as well, in a coin-like shape. The sautéed broccoli combined with the full, rich, complex flavors of the mushrooms – it’s divine. Prepared in butter and olive oil, all you need additionally is salt, pepper and LOVE. Enjoy! Happy holidays!!

SAUTEED BROCCOLI WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
– serves 4 – 6

2 tbs. unsalted butter
1 tbs. olive oil
15 – 20 large shiitake mushrooms, wipe caps clean with a damp paper towel, trim off ends of stems, then remove stems completely and chop fine, slice caps into 3 or 4 sections
1 large head of broccoli, trim and peel stems with a vegetable peeler, slice into 1/4 -1/2” rounds, cut tops into small flowerettes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Put butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. The butter will sizzle. As soon as the foam begins to subside, add the broccoli and mushrooms, spreading them out evenly over the bottom of the pan and then do not touch the pan for 3 minutes. Then toss, shake, cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender or done to your desired liking. This should take 3 – 6 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

The paczki recipe

December 21, 2012 by Mary Frances 16 Comments

Many of you have asked for the paczki recipe. Now you’ll see what a labor of LOVE it is. These would sure taste great on Christmas morning! The dough is similar to the Polish bread I make for Christmas breakfast. (Agata makes that too.) She was so sweet to take the time to share this recipe, as she is in graduate school, cramming on final papers now.
So a big THANK YOU to Agata!!!

PACZKI (pronounced poonchki)

-2 packs of dry yeast (it’s like 14 grams…I hope I am right, the conversions were annoying. But yes, I used those two small packs you left me in the fridge)
—> put it into a bowl, add a tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of flour and add a bit of warm (important! not cold, not hot) milk. Let’s say, half a cup.

Let it sit to rise a bit. (30 min?)

Then add 8 yokes, 6-7 tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 cup of warm milk again and the tricky part – flour. I don’t have an exact measurement because I always judge for myself if the dough needs more flour. Let’s say, it is important to add gradually and see how the dough looks like. Somewhere between 4 and 5 cups. I also melt 3.5 ounces (almost an entire stick) of butter. I add it when it’s warm, not too hot but again, cannot be cold. And then I use my hands to knead the dough. In case the dough is too watery and sticky – it needs more flour, and if it’s too heavy, it means that there is too much flour but it can be fixed by melting and adding the rest (0.5 oz) of the butter.

Then I let it sit again, wait until rises high (could be up to 2 hours even) and form small doughnuts (it is important to remember that they will puff up when they are waiting to be fried and then when they are fried. So if somebody wants them small, they should be made pretty tiny to begin with).

And then we need, I think, half of the bottle of corn oil, heat it up in a pot. In order to check it if it is hot enough and if we can fry the doughnuts, we can throw in a tiny little piece of dough. When it sizzles – we can start frying them. We fry one side and then turn it. They should not be too dark but also not too light. In order to figure out the right timing, it helps to cut open the first ones up to see if they are done.

When they are done – we put them on a plate lined with paper towel. At the end, we mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and turn the doughnuts in it.

Holiday cookies

December 15, 2012 by Mary Frances 15 Comments

I am all about living in and enjoying the NOW. And now is the time to make holiday cookies. If you’ve been reading this blog from last year (thank you very much) you will know that there are five cookie recipes that I make every year.

When you do something like this, you’re making memories. Memories during the time you’re making them, to who stopped by for more or hoped some would be left at Eastertime (who are they kidding?), or notes we received after giving some as gifts. This is what life’s all about, isn’t it? Create the great times, which in turn create the memories.

This weekend we have guests, our dear friends Carl and Roger, and I’m hoping to enlist them in rolling cognac balls in sugar and helping with the Hello Dolly Squares. (I know, such a silly name!)

I hope you make some memories this weekend too!

Hello Dolly Squares

chocolate, pecan and cognac balls that are great holiday cookies

Cognac Sugarplums

Kale!

December 14, 2012 by Mary Frances 12 Comments

‘Tis the season for the dark curly greens. You will see it on many a platter as a garnish.

I love kale.

My husband hates it.

For several weeks now, I have been wanting to recreate this salad I had some years ago. I bought kale last week to do it, kept putting it off and then Zachary came home with his girlfriend and used it up for a dinner with some pasta. My husband was safe for a week.

I bought it again this past Saturday. A beautiful full bunch of young looking leaves. Those are the best – tender and delicious.

I bargained with him. I would make his favorite chicken breast recipe, with a fantastic new twist, adding blueberries and shallots, if I could make my kale salad. Of course I added extra doses of LOVE while I was cooking this meal.

Well, he LOVED it!! He even had thirds. We ate the whole thing!

Here’s the recipe:
KALE SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES, PINE NUTS AND PARMESAN
– serves 2 – 3

One large bunch of kale, washed well, spun dry, stems removed and very, very thinly sliced (slicing it thin, like a chiffonade, is very important)
One handful of dried cranberries, or more to taste
3 – 4 tbs. of toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup hot olive oil
1/2 cup or more of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toast the pine nuts in a baking pan for 3 – 6 minutes until lightly browned. Toss together the kale, cranberries and pine nuts in a large bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a small pan until very hot and nearly smoking. Carefully pour the oil evenly over the kale. Listen to the sizzle as you are nearly frying the leaves. Distribute the parmesan onto the salad, add salt and pepper to taste. Toss thoroughly. Serve right away.

You will LOVE this, I guarantee!This salad is perfect for this time of year. Just look at the colors, so festive for the holidays with the luscious green and red. A great clean and healthy dish to have in the midst of all the holiday richness!

kale salad with sauteed chicken breast in white wine, shallots and blueberries

Our dinner – with sauteed chicken breasts in white wine, shallots and blueberries

Paczki!

December 5, 2012 by Mary Frances 18 Comments

I know, you’re saying what the heck is that? And how do you even say it?

Phonetically, it’s sort of like “poonchki.” It’s Polish for a sweet treat similar to doughnut holes. My mother used to make them, particularly on Shrove Tuesday, before Lent begins. I have not had them in probably 30 years.

Agata, Zach’s girlfriend, is from Poland and she wanted to make them for me as a birthday gift. Her recipe was so light, light, light and DELICIOUS!!!

When my mother made them, I don’t think she used a yeast based dough, whereas Agata did and let the dough rise twice. Rolled in cinnamon and sugar, they were heavenly!
Agata proudly displaying her delicious paczki!!

Christopher!

November 30, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

Christopher Columbus.

Oh you are larger than life.

Literally! Actually!

Tatzu Nishi Discovering Columbus exhibition

Chris, my husband and me!

We had a field trip for our office on Wednesday morning and went to see the experiential art exhibit of Tatzu Nishi, who built this installation around the statue of Christopher Columbus, in the busy intersection of Columbus Circle at the foot of Central Park, here in NYC. The statue stands more than 75 ft. tall on top of a column and you climb six flights of stairs to arrive at a living room surrounding this 120 year old sculpture.

It is way cool!

What you see when you enter – on the coffee table!

It is imposing and magnificent! It’s all about scale. How grand it is to see this masterpiece up close as never before could you do that. And once this installation is taken down after Sunday, I will never look up at that statue the same way ever again.

Discovering Columbus exhibit by Tatzu Nishi

The view looking East when leaving the exhibit

Leftovers

November 28, 2012 by Mary Frances 3 Comments

Ours are all gone now and yours should be too! They sadly do not last long, particularly with a really fresh bird.

Meet the gobbler – a favorite of our older son’s – on the day after Thanksgiving, which is actually my favorite time to eat everything. I don’t know about you but by the time I sit down to eat the actual dinner, I have been concerned with so many things, I don’t really enjoy it to the fullest or taste it, until the next day.

I like to have the whole dinner again, in much smaller portions, with a half of a turkey sandwich on my homemade bread, with some mayonnaise. Our oldest, however, likes the whole meal (minus the Brussels sprouts) on one huge sandwich – what he calls the gobbler. He got the idea for this sandwich from the Millburn Deli in NJ, although he said he uses much less mayonnaise because my turkey is never dry (yay!) and added the gravy and sweet potatoes. You can see here the turkey, dressing, gravy, sweet potato, and cranberry sauce. It’s a good thing he can open his mouth this wide!

I just had to share.

How’d it work out?

November 25, 2012 by Mary Frances 13 Comments

Thanksgiving roasted turkey. So how was your Thanksgiving? Ours was fantastic! My family said our dinner was the best ever. But then they seem to say that every year I cook, so I guess I keep on improving? But truly, they’re still giving me compliments today so I guess it was really, really good!

I was particularly pleased this year with our appetizers. They were different and just the right touch, pre-feast. I made two recipes from Food and Wine magazine. One was for Texas smoked salmon tartare and grilled pancetta-wrapped mushrooms along with my artichoke dip. You can make the smoked salmon tartare and the artichoke dip the day before. I also had help. Agata made all of the mushrooms while I assembled the tartare on the chips with a cilantro leaf each. It was easy!

Texas smoked salmon tartare on blue corn chips

-Pancetta-wrapped grilled mushrooms

My butternut squash soup was the best ever, I’m told. See this quick pic of the kids licking their bowls – seriously I did not ask them to do this for a photo op! This soup is based on David Waltuck’s recipe of Chanterelle fame, except that I have made my own revisions. One important one is that instead of cooking the squash by simmering it in the chicken broth, I oven roasted it at 425 degrees and then scooped it out of the skin to add to the broth and onions. Much tastier and you skip that difficult-to-peel step that makes your hands all wrinkly. Three kids licking their soup bowls clean

Oven-roasting butternut squash and sugar pumpkins

Oven-roasting squash and pumpkin

Pumpkin puree draining

I also made two pies this year. One pecan and one pumpkin, from a fresh sugar pumpkin I roasted with the squash and then let it drain for several hours through four layers of cheesecloth. You need to do that to get all the water out and get to the true pumpkin flavor. The pie was so light and yummy!! Definitely give that a try.

Pumpkin pie with fresh roasted pumpkin and pecan garnish

– Super light pumpkin pie

The best Southern pecan pie from Mary Frances.

My pecan pie – Mrs. Fowler’s recipe

I hope you enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving, full of good family times, providing you with sweet memories to last the year through.

Three pumpkins at nightime - the end of Thanksgiving.

The end to a lovely day.

True confessions on a perfect side dish

November 21, 2012 by Mary Frances 4 Comments

I have a confession to make. I saw this recipe about two weeks ago when Caitlin, our wonderful project manager, and I, were noodling around Food 52, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs’ new food blog. Actually the blog is just new to us. Well, we came upon this recipe and I said, “Brussels sprouts with fish sauce!! That sounds gross.” Caitlin agreed.

Well, I don’t know, the recipe stuck in my head, maybe because it sounded so weird. Fish sauce is only anchovies in a liquid of water, sugar and salt, and I love anchovies. So I went back to it a few days later, read the whole thing for the first time and thought, you know, this could be very good. All the Momofuku restaurants are fantastic, always showcasing unusual combinations. I have never eaten at any of them but my older son has been at the noodle bar several times and would often bring me home desserts to taste. So one night, I decided to give this Brussels sprouts recipe a whirl.

It was delicious!! And unusual. And perfect for a Thanksgiving dinner side dish. The vinaigrette makes it light and refreshing instead of an additional heavy dish with the typical bacon or chestnuts. And, you don’t even have to serve this hot – it can be at room temperature – perfect for all the commotion that accompanies a Thanksgiving day feast. I think it’s the perfect side dish. It is going to grace my table on Thursday and I hope you’ll try it too!
Photo by James Ransom

MOMOFUKU’S ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH FISH SAUCE VINAIGRETTE – FROM FOOD 52
-serves 6 as a side

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
2 tablespoons very thinly sliced cilantro stems, plus 1/2 cup leaves
3 tablespoons chopped mint
2 pounds Brussels sprouts (smaller ones are better)

Combine the vinaigrette (below), cilantro stems, and mint in a bowl, and set aside.

Peel away any loose or discolored outer leaves, trim the dry end of the stems with a knife, and cut the sprouts in half. Cut any especially large ones in quarters. Wash and dry very well.

To roast the Brussels sprouts, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or just enough to evenly coat the bottom of the pan) in 2 oven-safe wide skillets (12 to 14 inches) over medium heat. When the oil slides easily from side to side of the pan, add the Brussels sprouts cut-side down. When the cut faces of the sprouts begin to brown, transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking, about 15 minutes. The sprouts are ready when they are tender but not soft, with a nice, dark brown color.

Serve warm or at room temperature. When ready to serve, place the Brussels sprouts in one big bowl, top with the dressing to taste and cilantro leaves, and toss once or twice to coat.

FISH SAUCE VINAIGRETTE
1/2 cup fish sauce (adjust to taste — some fish sauce brands are saltier)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 to 3 red bird’s-eye chiles, thinly sliced, seeds intact (or substitute dried red chili pepper flakes to taste)

Combine the fish sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chiles in a jar. Cover and shake. Taste; if too salty, add more water and/or lime juice. This vinaigrette will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.