Just A Simple Bowl Of Soup

The week between Christmas and New Year's is always full of rich  treats and party foods. This can be fun for the palate but havoc on the stomach. It's best to take a break from all this and go for a simple bowl of soup - or even better broth.Have a day or two of just eating simple foods - nothing fancy . Think a hot bowl or mug with crackers- nothing else.

One of the  most detoxifying meals is a simple, clear broth. Nothing beats either a homemade or a bouillon cubed one. If you have leftover turkey you can easily make a broth out of it. The carcass does need to be cut up and cooked with celery , carrots and onion, typical stock ingredients. Home chefs can also do this with leftover chicken too. Serve as a light supper with Saltines or oyster crackers. You can make a light soup too, using whatever meat is still on the bone, more carrots, onions and celery.  Add rice or noodles for more substance. More oomph can be added with a cup of barley or orzo.Another good plain soup is pasta fagioli, . This is a bean soup, originating in Naples, Italy .It is chicken broth with the addition of tomatoes and sauce. Spinach is added for nutrients and flavor along with celery and onions. The recipe calls for red pepper flakes but if you want a tamer soup, then nix them. White cannellini beans are also added for protein and more flavor.This is a great recipe to make for New Year's Day, after a night of rich feasting.

A simple soup can be hearty as well.Chowders are always a welcome change .Most are vegetable or seafood, usually thickened up with cream or for a more basic fare, milk. One of the most famous is Manhattan clam which is a light meal in itself. It starts off with a tomato based broth  along with the addition of clams and their broth. You can get fresh clams right now but canned ones will also do.Add in potatoes and carrots along with garlic and more tomatoes. Spicing is everything with the Manhattan version so make sure you have plenty of thyme, clove and celery seed. You can also make the original New England version which is truer to the original chowder recipe of the  late 1700's and early 1800s. This requires bacon, milk or cream (preferably milk) along with bottled clam juice and chopped razor clams. You can add Worcester sauce  for some zing. A milder version is corn chowder which subs in kernels for clams. This is filling without being heavy and it's a perfect supper for these between holiday meals.

Treat your palate and stomach to a light supper of soup. A bowl is a nice change from the usual wild and heavy holiday fare. Have some for a  tasty yet soothing respite .

Boxing Day Treats

Today is Boxing Day in the United Kingdom and it's a way to continue on with the Christmas festivities. How better to celebrate with one of England's best recipes, the sausage roll.It's a fun snack, perfect for when friends pile over with gifts and appetites. It's also a great way to repurpose leftover holiday meats too.

David Tanis wrote about them in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.His A City Kitchen is dedicated to  sausage rolls, as British, as well, the queen.(and I'm sure that Elizabeth likes them as much as this one writing this  does). They are easy to make, using only puff pastry and sausage meat. Pastry can be homemade or bought  and even pie dough can be used. The dough is first rolled out into an oblong shape and then filled with the sausage mix. The dough is then wrapped around it and it's cut into six  pieces(it pays to make four or five logs because the rolls will go fst) Brush each sausage roll with an egg wash (just a beaten egg ) to give it a shiny finish.Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets for twenty to twenty five minutes. You can serve them hot or preferably partially cooled. Doing this allows the meat's juices to sink into the crust. Serve with a good ale or even champagne,

The filling can be varied. Mr. Tanis suggests a traditional pork one, taken from the pork shoulder. It is spiced with the usual spices of coriander,nutmeg, mace and sage along with thyme, If this is too savory, you can cut down on the stronger spices and just use sage. If you want to make a variation, a Cornish pasty, use chuck that has been chopped finely. Nix the spices, using only salt and pepper for seasoning. another idea is using turkey or chicken sausage, The taste won't be so intense but it is still good. You can also fill the dough with chicken or leftover turkey too, along with potatoes and peas.Again nix the spices .The poultry taste can stand on its own.Of course you can also make vegan rolls, using crumbled soy bits that mimic chopped beef. Another is filling the dough with onions and potatoes along with rutabagas or turnips for a variation on the Cornish vegetable pasty.

Nothing beats a good , fresh made sausage roll on Boxing Day, the day that downstairs staff had off. Their food may have been simple but the roll is fit for a king or queen.This golden treat is rich in taste , a perfect way of crowning the Christmas holiday.,

Merry Christmas

To all my readers have a very good Christmas . Enjoy the treats of the season and share them with the less fortunate.It is the season to share, with every creature in your world. Give the leftovers to the animals  outside. They deserve to have food as well.



Enjoy!!!!

Liz

Christmas Eve And Sore Feet

This will be a short entry. Being the main cook here in Pantry land I am everything from chief sauce maker to chief dish washer.  I managed to recreate my Nonna's gnocchi and homemade sauce with a side of fennel - artichoke salad and a caponata spread. As any home chef will tell you , cooking is grueling work, especially if you have no help. Yet you persevere. It's kind of like running a marathon, from first chopping the onion and garlic for the sauce to serving the finished dish on the holiday table.

I am looking forward to later - a chilled glass of sparkling peach wine, sipped with my feet up and encased in my footie pajamas (and yes I still wear jammy onesies). Tomorrow is Christmas and a day to make Eggs Florentine for a Christmas brunch and a Spanish tapas for a light holiday supper.

Happy feasting  and cooking..Treat the cook well. Its a lot of work creating holiday meals.

Holiday Luxe Eating

This is the time of year when you can treat yourself to some culinary luxuries. It could be caviar on a Ritz or a buttery Christmas cookie. Or a big bubbly flute of good champagne. Or even a sundae with all the works. Give your palate a holiday vacation to rich flavors and foods.

Again caviar is always a lush treat. Most grocery stores sell it, even Costco  has tins of it.There are four different types. There is the lightly salted or the Malossol method that is only 3.5% salt., followed by the semi preserved kind  which contains 8 %  salt. ,Pressed caviar is made from damaged or broken eggs, highly salted and jamlike in consistency . The cheapest and most affordable is the pasteurized kind which is heat treated and vacuum packed. Serve on butter rounds of French bread or Ritz crackers wash it down with a good champagne like Asti Spumente or Bollinger Special Cuvee from France's Marne valley. Another affordable luxe brand is Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve. These are in the price range of about $50.00. Finish this meal with well made macarons.Many bakeries now sell them however you can make them yourself, using ground almonds flour and egg whites to create lovely little luxe puffs. Another luxurious baked treat is the French brioche. This is a egg and butter rich yeast roll that is just pure heaven to have. Again these can be made at home or bought at your local French patisserie.

Of course luxe dining could mean a good steak too. Nothing beats a well cooked filet mignon , seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. The same goes for a juicy T bone steak. my idea of luxe is steak PIedmontese style. This involved cooking filet migon in a bagna calda , a mouth watering  anchovy bath rich with the fish, oil and garlic.Another lush meat idea is pheasant.This is actually a low calorie bird with a flavor that's between chicken and turkey. Some butchers will sell it , but mostly you can get it from on line pheasant farms.If you want to try vegan luxury , then go for truffles. These are smoky in flavor and can be bought at online gourmet food stores.  The average price is around $80.00. some . Big cities like New York and Los Angeles do have stores that will sell this fungi fresh and even truffle oil for cooking. If you can't afford any of these, then treat yourself to some good chocolate. Belgian chocolate is the most coveted however the American Godiva brand is delicious and affordable as well.Buy their ultra rich  box of chocolate truffles or even a foil wrapped Santa as a midnight snack.

Give your palate a rich holiday treat. It could be sweet or savory , as long as it's lush and flavorful. Enjoy it . Savor every nibble , sip and bite.

Your Holiday Menu Checklist

Christmas is only a few scant days away and home chefs all over the world should be stocking up on essentials and ingredients. It's always good to be prepared. It's no fun to run short or remember you've forgotten to buy an important ingredient.Be aware of what you have and what you need.

By now home chefs should have the main course either in the fridge or the freezer.No one ever forgets to buy the  turkey or the prime rib. However some sides do get second , sometimes third billing, Ask yourself , will your sides satisfy the entire table.If you have big eaters, or those who love green bean casserole or sweet potatoes, then stock up. Get double the amount of what you need. The worst thing is to go short. Also have alternatives for those who don't get excited over mashed potatoes or petit pois. Another must is factor in the vegans and vegetarians. They're not going to want that turkey leg or slab of London Broil.Have a tofurkey and mushroom gravy ready for their Christmas dinner.Make sure there are enough rolls too. Everyone loves these with the dinner and afterwards as sandwiches. Ditto for butter and margarine too. These last two will be gone fast between using them for cooking and as accompaniments for the bread. As minor as they are, salt and pepper,along with salt substitutes , should be plentiful as well. Like butter and margarine, they serve a double purpose .

Home bartenders should also make sure that the liquor cabinets are well stocked.Guests will probably bring a bottle wine which is good for a small party, yet make sure you have enough for those big family gatherings of ten and twenty. Also have enough soda and juice for the kiddie table as well as plain and flavored seltzers for non drinkers.There should also be enough coffee and tea  for dessert as well. Keep plenty of creamer ready too, and milk.Without a doubt, there will be plenty of desserts to choose from. If you're planning on serving pie, then  have a can or two of whipped cream all set for topping. Also set out a platter of seasonal fruit and nuts for those who are watching their diets or just aren't into rich endings. Have paper plates  along with plastic containers ready for those who would like to bring home leftovers.

It pays to be prepared, especially in the kitchen.Have everything you need and then some for your Christmas dinner. It beats frantically running to your grocery store five minutes before your guests arrive,

Dolce Per Natale

Christmas is primarily a German invention , giving us traditional foods and sweets. Yet it's the Italians who have given us some of the best desserts for the holidays. Theirs is a fun and flavorful , with rich ingredients and ancient recipes. Both adults and children enjoy everything from the colorful strufoli to sophisticated  torrone.

Italian and Italian American households go into a baking overdrive when December rolls around. They don't go cookie crazy as other countries do for the holiday. They create interesting sweets or dolce that are culinary masterpieces.Every  Neopolitan has a cherished handed down strufoli recipe.This is made with small puffs of citrus flavored dough that has been fried in vegetable oil.After frying and draining, the balls are then coated with a warm honey syrup and piled into pyramids (the size depends on how many strufoli have been made),I the same vein as a croquembouche.They are dusted with multicolored sprinkles but they can also be dusted with confectioner's sugar, silver dragees or almond slivers.Pizzelle, which could be classified as a cookie, is a light airy waffle. It is one of the most ancient of desserts and is made with a simple batter of just eggs, butter , flour and sugar. Popular flavorings include anise, vanilla and lemon. This is the perfect antidote for all those heavy Christmas snaps and gingermen.Any sweet tooth can eat a pile of them and not feel loggy afterwards.

The Sicilians are also known for their Christmas sweets. One favorite is buccellato,  Christmas fig cake.It's a ring filled with a fruit paste of dried figs and walnuts, along with chocolate , cinnamon and cloves.It is also made for a baby's baptism and given to the family by the godparents. Another favorite,(and my personal one) is pandoro, Translated into golden bread, this is a rich eggy and buttery yeast cake from the city of Verona. It's deep yellow coloring comes from the seven egg yolks added to the dough. It is baked in a star shaped pan and dusted with confectioners sugar. The middle can be hollowed out and filled with flavored whip cream or marscapone. You could also add some berries , diced fruit or even pomegranate seeds.Sliced pandoro can even be made into French toast as an sophisticated Christmas brunch.Its' cousin, panettone, is from Milan, and is similar in shape and flavor. It differs only in the fact that it contains citrons, candied cherries and raisins and makes for  nice breakfast toast. Little bricks of torrone is also given out .This is an airy nougat  made solely from honey, egg whites and nuts and comes to Italy from Spain.There are two versions, soft and hard, both are very tasty and a nice departure from all the chocolate served during this time of year.

Italy knows how to celebrate Christmas. It's contribution of sweets is dazzling and delicious . They reflect the different influences and regions that makes its holiday traditions unique