Comfort

My family is tight. We enjoy each other's company in a way that makes holidays a lot of fun- a nice excuse to spend the day together with nothing else to do.

When my brothers and I were little, the day changed often - we'd attend church on Christmas Day, a visit to grandparents when we lived in New Jersey, relatives staying with us in Atlanta. Present opening was a flurry of ripping paper and flying bows, squeals of delight and playing with toys all day long. Christmas Eve was about the anticipation of that event the next morning.

Now we're a little bigger and well, I'm married. We visit Ray's family during the day on the 24th before driving to meet mine for church, the same one we were married in. This evening's events have remained steady for at least 5 years now- Mom readies the components for Spaghetti Carbonara before heading for church, and it's finished shortly after we return. We're all starving by the time we get home and it's a joyous, noisy, hungry meal.

She sautes the bacon until crisp and lets it drain on paper towels. Pouring off all but a tablespoon of bacon fat, she adds a few smashed pieces of garlic with a bit of olive oil and sautes until golden, scraping up the good flavor bits from the bottom. She removes the garlic and sets it aside too.

Into the serving bowl goes some eggs which she beats until frothy, then adds lots of grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

The pasta water goes on the stove on low heat before we leave, so it's nearly boiling by the time we return. In goes the spaghetti for a quick 9 minutes until al dente. Meanwhile, we hover around the kitchen island snacking on anchovy-stuffed olives and crusty bread. We munch on leaves of a tossed romaine salad with our fingers, a practice we'll never grow out of.

When the spaghetti is almost ready, the bacon and garlic go back into the pan with about 1/2 cup white wine to reduce. The drained pasta is thrown into the bowl with the eggs and the bacon-garlic-wine mixture. Toss immediately with tongs to coat. The egg cooks when its hit with the hot pasta; toss really well, it's a big bowl!

Mom comes around the big bowl, it's a little hard to pass. She dishes with tongs to everyone before coming back around to deposit some bacon on the top that always sinks to the bottom of the bowl.

It's scrumptious, with a little salad and a glass of champagne especially ;-)

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you, like me, will reflect on the new memories throughout the coming week.

~:::~

Yin and Yang- A Relationship through Cookies

How about a Christmas cookie, would you like one?

I've got to be honest with you. I am not a sugar cookie fan.

Rarely do I blog about something I don't like. They are simple as can be, classic and clean. I certainly don't hate them, but I want a cookie with a little more drama, more complexity and flavor. I like many things to be simple, but not my cookies. I pass these altogether at Christmas and reach for other varieties that grace the family table- the pecan tassies, the chocolate madeleines, even the rum fruitcake (now that's good, we'll talk about it later).

But when it comes to sweets I sometimes need to be reminded that it's not all about me. This is the season of giving, and some prefer the classic simplicity of the Christmas sugar cookie. Some like Ray, who counts them as his favorite around the holidays.

Especially when slathered with chocolate frosting!

So I bake them happily, and he gets his own personal tins of cookies to munch on at home until the 24th. Then we both invade the cookie tins of our mothers for some Christmas memories in dessert form.

I am not tempted to eat these, but the smell of butter and sugar creaming together is irresistable to the baker. As is cutting out christmas trees and stockings and sprinkling them with pretty crystals.

Oh yes, I love that part.

Et voila! Bella.

I make a simple glaze for these cookies with semisweet chocolate chips, melted butter, and vanilla; it's a little fudgy and a bit hit. If you want to get fancy, be my guest. I think they are prettiest on their own- naked with those pretty sugar crystals- but a little goopy frosting makes the peeps happy.

The Simplest of Simple Christmas Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

sprinkles and icing for decoration

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, and beat until mixed. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and add, mixing on low speed, until the dough comes together. Split dough in half, wrap in plastic, and chill for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with foil.

Remove one piece of dough and roll out on a well-floured surface- not too thin! Cut out cookies with cutters and place on baking sheets. Put the scraps back together and roll once more, cutting out as many shapes as you can. Repeat with the second half of dough. Sprinkle with colored sugar or anything you like. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Cool on a rack. If adding frosting, let the cookies cool for at least 10-15 minutes so you don't end up with chocolatey rivers.

~:::::~

Holiday Dinner at Viognier

Dinner on New Years Eve 2009 was deliciously spent at Viognier Restaurant in San Mateo. We were very impressed with the service and the meal, but we haven't had occasion to return until now. When the invitation for Ray's company holiday dinner announced the location would be Viognier, I knew it would be exceptional.

After a pleasant cocktail hour, we were seated at circular and rectangular tables around the restaurant. My drink of choice was a pleasant cabernet sauvignon. Unfortunately I don't know it's origin. It was nice but not exceptional so I'm less bothered by the lack of information.

The bread basket included thin baguette slices heavily perfumed with asiago cheese. Salty soft butter accompanied the basket.

~

For the 3-course dinner we selected from two options per course. For the first time in the history of our marriage, Ray and I matched on two of the three. Salad or soup?

Butternut Squash Soup

Our soup arrived garnishes only: diced asian pear, maple creme fraiche, and micro greens.

The soup was poured individually for an elegant presentation.

A lovely soup with a nice balance of sweetness and flavor without being too 'squashy.'

Veal Ribeye

The first entree option was a Veal Ribeye, garnished with bacon, spaetzle, cabbage, and a red wine jus.

Roasted California Halibut

My fish sat afloat in a meyer lemon-basil broth with large butter beans and swiss chard. The fish was wonderfully moist and smooth.

Valhrona Chocolate Dome

With choices of a pumpkin cheesecake or chocolate, we both went for the chocolate. The dome was bathed in chocolate and crowned with crispy rice cereal. The little dots of caramel sauce were heavenly. I certainly wished for more to balance to complement the chocolate; otherwise it was an exceptional dessert.

The interior of the dark dome was a paler milk chocolate. The flavor was incredible, it's been a long time since I've had such a true, deep chocolatey dessert.

Which is why I finished mine....and part of Ray's! Ah well, it's the holidays and these dinners are rare.

May you share as festive a meal with your loved ones this holiday season!

~::::~

Apple Pumpkin Pie

I've been waiting for this one. Holding out on you actually, if I'm honest.

The last week of November suffers from an overdose of Thanksgiving plates and another is probably the last thing you want to see. So I've waited, biding my time until you might feel a little receptive to something really good. Like this combo of apple and pumpkin pie. :-)

~:::~

Now that we're firmly in December, I'm hoping this will sound good to you. If it doesn't....well then we just don't understand each other.

This pie is a family favorite; we enjoy it several times a year. Don't be thinking this is a recipe to prepare at Thanksgiving only! It suits anytime from September to March (or year-round but I won't push you that far). When this girl came out of the oven I was positively swollen with pride. The interior is moist and juicy from the apple and pumpkin layers, which sink together to create a luscious, pudding-like consistency.

I had some pumpkin custard leftover which I poured it into a ramekin and baked with the pie. You could decrease the measurements of that layer, but you'd have a bit of canned pumpkin left (annoying) and you wouldn't have a personal pumpkin pie to eat right away, or save for a loved one. . . or eat right away.

Apple Pumpkin Pie

dough: 1/2 batch of The Best Pie Dough, rolled out and pressed into a 9-inch pie dish

apple layer:

3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp flour

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pumpkin layer:
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1 generous cup fat free evaporated milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

crumble topping:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

5 Tbs granulated sugar

3 Tbs butter, softened

Place a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the ingredients for the apple layer- apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon- in a bowl. Arrange in an even layer at the bottom of the prepared pie shell. Stash in the fridge.

Combine the ingredients for the pumpkin layer- eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a second bowl. Remove the pie shell from the fridge and pour the mixture over the apples.

You want to fill it pretty well, but anticipate some extra so don't overflow!

Remove the baking sheet and place the pie on top of it. Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the crumble topping in a small bowl by rubbing the butter into the flour, oats, and sugar until it becomes crumbly. After 30 minutes remove the pie and cover it with the topping evenly.

Bake for another 20 minutes until the pumpkin custard sets. Allow to cool on a rack for at least 1 1/2 hours before cutting and serving.

~::::~

Pie Dough

I have mentioned this dough before but it's worth its own recipe post.

Pie and pastry dough must be a little scary; why else would so many turn to prepared crusts? For me I'd rather make something else than use one of those. Not to disparage them as they have their place I'm sure, but a side by side comparison makes the prepared crust look like an evil mutant younger brother.

This crust is pretty easy to make, with a surprising and essential ingredient: vodka. It doesn't contribute any flavor to the finished dough and it is responsible for the lovely texture in the end. The recipe below makes dough for a double-crusted pie or two pies without the lid.

The key here is cold! A little advanced prep is what makes this work. Twenty minutes before you're ready to make the dough, prep the vodka and water, then the butter and shortening and stash them in the freezer. You want to work quickly once you start and starting out with everything really cold will help you immensely. Better to start out right than have to stop and refrigerate things to cool them down, right?

The Best Pie Dough
for one 9 inch double crusted pie



2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs sugar
12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices and frozen for 10 minutes
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces and frozen for 10 minutes
1/4 cup vodka, measured and placed in freezer for 20 minutes
1/4 cup water, measured and placed in freezer for 20 minutes


Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor just until combined. Add the butter and shortening and process until uneven clumps form, about 20 seconds. Scrape the bowl down with a spatula and add the remaining flour. Pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture stars to combine and the mass has broken up. Empty the mixture into a large bowl.



Sprinkle the vodka and water over the mixture, and fold together with a spatula until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into 2 even balls and flatten into a disk. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or for 2 days. The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

MMM YES

Go ahead, make your own pie dough!

~::::~

Mushroom Calzones- Another Lesson

That's really what these were! Big on flavor and gone in about 10.23 minutes.

But too much moisture from the mushrooms despite a good long saute.

From this recipe, we can learn three things:

1. The smallest imbalance can cause a great dish to be less than spectacular
2. The smallest imbalance will not ruin the flavors in a delicious combination of ingredients
3. One should not give up if a first try isn't as grand as one expects!

My broccoli calzone recipe is seriously addicting. Building on its success, I decided to create a similar stuffed pocket of goodness with mushrooms, another fab veg. I knew the mushrooms would need a good saute to develop flavor and render their large quantity of moisture.

~

1 pint crimini mushrooms, chopped coarsely

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1-2 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped

Sauteed in a large pan sprayed with olive oil spray for 12 minutes.

Yes, we drink while we make our pizza.

I've gotten smart and line my baking sheets with foil whenever possible, seriously cutting down on clean-up. Or maybe I'm not so smart since I've been scrubbing my pans after each use for years. . .


Meanwhile I made a batch of whole wheat pizza dough- it was a nice change from the semolina one we're currently favoring.



Rolly rolly- I find a French rolling pin so ideal for pizza dough rolling, I'm not so great at doing it by hand and getting even, thin results.


I paid lots of money for a photographer to come in and document this. . .

. . . Ok, I asked Ray to grab my camera and take a few shots

Always with my kitchen helper looking on.

She doesn't miss anything food related.

After rolling, we stuff with as much mushroom mixture and cheese as we dare

Close carefully so the whole thing doesn't split, and seal the edges.

Don't forget two or three slits in the top- you don't want it to explode!

No dinner is no good.

Bake at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes and they look like this on the outside. . .

And this on the inside-

My end result was still a bit soggy. Soo delicious with the woodsy flavor of the mushrooms and thyme and that fantabulous TJ's Quattro Formaggio cheese (aka 'the pizza cheese' in my house), but the middle was a bit on the wet side so the dough wasn't as crisp as I like it.

The edges were still crisp though, which leads me to conclude that sauteing the mushrooms for much longer is needed to rid them of the moisture they were still carrying. Am I missing another solution? If you have any feedback that might help let me know! If you tell me something brilliant I may have to try them again sooner rather than later.

We do make a lot of pizza around here. . . maybe I need to rename this blog 'The Pizza Girl'. . .

~::::~

Beautiful Blogger

I met Shannon at the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. She's from Boston and writes Tri to Cook. I had a great time hanging out with her at Friday's Street Food Fare; I think she's a kindred spirit and I wish we lived on the same Coast!

Last week she gifted me with the Beautiful Blogger Award along with a few other bloggers- so nice! It's nothing official- we aren't being recognized by an organization- but it's such a sweet way for food bloggers to reach out to each other and say 'hey, I like you.'

The feeling is mutual.

Part of the deal is to share 7 random things about yourself- not so easy to come up with anything worth sharing when you think about it. Here we go, Sarah's random facts:

1. I think my feet are shrinking!!- I used to wear 6 1/2 all the time but these days I'm having to go back for 6 or even 5 1/2

2. I ate meat until two years ago- and I expect I will be a meat eater again someday, just doesn't suit me now

3. I don't like sets, I'm a mix and match girl in the kitchen. We have a collection of different dishes and bowls and I love it that way.

4. My first significant food memory is making peanut butter balls with Mom in our kitchen in Cary, North Carolina. I was probably four or five.

5. I'm not so good with makeup. I've been taught a few times (especially right before my wedding since I wanted to do my own) but I still only do eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick, and blush for the dressiest occasions.

6. I'm happiest when eating a nice meal with my favorite person (Ray).

7. I HATE being hot and sweaty. You can layer on but there's only so much you can take off. . .

I bequeath to Kyle, Erica, Tina, and Joy.

~:::~