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Friends Food Fun, Special Videos

Friends Food Fun Christmas Special – Reinventing Tradition

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httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNLrWGx1TFQ

In last year’s special, Brian and I gave you a heaping helping (a mountain, even) of variations on some of the traditions that have been a part of our lives separately and together. However, this year, it appears that Brian went out (waaaaay out) to create an amazing Christmas dinner that speaks to some of today’s values.

Most of the traditions we grew up with involved a lot of physical exertion (food shopping, storing, prep work, cooking, keeping the finished product warm or cold, then washing a mountain of dishes and putting leftovers away, before finally collapsing) as well as staying on top of individual cooking times and temperatures. So … a lot of work, a lot of worry, and a lot of exhaustion. Sound like a lot of fun? Nope, not in any dictionary I know.

So … today’s values, huh? Indeed. Such as the value of being considerate by not overburdening one person (or a few) with the necessity of conforming to the stringent preparation of oh-so-many recipes, simply because that’s the way it was always done. I’m constantly amazed (though I do admit to being guilty of the practice in the past – is this where I promise never to badger Brian for stuffed tomatoes again? ::squirms uneasily:: Uh … maybe) when people pout because you’re not planning to include Great Grandma’s Ultimate whatever-it-is, even though it needs to be started three days in advance, requires storage space you don’t have and three burners on your stovetop. See, the thing is that Great Grandma could make it because there were usually lots of young’uns hanging around the kitchen (a large space full of good smells and – if you were lucky – you got to lick the spoons or nibble on the cast-off ends that weren’t pretty enough to serve to company) to help with the prep work. Storage space? Lots of it in a large pantry or summer kitchen. Three burners? On a six-burner stove, it might mean a bit of crowding, though it wasn’t impossible. But, somehow, the meaning of the season turned into a rigid requirement with the added emotional layer that, by not making Great Grandma’s Ultimate whatever-it-is, you were either disrespecting Great Grandma or her memory. Shouldn’t the value and memory of Great Grandma instead be one of her warmth, her generosity and hospitality rather than GGU-w-i-i? I would certainly hope so. And I believe Great Grandma would, too.

Or what about the value of not having a closed mind where it comes to any experience, food included? Brian and I both grew up in more tightly knit communities where there weren’t many opportunities to eat foods from around the world. But that has changed and it’s marvellous. Shouldn’t that be reflected even in our holiday meals? Rhetorical question, obviously.

Or what about the value of diversity? Where we can invite people into our lives, homes and dining rooms who may bring foods that we may have never associated with the way we’ve always observed a particular holiday. Actually, that used to happen to me at the Christmas day dinners I hosted at church for a decade. With the exception of a turkey or two – compliments of a generous local butcher – everything else was potluck where I tried valiantly to make sure there would be enough variety of foods rather than five versions of coleslaw or, more likely with our congregation, 25 different desserts. ::gets distracted:: Oh … those yummy desserts. Actually, I think I was even a bad influence one Christmas when I brought a President’s Choice Bread Pudding, knowing that I could heat it up there. But, then, I had a valid excuse, having to be there hours in advance – as the host – to start decorating and setting up.

What about the value of allowing a holiday observation to be relaxed, of making the recipes conform to the whims and activities of the guests rather than forcing the guests to observe a nearly military-minded agenda. The danger of having such a rigid schedule is that, if any little thing goes wrong, then everything is thrown off. Not only that, there are identifiable health risks of eating too much food in too short a time, especially if so many dishes have high salt, sugar or fat content. It’s not just a matter of the dead air around the table as its overly-stuffed celebrants sink into a stupor.

Finally, there’s the value of having the host also be a guest at the celebration. That can only happen if we all embrace the concept of opening ourselves up to new experiences. Including the variety of exquisite nibbles that Brian served during our celebration (some prepared in advance and one where I joked I wanted to be alone with it in the bedroom because it was such a sensual eating experience) and culminating in a very relaxed Raclette for the main course supper (during which we could and did decide we’d had enough) was definitely a sign of modern-day thinking.

It really felt terrific to know that we could eat however much we wanted and whatever was left over, Brian would be able to have the next day. Nor would it be half a turkey carcass!

Even though our holiday celebration was for only two people, you could recreate the supper with more guests sharing the electric Raclette and grill combo, though the relaxation factor would be reduced due to the necessity of switching out the little pans more quickly. It may not sound like a huge factor but, over the course of supper, it would place the focus on keeping track of time instead of the conversation and laughter. In an ideal setting, I would have one Raclette (or other suitable appliance that could sub for one) for every two people. Even if you’d need to borrow or rent multiples, it would be so worth it.

The other joy of cooking at the table is the conviviality factor. Guests talk and laugh more. The conversation seems to sparkle. And all that merely from being involved, even in something as nominal as elementary tabletop cooking. Of course, in my opinion the queen of the tabletop cooking appliances is the Fondue pot, whether flame or electric. You know where my allegiance lies. Hint: it’s not the one with the flame. [I know it’s heresy, but I’ll even take fake over real when it comes to fireplaces? Why? Because of all those summers up north when the real (though utterly gorgeous) fireplace sent the heat up the chimney instead of out into the huge and chilly great room.] Another possibility would be a Korean-style BBQ. I’m sure you could come up with more portable variations of recipes that could be cooked very easily and quickly at the table, adding to the entertainment factor.

Friends Food Fun Christmas Pictures
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The final menus that Brian presented are shown here:

Late Lunch Appetizers

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese
Cocktail Shrimp with Seafood Sauce
Chipotle Hummus
Baked Brie with Red Hot Pepper Jelly
Pork Pâté
Boursin Cheese
Assorted Crackers

Supper

Electric Raclette
cooked sausages chorizo
gherkins and cocktail onions
broccoli
baby corn
small roasted potatoes
grape tomatoes
aged cheddar cheese

Dessert

Trifle

Variations on Raclette

While we were making huge inroads into the bowls and plates of veggies, potatoes and meat awaiting being sizzled with cheese under the Raclette broiler, I let my imagination go wild. And you can, too. Any vegetable or fruit that would work on a skewer would work here, too. By happy coincidence, we learned how luscious the whole grape tomatoes tasted, especially when we bit into them and were rewarded with a juicy splash. I’d like to see preserved artichoke hearts and flame-broiled red pepper strips, as well as grilled or marinated mushrooms under the cheese. It might be a little more demanding, but thin strips of chicken or beef could be grilled first, then given the cheesy treatment. If you love seafood, then you could use chunks of lobster tail or marinated octopus rounds or squid rings. Okay, okay, you can leave the octopus and squid. [More for me, yay!] This recipe usually calls for a Raclette cheese. Well, Brian used aged Cheddar. If you don’t want to use either of those, then you could use Brie (that reminds me of the Brie and Vegetables from many episodes ago) or a flavoured Goat cheese (hmmm, Pizza episodes, anybody?). Or Feta (imagine the ingredients for a Greek salad, except heated up). The only cheese we felt couldn’t work would be Cream cheese, because it’s not dense enough to withstand the intense and close heat source. It would just melt away.

Speaking of pizza, you could translate the recipe to start with a pre-cooked pizza dough or any other kind of commercial flatbread. Using the little trays as a guideline, you could cut the dough or bread into exact shapes in advance, then keep them from drying out by placing in a covered basket until dinner was ready to be made.

If I’m really allowed to go wild (and, as the editor of this frivolous adventure, I give myself permission [Self, you have the power!]), then I could see this Raclette idea being used as the ultimate dessert following a barbecue in the summertime. After all, if it’s perfectly acceptable to use a grill even in the hottest part of the day, then it’s just as suitable to use a Raclette grill for dessert when the sun has gone down. For this variation, I would suggest pre-baked pie pastry (brushed with a bit of sweet butter or margarine) cut to fit into the little trays, then covered with a variety of your favourite summer fruits (sliced peaches, pears, strawberries, seedless grapes … anything that has a skin to maintain cohesiveness). Top with the cheese of your choice and await to be yummed! You could grill the sliced fruit first to release more flavour. Well, as long as I’m already way out, I’ll propose an ultimate apple pie Raclette. Using pre-cooked pie pastry, spoon on a bit of applesauce before layering on sliced grilled apples. Before topping with some extra-aged Cheddar, grind some Cinnamon/Sugar/Chocolate sprinkles (the kind I gave Brian last year, IIRC). But, wait! That’s not all. When you remove each portion from under the Raclette broiler, add a scoop of decadent Vanilla ice cream. Swoon-worthy. Definitely swoon-worthy. And most likely something no traditional Raclette user has ever imagined.

Well, I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but I think I’ve written enough. Wow! The editor can show moderation, too. I hope everyone will enjoy a serene holiday season and a joyous New Year. See you when the calendar page is flipped over!

And I think it’s fitting to (mostly) reuse our closing words from 2010.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal viewers as we complete another fantastic year of celebrating great friendships, fantastic food and, of course, we cannot forget the fun!

Presented here is the special journey that I surprised Helenka with in our Second Friends Food Fun! Christmas Special. And we’re so proud to share the recipes with you.

Happy Holidays,
Peace and Long Life,
See you in the New Year!

Cheers!
B&H =:)

Christmas at Allan Gardens
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English Trifle (the original)
Ingredients
2 marble pound cakes
2 pints fresh strawberries
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 pints raspberries
2 bananas
1/4 cup orange juice
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
12 maraschino cherries
Directions

Slice strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar. Cut the bananas into slices and toss with orange juice. Combine pudding mix with milk and mix until smooth. Cut the cake into 1 inch cubes.
Use half of the cake cubes to line the bottom of a large glass bowl. Layer half of the strawberries followed by half of the blueberries, and then half of the bananas. Spread half of the pudding over the fruit. Repeat layers in the same order.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks and spread over top of trifle. Garnish with maraschino cherries and slivered almonds.

* This recipe is amazing when you substitute marble pound cake for the plain, and add chopped brownies (cause Helenka told me to 😉 ).

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
12 figs
1 small package of mild goat cheese
1/4 pound prosciutto
Honey
Directions
Remove stems from figs. Using a small sharp knife open up the fig from the top to about the middle with an X-cut. Place a small amount of goat cheese into the opening. Wrap the fig with a piece of prosciutto and secure with a tooth pick. Place figs on a baking sheet, drizzle honey over them and put under the broiler just until prosciutto starts to sizzle. You only want to warm these up and melt the cheese just a bit. These are sweet and salty, creamy and gooey.

Obviously, we used dates in place of figs. When substituting dates for figs, omit the honey.

Decorating a Mantle
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JrbboxUaE8

Music for both videos provided by Kevin MacLeod

Special Videos

We’re On Vacation!

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVq0viiv2tk

Hey, everyone!

Well, as summer is upon us officially, both Helenka and I will be taking a short break from posting and filming for a couple of months to enjoy the great weather. Plus, I will be out of town for quite a bit of time – actually on vacation – so that limits what we can do (or what Helenka can do via really remote control). [Helenka graciously declines that distinct (read “scary”) honour.]

But, in the meantime, I’ve created this short video of a recent camping trip I took to Killbear Provincial Park here in Ontario, Canada. My friend’s site was right near the water, the weather was great and the sunset was amazing to watch (filmed in short sequences to give you the effect more quickly).

I’ll hand things off to Helenka, as I am sure she has some ideas on fun things she has done during previous summers. [Helenka sputters: Now. Wait. Just. A. Minute!!! You never mentioned that to me until now.] [Brian says he did. But we could be here all night, so, Helenka dear, will you please write … something.] [Helenka grabs the tossed frisbee (well, better than throttling Brian’s neck) and agrees to recall a few cherished memories and ideas.]

Have a Safe and Happy Vacation
… and have fun cooking, too!
B&H =;)

Helenka ventures into the cobwebs of her mind:
Okay, let’s start with a luxurious summertime memory. When I used to travel a long time ago, in a ga— (oops, wrong audience) … to New York City, I’d usually stay at the Plaza. And one of my fave combined memories of a vacation and food was of having MY waiter do room service several times serving me Steak Tartare, Littleneck and Cherrystone Clams. I always loved the panache and presentation of seeing him combine the minced beef with raw egg yolks (oh, my, the good old days when we weren’t concerned about food contamination) and spices and condiments before I got to indulge myself. Along with lots of chilled vodka. The meal was just perfect after a scorching hot day out, sightseeing and shopping (just a few trinkets from Tiffany as well as caviar – aka the basics). I’m sure even the chefs were relieved there was NO cooking or even prior application of heat involved. That’s one of the easiest things anybody can do to create a quick summer dinner, even if you have to open a can of smoked oysters or tuna, because – alas – the nearest fresh, raw clams are thousands of miles away. Add a quick salad, perhaps a glass of chilled white wine, and your meal is ready for you to sit back and enjoy it. New York, unfortunately, is not a standard feature. But that’s what imaginations are for.

//Abrupt scene change//
A more down-to-earth (but still grown-up in spirit) memory is the last time I stayed at a cottage (a misnomer, as it was a stone-and-mortar lodge) in Dwight, Ontario (a little further than Huntsville) on Lake-of-Bays, Muskoka, that belonged to a man whom I’d called uncle (even though there was no blood relationship). The year was 1966 (I believe) and my “cousin’s” wife had just given birth to her second baby. Along with doing gourmet-style cooking for dinner every night, I was responsible for both the baby and the toddler. [Don’t look at me: I certainly didn’t write that job description, but I managed to multi-task quite efficiently.]

Around 2:30 every afternoon, I would wave to everyone relaxing on the dock with a cheery “See you later” and make my way up to the lodge where I would prepare dinner in a really tiny kitchen that was so antiquated, for many years it didn’t even have a fridge, only an icebox. What was for dinner? Just about anything I wanted to cook. I remember one evening making a cream of watercress soup (with some sort of alcohol in it) and, no matter what I cooked, everyone ate it (even the toddler and the baby got a spoonful). We used to have dinner on the back porch that ran along the length of the lodge and faced the sloping stone steps down to the lake, allowing us to catch the sunset every night (and, yes, Brian and I acknowledge our mutual appreciation of exquisite sunsets). Another wonderful and intimate feature was sharing the salad bowl. In yet another example of days long gone when some germs just weren’t considered to be anything to panic about, we would eat our entrées off our own plates, but would dig into the communal salad bowl set in the middle of the round table. So many decades later and I still remember that vividly.

Summer is a particularly wonderful time to try out new recipes. First of all, there are more fruits and vegetables in season, so you can let your mind wander (and hope it comes back home eventually, filled with unique menu ideas). There are so many simply ethereal summer soups, from cherry to cucumber-yogurt, that you could have a different chilled soup every night without getting bored (or breaking out into a sweat).

If you’re not into soup, then combine several chopped fruits and vegetables into a salsa. Add some black beans or chickpeas and you have a balanced meal to which you only need to add a few crackers or baguette slices.

Anyway, I think I’ve babbled enough and you already know how I encourage you to use your imaginations. Brian may be travelling away from TO while he’s on vacation, but I’ll admit I’ve been living on vacation for the past five years. Though, really, I wonder why Brian’s going to visit other lakes when he already lives on one. And I’m only two miles further … right on the same lake. But I guess he wants to experience those other lakes and their unique attributes. I can understand (sorta, kinda) as I have swans, geese and ducks right outside my window at my Villa-by-the-Lake. But it’s been eight whole years since I was in Haliburton, Ontario, hearing the loons every night. Perhaps Brian will come back from his adventures and tell me about all of the interesting aspects and allow me to experience them vicariously. So I’ll just continue to use MY imagination. See you when we return!

Special Videos

SP Artichoke Dip

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYAzrcUMLpA

Hey Foodies!

It is I, your food editor (secretly, it is moi – Brian posing as the evil food editor of this blog). This week I found a video in which I made an artichoke dip for a competition at work. Although I did not win this one, it is still a very good dip for crackers.

Seeing as Summer is also just around the corner, both Helenka and I found it was just TOOOOO hot to blog so we leave you with this special.

See you soon!

Enjoy
B&H =:)

Friends Food Fun, Party Tips, Special Videos

FriendsFoodFun! Christmas Special 2010

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httpvhp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DBA6612F073488CA

Christmas Celebrations, Past and Present

For me, while growing up in Newfoundland as one of a pretty big family (seven including my parents), Christmas was always something of a huge event for us. Usually it started with Mom grocery shopping which, to feed a family of this size, was an event all on its own. Upon her return home, all five kids would have traipsed to the car several times to retrieve the many bags she had brought back. Still, those almost never-ending multitudes of bags of food would not last long and barely made it past New Year’s.

Over the years, I also remember friends of my parents coming to visit, dressed as “Mummers” – people who would disguise themselves with old articles of clothing. I remember some pretty weird costumes they made, using whatever they could find to cover their faces to keep their identities hidden. It would be a game to “discover” just who those costumed folks were; being from a small community helped tremendously. 🙂 I think alcohol may have been involved, but you didn’t hear that from me.

My paternal Grandparents who lived just next door would come over on Christmas Eve to spend time with us. My Dad and my Grandfather would sit talking over some fine whiskey. I am sure the rest of us, being a noisy bunch, entertained everyone. Oh … getting us to bed was another chore, though we finally would settle in.

The next day, we would open our presents (at the crack of dawn no less) and Mom would busy herself preparing the turkey for cooking or checking on it if she was having a lunch as it would have been cooked overnight. A traditional Newfoundland Christmas dinner consisted of turkey, potatoes, peas porridge, carrots, turnips, salt beef and doughboys. Except for the turkey, it would all be boiled together for what seemed like hours (and the best meal you were sure to have).

This was a traditional Newfoundland boiled dinner (sometimes called Jiggs Dinner) and also served during Thanksgiving and Easter as well (at least it was in our family). Occasionally, there would be a ham thrown in (not boiled). When I was a teenager returning home from boarding school, Mom would always ask what I wanted her to make for Christmas and my response was always bread pudding with raspberries. It was divine. Mental note: “MOM, can you make it again this year … please???” Trying to describe it would probably not do it any justice and using Google led me to many recipes for it (of course, there IS Mom’s version, too).

Helenka and I have added our own traditions when it comes to Christmas and this year was no exception. [Well, there was one: I filmed it all!] It all started many years ago as we used to celebrate what we considered pretty fine dining by choosing something from that year’s President’s Choice Insider’s Report (Winter issue). Then, one year, when it didn’t inspire us, we set out to cook for each other (this is the shortened version of a long story). Part of that deal was that we would host each other and decorate our respective places: I’d do it usually before Christmas and she in the New Year. [Devious editor snickers. Pretty smart of me, eh?]

I always loved going overboard and, as I lived in a very small place, that was quite easy to do. I always had Christmas lights attached around the perimeter of my apartment (like a Christmas disco). [The still-stunned editor reminds Brian that he’s forgetting to mention that the lights were at the really high ceiling!] One year, I decorated my fridge with wrapping paper and a huge bow, then plunked a 4-foot Christmas tree on top of it … and off we went.

Another year, I wanted to pretend I had a fireplace; so I took my desk and put my Commodore 64 monitor (my TV back then) under it and, along with a plastic brick tablecloth with a hole cut out for the monitor, created my own version of a fireplace complete with stuff one normally puts on a mantle. But it didn’t just have to look right, it had to sound real. And it did, with Fireplace in a Box (VHS tape of a real fire) and surround sound. [Very impressed editor adds, “With all those speakers, I heard every crisp snap and crackle.”]

Nowadays, I have my own fireplace and mantle which I got to decorate in our Christmas Special. My friend Mary from work started me off, over a year ago, for my first party in my new place. It was fantastic plus everything I was hoping for. Mary left me with all the decorations you see here so that I could recreate it myself (and this was my first time doing it all on my own).

One thing I set out to do for our Special was to present some tried and true recipes we have used over the years and occasionally adapted (the roasted chicken for example was originally substituted with Cornish hens – yummy!). The Brussels with bacon is a new dish and inspired by the cookbook “Cook This Not That” while the stuffed tomatoes were invented on the spot from our own creative minds (though based upon the dish I made many years ago for Helenka).

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal viewers as we complete this fantastic year of celebrating great friendships, fantastic food and, of course, we cannot forget the fun!

Presented here is the special journey that Helenka and I take you on in our Friends Food Fun! Christmas Special. And we’re so proud to share our recipes with you.

Happy Holidays,

Peace and Long Life,

See you in the New Year!

Cheers!

B&H =:)

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Recipes are below Helenka’s post 

Helenka, on finding the true meaning of Christmas, even if it took me a while

I believe that my approach to (and recognition of) Christmas is unique. And I’m not just saying that for effect, either.

When I was growing up, there was absolutely no religious connotation to December 25th at home. In fact, there was no celebration of any kind at home that day. Instead, we piled into a car and drove to a family friend’s house where long tables were set up in the basement for dozens of people in the Polish community to gather and enjoy a huge meal. Everybody knew everybody else. Included was the daughter of the house, one of my childhood girlfriends to whom I wasn’t that close … simply because she lived too far away for us to have any regular interaction. [OTOH, she was Sharif Ali to my El Aurens (Laurence of Arabia) when we were riding our pretend camels to the well in the desert … um, okay … on her uncle’s raspberry/strawberry farm. And we did get to go real trail riding nearby (on real horsies) once. When I say I have a really good memory, you’d better believe me … because those particular ones are over 40 years old!]

Instead, the traditional Christmas celebration took place on Christmas Eve at home, with the table set in a specific manner (straw underneath the tablecloth to represent hay in the manger and an empty chair just in case Jesus stopped by … or an unexpected guest), as well as a completely meatless 12-course dinner. My fave courses were the pickled herring with sliced onions and carrots with rye bread and the tiny piroszki (miniature pierogi) with a dried Polish mushroom/cabbage filling served in a meatless beet soup. So, it was a balancing act, going from a semi-religious celebration to an ethnic one overnight. However, one of the unique bonuses of not celebrating Christmas Day itself was that I got to open presents legally ::giggles:: a day earlier!

However, all of that changed when my father died before I turned 16. No more Christmas. I couldn’t do anything about it because I was just a kid and an only child at that. So it wasn’t until I moved out on my own at 23 (after getting my university degree) that I was able to start to assemble my own Christmas traditions.

Over the decades, I’ve participated in several types of Christmas Eve/Christmas Day celebrations:

  • casual aka running off in bone-chilling cold with a friend’s boyfriend (?!?) who was away from his home and family, to catch the umpteenth viewing of Star Wars IV (as we had an unofficial competition going on), then returning to my place to warm up with hot tea, seedless green grapes, cookies and to play Scrabble.
  • work-related, with a colleague inviting me to spend it with her daughter and herself (and gifting me with an exquisite black satin caftan which I accepted with glee) before driving me to the subway station at the end of the line where I managed to miss the final train and had the unique experience of taking the night bus across town.
  • with a variety of close friends over the years with whom I spent very satisfying Christmas Days and usually prepared some festive or extravagant dishes (can you say lobster?).
  • after deciding that there was something missing in my life in 1990, I attended my first Christmas Eve church service ever and discovered a church home and acquired a chosen family to which I’ve been adding (and, sadly, subtracting from as well) for the last 20 years.
  • interestingly enough, spending a happy Christmas Day alone after that church service when I did a lot of equally happy crying. All I had to do was glance through the order of service, remember the way I felt surrounded by thousands of people and feel warm all over. So it’s important to realize that one can have the capacity to celebrate even when alone … if such are the circumstances.
  • continuing a church tradition of offering a warm and inviting place in our Social Hall for Christmas Day dinner, decorations (including my menagerie of pigs – because they insisted on being included), music and games to people who had no place else to go (and hosting it for more than a decade). In fact, last Sunday I approached Mum (of Mum & Dad renown, as they were a couple who accepted all of us without hesitation – we who were biological, situational or emotional orphans from our families, to the extent that we were proud to call them our “Mum & Dad”) to reminisce about the year when her own aunt died (a charming yet feisty, down-to-earth lady in our congregation) and they didn’t feel up to doing their own Christmas dinner, so asked if they could join us. What a question! It was my honour to have them be with us. Not only did they come and relax, they brought lots of little gifts for me to add to the raffle draw (because all I could usually afford from a few monetary donations was to get everybody a fancy Christmas cracker – and I always thought we all looked quite grand in our tissue-paper crowns).
  • bringing close friends even closer into my chosen family, most of them drawn from my church and giving them official designations (I had lots of uncles, brothers and sisters, as well as fairy godmothers).
  • falling in love (more than once, lol) and having intimate, romantic Christmas dinners that I cooked from scratch, even if the menu wasn’t exactly traditional. There may have also been a Christmas pizza … once or twice.

The only thing I never did was to volunteer at a Mission, serving Christmas dinner to the homeless, though I do have one close church friend who’d done that year after year, but first stopped in at the church to share ours before heading out and I always felt both grateful and humbled that she got to have Christmas while being of service to those in need.

In years past (though not forgotten), I managed to combine the Christmas Eve service, Christmas Day dinner at church and then stagger home to prepare my own romantic Christmas dinner. Is it any wonder I needed to sleep for a week after that? Or didn’t even want to think about food?

But, you know, whatever the form of your Christmas (or other religious or non-denominational) celebration, the food and decor aren’t the important things: it’s the willingness to reach out, to share even with those to whom you have no family ties at all. Hey, I created my own chosen family and so can you.

Brian’s mentioned some of the highlights of hosting me at Christmas, in terms of decor and food. I was so awed by his creativity, I tried to match it. When he had the fake fireplace arrangement, I responded with Aquarium in a Box and transformed my place into an outer space underwater research station. I met him at the door carrying a pewter lantern, as the light levels had to be diminished so as not to disturb the fish ! Whenever he created something spectacular, I was inspired (resulting one memorable time in my three-hour masterpiece of velvety cream of asparagus soup). The year he made the original stuffed tomatoes, I countered with a tomato/bread/onion pudding as well as quail legs. Another year, I made my own mushroom butter as well as Tequila-marinated shrimp. Even when something threatened to be a disaster (crème brulée refused to firm up). I poured it into my ice cream maker and turned it into exquisitely rich ice cream. Another planned and far more healthy dessert that did turn out was mango sorbet with a scoop of mango purée in the same cut-glass bowl. As for trees, I think one year I outdid even myself when I put 800 lights on my tree, had the programmable multi-coloured lights wound around my 19-foot long balcony railing and even around the base of my glass and black steel coffee table. Hey, I did say Brian inspired me!

The way we’ve played off each other has been one of the cornerstones of our nearly two-decade long friendship that blossomed even though we had so many differences even beyond our ages (he came from a large family and had living grandparents; I was an only child who never knew my grandparents). It just makes it even more precious to me.

In celebration of togetherness, I lift my glass. And dedicate this blog entry to “Mum”. “Dad” will have to excuse himself for a moment from his pals amid heavenly surroundings to know that he’s being equally honoured. Cheers, “Dad”!

And, oh, I guess I should say something about food, so I will admit that we may have gone a titch overboard with the red pepper flakes in the Brussels sprouts. Just a tad. So I took special editorial liberty to adjust the amount stated in the recipe. And, even then, you should use a gentle hand.

I hope everyone will enjoy a serene holiday season and a joyous New Year. See you when the calendar page is flipped over!

Recipe: Roasted Chicken in a Fig and Clementine Glaze

Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

  • 1 whole roasting chicken
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small cooking onion, finely sliced
  • 1 oz Brandy or orange liqueur (we used Cointreau)
  • 6 dried figs, halved with stems removed
  • 6 clementines, peeled and segmented

Marinade:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp Spanish paprika (or regular paprika)
  • 1 tbsp course black pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme and oregano, combined
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • salt, to taste
Orange Glaze:
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup orange juice, good quality (like Tropicana Grovestand)
  • ¼ cup sugar (or Splenda)

Directions

  1. To prepare marinade, whisk together all ingredients. Pour over chicken and marinate 4 hours, or overnight, in refrigerator.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (for crispy skin). Roast chicken, about 90 minutes (depending on size of chicken).
  3. Meanwhile, prepare orange glaze. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine all ingredients, cooking slowly, about 5 to 8 minutes, or until reduced by half.
  4. In large skillet, over medium heat, sauter onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil about 3 to 5 minutes, or until brown. Add Brandy or Cointreau and deglaze skillet. Add orange glaze and dried figs and continue to cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add clementines until just heated through. Cut chicken into pieces, arrange on plate or platter, then pour glaze over chicken.

Variations

For a more spicy orange sauce, try some of these variations:
Fresh ginger slivers, chopped cilantro, crushed garlic, dried hot peppers.

Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 4 medium to large tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs (increase up to 1 cup for larger tomatoes)
  • ⅓ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
  • ¼ tsp dried basil (fresh is better, if available)
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
    Cut tops off tomatoes; scoop out pulp and seeds and reserve. In a bowl, mix Parmesan cheese, Panko breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and reserved pulp and seeds.
    Spoon mixture into each tomato, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Depending on size, time may have to be adjusted.

Recipe:  Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 12 small red potatoes, quartered
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1-½ tbsp dried rosemary
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together until potatoes are lightly coated with olive oil. Place potatoes on a baking pan, and roast for 25 – 35 minutes until lightly golden.

Recipe: Brussels with Bacon

Ingredients

  • 4 strips precooked bacon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste according to desired amount of heat)
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed and cut in half
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic, pepper flakes, Brussels sprouts and a pinch of salt; sauter until sprouts are lightly browned on the outside and tender but still firm 10 – 12 minutes. Add the walnuts and sauter for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe: Cookies’n’Cream

Ingredients

  • Whipping Cream:
    1. Begin with thoroughly chilled cream.
    2. Chill mixing bowl and beaters beforehand.
    3. Whip the cream on medium speed.
    4. Add sugar (2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup granulated) and any flavourings like Framboise, Rum, etc. I used Butter Ripple flavoured liqueur (Schnapps).
    5. Cream is whipped when soft peaks form.
    6. For vanilla-flavoured whipped cream, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions

  1. For this recipe, you can use either canned whipped cream (which can be fun and fancy – sprayed in swirling patterns) or make your own (see above). Use a good-quality favourite cookie (once again, store-bought or home-made), studding them around the perimeter of the dessert dish and then artfully arrange some fresh fruit over the top in the centre. Voilà: an instant dessert using your own variations and imagination.