Scavenger's Feast

In this week between Christmas and New Year’s, there hasn’t been a lot of cooking with friends. But there has been a ton of eating what I had been cooking and freezing ahead of time with friends.

To our cozy Catskills cabin getaway, I packed a hearty and delicious batch of Farm Fresh Tomato Sauce that had been made over the summer with Melody, a leftover cranberry loaf Kathe and I made for Thanksgiving and a moist loaf of banana bread that had been tucked away in the freezer for quite some time. It was wonderful to have these homemade treats on hand.

And then, after nearly a week of being away in the mountains, last night’s return to civilization dinner was a not-so-shabby smorgasbord of remnants from my freezer. I reheated crispy Asian crab cakes I made with Debbie for Christmas, a few mini lobster empanadas made with Jackie many months back, farm fresh pesto tossed over warm pasta and even a couple of crispy tortilla flutes I found hidden away on the bottom shelf of the freezer.

So what’s for dinner tonight, our festive New Year’s Eve dinner?

Many of you already know my New Year’s Eve tradition with my husband of almost 16 years. If you don’t, it’s quite romantic. We dine in front of our living room fire on a multi-course gourmet meal, usually made by me. (But this year I’ve put it out there to my non-cooking husband that it’s going to be a communal affair or we’re ordering in Sushi!). In between courses, the journal comes out and we record the “best” of the year, reflecting on moments, both significant and silly. Our reminiscences are organized into categories, often including “times away”, “meals”, “acquisitions” and “friends”. The New Year’s feast acts as a backdrop, fueling our thoughts as we scribble away.

The inspiration for tonight’s dinner will come from a few key ingredients stored in the freezer. Homemade demi glace, a precious gift from my cooking friend Lou, will transform broiled veal chops which we’ll serve alongside crispy potato latkes (made for Hanukah with Jackie and Suzy); a sweet farm fresh corn stock, blended at the end of the summer, will become a creamy corn soup, topped with crispy smoked bacon. We may sneak in a course of sweet corn ravioli tossed with buttery morsels of lobster. We’ll end the meal with bananas flambé prepared on our new Himalayan salt block, a Christmas present from my parents, and our usual molten chocolate cakes, courtesy of Jean George. If you’re looking for an indulgent, not-to-be forgotten, end to your meal, click this link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cakes-vongerichten

To repeat though, the meal will only happen if my husband decides he will join me in the kitchen and become my cooking friend for the night. (I’m pretty hopeful he will, but stay tuned for an after New Year’s Eve report.

One more thing, for the sweet I’ve been asked to bring to tomorrow’s New Year’s Day brunch with friends, I’ll be presenting a platter of mini carrot cakes and two-bite pecan tarts, both which I had fun making a few weeks back with my friend Christina.

As 2010 comes to a close and my freezer empties out, I am thankful for the fun times spent cooking with friends. These moments have enhanced my friendships while also freeing up more time to spend with my family. Happy and Healthy New Year’s 2011 to all of you!

Cookie Cinderella

The hours of 10:30am – 1:30 pm on December 14th had been entered into my blackberry weeks ago. I had been counting down the days and couldn’t wait to get to Jenn’s house for our annual cookie decorating extravaganza. It would be an indulgent escape during a hectic holiday time. And as the date approached, some sniffles and feigned belly aches the previous week made me nervous that our cookie decorating date wouldn’t happen. But it did and what a good one it was!


I was Cookie Cinderella and this was the ball. Christmas carols from Jenn’s iPod playlist set a festive mood. Piping and swirling, Jenn’s kitchen was the ballroom dance floor and the cookies were my gown. A 1:45 orthodontist appointment for my thirteen year old was my midnight, the time I’d be forced back to the reality of my life as a mom. But until then, I was free to create and indulge, placing squiggles on my snowflakes and lines on my candy canes -- dancing with Prince charming.

Bong. . .bong. . .bong—the clock (ok, maybe just in my mind )struck 1:35 and though covered in icing, I ran out Jenn’s door, cookie trays in hand, to retrieve my son from middle school. I was soon sitting in the orthodontist’s waiting room flipping through magazines and checking messages on my blackberry while my son was getting his spacers put in -- a far cry from my earlier baking bliss.

Thank you Jenn for opening your kitchen to Jackie and I (for the third year in a row!). Thank you for tinting our icing winter blue and perfect Christmas red and green. Thank you for mixing extra icing and for sharing your prize-worthy techniques.

You have proven yourself a true friend.

For without you, my icing wouldn’t have been a perfect steel grayish blue but rather baby shower blue and my red icing would have turned out pink. Alone, I wouldn’t have had the patience to decorate so many cookies (I made about six dozen!). Your presence alone instilled confidence.

Here’s a bit of proof of your invaluable tutelage: As my beautiful holiday cookies were drying on the dining room table later that day, my smirking daughter hypothesized that I must have made the cookies with Jenn. She tried to guess which ones were Jenn’s and which less-than-perfect ones were mine. I was more than thrilled to point out that she was wrong a few times!

Later that day, a few left-behind items appeared on my porch (a bowl, some sprinkles and icing tips). These simple items . . . the glass slipper of our cookie date.

Endless Stream of Inspiration

Inspiration is well captured in the Felicia Bond book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”, where one thing leads to the next and you know “he’s probably going to ask for something else to go with it.” It’s the small experiences that trigger a thought, building one on top of the other, fueling endless culinary ideas. Cooking inspiration is boundless and comes in many forms.

It could be as simple as the need to use the last drop of baking spray, a few overripe bananas and voila, I’m making banana bread. Or, a vacation to the southern coast of Portugal and in a flash, I’m molding marzipan and cooking “Sopa de Portuguese.”

A slice of hot-out-of-the-oven bread with a smear of butter in a friend’s kitchen and you know I’ll be mixing my own dough for a no knead bread an hour later. An odd assortment of squash from my CSA share leads to a sweet and savory curried squash soup.

Curiosity will always inspire. What happens to the flavor of a radish when it’s sautéed in a bit of olive oil instead of served in a salad? A delicious lunch out with a friend, an exceptional soup or salad, just begs to be recreated at home.

But it’s the conversations with friends, often occurring while cooking or baking together, that inspire me most, leading to the next ”must make” food. As we pull from our various experiences and knowledge - from the magazines or books we’ve recently read or a meal we’ve enjoyed - we are compelled to share stories with one another. The magical result - we try new things, resulting in a life enriched by food. Together, friends inspire one another to broaden cooking repertoires. We’re no longer confined to making the same old thing week after week but instead we are inspired just by watching, listening and being together.

What ignites your cooking inspirations?

Here’s a little cookie with a creamy caramel center that I created for my daughter Sofia. If you give a ten year old a taste of something special, she’ll probably come home and ask for you to make it. And if she asks for a mom to make it, her mom will run to the store for ingredients to make it herself.

Caramel Cookies
Makes 28 2 inch cookies

These crispy creamy cookies have a sophistication to please adults and the flavor to entice children. They make a beautiful presentation and would be a perfect cookie for a holiday cookie exchange.

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups corn starch
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup dulce de leche (store bought)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar until creamy.

Add the egg and yolks, one at a time. Blend in the vanilla.

Sift the flour, corn starch and salt together in a separate bowl.

Add the flour mixture slowly to the butter and sugar. Combine well.

Form 1 inch rough balls with dough and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies 12 minutes until edges become golden.

Cool and spread about a teaspoon full of caramel on the rough side of the cookie and top with another. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Seatbelts and Soup

When traveling to a friend's house, I often bring my large red pot, filled to the brim with beans, veggies and whatever else I need to make a big pot of soup. Getting there is a breeze since there are no open liquids, but getting home is another story! That pot of soup, created amidst conversation and laughter, needs to be carefully transported home. And that means it must wear its seatbelt!

Yup! You heard me right. My soup wears a seatbelt, which keeps it safe and sound and allows it to return home in one beautiful intact piece to nourish my family during these bitter cold days. It’s precious cargo.

My seatbelts have protected many meals throughout the years as I cook in kitchens other than my own. I’ve forgotten to buckle up before and it’s not a pretty sight, as a slight tap of the brake has sent cookies sliding and sauce spilling.

I made a delicious roasted squash soup with Suzy the other day and strapped it in carefully. And I’m happy to report we (that being the soup and I) made it home quite safely!

Here's the recipe:

Squash Soup
Makes 2 quarts

-6 roasted squash, flesh removed from skin (I used 2 butternut squash, 2 acorn and 2 delicata)*
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, chopped
-1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
-2 tablespoons curry powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-6-8 cups stock (either chicken or vegetable)
-3/4 cup light coconut milk

In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, garlic and ginger until tender. Season with curry powder and salt. Add the squash. Cover with stock. (About 6–8 cups.) Puree with an immersion blender until creamy. Stir in the coconut milk and serve immediately!

*To roast the squash, cut lengthwise and remove seeds. Lay squash on a baking sheet and roast on 400 degrees for about an hour until fork tender. Great resource for identifying squash: http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

Conversation with Sandra Lee

Many of you have been asking for my report back on the phone call I had with Sandra Lee and fellow bloggers Cheryl from TidyMom, Kelly from The Party Dress and Estela from Weeklybite.com. So, this blog is for you!

Not only will I share my highlights with you, but Sam’s Club has included a video (see below) where Sandra shares some holiday tips.
Here are a few of my favorite tips from the call with Sandra:

-To ease some entertaining stress without compromising flavor, Sandra recommends purchasing pre-marinated cuts of meat during the holidays. That’s exactly what she does, and then she’ll focus on the special touches and interesting side dishes. One of her favorite pre-marinated products is the flavorful Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin sold at Sam’s Club.

-Sandra believes that simple recipes will lead to more family time which is what the holiday is most about. I think she’s right! (But then why do I slave away in the kitchen trying to concoct something ever-so-phenomenal with a multitude of ingredients. Oh where are my friends during times like these!!)

-Sandra uses spirits and wine in her go-to holiday cocktails, and then uses the leftovers to create specialty sauces. She’ll sauté some mushrooms, shallots, onions and heavy cream, add a touch of brandy or wine for a decadent sauce. Her favorite holiday cocktail is the Mistletoe Mint Mojito.

Now let’s see what more she has to say!