lemniscate

D'Artagnan has a 40th anniversary special going. I bought veal for my Mom, who bemoans that it has been unobtainable here locally for quite some time.

honey dates from Dateland while channel switching NFL games. I have no dog in any of the fights today, nor any $$.

I have never been a big fan of panettone, mostly because I don't care for candied fruit. But, at an Italian deli today, I succumbed to this version for ~$12 (clearance). Pear and chocolate sounded OK to me.

I think craft beer consumption is also declining. Hard seltzers are replacing beers on tap at local places.

Three potato pierogies, a scoop of cottage cheese, all covered with the leftover cured salmon roe from last night. I want to live 2025 unconventionally.

The times, they are a-changin' https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/red-wine-restaurants-19930284.php

We stay home due to pet reactions vs. fireworks. The going out thing has lost the luster long ago. I want some cured salmon roe and rice for NYE. Not sure why, it just popped in my head. I'll have to plan to get some at HMart in the next couple days. I normally do caviar, but this time I want roe. I may add some wasabi tobiko if it's available. I'll check out the prepackaged ban chan offerings to see if something looks good. I think the rest of household wants yakitori chicken. And long noodles. I also have a couple filets left over from Christmas to offer. UPDATE: Household wants bison burgers. My Mom always wants pickled herring for New Years and Costco had a good jarred brand called Vita that filled the bill. No champagne, probably vodka sodas or gin&tonics. Or a good beer.

Very small Christmas dinner, some nice filets sauteed in butter on the patio ( in the A4box), with a splash of homemade Worcestershire-like sauce (we call it sizzle sauce). Some frozen fries in the outside AF with a smoky bbq dipping sauce. Cherry tomatoes and sharp cheddar cubes were the sides. I made hot toddies with chocolate tea with orange liqueur. Nitecaps were creme Amarula in a low-ball with an ice cube around the firepit. Really pleased with the peacefulness.

You'd be surprised. I get them from my local (oldest established) Asian market. Lee Lee. Asian markets here are also really good about handling European foods, especially in freezer section.

Both. On preference. I like them boiled and then sauteed in butter with a dust of nutmeg.

Christmas Eve meal is various pierogis and smoked sausage today. I bought the pierogis frozen, I don't have the temperament or the assembly line help for making pierogis ( and tamales for that matter). Alexandra's is a very good brand. The store didn't have the plum ones, only blueberry. I don't like blueberries, so no fruit ones this year. Kraut, mushroom, sweet cheese and the ubiquitous potato are the menu.

The lid has that weird design I think because the condensation needs to be kept away from dripping down into the space between the outer case and the grill area. I just keep a folded up paper towel to swab the corners/edges of the lid when I remove it and flip it over to mitigate the moisture. Or, I just ignore it if I'm steaming stuff like veg or frozen dumplings.

I'm good with banana ketchup, mushroom ketchup, currywurst ketchup, spicy(sriracha, jalapeno, horseradish) ketchup. I even mix cheap American yellow mustard into my Heinz ketchup for a fry (and patty melt) dipping sauce. but this is not gonna make it for me...... Brussel sprout ketchup

All these pictured cookies are amazing, beautiful classics ornate and simple alike. Great job!

I measured 475-480F at the highest setting.

Phoenix Metro has scattered Posadas from now until Christmas. Mostly neighborhoods bordering the Catholic churches. I've only witnessed posadas in New Mexico myself. A lot of the upscale suburban subdivisions are announcing Noche de Luminarias, those are quite beautiful to visit. And Phx Botanical Garden is the pinnacle of Luminarias for the season. I've played out the eggnog and now gravitate to spiced hot toddy's. I went to a Christmas party that was overwhelmingly UK, Irish, and Scottish ex-pats. Had my first real pork pie and Branston pickle. I can see the devotion, it's comfort food.

@Smithy I've always handwashed. The pans are very easy to clean. For some reason I never even considered using the dishwasher for it.

We call it Combat Christmas. I've never heard the Dirty Santa version. "Stealing" the desirable gifts is good fun, but we try to use ridiculous items peppered in for that White Elephant feeling.

I was going to suggest the Burrito Pop, but it's sold out. Maybe something like the SubSafe (eG-friendly Amazon.com link), which sounds ridiculous, but may actually be useful. And it's expandable😃!

Those prices are really reasonable for that neighborhood! Thanks.

If you're still around in north-ish Scottsdale, check out Cafe Paris for breakfast/lunch; great crepes and sandwiches. If you're are early enough the croissants are supposed to be stellar (I'm not much on croissants myself). I love their ratatouille.

I needed an emergency birthday cake this week. A last minute request. No time for actual shopping so went on a pantry scavenger hunt. I found in my freezer this package of pan di spagna that I remembered I picked up for super cheap clearance. I also found frozen lime curd. I had the last few tablespoons of raspberry jam in the fridge. Thawed it all and assembled with layers of curd and jam. Still didn't look right. In the very back of the pantry was a package of Jell-O cheesecake flavored pudding mix. I made it in the blender with extra liquid and it turned into a nice sauce to drizzle over the cake. No pics due to panic timing, but it sure did the trick. The cheesecake sauce was surprisingly the thing people commented on the most. They loved it. I only wish I had some fresh strawberries or blueberries to feel it was a finished product.

I use my A4Box as a patio cooker, sit outside with a cocktail and cook my dinner, everything from sablefish to frozen Asian dumplings. The deep bowl accessory is great for shabu shabu or soup or steaming vegs. I used the pancake accessory for just that, small pancakes, but very infrequently. I have used the takoyaki accessory for meatballs and egg bites I have frequently taken my A4 on roadtrip vacations for cooking on the road. I have not found a downside to owning the A4 for our lifestyle.

In our kraut related family knowledge, the best kraut was made after the first frost hit the cabbage. It made them sweeter and fermented better. Also Penn State: The best sauerkraut is made from cabbage that is harvested after frost. Cool weather increases the production of natural sugars in the cabbage that are needed for fermentation. It is best to wait until the first frost to make your sauerkraut.

I have only been there in the morning. I have been told in the evenings the place gets crowded and annoying.