Christmas Eve/Christmas, New Year's Eve/Day 2020/21

[Eatmywords]

15 hours ago, TicTac said:

port infused chopped liver

Oooh now I'm jonesing the same.   My last one was w bourbon and apples but I like the idea of port.  What's your method?  

[Eatmywords]

13 hours ago, bokreta said:

...decorated primarily with dehydrated pretty slices of lemons, limes, kumquats, blood oranges, and tomatoes (and popcorn garlands). 

Can you share a picture upon completion?  Will everything last through the holiday?  Do you do anything to the fruit first?  Salt?  

[blue_dolphin]

14 hours ago, bokreta said:

This is slightly off topic, as it's not about a holiday menu, but it is Christmas and food related.

 

I'm planning on a smallish tree decorated primarily with dehydrated pretty slices of lemons, limes, kumquats, blood oranges, and tomatoes (and popcorn garlands). My question is what else can I do with the butt ends of the citrus fruits beyond stashing them in vodka for a spell? Tomato ends will go into a salsa, and assuming that I buy (small) bags of citrus any non-decorative slices with be salt preserved, but what about the pithy end pieces?

 

@Smithy's right, you can make candied citrus peel from those butt ends.  I've used David Lebovitz recipes for candied grapefruit peel and candied orange peel.  I used the orange recipe for lemons, too.  

Alternatively, you can strip off just the zest (no pith, use a vegetable peeler) from those ends before you slice them.  Slice them thinly and cook in syrup. Some recipes blanch them first, though they are less bitter than the whole peels as used above. 

 

Edited to add:  here's a link to an Instant Pot method that I've used with lemon and limes

Edited December 4, 2020 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Kim Shook]

As anyone who has known me for more than a year knows, we normally do our big blow-out Xmas celebration on Xmas Eve.  That is, of course, out this year.  So, it will be just the three of us.  Which feels deeply weird.  It is the first time in my life without a significant gathering on Xmas Eve – in my mom’s family this gathering goes back over 100 years.  It will also be my first Xmas without my mom being in the world.  I’ve already had a few weepy moments already, but that’s to be expected. 

 

Having said that, we are still going to make things special – our tree is up and decorated.  Mr. Kim has begun bringing boxes of house decorations home from our storage locker.  And the three of us have decided on menus for Xmas Eve, Xmas morning, various goodies and Xmas night.  Pared down to some extent. 

 

Xmas Eve:

SV Pork Loin Roast

Gravy

Sweet Potato Latkes (Jessica)

Fruit Salad

Broccoli Gratin w/ Streusel

Garlic Mushrooms (Jessica)

Cornbread

Compound butter (Jessica)

 

Xmas Morning:

Quiche

Sausage rolls

A sweet roll that my MIL makes

Bagels and cream cheese

 

Xmas Night:

Relish Tray - pimento cheese, celery, olives, pickles, pickled green tomatoes

Turkey

Challah Dressing (Jessica)

Gravy

Cheese potatoes

Sweet Potato Souffle

Shredded sauteed Brussel sprouts

Cranberry sauce

Rolls  

 

Xmas Goodies:

PB cookies

Sugar cookies

Pecans

Peanut Brittle

Sponge Candy & Happy Accident Candy

Lemon chess tarts

Turtle candy

Toffee

 

I’ve ordered the pork roast from our rock star (winner of Chopped on Food Network) lady butcher.  It will be skin on so that I can get some crackling – I’ll be asking for advice on the SV thread soon.  The gravy and cheese potatoes for Xmas night were made when I did them for Thanksgiving and are in the freezer. 

 

Put this out for all the delivery drivers – I saw this being done last year and thought it was a good idea, but it seems especially right this year with all of the internet shopping we’re doing:

 

I made the cranberry sauce Monday.  I didn’t have Grand Marnier, so I used Blue Curacao:

LOL – luckily, it blended in when the sauce was finished:

 

I did the mini quiche yesterday:

[Kim Shook]

Sausage rolls for Christmas morning went in the freezer yesterday:

 

I am such a goober.  When I wrote the recipe I put one of the most important notes at the end of the directions instead of in the notes at the beginning of the recipe.  I didn't read the whole thing before putting the sausage mix together and therefore missed this statement: "I halved this recipe and ended up with probably 35 little sausage rolls." 😳   I did NOT halve the recipe.  I have a billion little sausage rolls! 😄

[caroled]

18 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Sausage rolls for Christmas morning went in the freezer yesterday:

 

I am such a goober.  When I wrote the recipe I put one of the most important notes at the end of the directions instead of in the notes at the beginning of the recipe.  I didn't read the whole thing before putting the sausage mix together and therefore missed this statement: "I halved this recipe and ended up with probably 35 little sausage rolls." 😳   I did NOT halve the recipe.  I have a billion little sausage rolls! 😄

And that's a bad thing how???

 

[Okanagancook]

Just DH and myself so we are going to try and score some fresh oysters and depending on the type have them raw or Rockafellas.  Main will be duck.  My thought was duck breast because that will be easier clean up compared to what DH wants...Nigellas twice cooked duck.  It is first roasted over water for two hours then refrigerated over night.  It is roasted regular style in a hot oven for an hour to crispen the skin and make a mess in the oven.

 

Champagne and pinot Noir

 

 

[Toliver]

50 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Just DH and myself so we are going to try and score some fresh oysters and depending on the type have them raw or Rockafellas.  Main will be duck.  My thought was duck breast because that will be easier clean up compared to what DH wants...Nigellas twice cooked duck.  It is first roasted over water for two hours then refrigerated over night.  It is roasted regular style in a hot oven for an hour to crispen the skin and make a mess in the oven.

 

Champagne and pinot Noir

 

 

I watched a YouTube clip with a whole roasted duck (which I thought was unusual since, as you said, it's usually just the breast being cooked):

 

And here's the link for those who can't watch the embedded video:

https://youtu.be/XYLoiURuoLw

 

[gfweb]

On 12/4/2020 at 8:40 AM, gfweb said:

 

Absent for two years!  Thought it was more recent that I saw him....Time flies.  I PMd him. Maybe he's still around these parts.

The Baron was kind enough to respond to my pm. Helpful.

[Kim Shook]

2 hours ago, Toliver said:

I watched a YouTube clip with a whole roasted duck (which I thought was unusual since, as you said, it's usually just the breast being cooked):

 

And here's the link for those who can't watch the embedded video:

https://youtu.be/XYLoiURuoLw

 

Growing up in the 1960's, I can remember duck being on many menus.  My mom was between marriages and young and pretty and she insisted on me being included in many dates.  I ate duck at a very young age - I can remember getting a half duck in an order many times (a l'orange, naturally😄).  My mom worked for a group of men at one point that went hunting together and would bring her a dressed bird.  I have no memory of what she did to it, but I loved all her versions.  I was at the office one time and someone mentioned that there was cold duck in the refrigerator (they were a bunch of former fighter pilots/journalists and it was the 60's) and I was deeply disappointed to find nothing but a bottle of WINE!  

[MokaPot]

@Kim Shook, your holiday foods look good. So sweet of you to put out stuff for the delivery drivers. I'm sure they appreciate it.

[gfweb]

Looks like Xmas dinner has evolved into being Goose!

[chromedome]

49 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

 I was at the office one time and someone mentioned that there was cold duck in the refrigerator (they were a bunch of former fighter pilots/journalists and it was the 60's) and I was deeply disappointed to find nothing but a bottle of WINE!  

LOL We must be rough contemporaries. I can affirm that Cold Duck was also popular at parties involving naval personnel in Atlantic Canada at roughly the same time period. The men were mostly beer, whisky and rum drinkers, IIRC, so I'd guess the wine was favored by the wives (and stealthy children the next morning, curious to learn what the fuss was all about).

[heidih]

5 minutes ago, chromedome said:

LOL We must be rough contemporaries. I can affirm that Cold Duck was also popular at parties involving naval personnel in Atlantic Canada at roughly the same time period. 

 

For years we had a hole in one of the 2 x 4 kitchen light panels where my dad popped that plastic cork and it shot. 

[heidih]

9 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Looks like Xmas dinner has evolved into being Goose!

What is your preferred goose prep? I love it. One year I insisted on doing it for the Christmas Day main meal. Recipe called for pricking skin aggressively to start fat rendering and then flaming Slivovitz over it, then roast. My notes say 1980!. Confirming my status as the odd one. It was enjoyed. Bonus: I used Maraska brand with the cool bottle which I collected. 

[gfweb]

9 minutes ago, heidih said:

What is your preferred goose prep? I love it. One year I insisted on doing it for the Christmas Day main meal. Recipe called for pricking skin aggressively to start fat rendering and then flaming Slivovitz over it, then roast. My notes say 1980!. Confirming my status as the odd one. It was enjoyed. Bonus: I used Maraska brand with the cool bottle which I collected. 

 

Only cooked it once or twice. Roasted once and SV once.

 

Any suggestions?

[Okanagancook]

I cooked a goose once and after much deliberation about how to cook it I made the breasts as appetizers so they could be cooked to the appropriate temperature.  The rest of the bird was made into a ragu.  I think we had six dinners.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Okanagancook (log)

[Anna N]

53 minutes ago, chromedome said:

LOL We must be rough contemporaries. I can affirm that Cold Duck was also popular at parties involving naval personnel in Atlantic Canada at roughly the same time period. The men were mostly beer, whisky and rum drinkers, IIRC, so I'd guess the wine was favored by the wives (and stealthy children the next morning, curious to learn what the fuss was all about).

Cold Duck and Crackling Rose. Oh how sophisticated we thought we were. Those were the days!

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

Cold Duck and Crackling Rose. Oh how sophisticated we thought we were. Those were the days!

Matteus rose!

[Franci]

I’ve not planned a single thing yet. The only thing I did, just because it is the last day available to make sure it will come in time  for Christmas, it was to buy Biasetto Panettone classico from Gustiamo, here. It is expensive but also in Italy a good artisanal panettone is expensive.  I think I will do some planning, reading now what you guys have been doing. 

Edited December 12, 2020 by Franci (log)

[Kim Shook]

Made cinnamon pecans a couple of days ago:

 

Yesterday was great day for candy making – very dry and cool.  Peanut brittle:

 

 

Sponge candy:

I ended up with one perfect batch and a slightly sticky batch.  I ran a little short of dark corn syrup and used a little Golden Syrup and am wondering if that is the culprit. 

 

I also made these silly little things that everyone loves:

Pretzels, Rolos, and pecan halves.

 

Glad I didn’t wait until today to make the candy as it is pouring.  Please pray for me – we are off to the post office to mail our packages.  At LUNCHTIME 😳.

[TicTac]

On 12/4/2020 at 11:16 AM, Eatmywords said:

Oooh now I'm jonesing the same.   My last one was w bourbon and apples but I like the idea of port.  What's your method?  

Not sure how I missed this...

 

Saute onions till fully caramelized.  Remove then sear livers in butter - I take it to about a medium rare then deglaze with port and typically sage or rosemary - add back in the onions, cook off the alcohol and add butter.  Blitz and you can push through a sieve if you wish.  Bourbon and apples sound like a good combo too.

[Eatmywords]

45 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Not sure how I missed this...

 

Saute onions till fully caramelized.  Remove then sear livers in butter - I take it to about a medium rare then deglaze with port and typically sage or rosemary - add back in the onions, cook off the alcohol and add butter.  Blitz and you can push through a sieve if you wish.  Bourbon and apples sound like a good combo too.

NIce, your process is pretty much the same as mine.  I've played with alcohol cook time depending on how prominent you want the booze.  I imagine w a nice port you want less than a spirit.  I've seen recipes with nuts, which we have in abundance, so I might do pistachios or walnuts.   We'll see.  Thanks again!     

[kayb]

Elfing today.

 

 

Brownie bites filled with caramel ganache.

 

 

Three nut brittles -- cashew, peanut and macadamia. Still to come, almond, pecan and walnut.

 

 

Pecan pie mini-cupcakes. I love these things. They're a cross between a pecan pie and a cupcake, and have sort of the texture of a brownie with lots of nuts.

 

 

Candied spiced pecans. New recipe, made with sugar and ras el hanout, bound to the pecans with egg whites.  I could have sworn I had some ras el hanout. I could not find it. Fortunately, the recipe included a sub-recipe for ras el hanout. These things are addictive. I may not give them away.

 

 

[catdaddy]

21 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Made cinnamon pecans a couple of days ago:

 

Yesterday was great day for candy making – very dry and cool.  Peanut brittle:

 

 

Sponge candy:

I ended up with one perfect batch and a slightly sticky batch.  I ran a little short of dark corn syrup and used a little Golden Syrup and am wondering if that is the culprit. 

 

I also made these silly little things that everyone loves:

Pretzels, Rolos, and pecan halves.

 

Glad I didn’t wait until today to make the candy as it is pouring.  Please pray for me – we are off to the post office to mail our packages.  At LUNCHTIME 😳.

Those pecans look so good. Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? I'd be happy to trade for my Buttermilk Praline recipe.