Christmas 2022

[liuzhou]

I'm not a big Christmas celebrator, but I'm ready. It's amazing what you find in China!

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[Anna N]

5 hours ago, liuzhou said:

It's amazing what you find in China!

Because I could, I plugged the search term “mince tarts” into my online grocery store. It returned something called Farmers Market Minced Fruit Tarts. They looked right and the ingredient list could pass for a modern version of mince meat without the meat. Don’t think I will be ordering them though. My sister who lives in England will be making dozens of them soon. I will just enjoy the memory.

[kayb]

Don’t know why, but I rarely make Chex mix except at Christmas. Today, I have a vat — actually two vats — as Child A asked me to make gift bags of that and peanut brittle for next week when it’s her day to stuff stockings at work.

 

This is two boxes of corn Chex, two boxes of rice Chex, a party sized bag of mini pretzels, a pound of peanuts and a pound of pecans. Sauce is two sticks of melted butter, a cup of Worcestershire sauce, liberal portions of two different kinds of hot sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder. Bake at 275 for an hour and a half, stirring at 20 minute intervals.

 

I’m telling y’all. It’s crack.

 

[ElsieD]

6 hours ago, kayb said:

Don’t know why, but I rarely make Chex mix except at Christmas. Today, I have a vat — actually two vats — as Child A asked me to make gift bags of that and peanut brittle for next week when it’s her day to stuff stockings at work.

 

This is two boxes of corn Chex, two boxes of rice Chex, a party sized bag of mini pretzels, a pound of peanuts and a pound of pecans. Sauce is two sticks of melted butter, a cup of Worcestershire sauce, liberal portions of two different kinds of hot sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder. Bake at 275 for an hour and a half, stirring at 20 minute intervals.

 

I’m telling y’all. It’s crack.

 

 

I too make it once a year at Christmas.  That is the only time I make it, I don't eat it but my husband asks for it.

[kayb]

I’ll make another batch this size between now and Christmas. My family inhales the stuff. I use gluten free pretzels for the batch I’ll make just for us.

[Kerala]

This Christmas will be at my little sister's. My BiL has banned poultry because of the current avian flu worries, so this will be interesting. There will be 12-15 of us together over about 5 days, 7 of us who will be cooking or prepping at various times I imagine.

In the absence of chicken/duck liver pate, I will explore the terrine thread for a surprise substitute! Oh, excitement!

[kayb]

Pate de campagne. I posted a recipe from Gourmet that is marvelous.

[Tropicalsenior]

4 hours ago, Kerala said:

I will explore the terrine thread

This is the recipe that I developed over the years using things that are available to me here. I know it calls for chicken liver but I have made it with both beef and pork liver when I couldn't get a hold of chicken livers. Maybe it would work for you.

[ElsieD]

7 hours ago, kayb said:

Pate de campagne. I posted a recipe from Gourmet that is marvelous.

 

Where did you post it?

[Anna N]

River Cottage has a nice mushroom pate. 
Here.

[liuzhou]

9 hours ago, Anna N said:

River Cottage has a nice mushroom pate. 
Here.

 

River Cottage has nice everything it has!

[kayb]

19 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

Where did you post it?

Well, I can’t find it. But this is it:

 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/country-pate-em-pate-de-campagne-em-350966

 

I think it’ll show it to you. I’m not a subscriber.

 

 

[Smithy]

20 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

Where did you post it?

 

26 minutes ago, kayb said:

Well, I can’t find it. But this is it:

 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/country-pate-em-pate-de-campagne-em-350966

 

I think it’ll show it to you. I’m not a subscriber.

 

 

 

I remembered kayb posting about it in the Cook-Off topic, but apparently she simply posted two links (the one above, and another) here. This is a good place to post a reminder, however, that the Cook-Off never stops, and there may be more holiday pâtés that someone wants to explore. 🙂

 

 

[Tropicalsenior]

"You’ve read your last free recipe,"

 

This is what I got when I clicked on the link. Seems kind of nasty to me. I did get enough of a glimpse of it to see that it's a pretty basic păté. In fact I like the one that I posted better. It is a bit more complex.

[Anna N]

On 12/8/2022 at 7:54 AM, Anna N said:

Because I could, I plugged the search term “mince tarts” into my online grocery store. It returned something called Farmers Market Minced Fruit Tarts. They looked right and the ingredient list could pass for a modern version of mince meat without the meat. Don’t think I will be ordering them though. My sister who lives in England will be making dozens of them soon. I will just enjoy the memory.

And here they are:

 

I forget if she said they made 125 or 135.

[Maison Rustique]

My sister and her husband are hosting this year. My BIL is insisting on having beef which is fine, but he hasn't said how he intends to prepare it. I keep asking what sides I should bring, but my sister hasn't planned anything yet. Time is running out! I need to get my planning/shopping done. They are last-minute people. I am not.

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

My sister and her husband are hosting this year. My BIL is insisting on having beef which is fine, but he hasn't said how he intends to prepare it. I keep asking what sides I should bring, but my sister hasn't planned anything yet. Time is running out! I need to get my planning/shopping done. They are last-minute people. I am not.

I've only recently become a fan of creamed spinach. Goes with everything as far as I can tell. 

[gulfporter]

Making oxtails in the instant pot on Christmas Day.  It'll be an experiment as it's been years since I fiddled with oxtails and never in the pressure pot (which I've only used a few times). 

 

Sides will be more Christmas-y:

> Mashed camotes (sweet potatoes) to which I add apples and onions sautéed in butter, and some chipotle.  

> Charred Brussels sprouts with bacon. 

 

Mi esposo is making Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka).  He's never made it before.   

 

Christmas Eve we usually have bubbly and a variety of treats (patés, olives, cornichons, cheeses, fresh bread, veggie jams or confits).  There is a new import store here and we will splurge on whatever strikes our fancy.  

[lindag]

1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:

I've only recently become a fan of creamed spinach. Goes with everything as far as I can tell. 

I have to admit that I've never had creamed spinach.  This is going to change very soon.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

5 minutes ago, lindag said:

I have to admit that I've never had creamed spinach.  This is going to change very soon.

Townsend's creamed spinach   was a downtown SF ladies' lunch favorite.   My roommate and I used to meet maybe once a month over this ultimate comfort bowl.

This recipe says "chop" but I remember it as a velvety puree.

Edited December 14, 2022 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Kim Shook]

4 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

My sister and her husband are hosting this year. My BIL is insisting on having beef which is fine, but he hasn't said how he intends to prepare it. I keep asking what sides I should bring, but my sister hasn't planned anything yet. Time is running out! I need to get my planning/shopping done. They are last-minute people. I am not.

My SIL is a last-minute person, too.  I just makes me crazy.  This Roasted Onion dish SHINES with beef of any kind.  It can be made ahead and served room temperature or heated up in a hot oven for a few minutes.  

[Tropicalsenior]

2 hours ago, gulfporter said:

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka).  He's never made it before.   

I haven't made that in ages and it is so good. So... I got out my recipe for it and...

I don't have cake pans and my springform pan sprung a leak so I made it in a glass pie plate.

I baked it at 350° for 18 minutes. It might be just a tad overdone but it's still going to taste great. Now I just have to wait until it gets good and cold so I can eat it

A couple of hints for your husband. It says to whisk together the sugar and butter. I beat them together vigorously and also beat it thoroughly as I add the eggs. If it isn't a little fluffy at this point it can turn out to be quite dense. It doesn't hurt the flavor but it does make a nicer mouth feel.

This cake is so simple to make and next to brownies, my very favorite chocolate baked treat.

[gulfporter]

@Tropicalsenior  Thanks for the tips!

 

He plans to make this recipe; likes the idea of the ganache topper.  He's a chocoholic (who isn't??)

 

https://thecafesucrefarine.com/swedish-sticky-chocolate-cake/

 

[Tropicalsenior]

15 minutes ago, gulfporter said:

Thanks for the tips!

Thanks for the recipe. I think that I would like it better than the one I have. It has just a little more sugar and a bit more chocolate. I've never made it with the ganache topping and it's too late for this one but I think that I will try that next time. I don't know about where you are but I can't get the refined sugar and I think that is why it works better to thoroughly beat the butter and the eggs.

 

I hesitate to tell my housemate, Carlos, the name of this cake. He is going to want to know what a Kladd is.

Edited December 14, 2022 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[gulfporter]

@Tropicalsenior  Our Mexican sugar is not as refined as US products (crystals are larger).  I run it through the food processor before using if I have concerns about it dissolving in certain recipes.  I make panna cotta a lot and if I don't process the sugar beforehand it will come out grainy as you don't want to overcook the cream.