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Ultimately, you are cooking for yourself

Angela Alaimo

By Angela Alaimo
in Food Traditions & Culture

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Angela Alaimo

Angela Alaimo

Posted
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creamed spinach would fit the criteria of comfort/traditional/appropriate, but do you make it fresh, or from a box?

make it fresh and don't compromise.

did he like your homemade creamed spinach?

Yes, he did. He said it tasted "really spinachy", unlike the boxed version. :laugh:

Angela

well there ya go.

as i said, my broccoli casserole with real live cheese sauce was a big hit with the campbell's soup crowd.

my simple sausage stuffing is a big hit with the stove top crowd too.

so familiar foods done from scratch do work.

Hey, you just reminded me! They all *love* the stuffing I make (actually it's dressing, cooked separately), and request it every year. I have to agree, it's the best I've ever tasted. :wink:

Another little snackie to make for Christmas came to mind yesterday--gougeres. I could just say they're fluffy cheese balls and that should get them to at least have a bite, eh?

Angela

"I'm not looking at the panties, I'm looking at the vegetables!" --RJZ
Busboy

Busboy

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Good cooking is its own best advocate; and a rose by any other name...

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

Angela Alaimo

Angela Alaimo

Posted
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Forgive me but...What do you think would happen if I made a cream of mushroom soup and drizzled a little white truffle oil over each serving? I have some, btw. :biggrin:

Angela

"I'm not looking at the panties, I'm looking at the vegetables!" --RJZ
Barbara Moss

Barbara Moss

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You could drizzle truffle oil on Cheerios and I'd be happy..... :biggrin:

Holidays are for togetherness.They are also to provide memories. I mostly make the traditional things that my family loves because they love them. Of course, no one asks me to make the stuff with the cream of mushroom soup but I have made the brisket with onion soup and ketchup for about 30 years and although I do not really care for it, I know many people look forward to it. I do all the Jewish holidays and although I do try to include one new dish every year I mostly stick to the SOS. When we moved out of our house this last summer, one if the boys who is now twenty something was almost in tears over the memories of the things he loved that I cook. Brisket? Yup! It was hard for me to realize that this is not a contest about who is the best cook. Anyway, I know I would win...(LOL)Just some thoughts for the coming holidays.

Daddy-A

Daddy-A

Posted
Posted

We ran into this exact dilemna two years ago. It was our turn to host the family Christmas dinner (about 20 people altogether), and J & I were discussing the menu. Neither of us are particularly fond of the typical holiday fare our families usually brought to the table ... brussel sprouts (not a la Sam, which I may one day try), potatoes 3 ways: mashed with (whole) peas, mashed without (whole) peas, and Romanoff (lots of sour cream and cheese), 2 or 3 jellied salads, turkey cooked dry as a bone with the Capozzi family dressing (we are not the Capozzi's, so it's not even our family recipe!).

As GG said up thread, educating palates is a time consuming endevaour. So we thought we'd start with our Christmas dinner. We started with a Curried (very mild) Butternut Squash Soup garnished with sour cream squirted from a bottle (star & tree shapes!). Main course was the turkey (couldn't get away without the Capozzi dressing ... something about a curse and a hitman) roasted winter veggies, and scalloped potatoes. Nothing earth shattering, right?

Our sibblings and their families thought everything was wonderful. My aunts however are still not speaking to me. Something about trying to ruin their Christmas and that blasted soup being too spicey (even though it was consumed happily by 4 kids under 5 years old, including one infant :wacko: ).

This year it's my brother's turn, and his wife just phoned us for the soup recipe!

A.

Angela Alaimo

Angela Alaimo

Posted
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Posted
You could drizzle truffle oil on Cheerios and I'd be happy..... :biggrin:

Hathor--I was once was the groom of a race horse named Plutarch--I will drizzle your Cheerious anytime. :wub:

The three (or four) of us can't be wrong, eh?

Angela

"I'm not looking at the panties, I'm looking at the vegetables!" --RJZ
Angela Alaimo

Angela Alaimo

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Daddy A--I've got good news! I spoke to SIL this earlier this evening and she said she loved my roasted brussels sprouts. I think we've got something of a breakthrough here, and my Christmas dinner will be ok.

It will be wonderful just for the fact that my oldest boy will be home from university and we will cook together. I found a story in Fine Cooking about dry-aging a prime rib, and he'll probably want to do that. He's a serious carnivore. :rolleyes:

Angela

"I'm not looking at the panties, I'm looking at the vegetables!" --RJZ
NulloModo

NulloModo

Posted
Posted

My philosphy with all holiday dinners is that more is always better. So, make all of the traditional favorites, and just add the extra new stuff on top. People can choose whether or not to endulge, but no one is deprived, and the more food, themore fun the occasion.

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

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