BS: Holiday Eating

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 08:45 PM

Alex, I don't definitively remember, but I THINK it may have been from Gourmet Magazine, some years ago.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: MMario
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 03:13 PM

from a site about the origins of the salad:

"There are also a number of non-canonical versions of the Cardini legend: according to Rik Espinosa, Paul Maggiora, a partner of the Cardini's, claimed to have tossed the first Caesar's salad in 1927 for American airmen from San Diego and called it "Aviator's Salad." (Maggiore and the two Cardini's were all veterans of the Italian air force during the war.) Paul Kump claims that Diana Kennedy (an oft-quoted authority on Mexican cooking) had met Alex Cardini in Mexico City before Alex's death in 1975, and that Alex claimed to have developed the salad (he too allegedly called it "aviator's salad"). (For those interested in the culinary details, Alex's version included anchovies, but that was not the way Caesar made it--in the canonical telling he got the fishy tang only from Worcestershire sauce.) Neal Matthews ("San Diego Union-Tribune", March 2, 1995) quotes one Livio Santini, an elderly resident of Tijuana, who claims he made the salad, from a recipe of his mother, in the kitchen of Caesar's restaurant when he was 18 years old, in 1925, and that Caesar took the recipe from him. "

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 03:04 PM

I learned it off the back of the bottle of "original Caesar" salad dressing that his daughter hawks. She could be lying, I suppose, or have gotten the story wrong. Where did you hear your version?

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 02:39 PM

Alex, as I learned the story of Caesar Cardini's extempore origination of the Caesar salad, it DID have the anchovies. One of us is wrong!

I can't stand anchovies straight--MUCH too salty. But in Caesar salad, yes. The trick is to mash them up and incorporate in the dressing. A little of the flavor, but not enough to kill you.

The one other place for anchovies, in my book, is a pasta dish my Beautiful Wife makes, with cauliflower flowerets in a sauce with a little anchovie flavor. For this I give her my supreme accolade: "You can make this ANY time!" When she hears that, she knows she's made a hit.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 02:37 PM

Alex, as I learned the story of Caesar Cardini's extempore origination of the Caesar salad, it DID have the anchovies. One of us is wrong!

I can't stand anchovies straight--MUCH too salty. But in Caesar salad, yes. The trick is to mash them up and incorporate in the dressing. A little of the flavor, but not enough to kill you.

The one other place for anchovies, in my book, is a pasta dish my Beautiful Wife makes, with cauliflower flowerets in a sauce with a little anchovie flavor. For this I give her my supreme accolade: "You can make this ANY time!" When she hears that, she knows she's made a hit.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 12:59 PM

Thanks, kimmers! Can't wait to try it!

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: CamiSu
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 01:13 AM

Wow. Food. Mmmm... I'm home now, and enjoying NOT cooking for myself, not because I don't love it, but because my father is such a fabulous cook! (Yet another man who loves to cook and is good at it!) Do not fear, though, the younger generation likes prepared meals no better than you all - I served Thanksgiving dinner to approximately twenty of my very appreciative friends, and would have done Christmas, too, had we not all run home. As it was, I made Chocolate ganache truffle balls and marzipan animals for them, and we all ate them until we felt sick, and then ate some more! Mmm.

I have lots of male friends who like to cook, but I often get them to let me cook for them instead, because I only really like to cook for others. If it's just me eating, it seems a waste of effort.

-Jessica (Wavestar) on her mother's machine

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: kimmers
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 12:54 AM

Alex, that sounds like a totally legit reason to leave out the anchovies. I just happen to like the little buggers. And I would never trick vegetarian friends into eating 'chovies; I just like toying with the squeamish.

Anyway, here's the Sweet Potatoes with Praline Sauce.

First, make the sauce. Use a small heavy-bottomed saucepan (I have an old heavy cast aluminum pot that I love) and place 1 cup of white sugar in it. Turn the burner to 'medium', and melt the sugar slowly to a brown syrup. I whisk it frequently as it melts to keep it from burning; make sure you have a sturdy stainless steel whisk.

Have ready 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 1/4 cup of water. When the sugar is all melted, without any lumps, turn off the burner and pour the corn syrup into the pan while whisking continuously. The sugar will be very hot, and the corn syrup will bubble and foam. As soon as it is well incorporated, add the water and whisk thoroughly. Careful, it may spatter.

Remove the pot from heat. Let it cool a minute or so. Then stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in 3/4 cup of chopped pecans, and let the whole mess cool. Store in a plastic tub until you're ready to use it. It's delicious on ice cream. Hand the empty sticky pot, along with a rubber scraper, to your spouse or a favorite child to lick out.

For the actual dish, peel four large sweet potatoes (the dark orange kind). Cut them into quarters and simmer them in salted water until just barely tender. Spread them out in a baking pan, pour the Praline Sauce on top (as much of it as you can justify) and bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes. Forget about dessert, you won't need it.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 11:20 PM

Well, eatin' the whole thing'll give ya indigestion, but if ya share it around you'll do all right!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: The Shambles
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 02:55 AM

Never eaten a whole Holiday.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Clifton53
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 08:29 PM

My wife is right at this moment baking up a batch of chocolate-chippers which will no doubt be long gone by Christmas. The problem? I've got a wicked case of bronchitis and a stuffy schnozz and can't SMELL them!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 07:33 PM

Alas, I eat far too much prepared food. Without the microwave, I'd probably eat even worse. But I can make a decent oyster stew! (And I do, every New Year's, even if it's just for me.)

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 06:16 PM

I've been reading this thread at work (shh) I had to go get dinner after reading about all the good food everyone loves and or misses. Alas, hospital food doesn't measure up. Peg, I enjoyed your memories- very poignant and true. I think most of us are of the age where WE'RE the older generation now and it's up to us to keep great food and traditions alive. Happy Holidays, everyone.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 05:34 PM

Yup, me too until I found this version, purists would probably argue that it isn't proper flaky, but it's so easy who cares.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Bert
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 05:29 PM

Hey I'll have to try that version Greyeyes. I usually stick to short pastry 'cos flaky ain't worth the trouble.

Bert.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 05:27 PM

Pleasure.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 05:22 PM

Wow. Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 05:21 PM

Aha, I use a cheats version. 8oz flour, pinch of salt, 6oz unsalted butter and enough iced water to bring it together. The trick is to weigh out the butter, wrap it in foil then deep freeze it for 30-45 minutes so it's rock hard. Grate it with a course cheese grater directly onto the flour, toss it so every sliver of butter is coated with flour. Bring it together to a dough with the iced water but don't overwork it. Put it in a plastic bag in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Then roll out as normal. In fact cut it in half and put half back in the fridge until you're ready to use it. Everything should be as cold as possible, hence the marble implements.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 04:48 PM

So Greyeyes, what's the secret to flaky pastry? Mine is always limp and/or dead.

alex

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 04:44 PM

I should add that the less said about the first batch, the better!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 04:43 PM

Thought this thread had died, but suddenly a new lease of life!

I agree that if you disguise anchovies many people eat them happily. My father hates them, I once gave him olives stuffed with anchovies and he ate nearly a bowl-full before I told him what was in them. Lea and Perrins (Worcestershire) sauce is heavily flavoured with anchovies and many anchovy haters use this copiously.

Men who cook is not just a bachelor thing. I know many couples where the bloke cooks and the woman rarely ventures into the kitchen. In an age when generally both partners work, the domestic chores have to be divided somehow. If the bloke likes to cook, or the woman doesn't, that seems a reasonable division.

NightWing, I'll look out for beer bread recipes, I'm sure I've seen some. Frozen Pizzas? Urgh. When I'm too tired to cook it's bread, cheese and wine.

I have always avoided making pastry, on the grounds that I'm no good at it, but a well meaning relative gave me a marble rolling pin and pastry board recently so I have been practising. The second batch of mince pies this year were a triumph! Flaky pastry to die for!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: MMario
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 04:41 PM

NightWing - try searching on google.com there seem to be a number out there...

for example rye beer bread made with yeast

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 04:39 PM

The original caesar salad, as made by Caesar Cardini in Tijuana during prohibition, did not have anchovies. I'm a purist.

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: NightWing
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 04:04 PM

kimmers,

Might be he doesn't make it with anchovies 'cause he's veggie (that's my reason, anyway) or because lots/some of the people who'll be eating it are veggies.

I am another of the males around here who is a pretty good cook. In my case, I got it from Mom. She always used to bake bread and I grew up knowing how to do it. She had me cooking from the time I could actually reach the top of the stove (on a stepchair *G*). A good 'cook' but an excellent 'baker'. Everyone always asks me to bring my fresh bread to parties. (An' I just found a neat recipe for "Beer-Cheese Bread", kind of biscuit-y with beer and cheese. Any other similar recipes would be appreciated. I really want to find a yeast bread made with beer. Nummy!)

I agree about "prepared meals". Blech! But I will admit to buying two or three frozen pizzas every month for that evening when I get home from work and am JUST too bushed to cook. (When you cook for yourself, you can get away with that once in a while *S*)

But for the holidays, it's up to my folks' place. Don't do nothing but wash dishes after ... and lie around bloated *L*

BB,
NightWing

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: kimmers
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 03:16 PM

No anchovies, Alex? Then it isn't a Caesar! Just chop 'em real fine, and lie boldly when asked if you put them in. I've served people Caesar with anchovies, watched them chow down, and watched them push their plates away with horror once I told them what was really in there.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: MMario
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 02:32 PM

LOL MouseThief! Now in my parish, which I attend with my sister (who can cook but prefers not to cook) the question is usually "So what are you having your brother make?"

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: MMario
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 02:27 PM

A number of other male MudCatters also cook and seem to enjoy it, based on previous threads

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 02:16 PM

Thanks, Peg. I love cooking! Always have. Haven't always done it well, but the years of being a bachelor allowed me to practice different dishes with only one potential fatality.

At church this Sunday I was cornered by two women and basically TOLD I WOULD be providing my famous Caesar Salad for the potluck on New Year's Eve.

(My Caesar Salad rule of thumb: if it doesn't hurt, there's not enough garlic. Always a huge crowd-pleaser!)

(Answer to question before it's asked: No, I don't use anchovies.)

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Peg
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 02:13 PM

Greyeyes and mousethief:

it is so nice to hear two men saying they enjoy cooking for themselves! Not even many single women these days say the same; I read recently that one of the fastest growing supermarket items in terms of sales is prepared meals. They have come a long way since the Yuppie '80's but they are still full of preservatives and have probably no actual life or love contained therein...which is why, strange as it may seem, one can suffer from malnutrition even if one eats handfuls of vitamins and six Powerbars per day...the life-force of live food (fresh produce etc.) cannot be replaced with freeze-dried or dehydrated foodstuff, I don't care how fortified it is...

BTW I am also single (and female)and like to cook for myself, and others. If we were all in the same area I would suggest a dinner party!

peg

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: kimmers
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 08:33 PM

You know, I think I would rather have a bowl of cooked-from-scratch cornmeal mush than one of those dreadful microwave frozen dinners. Yeesh. They are not allowed in our house. We may be so tired that we eat bread and cheese and prunes for dinner, but at least it's real food.

On the other hand, bad cooking can be a bit of a fun tradition too... witness my mother's awful Thanksgiving dinners. If they were tasty, I'd worry that aliens had kidnapped my mother. And she takes the teasing so well.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 06:31 PM

Copious quantities.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 06:29 PM

It was all that was mentioned. You must be one of those sly ones that only mention food and music BEFOREHAND, but then presses for more.

But as you point out we're both male so I will be more than content with food and music. Two of my favorite pleasures. Do you serve wine too?

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 06:27 PM

Actually I've just checked the Mudcat resources and discovered that you are male, as am I. You are of course still welcome, but food and music only!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 06:23 PM

It's a date!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 06:07 PM

Golly, Greyeyes, I'll be right over!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Greyeyes
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 06:06 PM

Peg

"How many of our Christmas memories are centered around the delightful traditional foods prepared, as they were in the old days, with love and care and the haunting mystical quality of hundreds of years of authenticity?"

I couldn't agree more. I cook from scratch most nights, although I live alone. I love to cook, I love to eat. Buying a microwave meal to me is like saying to a Mudcatter "why make music when you can buy a Cd and listen to it without any effort?"

I sing as I cook, two of the great joys of the world. And if I can find someone to share my food, or enjoy my singing, my joy knows no bounds.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 05:57 PM

Yeah, Anima! I make these melt-in-your-mouth brown-butter German shortbread cookies which I've been making since I've been in high school. Unfortunately none of the kids seem to like them so I don't think this tradition will outlive me.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 05:52 PM

YES! Mousethief!! I am such a good and conscientous eater all year long, but at this time of year I gratefully sink my teeth into every delight that comes my way.
Peg, I think you're absolutely right about food made with love. I try to cook several meals from scratch each week, but it's hard. But this time of year the old recipes come out. Yesterday was a snow day home from school and I got out the age-old family orange-sugar-cookie recipe, without which Christmas simply would not come. My daughter asked me how often I had made these cookies, and I realized that there has never been a Christmas in my memory without them. Yum! I think I'll go have another one!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 04:28 PM

You said a mouth full Mousethief.

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 04:24 PM

I might become a curmudgeon if I were forced to eat Oyster Stew. But Spaw, damn my eyes and wipe my chin, you're almost sounding sentimental here!

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 04:20 PM

Yeah Brett...that's neat. Jaren has been doing the dough the night before, but I swear, she gets more excited than the kids!!! A few years ago when we had teenage boys and Mike and tris were still pretty small, she was so excited (and they weren't of course) that she woke them up at about 6:00 to get started. It was funnier than hell, but the older boys kinda' picked up the spirit from her and it was a great morning.

Peg has a great point about foods cooked with love. Special dishes that are holiday only seem to be disappearing and that's a shame. connie and Wayne and Karen and I have established a few "traditions" and it feels so nice to do the same things....again because they're done with love. Oyster Stew together on Christmas Eve is one of those that we all look forward to. Hard as I might try, I can't be a curmudgeon on Christmas.

And Peg......glad to see someone else enjoys the *BEST* part of the potato in their mashed taters!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 12:24 PM

Spaw! That bubble ring is part of my family Christmas too. You essentially described our Christmas mornings. My mother makes the bread on Christmas Eve, lets it rise over night and then bakes it in the morning. Great stuff!

BTW, my sister is a doc too and you should see what she eats!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Mrrzy
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 12:01 PM

My grandmother was a Quaker, so no alcohol, so she made her Christmas fruitcake in the spring with lots of fresh fruit, which would ferment over the year so that by the time we ate it at Christmas (and with my Mom's hard sauce, I have to say it was actually delicious) you could really feel the kick! But she (granny) was Russian, so it wasn't a real American fruitcake. Unlike our generation!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 11:51 AM

Neat stories, Peg! Thanks for sharing them! My mouth is watering...

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Peg
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 11:37 AM

growing up, we always spent Christmas Eve at my Italian grandparents' house: big sit-down dinner with lots of noise, kids and traditional foods. Which meant no meat until midnight; so there were lots of fish dishes including fried smelt, calamari and eels. I like smelt (I actually had some piping hot right out of the fryer last year and nearly lost my mind it was so damn good; all those years eating it lukewarm! The waste!) but wouldn't eat the other stuff. My grandfather took pity and let me eat his special roasted chicken (with oilive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and rosemary) before midnight sinc ehe knew I didn't like the squidgy seafood. He was the chef (he taught me his secrets for making sauce, bracciola, and meatballs), his wife was the hostess who refused to sit down until everyone had what they needed...

On Christmas Day, another big old-fashioned sit-down with the Irish/English side of the family: turkey, ham, scalloped oysters, Yorkshire pudding, cranberry sherbet (my grandnother made this and it was amazing), sweet and mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, plenty of pies (mincemeat sometimes) and LOTS of different kinds of cookies.

These days both events are much smaller affairs. From twenty to thirty people, all seated, to buffet-style meals for ten or twelve. My father's sister is nowhere near the cook her father was: her lasagna contains ricotta cheese, but no mozzarella or parmesan; and virtually no seasoning to the sauce. I eat spaghetti and drink red wine and silently toast my long-dead grandparents and their artful meals (which they also served every damn Sunday; Grandpa would cook the sauce from scratch and let it simmer all night) and Christmases past...

And on Christmas Day, when we nibble all day and usually don't have room for a big dinner, my mom has been known to make instant mashed potatoes (not when I'm there! I make them myself and I almost have my family grudgingly accepting my mashed potatoes made *with* the potato skins) and she STILL cooks the turkey all night long in a slow oven (even though it is now a ten-pounder instead of a thirty-pounder) and so it is often dry. Sometimes she still makes gravy from scratch.

Sigh. How many of our Christmas memories are centered around the delightful (and sometimes scary) traditional foods prepared, as they were in the old days, with love and care and the haunting mystical quality of hundreds of years of authenticity?

I think we were healthier then, when more people actually cooked meals at home; our food had more love stirred into it. Home cooking is healthy because it is fresh and hot, yes, but also because those who cook it imbue it with care and magic for the loved ones who will enjoy it.

Happy Holidays!

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: kimmers
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 06:59 PM

I stole it from Jeff Smith aka The Frugal Gourmet. It's in his American cookbook. I'll post it when I'm back home with my cookbooks... it is seriously yummy.

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: NightWing
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 06:31 PM

My goodness! Sweet potatoes with praline sauce? I missed that the first time through. Can *I* please have the recipe as well?

BB,
NightWing

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Kim C
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 05:44 PM

Ooh! Oooh! Me too! Me too! :)

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: mousethief
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 04:23 PM

Kimmers, will you PM me your recipe for pralined sweet potatoes?

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Holiday Eating
From: Rowana (at work)
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 04:14 PM

Last year a girlfriend and I made fruitcake using cooking tips from her Irish brother, her English cookery recipe, and my two US recipes. Combined 'em all. What a lot of fun we had. Those cakes were g-o-o-o-o-o-d!

I am going to follow all the suggestions in Alex's post. Happy holidays!