Pommes Dauphinoise (Potatoes au Gratin)

Joyeaux Noel

This Christmas my sister and her family are off gallivanting around Europe. They packed their bags, and left the rest of us back here to enjoy our usual holiday routine without them. (No. I’m not the least bit jealous!) For fun this year, since she will be in Paris for Christmas Eve, those of us left behind will enjoy a traditional Parisian Christmas Eve dinner.

There’s just one problem…

There are many fantastic cuisines around the world with their specific techniques and ingredients, and for centuries French cuisine has been considered the best of the best. If you can master classic French technique and flavor you can cook anything. (Thank you, Julia). So, imagine my surprise as I started looking through my French cookbooks and searching online, I came to realize—that for all their gastronomic sophistication, The French, when it comes to Christmas, are kinda boring.

Sure there is the Bûche de Noël and the rather ambitious Croquembouche but beyond that there really isn’t much that says “This is what we eat for a Joyeaux Noël”. To be fair, in Provence they do have the Gros Souper, which is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve but frankly I am not a fan of salt cod—and though Ratatouille is super good it just doesn’t seem festive enough.

After much deliberation, I decided to go traditional Bistro for dinner on Thursday. The menu is as follows: fresh made Country Pâté with assorted French cheese for appetizers, Arugula Salad with Pears, Gorgonzola and Bacon, Roast Filet de Bœuf, Sautéed Haricots Verts (green beans), Pommes Dauphinoise and, of course, French wine…

I did break with the traditional French in that we will be having the cheese and salad first instead of after the main meal. Honestly, it’s just easier that way, and I have enough stress to deal with ’cause Christmas dinner is Paella…Olé!

No matter how you choose to celebrate (eat your way through) your holiday, I wish you all good health and happiness this holiday season and a very Happy New Year!

Pommes Dauphinoise (Potatoes au Gratin)
Serves 6
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Spinach Gratin

Thanksgiving Roulette
I admit. I am a Thanksgiving purist. There should be turkey. There should be mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. There should be cranberries. And yes, let there be pie. Pecan and Pumpkin pie to be exact. I would prefer that this menu not be messed with. For most of my life things were as they should be…then I got married.

Once married, we made the decision to split the holidays amongst the two families—which means that we spend Thanksgiving with my In-Laws and Christmas is with my family. For the first few years Thanksgiving was an adjustment. I love my in-laws. They are awesome people, and my mother-in-law is a great cook. But they do Thanksgiving differently, and I had to learn to adjust.

Don’t get me wrong. The usual things are there: turkey, potatoes, stuffing, etc. But there were other dishes that were new to me. Sweet Potato Tsimmes with Pecans and Prunes is one, and has since become my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. (Who’da thunk it?) It is the vegetable dishes that seem to be in a constant state of flux. Sometimes it’s broccoli, and sometimes it’s green beans… Just like Forrest said, you never know what you’re going to get. (Thank goodness it hasn’t been brussels sprouts ‘cause…no.)

I am pleasantly surprised to say that after 14 years, I enjoy this little bit of change, and if it were up to me, I would offer Ina Garten’s Spinach Gratin as the vegetable of choice this year. It’s rich, creamy, and very good. And on a day reserved for feasting, why not?

Ina Garten’s Spinach Gratin
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties Read more…

Rizzo e Zucca (Rice and Butternut Squash)

Winds of Change

It was windy this morning with a tiny hint of chill in the air. This got me excited—it felt like fall had actually arrived (although warmer temperatures will stick around for a while). Right about this time of year my cooking habits change. My grill is used less and less, and my giant Dutch ovens start to see the light of day, on the stove or the heat of the oven. It’s all about the braising and the slow cooking, now.

My cooking technique is not the only thing that changes; my tastes change as well. I veer toward comfort food and fall-off-the-bone meats with mashed potatoes. Rice dishes become the norm. Apples, sage, sausage, and squash become my go to ingredients—as well as plenty of pork. And then, there is the Italian food…

Italian cuisine is a no-brainer in my house because it is approved of by my entire family. The recipes I choose are usually hearty, relatively simple, and definitely satisfying. A slow-simmered Sunday gravy (a.k.a meaty tomato sauce) can be the perfect end to a weekend of football and other sports. Throw in a nice bottle of wine and some fresh crusty bread, and I am a happy girl.

This week’s recipe is a typical Italian fall dish: one you will see often grace my autumn table. It’s easy to make, and oh so satisfying. Rizzo e Zucca comes from Lidia Bastianich cookbook titled, Lidia Cooks From The Heart of Italy. This is not your typical Italian cookbook. The recipes are mostly from the lesser known areas of Italy, and are the food that would be eaten everyday, by locals.

Rizzo e Zucca (Rice and Butternut Squash)
Adapted from Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy by Lidia Bastianich Read more…

Baked Farro, Bacon, and Butternut Squash

Costume (Butter) Nut
Do you remember your Halloween costumes from when you were a kid? I do. I remember being Raggedy Anne, and of course there was a mouse costume in there somewhere. One year I was a flamenco dancer, and I went as Wilma Flintstone another year. My favorite costume of all time had to be Cleopatra—partly because the make-up was totally fun, but the real reason was the mondo-cool dress.

My mom had this super-groovy one shoulder gold lamé disco dress that was just awesome. And because I was tall enough, I was able to wear it to be Queen of The Nile. Costume aside, the Gold Lamé Dress will forever live in familial infamy. I don’t remember actually seeing Mom wear it, but I have to assume she did at some point. It was just too fantastic to not wear it. Long live the 70s!

Why am I talking about Halloween costumes midway through September? Because it has been the topic of discussion around the dinner table for the last week. The planning has begun. For the boys the issue is do we care or not, and are we just too cool for Halloween? It’s Middle School. Gone are the Halloween parades, class parties and costume contests. In their place, the real world, where they have tests and homework assignments.

My daughter is in full planning mode which, frankly, scares me. Here’s why. Last week I came home to find her locked in her room (a.k.a. The Lab) furiously working on something with duct tape and scissors. Two hours later she emerges and proceeds to tape (yes, tape) a cardboard dragon costume to our Bassett Hound, Rocket. While we all found it funny, except for Rocket, it is this type of impulsive ingenuity that can make finding a Halloween costume for her difficult. It also means that her choices can be, well, different.

I am all for being your own person and not following the crowd. In fact I encourage all my kids to find their own beat. But someone please tell me why she thinks that being a squash for Halloween would be so totally awesome!? And where I can find a Butternut Squash costume? ‘Cause I doubt I’ll find it at Target alongside all of the frozen options…

Having me make the costume is not a possibility. She’s going to have to go a different route, because this is the only butternut squash I will be making…

Baked Farro, Bacon, and Butternut Squash Read more…