Holiday meals revisited—what's cooking?
I've been having longer recovery from overexertion times so hired the caterer for Seder meal, plus the crudites. My part is the Seder plate and dessert. Today, I work up weary, but had to take advantage of the minions. With one to fetch and carry, I made the charoset, the jam for the Sacher torte, which gets made tomorrow, and the mandelbroit. For the last, I started with @blubird ’s recipe, but used whole roasted hazelnuts and omitted the chocolate. Also, used Yehuda cake meal, which has a super toasty flavor (because that's what there was at the store). I also put almond slices with a little oil and five spice pressed on top, instead of cinnamon sugar0, but many fell off in slicing. I was going to slice thinner, but that was too crumbly. I put more almond slices on the sides of about 2/3 of the slices for the second bake . I did make one big loaf instead of two narrow ones, thereby the slices weren't completely baked, and the normal rebake was needed. I ate way too many crumbs. The toasty cake meal works well. :)
I am not making dinner tonight...
How are holiday plans going for y'all?
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What Are Your Holidays (Meals, Events, Etc) Influenced by?
Comments (11)Our traditions when I was a child were fairly simple and mostly revolved around gathering family (grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins and honorary family) at a table for the meal and not a lot of other fanfare. Foods were specific to the holiday and pretty consistent over the years although my mom did love to try new things. Unfortunately the response more often than not, was to stick with the tried and true - kids can be so mean!! We didn't make big productions out of many of the holidays that are big events now. Halloween involved carving a pumpkin for/with each child then shoo-ing us out the door to trick or treat in whatever homemade costumes we came up with from the dress-up closet. My parents would never decorate our house and it never felt like anything was missing in our lives. Fourth of July was our village parade (with our decorated bikes) and speeches, then that night the fireworks. Memorial Day was more somber but also a village event. Being Jewish, I loved being invited to decorate trees with friends, but we had 8 nights of Hanukkah and the last night was the big family event with games, the traditional meal and presents. But other than the menorah and candles, no decorations. Passover was a huge production (I understand now how much work it entails), the High Holidays meant new outfits for temple, eating, fasting, lots of family in and out for the various services. My DH is not Jewish and came from a whole different set of (religious) traditions. Oddly, he didn't like many of them, even as a child and stopped participating as an adult. Of course, I get the blame for that! We forged new traditions with our sons, celebrating Hanumas or Christmakah. We topped our tree with a Jewish star for many years, until I realized no one else cared about the tree but me and when I stopped buying one they all said 'what took you so long?!' Last year we went to Washington for Thanksgiving. Our older son lives there in a tiny apartment in a national park. Tiny as in you can sit on the foot of the bed and open the refrigerator! Our younger son came from his college in CO, and the 5 of us (including DS1's girlfriend) stood shoulder to shoulder preparing the big meal. Nothing traditional, no turkey no stuffing no mashed potatoes - we had oysters, Dungeness crab, roast brisket..... and Mexican flan for dessert. Close quarters, limited equipment, borrowed dishes, no fancy table settings or decor but we laughed and felt so TOGETHER - it was probably the best Thanksgiving we've ever had! I love traditions but have come to appreciate the wonder of shaking things up now and then. In the end, though, it's all about the people I share the events with and have found simplifying things allows me to enjoy them much more....See MoreWhat is the most memorable holiday meal you have ever had?
Comments (51)A few years back my wife and I were traveling on business in Brazil over Thanksgiving. A professor my wife was working with took us and several of the students to a churrascaria for dinner on Thanksgiving. (A churrascaria is a restaurant where servers roam around the restaurant with skewers of various cooked meats, continually stopping at each table to carve off some to everyone at the table) While there I mentioned that it was the US holiday of Thanksgiving and described it to the professor and the Brazilian students in general terms: get together with family and/or friends and have a large meal together, and described the "traditional" Thanksgiving meal. I was merely trying to make conversation, and make the point that what we were doing was pretty similar to the Thanksgiving tradition. However the professor responded "I'll see what I can do" and flagged the head waiter over, and spoke to him in rapid Portuguese. The waiter responded to us "We don't have any turkey but I'll see what we can do." and disappeared into the kitchen. About 10 minutes later he emerged from the kitchen followed by a server carrying a large skewer of meat, he presented it to us with a big beaming smile saying "This is as close as we could get to turkey. It's Ostrich." It didn't taste even a little like turkey, but it was delicious....See MoreHelp!!1 Planning a Semi-meatless Holiday Meal
Comments (10)Mushrooms are another good substitution for meat, especially portobellos. I made this lasagna a few years ago and I thought it was the bomb. Its great for mushroom and 'smokey flavor' lovers. Only complaint I have it is doesn't keep - turns to rubber the next day. Kids won't touch it :-(. I googled 'smoked mushroom lasagna' and snagged it off Dean and Deluca's site - but I'm sure it's elsewhere too - one of those recipes all over the net. Wild Mushroom Lasagna with Smoked Mozzarella and Fresh Sage Austere, unsaucy, devoted singularly to the flavors of one ingredient- mushrooms Ingredients: 1 1/2 firmly packed cups dried porcini 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 cups very thinly sliced cultivated mushrooms (about 1 pound) 6 cups very thinly sliced wild mushrooms (about 1 1/4 pounds) 6 shallots, peeled and very thinly sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely minced (plus extra leaves for garnish) 1/2 cup heavy cream salt and freshly ground pepper to taste freshly grated nutmeg 9 sheets lasagna, each one about 10 inches by 2 inches, parboiled (see pages 160 and 161) 1 pound smoked mozzarella, shredded 3/4 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano plus extra for serving Directions: 1. Place the dried porcini in a bowl, and cover with about 2 cups of hot water. Soak for 30 minutes. 2. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a very large sautpan over moderately high heat. When the butter has melted and is just starting to brown slightly, add the sliced cultivated mushrooms. Make sure the pan is not crowded (if it is, do this in two batches). Sauté the mushrooms over high heat for 2 minutes, or until they begin to brown slightly. Remove and reserve. 3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan over moderately high heat. When the butter has melted and is just starting to brown slightly, add the sliced wild mushrooms. Make sure the pan is not crowded (if it is, do this in two batches). Also add the shallots, the garlic, and the minced sage. Sauté the mushrooms over high heat for 2 minutes, or until they begin to brown slightly. Return the sautéed cultivated mushrooms to the pan, and mix together well. Drain the porcini, and add to the pan, mixing well. Add the cream, and cook over high heat until the cream thickens slightly (about 30 seconds). Remove mixture from heat. Season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. 4. Butter a lasagna pan that is roughly 9 inches by 11 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Place 3 parboiled lasagna strips on the bottom of the pan (they may overlap slightly). Cover with half of the mushroom mixture, half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a quarter of the smoked mozzarella. Make sure everything is spread out evenly. Top with 3 more lasagna strips. Cover with the remaining half of the mushroom mixture, the remaining half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the second quarter of the smoked mozzarella (reserving half of the original amount). Make sure everything is spread out evenly. Top with the last 3 lasagna strips. Place whole leaves of sage over the lasagna in a decorative pattern. Top with the remaining smoked mozzarella, spreading it out evenly. 5. Cover the lasagna pan well with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 325 degrees oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil, and place under the broiler until brown and bubbly on top, about 1 minute. Let rest 10 minutes, then cut into sections and place on plates. There will probably be a little creamy liquid at the bottom of the lasagna pan. Reduce briefly, if desired, and spoon a little over the lasagna portions. Sprinkle each portion with salt and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve. Note: This recipe, especially, is good with fresh lasagna noodles. It doesn't have as much goo in the middle as other lasagnas, and the fresh noodles help pull it together. You've probably never had a lasagna like this one: austere, unsaucy, devoted singularly to the flavors of one ingredient -- mushrooms. And do those flavors ever come through! The smoky mozzarella only serves to underline the earthy, woodsy autumnness of it all. Use the deepest-tasting wild mushrooms you can find (we've done this dish with everything from French chanterelles to Japanese mitsutake mushrooms). The key to success is slicing all of the mushrooms very thinly; the thinness of the cut is what gives the dish its delicacy. We like to use a mandoline or one of those less expensive plastic versions. Serves 6...See MoreHoliday meals during COVID
Comments (27)Like Plllog, it's the holidays for us now. We did Passover via Zoom when it wasn't clear how long social distancing would last. It has been very strange going through the High Holidays without being able to gather for prayer. Our congregation has done a wonderful job of dealing with having only on-line services as best as possible, especially the cantor. Our kid's are all within driving distance - the closest lives a few miles away and the others are around 100 miles. They are all serious about social distancing - in some cases they have medical reasons in their families to be extra careful. As it has become clear how long this would last, we decided that it was okay to see each other. It has helped the families to at least have a change of scenery for a bit and we have been able to give the parents a break by taking care of the grandkids for a few days every few weeks. We had a family gathering for Rosh Hashanah dinner and we are planning on another one for Sukkot. During Sukkot, one eats meals outside in a sukkah - a temporary structure built for the holiday. So, on another night we will have another couple over. We had an outside brunch at their house this summer and they are people I trust to have been socially distancing. If getting together required flying, I'd be very hesitant to do it....See More
last monthOur daughter and son-in-law are hosting Easter. I need to find out what she wants me to bring. This Lemon Blueberry Tart came in an email this morning from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I thought it sounded like a possibility.
plllog thanked chloebud
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last monthlast modified: last monthYummy. Salmon for breakfast.
The simnel cake is finished. Slight delay because I didn't have enough marzipan for the 'apostles'. Had to get more.
plllog thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK- last month
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- 27 days agolast modified: 27 days ago
We’re staying in a holiday house for a few days but I wanted to make hot cross buns on Good Friday, which I have done pretty much every year for the best part of 50 years. So I measured out all the ingredients and brought them with us with a few bits and pieces which I couldn’t guarantee an AirBnb might offer. And this morning I started the process, kneaded the dough, set it to rise in a glass bowl in a sink full of hot water (which worked really well ☺️). They came out of the oven about ten minutes ago and they are really good, very light and a nice crumb. DH is pleased, because we prefer these to boughten buns (which I don’t buy).
Here’s a picture:
plllog thanked colleenoz - 27 days agolast modified: 27 days ago
Those look great. Son in law has some proving right now. I've never bothered to make them myself but, having seen the ingredients list on the supermarket buns, he's decided to make his own for the sake of dgd.
plllog thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK - 27 days ago
- 27 days ago
Not as impressive as colleenoz's.
The crosses presented a challenge! But I'm sure they'll be delicious. Not bad for a first effort.
plllog thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK - 27 days ago
27 days agoI’ve never had a hot cross bun!
I try to find time to decorate eggs. I just made these hard-boiled eggs quickly because they’re for eating. :)
plllog thanked party_music50- 24 days ago
24 days agoI actually had two holiday celebrations this year. Makayla came from Detroit but she had to work on Sunday so we had dinner on Saturday. Madi and Maci hunted for eggs, Bud hid them. Everyone got chocolate Easter bunnies and Cadbury eggs. Dinner was the traditional (for my family) glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans with bacon, Grandma's dinner rolls. I didn't get a picture of any of it, LOL, I was too busy partying! Dessert was baklava, cannoli and cookies, and a gluten free lemon pudding cake that was just "meh". We did have munchies before dinner while we were waiting for everyone. I made a gluten free veggie pizza for Amanda, a cheeseball with Ritz crackers for the grandkids, devilled eggs, frosted sugar cookies that were supposed to look like Easter eggs but didn't much, some baklava.
Sunday we had dinner with our nice neighbors across the street. A local farmer/friend swapped me a leg of lamb at Christmas in exchange for two large Christmas trees. Since a 7 pound leg of lamb is a bit much for two of us, I kept it for Easter. The chef across the street made dinner from her new Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook "Jerusalem", she said it was a good theme for Easter. She marinated the lamb with oregano and garlic and made mejadra as a side, as well as more devilled eggs, steamed haricot vert, pita bread, a mint/parsley pesto for the lamb, salad with cherry tomatoes, olives and feta cheese.
Because they are Polish, another sister who lives in Chicago brought Easter kielbasa from Andy's Deli and some cinnamon creme cake from a bakery whose name I cannot remember. I volunteered to make the babka, using their Mother's recipe. I neglected to adjust a very old recipe to today's much better ovens so although the recipe said to bake loaves 50-60 minutes mine was a little darker than I like at 40 minutes. It made 4 loaves so three loaves went across the street and one stayed with me, I had toast for breakfast on Easter.
And with that, another holiday finished, on to Makayla's graduation on May 10, which is the same day as Elery and my anniversary and the day before Mother's day. Dave's birthday is May 22 and my 70th birthday is May 30, so maybe just one big party the whole month of May!
Annie
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