Celebrating Through Loss - Making Some Changes

As some of you are aware our family lost its Matriarch this past September.  This was a woman who's life was rich, full, interesting and active until her last day.  She was the dynamo at the center of our family and she is, and always will be, missed.  The first Holiday Season without a loved one is always difficult; we are blessed with a large, functional family of people who, while they all don't live close by, love each other and enjoy each other's company.  Who could ask for more?  Not I.

So, as my better half and I contemplated this Holiday Season we found ourselves re-examining the "holidays as usual" program we've been adhering to for the past 15 plus years.  Somehow, it felt that this year we needed a change - not a return, maybe a new way to celebrate.

Every year for many years, we have been holding an Open House on Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day was Family, but Christmas Eve was our "event". We'd send out a huge email, tell folks that they needn't RSVP, and that they were welcome to bring a friend, come and stay, or just drop by for a nog and to hang a decoration on our tree.  Neither one of us could envision THAT Christmas Eve for ourselves this year.  The more we talked, the more we realized that what we were trying to clarify in our minds was that we wanted Comfort.  We wanted warmth and pretty and a bit of sparkle and love.  We wanted familiar and predictable and laughter and good food and candle and fire light. We didn't want the doorbell ringing every few minutes.  We wanted to sit back, relax and soak it all in. So - what would that look like?

It didn't take long for both of us to come to a very similar conclusion:  let's investigate if some of our nearest and dearest, instead of dropping by our Open House, would be up for an evening long sit down dinner, with holiday songs playing in the background, a big sparkling tree, a long warm, groaning table and  some well, what else can you call it, "hanging out together".

We decided we needed and wanted that big hug that comes from being in the company of close friends and loved ones while having a few cocktails, eating  fabulous food, and sharing hours of conversation and laughter.

Bless them, a number of folks said yes!  The leaves will be added to the table and it will be placed in front of the fireplace (an outcome of raising two puppies at the same time leaves us with a relatively empty living room as two of our chairs spend the holidays at the upholsterers!).  We intend to look for the biggest tree we can find and we have dug out a lot of decorations and dishes and other chotchkes that we haven't used for a long time.  Somehow, seeing them is making us love them all over again.  For some reason, we've also become more obsessed than usual with natural decorations, dried  reeds, wood, handmade things, etc. It just all seems to be falling together along those lines.

For me, the lesson is to realize that loss is loss and the emotions around loss don't make a quick exit.  That said, it isn't necessary to be maudlin; to soldier through regardless.  It is necessary to be good to yourself and say, "What do I want?".  That's OK.

We can't wait for Christmas Eve!  I promise that I will share the Christmas Eve menu post event.  Some things are surprises, after all!

Enjoy the process, the preparations and the celebrations!

By the way, here's a little chart that I came across recently that I think is useful.  Lots of these spices are in heavy rotation at this time of year!  Good and good for you!

The Philly Foodist's Happy Holiday List

'Tis the time!  So many holidays are upon us.  Hanukkah starts this Saturday! And then we are into Christmas and Kwanzaa. How do you prepare?  Do you come out of the Holiday Season exhausted or refreshed and filled with wonderful memories?  Or, more commonly I suspect, with a mixture of both?

It seems to me that most of us who take holiday preparations seriously face a lot of challenges in coming out of all of this with mostly lovely memories.  I know there are lots of folks out there who just have to "show up" and celebrate.  I sometimes look at them piling into their cars to go to so and so's house with their wine or cookies in hand and think, "That must be nice; nothing to do!"  However, for the rest of us, there's planning, cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, inviting, and - oh, remembering to fit in that very important haircut!  How do we handle it all with a smile and a firm grip on what the season should be all about?  How do we have FUN!?!

For me, I try to remember to follow a few "rules" :

1.  After awhile you just have to accept that the fact that you are attending to every detail, agonizing over every gift, and planning every meal down to the salt and pepper cellars because you like doing all that crazy stuff! Give into your obsessive side and enjoy fussing over detail and - this is important - don't let people tell you that you shouldn't be fussing!

2.  Remember that folks are coming to your home to see you and celebrate with you - and yes, because by now they probably know the food will be good! They will enjoy themselves if you are enjoying yourself, so whatever you do, aim for being a relaxed and happy host.

3.  For many of us, there's a blessing in, "having what we need". Think about what material, store bought things those close to you really need.  Especially the adults. There are probably a few things here and there but keep in mind the fun of presenting handcrafted gifts, or small purchased gifts that are unique and really speak to the likes and interests of the recipient.  Try to be sure to give yourself the time to Shop Small - you will find more of those unique items in independently owned small shops and artisans' galleries and the like. As for handcrafted or homemade items, the important thing to remember is if you make gifts, deal in gifts items that involve a process that you enjoy and have a knack for doing.  For example, I wouldn't try to knit scarves for people - that would be a disaster because I don't enjoy and am not good at knitting. And although I love to cook, I'm not one to enjoy spending a day turning out tons of cookies.  That said, whipping up a batch of mixed berry cordials in pretty recycled bottles or making homemade vanilla extract or red onion jam is pure delight for me.  I love the process and the outcomes.

4,  Making lists are a vital part of the process; you'll feel more in control because you aren't trusting everything to memory.  I like to make separate lists for gifts, decorating, cooking, homemade gifts, etc.  Yes, I have a lot of lists - but they are short and I can see at a glance what's necessary within different preparation activities.  Find a very secure spot for your lists; there's nothing worse than spending a great deal of your precious time making lists and then losing them!  Trust me on that one!

5.  Keep in mind that your home doesn't have to look like the decorated house in the shelter magazine.  Your home should be a place where those dearly beloved holiday objects that have been in your family for years and years will make an appearance for a couple of weeks. They will dress up your homestead and make you happy every time you see them.

6.  Do something that's purely charitable at this time of year.  Serve lunch at a food program; go to a Toys for Tots event with new toys; support a family that wouldn't have Christmas by donating gifts or money through a local agency; donate something; volunteer.  Figure out what works for you, but don't pass up the opportunity.  It will effect your "seasonal spirit"in a real way.

Oh, . . . . and if you can, play Holiday music while you do your preparations.  Let all of those silly holiday shows that are on TV every year at this time serve as background too - Charlie Brown or The Grinch anyone?  Believe it or not, the shows and the music will help to keep you "in the spirit".  If we lose the spirit of the season to stress and exhaustion, we've lost our ability to enjoy what should be a magical, happy time of the year.

Enjoy!

A Vintage Recipe for Left Over Turkey

The World's Cutest and Smartest Goats:  Poppy & Willow

I can only hope that all of you had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as we did!  Spending time with our dear friends at their beautiful Farm and B n B in the Lehigh Valley (www.larkenspringsfarm.com) is definitely the best anecdote for whatever may ail us or have us stressed out. Cooking a huge feast together, walking in the woods, watching the chickens and the goats frolic, and sleeping in total silence (well, except for the roosters!) is pure bliss.  And, with every visit to the farm, I learn a little bit more.  We are always so grateful and I always return tinkering with ideas for applying what I learn in the country to our urban homestead.

This year we had a beautiful organic, heirloom turkey from the Koch's  Family which we purchased through Fair Food Farmstand in the Reading Terminal Market. Our Turkey weighed in at 22 pounds!  We had a fabulous dinner with all of the fixins, including some "traditional" dishes that my better half and I have foisted upon our friends over the years. Of course, our Friday after Thanksgiving dinner consisted of turkey sandwiches piled high. As you may have guessed, each of our freezers currently has a good deal of sliced turkey, stuffing, and fabulous turkey stock waiting for our "next round" of turkey cravings.

Along with Turkey Noodle Soup, the one recipe that I will be doing and soon - possibly this weekend - is Turkey Tetrazzini.  The recipe I have been using for years is originally from the Betty Crocker Cookbook (1969 edition), given to me by my Grandmother when I moved out on my own.  I still refer to this great old cookbook for a number of old standards, along with this recipe.

Recipe:  Turkey Tetrazzini

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter - original calls for butter OR margarine!  It's old I told you!
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup turkey stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sherry - although not specified in the recipe, dry sherry works best
7 ounces cooked spaghetti
2 cups cubed turkey
3 - 4 ounces of sliced "button"mushrooms - the original calls for 1- 3 oz can of sliced mushrooms but I just can't!
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat; blend in the flour, pepper and salt.
Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth and bubbly (it's a roux basically)
Remove the sauce pan from the heat; Stir in the turkey stock and the heavy cream.
Heat the mixture to boiling, stirring constantly - Boil and stir for one minute
Stir in the sherry, spaghetti, turkey and mushrooms

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 2 quart casserole.
Sprinkle the cheese all over the top.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
If you wish to brown the top, place it briefly under the broiler.

Makes 6 servings

There is absolutely no need to change anything - well maybe the mushrooms, but you can still used canned if you want to be a purist!  I have doubled this recipe many times; it's a crowd pleaser!

Enjoy!

Shop Small Saturday - The Start of Something Big!

This is the day, folks!  Today we can all start to show big box stores, chains, and "outlets" and the like that we appreciate and would rather support our friends and neighbors and their businesses and their products!  It starts today with Shop Small Saturday - but let's make it a growing trend and an option for shopping all of the year 'round. The advantages are big!  You will support people in your own area/neighborhood to sustain and grow their businesses; you will have access to quality goods and services;  you will  be spending your money on more items produced in the U.S.; and you will be sending a clear message to chains and big box stores that their foreign made, cheap products and, in some cases, that their practices towards their workers are not acceptable. As Granny used to say, "Don't be one of those who knows the price of  everything and the value of nothing".  Consider whether you really are "getting a deal" - in the long and the short run. We all win when our small, locally owned businesses win!  Happy Shopping! Thank You!

The Imperative for Local - Let's Start Now!

AND THIS THANKSGIVING TOO!

This will be a topic we will return to a lot over the upcoming holidays.  Of course, for me, this is a pledge that drives many of our buying decisions all year around.  But, let's face it,  the holidays are a good place to start.  Going forward, I propose that we share good local purveyors and store owners - let's educate each other as to how we can shop locally! Who's your favorite?  Also, we will talk about considerations for  "Shopping Small" in an upcoming Blog.  But for now, let's talk Turkey!

If you are The Cook for Thanksgiving Dinner, please check out turkeys that are raised by local farmers and are cage and hormone free.  Try buying a fresh turkey - once you go there, you can't go back!!! They are wonderful! You do have to order them and if you are going that route, you should do so very soon.

But along with the Turkey, think about your small local vendors and Farmers Markets as a source of veggies, fruits, pies and other items you will need.  If your Thanksgiving Dinner involves family and friends bringing dishes, gently suggest where they might shop for what they need.  Also, consider the small housewares' store owner for decorative items and linens for your table.  Find a local florist for flowers. And, if you are really dedicated, there are always local wines!

Remember, the definition of "small businesses" are NOT business with net incomes of over six million dollars annually - as we have unfortunately been hearing recently.  Small business are just that:  bricks and mortar, family owned, local businesses, who are not clearing millions a year!

Let's start the season off right. By supporting those who are making a living in our own neighborhoods!

Some of Our Local Favorites for Thanksgiving Shopping & Preparation (here in Philadelphia Obviously; Your Challenge is to Identify Places in Your Area).

Reading Terminal Market
Fair Food Farmstand
Head House Farmers Market
Downtown Cheese in the Reading Terminal Market
Otolith Seafood
Ippolitos Seafood
Green Aisle Grocery
Metropolitan Bakery
Olde City Coffee

Homemade To Go Breakfast: Easy, Versatile Muffins

As promised, here's the recipe for Basic Breakfast Muffins.  The basic and the variations all go very well with coffee - and as I have learned, they don't make a bad late night snack either!

As I am want to do, these muffins are more indicative of a technique - you can vary the recipe depending on your cravings, likes, and what's in the larder, freezer or refrigerator.

Recipe:  Basic Breakfast Muffins
(Makes 1 dozen muffins)
                      
           Ingredients
#1 - 2 cups of flour
#2 - 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
#3 - 1/4 cup of sugar (with some fruit muffins, you can skip the sugar; more about that later)
#4 - 3/4 teaspoon of salt
#5 - 2 eggs
#6 - 1 cup of milk OR 1 cup of buttermilk (if you are making your own butter, you know that you always have great buttermilk in the 'fridge; there's nothing better for baking)
#7 - 1/2 cup of canola oil
#8 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (the good stuff; avoid the imitation; make your own if you can!)

           Technique for Basic Muffins
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Coat a 12 muffin tin with canola oil; coat well - especially if you are using sugar! You can also use muffin tin liners - but they are just more trash!

Combine ingredients #1 - #4 in a medium sized bowl.

Beat ingredients #5 - #8 in a large bowl for 1 minute on medium speed

Add the dry mixture into the large bowl with the wet mixture

Beat - but not too long - you just don't want to see any streaks of flour; you want it all incorporated

Spoon or pour the batter into the coated muffin tins
Bake for 18 - 20 minutes OR until the the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed lightly

Transfer the muffins to a rack to cool


The basic muffin is delicious and takes to butter and/or jam beautifully.  But so far we have tried some variations that are also delicious.

Some Potential Variations

The first addition we tried was a cup of finely diced apple and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into the batter.

For the second batch we blended a cup of local blueberries (from our freezer, defrosted and drained) into the batter. I left out the sugar from these but I did sprinkle the tops of the hot muffins with a bit of regular sugar.  That seemed to be just right.

For another recent  batch, I found that we had some Pear Jam.  It was very basic, no sugar added to the jam. We had made it from some pears that were getting soft, but were very sweet.  I blended the jam into the batter, but here I left out the sugar from the basic recipe. I did sprinkle some confectioners' sugar on the finished muffins.

Pear Jam Muffins with a sprinkle of Confectioners' Sugar

All of the above variations are delicious, moist and hold up well for the week.  It's important to note that for all of the variations I used the basic recipe.  But as I am a huge fan of Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, I wanted to try a version of that as well.

For Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, leave the pure vanilla out and substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice - I really don't like lemon extract!) - along with 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds.  These were wonderful - and again - so easy!

The batter is so easy and so versatile that you can truly just use your imagination.  I am considering chocolate chips as well as oatmeal raisin right now!

Enjoy.

Today's Food Rule:  "Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it."

"Food Rules" Redux; New Cookbook; A Fall Recipe

Just for the thought provoking fun of it, I decided it would be useful to occasionally post a Food Rule from Michael Pollan's amazing little book, "Food Rules". I refer to it constantly; love it for its facts, its honesty and its sense of humor.  Lately, I have heard some friends talking about doing this or that fad diet or something called a Fall Cleansing, which is a scary thought all by itself for someone like me.  What troubles me is that people put themselves and their bodies through a lot - without noticeable positive outcomes.

So today's Food Rule:  Avoid food products with the wordoid, "lite" or the terms "low fat" or "nonfat" in their names.   We are far better off eating real food in moderation than binge - eating so called lite food products packed with sugar, salt, and other chemicals.

Finally after days and days of chilly, gray, and wet, today the Sun made an appearance and it seems we all immediately feel a bit better. Look at it this way, those days of gloomy weather helped locally grown - perhaps even your - radishes, arugula, and lettuces get well established.  They like that weather!

I continue to be amazed at the fact that I daily harvest a few sungold tomatoes, a pepper or two and a continuing supply of herbs for cooking.  But the supply is most definitely waning.  Today I finally pulled what I am pretty sure is going to be the last of the beautiful heirloom, "Chocolate Pepper"  from Seed Savers.  A delicious pepper - and a beautiful one.  I believe that I am trying to put off some of the garden prep jobs I should be doing in anticipation of colder weather.  A beautiful, sunny afternoon like today, after a few days of rain, is not helping my procrastination. How is your garden doing?  How are you prepping for the coming cold weather?

At Headhouse Farmers Market recently, we were pleased to meet April White, author of "Philadelphia Chef's Table:  Extraordinary Recipes from The City of Brotherly Love".  This is a great book - an especially great gift idea.  All of the photographs in the book are by Jason Varney - an extraordinary photographer.  Pick up the book and you'll see what I mean.  The book is well done, user friendly, and the side stories are just great.  Highly recommended.

Now is a great time to get pasture raised, hormone and chemical free Lamb from our local ranchers and farmers.  At Fair Food Farmstand last week, we got a lamb shoulder from Sweet Stem Farm (a favorite of ours, a great family owned farm with amazing products).  This is a reasonably priced cut of meat and when cooked correctly is delicious. The following is more technique than recipe.  We did some mashed potatoes and carrots and sauteed greens with it this past Sunday.  It was the perfect thing for a rainy, chilly Fall day.

Recipe:  Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder

Turn your oven up very high - 450 or so.

Rub a 4-5 pound lamb shoulder all over with good extra virgin olive oil; generously salt and pepper the meat.

Lay the shoulder into a high sided roaster on top of several sprigs of fresh rosemary and 3 - 4 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled.

On top of the meat, place more fresh rosemary sprigs and another 3 - 4 large cloves of garlic unpeeled.

Cover the roaster tightly with foil.

Put the roaster into the oven; immediately turn your oven temperature down to 325 degrees.  Leave the lamb alone.  Enjoy the aroma that will fill your home in a few hours.

If it's bone in, leave it in the low oven for about 4 hours.  If it is boneless, 3 hours should do it.

It's done when the meat is just falling apart when touched with a fork.

Let the meat rest on a cutting board, covered with foil and a clean towel over the foil.

Drain off most of the fat from the roaster, place the roaster over medium flame on your stove top and make a roux with a tablespoon of flour and the remaining fat; scrape up the bits and pieces in the bottom of the pan;  stir in 2 cups of hot stock (we used beef, but you can use chicken or veg stock); add two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer and let the gravy thicken.  Pour the gravy into a gravy boat and serve at the table with the lamb.

It's unbelievably delicious and any left overs will be great with pita bread and Greek yogurt and shredded lettuce for an incredible Gyro sandwich OR heat the meat and gravy together and pour over cheesy polenta OR make a Shepard's pie OR just make hot lamb shoulder sandwiches.  It's all good.

Enjoy!