enjoying the thanksgiving and christmas holidays 2018

I have been getting into the spirit of the holidays more so this year than usual.  There have been alot of changes this year, with Gump's filing bankruptcy--and me taking a new job at Bloomingdale's as a result.  Change is always challenging, but I have been very blessed with having lots of friend get togethers, birthday dinners, lunches and my great book club gang to name a few to make me feel more settled and vowed to myself that I would make every effort to enjoy the time.  I had a lovely, simple Thanksgiving, visiting friends and family all day by phone and text.  I cooked a cute little 9 lb bird that made great lunches for the next 5 days.  I also made an old favorite recipe of mine that I had published in a Neiman Marcus cookbook many years ago, spinach souffle casserole. This is a decadent recipe of cheesy goodness that tastes as good cold as it does right out of the oven.  I topped off the day by starting the all red holiday decorations with a new little tree that I got this year for the entrance way--it sits just right on the chest and has a nice reflection in the mirror.  One more tree to go!

spinach souffle casserole recipe:
4  10oz frozen boxes/bags of chopped spinach

1 1/2 cups grated medium cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese

(3 cups total)

2 green onions thinly sliced

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ tsp salt (scant)

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

4 eggs, separated

Defrost spinach and place in a colander and drain well---press down with paper towels, till very dry.  Spray a 9x12 glass casserole dish with non-stick spray and set aside.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly beat egg yolks till frothy.   Beat egg whites till light peaks form.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the egg whites.  Fold the egg whites lightly into the mixture---turn into the baking dish and bake approx. 35 minutes till lightly puffed and golden.  Rest before cutting.

thanksgiving at the house of prime rib

This Thanksgiving Brendan and I went to the House of Prime Rib for our 'fix'.  As many of you know, it is one of our favorite restaurants, and although it is not something to eat everyday, it is at least a couple times a year indulgence and worth every darn fat gram and calorie.

Let me explain.  This temple of old school deliciousness located at 1906 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco was established in 1949 and has been turning out near exacting meals ever since.  Specially selected cuts of beef, salt packed and roasted off to perfection are served with warm loaves of sourdough bread, a house salad tossed (well, spun) table side, creamed spinach, baked potatoes with all the toppings, Yorkshire pudding and pan au jus---all for one reasonable price!  If you have the room, finish with the creme brulee.  This year, Brendan I are giving thanks for many things---but included in that is an enduring friendship with wonderful time shared at a landmark restaurant that also continues to stand the test of time.

thanksgiving dinner

 

 

This year I cooked Thanksgiving dinner at my house--something that hasn't happened in many years.  Usually I go to a friend's or out to dinner.  I was all set to do a traditional turkey when Joseph suggested we do something different--had I ever done a crown roast of lamb?  Well, no.  But hey, how hard could it be?  Turns out it is one of the easiest roasts, as long as you have the butcher french the bones and tie up the roast.  ( I did two 7 bone racks). Then, season well and roast at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Let it rest 10 minutes and slice into chops.  I served it with a wild mushroom stuffing and a cherry relish thanks to my dear friend Troy Huff's homemade cherry jam. Pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese filling was a decadent finish.

thanksgiving in crescent city, ca.

Well, I had a wonderful visit in Crescent City over Thanksgiving. We did a traditional menu for 13 with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, green beans, cranberry relish and gravy. We had one smoke out when the turkey pan juices hit the bottom of the oven—but that just adds to the fun, right? It was my brother Rick's birthday as well and he had his favorite dessert, pumpkin pie.  The 30 candle?  What's up with that?
Mom and I did a little pre and post Thanksgiving shopping, stopping for lunch at the Chart Room at the Crescent City harbor. The Chart Room is known far and wide for its beer-battered fish and chips, a massive plate with 6 pieces of fish for $9.95, or 3 pieces for $5.95.  The price alone is amazing!

My cousin Keith supplied us with fresh crab and we had a crab feast a couple of nights. Keith's birthday was on the 27th and we went to a lovely dinner party for him at the beautiful home of friends, overlooking the harbor in Brooking's OR. The highlight was Keith's favorite dessert, German chocolate cake, scratch made by his girlfriend Katie. She is an amazing baker. I look forward to our next family adventure—they are always special.

key lime pie highlights recent dinner party

Earlier this month I had a little dinner to celebrate Joseph Leon's birthday.  I started with cream of broccoli soup (you've seen that one before, last Thanksgiving) a Florentine lasagne which is made with spinach and bechamel and for dessert, key lime pie.  The food was good, the company even better, but the pie is worth sharing.  Here is the recipe:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
2 14oz cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of fresh lime juice  (I squeezed 8-9 limes to get this)
2 whole eggs

1 tbl lime zest

Whip cream / powdered sugar / lime slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix the graham cracker crumbs sugar and butter and press into and up sides of 9"  glass pie pan.  Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove and cool. Lower oven to 325 degrees.  Mix condensed milk, eggs, lime juice and zest.  Place in cool crust and bake for 15 minutes.  Chill for 2 hours before serving.  Dust plate with powdered sugar, top with whip cream and lime slice.

cooking a perfect turkey at the last minute

It has been quite a month. I went on a trip with my mother on the river boat Odyssey through Austria and Germany. We had a truly wonderful time. (I will devote an entire blog to the trip soon). As a result, I of course cleared out the fridge before I left with no plans for cooking, instead planning on having a small Thanksgiving dinner with friends.

Well my dear friend came down with a cold, so I decided to cook a little dinner for myself. I got the last slot on Tuesday for a 7:00 pm Safeway delivery. Since I don't own a car, Safeway delivery is a very convenient way to shop and usually orders are accurate and complete. Well not this time. In addition to no vegetables, lemons, nuts, milk and pancetta, the turkey was m.i.a. So off to the store on Wednesday. By the way I did get my delivery fee credited with no hassle.

I kept it simple. Cream of broccoli soup, roast turkey with a wild rice side dish with pancetta, a mixed green salad with dried cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette and a crisp chardonnay. I skipped dessert. I had enough Bavarian cream and apple strudel recently to last awhile.

Everyone has their favorite way to cook turkey and I have mine. Cover with soft butter and rub with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 450 degrees, place bird breast side down on rack in roasting pan (keeps breast meat moist as juices from leg run into it). After 15 minutes, turn down heat to 350 degrees. Turkey is now sealed. Baste with hot chicken stock every 20-30 minutes.

Know your approximate cooking time—rule of thumb is 20 minutes for every pound. Turn the turkey breast side up during the last hour to evenly brown and check the meat thermometer.

When it reaches 170 degrees, remove the bird even if it is under time—the thermometer rules.

Tent the bird and let it rest 20 minutes before cutting. Perfect every time.

By the way, this is for an unstuffed bird. I don't like moist stuffing and this is where cooking times can vary. Cook your stuffing in a casserole next to the bird the last 45 minutes.

The crispy top and tender middle is worth it.