New Year's Eve 2015

12-31-14-chicken-parm

While Victor and I were eating dinner tonight, we realized we were on our third official New Year's Eve host.

When we were young, it was "Guy Lombardo, live from the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria."  Those were definitely fun years. Pre-adolescent New Year's were exciting. Staying up until midnight was something we just never were allowed to do, and when you're a kid of 7 or 8, every new year was the start of something new. I remember thinking as a kid that in the year 2000 I would be the almost ancient age of 48. And here we are, about to usher in 2015. You do the math.

http://youtu.be/Q-ncPPArxEk

Here's Guy bringing in 1977. I was living at Tahoe and have no idea what I did that New Year's Eve - but I'm reasonably certain it included being at work at 5am on New Year's Day at The Old Post Office in Carnelian Bay - probably ridiculously hung over - or still royally buzzed. I didn't start at the Hyatt until June of '77.

2015 really doesn't seem possible - and it's definitely not what we were told to expect. The promises of the past have not kept up with the reality of the present - and there are definitely days when I see no hope for the future. But... here we are, in spite of it all.

I have no idea when Guy Lombardo left New Year's and Dick Clark took the reins. From the mid-'70s through the '80s, I was in the hotel business - I was working. Most of the time it was a lot of fun - the Hyatt years, especially. The Hyatt Lake Tahoe days are a bit of a blur... I do remember the first year I was in management that some maroon threw a glass in the fireplace at the end of the casino. Within seconds, glasses were being tossed from everywhere - in the general direction of the fireplace. It was broken-glass-freaking-mess. The next year, the casino switched to plastic at 4pm - no glass or bottles at all.

The Hyatt in Cambridge saw us all in our tuxedos with a suite reserved for the managers overlooking the atrium. It was stocked with a full bar and hors d'oeuvres for days. We'd walk in and out of the parties, being a part of the festivities without having to be a part of the festivities. It was great fun. Our biggest challenge was making sure the employees didn't get too drunk.

There have been a few parties in the past 25 years, but after working so many of them, neither of us have had much of a desire to go out. We spent Christmas 1999 in San Francisco and then flew back east for NYE Y2K - on New Year's Eve. Victor's mom played the sympathy card stating "I won't be around for the next millennium..." [[Earth to Mom: NONE of us will be around for the next millennium!!]] We flew in a practically empty plane and landed at empty airports. It was the best flight, ever!

12-31-14-y2k

14 months after this picture was taken, we were living here...

Nowadays, we have a simple dinner - tonight it was chicken parmesan - and follow Parisian New Year... The New Year strikes in Paris at 6pm eastern time. Therefore, if we stay up until 9pm, we're 3 hours into the new year. I really have no desire to try and stay awake for another ball-drop.

So... Happy New Year. And don't call. We'll be asleep!


Rice Cakes and Creamed Chicken

I was doing a bit of blog-maintenance, today, and came across a rice cake I made last year. It sounded good, so I decided to make them, again.

I need to check my back posts more often - there are a lot of fun things on this site. I guess I've been in a bit of a rut with the holidays and all... Plus the weather hasn't been cooperating... I'm in soup and stew mode but the weather isn't.

But January usually invigorates me. Not for the New Year Resolutions, because I don't make any. I've found the quickest route to failure is writing out resolutions. I just like the calm that comes after the holidays - and the weather is usually conducive to baking bread and settling down by the fire with a good book - or, my Kindle with a thousand or two books.

I'm beginning to find that while I love my Kindle for reading, I merely like it for cook books. I like it in the kitchen with a recipe, but I like holding a cook book for gathering ideas. Then, again, I like being able to have a score of cook books in my hand at any given moment, but sitting on the couch surrounded by cook books is heaven - until I have to put them away. It's a conundrum, for sure...

Cook books are great for ideas - as are websites, blogs, newspapers, and magazines. I usually find it easiest to take an existing idea and play with it, rather than sitting down and starting from scratch. It's why I have a difficult time making the same thing twice the same way...

Tonight's rice cakes are a prime example... last time I made them I used a shredded cheese and sage. this time I used Boursin. They came out great!

Rice Cakes

  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1/2 pkg Boursin cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup bread crumbs

Cook rice in 2 cups of lightly-salted water and a pat of butter for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Place rice in a bowl and mix in cheese and egg. Add salt & pepper, if desired.

With wet hands, form into patties and dredge in bread crumbs.

Fry in grapeseed or other neutral oil until crisp on one side, flip, and cook the other side.

Leftover rice works, also.

The chicken is the most basic of basic dishes. I cut up 2 chicken breast and cooked them in 2 cups of chicken broth. I added a cup of heavy cream, a cup of frozen fava beans, and a cup of frozen mixed vegetables. A pinch of salt and pepper, and a pinch of poultry seasoning were all it needed, herb-wise.

I thickened it a bit more with some cornstarch. Simplicity.

2015 is just a few days away and I foresee another year of totally joyous recipes to talk about and share...

I can't believe it will be ten years since I started this. It's been a lot of fun. I wish I had taken screenshots of all of the various looks this blog has had in 10 years. I think I may have to look for some pictures...


Christmas Traditions - Russian-Style

12-21-14-russian-christmas

Many years ago, I got a plastic tray from my Uncle Gene who had lived in Hawai'i for many years. It was a reproduction of a mural by Eugene Savage who had been commissioned to paint nine of them for the Matson Steamship Line pre-WWII. Although completed, the war broke out and they were never installed on the ships. Reproductions of them were eventually used as used as keepsake menu covers for the SS Lurline - the flagship of the Matson Line. It probably cost him twenty bucks. It wasn't valuable, just decorative.

12-21-14-matson-christmas-feast
This is the image, although it is much brighter than the tray...

For years, the tray had sat downstairs collecting dust until one day I brought it to work with some cookies. It then sat at work until one day when I used it at the demo counter. I kinda kept thinking I would bring it home, and I kinda never did.

A regular customer came in and, speaking to another employee, asked where we had gotten the tray. He knew of Eugene Savage and liked his work. He was told it belonged to me and that was that - until one day when he came in and I was there...

Andrey is from Russia, kinda tall, quiet, and a very genuine person. We've chatted in the past, he's married, and just a nice guy.

We talked for a bit and he said if I ever wanted to part with it, he would love to buy it. I smiled, said it wasn't for sale, he said okay, and off he went to the cashier. So... a minute later, I'm looking at the tray thinking it's doing me no good, I don't have any place at home for it, and if I leave it at work it's eventually going to fall apart.

He was still at the register so I brought it over and gave it to him.

He was quite taken aback, but it was kinda like one of those Pay-It-Forward situations. So many people have done nice things for me in my life, I need to do a few in return. Besides, I tend to cash in Karma points quicker than I can receive them.

He thanked me profusely and left with a huge smile on his face.

I haven't seen him since I gave him the tray, but he's been in quite a few times and has asked a few of my coworkers what he could do to say thank you. My response was nothing, don't worry about it.  NOT the response someone wants to hear who wants to do something.

So... tonight, after a long, long day - the Sunday Before Christmas - he and his wife came in with a shopping bag. In it, were the things every Russian family has at Christmas!

He could not have come up with a better way to say thanks! What an absolute treat!

First up, is a bottle of a carbonated beverage called Kvass Ochakovskiy. It is made from rye bread and is naturally fermented. It's considered a non-alcoholic beverage, as it has an alcohol content of less that 1%. As a comparison, non-alcoholic O'Douls is 0.4. It has some unique properties. I am getting it refrigerated, as I speak. Er.. type.

Then there is a huge jar of pickled tomatoes and pickles - from Bulgaria! He said the best pickles in Russia come from Bulgaria. We laughed.

Next is a hunk of halva. Sesame and honey... It's been a while since I had any. It's going to be great on the cookie tray!

There's a can of smoked sprats from the Baltic Sea. Sprats are small fish and contains long-chained polyunsaturated fatty acids. The little blighters are actually good for you!

And, finally, a Poppy Seed Rillet - a poppy seed pastry roll. Andrey said he hoped I didn't have to take any drug rests soon - so many poppy seeds will make me test positive!

Fortunately, I won't have to!

I am really thrilled beyond thrilled! It's no secret that I just love food and I have a great affinity for foods of other lands. I have always believed that food is the great equalizer, and we can learn so much from one another if we sit down to a meal together and share our foods and traditions.

A gift like this just warms my heart to no end.

I can't wait for Christmas Eve! Our Feast of the Seven Fishes will now be Eight. I'll toast with Kvass, have pickles and pickled tomatoes along with the antipasti, and halva and poppy seed roll will be out with trays of cookies and other sweets.

Thank you, Andrey and Irina!

С Рождеством! - Merry Christmas!


Christmas Jello Cake

 

I can't believe I bought Cool Whip! I don't think I ever have. I'm not even sure the last time I ever had it. As kids growing up, Mom usually had Dream Whip - the powdered whipping mix - or the can of whipped cream. Dream Whip could sit on a shelf and not take up valuable freezer space...

Regardless, Mom made this cake a couple of times when we were kids. I just remember I couldn't wait to have a piece. It was sweet, gooey, and all of the things I still love in a dessert. The ingredients may not be all that great, but every once in a while, nostalgia is going to trump nutritional standards. Once in a while.

Making the cake came about because we're having Ugly Christmas Sweater Day at work, today. You may ask what what a cake and an ugly sweater have in common, and if you answered "nothing," you would be correct. I just needed an excuse to make it and this seemed as good an excuse as any.

The cake is pretty straightforward. White cake mix and a couple boxes of Jello. Bake cake, pour Jello on top, frost with Cool Whip.

12-18-14-jello-cake-2

I thought of whipping fresh cream, but, somehow, it just didn't seem right. It probably would taste better, but... it's a Jello cake made with a cake mix. Sometimes you need to just go with it and accepot what it is.

12-18-14-jello-cake-4

The cake was pretty easy to put together, although I had to dip one of the pans in warm water to loosen it. Otherwise, it came together in minutes. Cool Whip is extremely easy to use as a frosting!

12-18-14-jello-cake-3

I'll take a picture of the inside when I cut it open at work.

Merry Christmas Memories!


Victor's Pasta Sauce

 

I am one happy guy, tonight - I have 14 quarts of homemade pasta sauce canned, labelled, and sitting on the shelf just waiting to be eaten!

A year or so ago we got a pressure canner to start making more things at home. Victor has made sauce a couple of times, but we've been out for weeks, now... I've been going through withdrawal. Having homemade sauce on the shelf is one of the most fabulous luxuries in life. Really. It's always delicious, dinner can be on the table in minutes, and we know when it was made and what went into it.

What a concept, eh?!?

He started out with a case of Cento San Marzano tomatoes, a few pounds of pork, garlic, onions, basil, cheese...

12-14-14-victors-pasta-sauce-1

All into the pot to simmer, slowly, for a few hours...

As soon as it reached its peak perfection, it went into jars...

12-14-14-victors-pasta-sauce-2

I picked up a different jar this time around. I still have a slew of mason jars downstairs, but thought it time for something different.

They went right into the canner...

12-14-14-victors-pasta-sauce-3

I really do like this so much better than doing the water bath - especially for quarts.  It also takes about half the time, start-to-finish.

12-14-14-victors-pasta-sauce-4

The jars sit on the counter and continue to boil inside for a good 20 minutes before finally starting to cool down. It's cool to watch.

But it's even more fun to eat!

12-14-14-victors-pasta-sauce-6

14 quarts and at least 2 other meals from one pot.

It's been a successful day in the kitchen!

Victor's Pasta Sauce

  • 2 – 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 – Sm can tomato paste
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic (or to taste if you like more) chopped fine
  • Olive oil
  • Dried Italian seasonings
  • Hot red pepper flakes (a tsp or more or less to taste)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Red wine (always cook with a decent wine, never “cooking” wine) about a cup or cup and a half
  • Meat – such as Italian sausage or some nice beef or pork ribs or pork chops

Ok…I ALWAYS make my sauce with meat, so start with a deep, heavy pot and add about 3-4 TBS of olive oil. On high heat, once the oil is hot, start frying the sausage or pork, Let the meat get good and caramelized although you don’t have to cook it all the way through because you’ll add it back to the sauce to finish. Once the meat is browned take it out of the pot, put it on a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and sauté the tomato paste for a couple of minutes until it begins to “melt”. Add the chopped garlic and sauté with the tomato paste for just a minute (no longer or it will burn). Then add about a cup of the red wine and deglaze the pan with it, scrapping up all the good bits that stuck to the bottom when cooking the meat.

When the wine reduces by about ½ start adding the canned tomatoes.  Add one can of hot water for every can of tomatoes you use.

Now start adding the dried Italian seasonings.  I eyeball it but I would guess a good 2 TBS is fine.  Add about another ½ cup of red wine, with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir everything into the sauce. It will be very thin at this point.

Add back the cooked meat. Now this is important….at the bottom of the plate you let the meat rest on will be some of the oil and juices that seeped out. Pour that back into the pot. It has a lot of flavor in it.

Bring the sauce back to a boil then turn the heat down low and let it simmer for at least 1 and a half hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes to keep it from burning. It should reduce by about a third or a little less and get thicker. The meat will absorb the sauce and get very tender.

When I make meatballs, I don’t fry them, I bake them on a sheet pan. When I do, I add them to the simmering sauce when they’re done so they also absorb the flavor.

I usually make the sauce early in the day and after it’s done, just let it sit on the stove until dinner then I re-heat it. This should make enough sauce for a couple of dinners or good sized lasagna.


Homemade Goodies

12-14-14-worcestershire-sauce

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! That, of course, means even more time in the ol' kitchen!

Once upon a time, I was out there in the rat-race, but it's been quite a while. It's definitely age... I just can't tolerate the crowds, the cranky, demanding people, the lines... any of it. Did I mention age?!?

Now, it's all about homemade gifts - preferably edible. I would much rather give - and receive - something homemade than a mass-produced whatever from the mall.

For the first ten years Victor and I were together, we bought mounds and mounds of gifts for one another. And then, one year, we realized we were merely buying things for the sake of buying things. We didn't need anything. And it's not like we were paying cash for any of it... Credit cards are so convenient - and truly evil.

So we stopped, pretty much cold-turkey. I have to admit it still feels a bit strange, once in a while, but now we tend to buy things for one another throughout the year. Little surprises just because...

Now we spend money on things like bottles and jars and mail-order ingredients when I can't find something locally. Or trays for the cookies we give to neighbors...

This year, we decided to try something different - worcestershire sauce and vanilla. I mean... when was the last time you had homemade worcestershire sauce?!? For me, the answer was never!

I have to admit it's pretty outrageous. Spicier than your basic Lea & Perins, but with that same bold flavor... It wasn't difficult to make, either...

The original recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated.

Worcestershire Sauce

  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground clove
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 shallots, minced
  • 1 tube anchovy paste
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced

Toast the spices in small skillet over medium heat, until fragrant, about 1 minute. This will bring out their flavor. Set aside. Whisk vinegar, water, molasses, fish sauce, and tamarind paste together and set aside.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add shallots and cook until softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add anchovies, garlic, and toasted spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Whisk in vinegar mixture, scrapping up any browned bits. Bring to boil, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 hour.

Strain sauce through fine-mesh strainer and bottle. Keep cool and refrigerate after opening.

Another fun thing we made was Vanilla - from Vanilla Beans and Myer's Rum.

12-14-14-myers-rum-vanilla

I actually started this last year right after Christmas. It's been sitting in the basement aging and mellowing for a year. It's rich vanilla with a rum kick. I think a few fun desserts will be made with this!

I didn't use a recipe... I just split about 30 vanilla beans and steeped them in a 750ml bottle of Myer's, shaking it now and again when I was downstairs... A couple of weeks ago, I straind it, filled the bottles, and added a fresh vanilla bean to each.

It's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Now for some cookie baking after canning the pasta sauce!

 

 


Stuffed Pork Chops

12-09-14-pork-chops

I was grocery shopping on Monday and picked up a small pork loin roast that was priced about $10.00. I looked up and noticed that for $8.00 more, I could buy a whole pork loin - about three times the size of the roast in my hand.

I bought the whole loin.

I got 9 thick-cut pork chops, a pork roast the size of the original one I picked up, and a few stray pieces that will go well in a pasta sauce. I got four additional meals for 8 bucks. Not bad...

I took a couple of those chops tonight and stuffed them with raspberry chipotle sauce and blue cheese. I get the sauce from Cost Plus whenever we're near one.

I cut a pocket into them and then seasoned them with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. I browned them in a skillet, set them on their bottom, and added the raspberry chipotle sauce and placed them into a 375° oven for 20 minutes. After 15 minutes, I added a chunk of blue cheese and let it ooze and melt inside... Oy, they were good!

Oven-roasted sweet potatoes and some roasted corn finished the plate.

I tried to be a good boy and not dirty too much stuff because our dishwasher is on the fritz... It's been seeping water a bit and now it's just not behaving, at all. The Maytag Repair Man will be out on Monday. In the meantime, that means Victor is doing dishes by hand...

We have a great rule in the house... if I cook, Victor does the dishes. If Victor cooks, Victor does the dishes.

I'll be honest... I'm not sure how this all came about, but, at this stage of the game, I'm not going to argue the point.

I've been known to pretty much destroy a kitchen cooking a basic meal for two, so any and all help in the clean-up department is always appreciated. I have gotten better over the years, but... pristine is never going to be a word that describes our kitchen. The only one eating off our kitchen floor is Cybil - and there's generally plenty to keep her fed.

My dream kitchen would be tile walls, stainless steel counters, and a quarry tile floor with a properly-sloped drain that I could just turn the hose on after cooking. Or a steam hose like I had in the Navy.

Maybe in my next life...