Prime Rib and the Ghosts of Christmas' Past
The quiet day turned into a quiet night. And a really great dinner. And a great dessert.
Prime Rib. Not something I buy often. Nor anything I cook often. Lord knows I cooked enough of them in my early Hyatt days, but not so much, anymore. Granted, it's one of the easiest pieces of meat to cook, but putting a pound of meat on a plate is just not something we do very much.
And Yorkshire Pudding - not something I make often.
I think the last time I made it I set the oven on fire when I spilled grease. The house didn't burn down, so it wasn't that much of an issue. But I did make sure I poured the batter into the tins out of the oven, this time. I'm getting less adventurous as I age...
Funny how a quiet Christmas can get the nostalgic thoughts flowing. Most of the day I've thought about some of the raucous Christmas' of my past - and a few of the more quiet ones.
Coming from a rather large, loud family, it's fun to recall those thrilling days of yesteryear.
First Christmas picture I have is from 1953. Me and Mike on Santa's lap.
I had a double chin back then, too. Some things never change. Below is the same year. We are in Bakersfield at our grandparents - in fact, that picture was probably taken at Brock's Department Store where my grandfather worked.
Most of the Christmas' when there were but two or three of us were spent in Bakersfield. We pretty much did every other year after the twins were born, and by the time Phoebe came along, we were staying closer to home. It must have been hell packing that station wagon.
Here we are at Grandma and Grandpa's on Christmas Day...
Notice the wide-screen TV. The huge piece of furniture behind me is a radio/record player that recorded records. It had a microphone that you could use to record onto real records. Grandma and Grandpa had tons of old radio scripts - everything from Hatfields and McCoys to The Shadow and old soaps. When we were old enough to read, we'd perform the shows using the mic and blasting it through the house. It was cool making up lines and changing the scripts or figuring out how to make sound effects. We were a bunch of budding thespians.
You can barely see them but on top of the radio is a hurricane lamp and grandma's anniversary clock. I still have the clock - I sent the lamps off to one of the great grandkids last year.
This is Bakersfield in 1956.
And here we are on Christmas Morning 1956 wearing the robes my mother made. She made a lot of our clothes, pajamas, robes, and the like.
And don't let those angelic smiles fool you.
Leaving the '50s and entering the '60s, we have the awesome clock I wish I had, today! Mom would cut tin foil into icicles and the sleigh / candle holder would always be in the center. Judy has that.
We'd always have at least one get-together at Aunt Phoebe's and Aunt Dolores' in their apartment at Stonestown. My job was to assemble their aluminum Christmas Tree every year. It was a really nice - and really expensive one. Another thing I wish I had, today!
This is Aunt Phoebe, born in 1890, Grandma, born in 1896, and Aunt Dolores, born in 1898. They had several other siblings, including a brother, Philip, who was born in 1893. He was a hobo, rode the rails, caught TB and died in 1946. Rumor has it he led a pretty interesting - and not always law-abiding - life. Aunt Dolores made it to 96.
They were all really interesting and not at all conventional for their time. Aunt Phoebe was widowed by 20 and never remarried, lived in San Francisco in 1910, was a nurse on the United States Shipping Line in the '30s, had her face done and a forged birth certificate when she was 50, joined the Army Nurse Corps, and was in a hospital in The Philippines that was bombed. They all knew how to have fun. I wish I had asked more questions, although I don't think they would have given me truthful answers...
As the family grew, the stockings grew.
And then grew some more... One year they were plastered all over the walls... I think the sleigh worked its way down to the coffee table this year - but was back when grandkids were walking about.
It's amazing the amount of people we could get into that living room. It's amazing that the folks raised six kids in a 1500 square foot house. No wonder we played outside a lot!
I moved all over the USofA, missed far too many Christmas' at home, and Christmas 1980 spent the holiday at a friend's apartment in East Boston while he was away with his family - I was living in a one-room apartment with bathroom down the hall and shared kitchen on the 2nd floor. I got really drunk and called everyone I knew. Huge phone bill.
I bought this mug in Boston in 1981. Susan, Gordy, and I moved into a great house on Parker Street in Boston. Gordy went home to Rhode Island for Christmas, Susan headed down to Pennsylvania with relatives, and I stayed home. Our landlords, Frank and Maureen, lived down the street, their daughter lived above us and Maureen's sister, Evelyn lived on the top flat. It was a standard Boston 3-decker. Christmas Eve started with a family party at Evelyn's and I was invited as the lone Irish face in a sea of African-Americans.
They made fun of me eating chitlins and greens and not batting an eye, while I regaled them with stories of the first time I had eaten them - cooked and cleaned them, as well - in Uncle Sam's Yacht Club. Evelyn knew how to cook and we sat up there until almost midnight eating and drinking, laughing, telling stories, and just having fun. Then we headed out to visit even more relatives and more parties. We got home as the sun was rising. That Christmas I pretty much slept away, full of great food, good booze, and great - if not slightly foggy - memories.
Too many years away, I moved back home, met Victor, and life as we now know it, began.
Our first house on Kirkham Street was great. Lots of architectural charm. It was a great place to decorate. I wish I had some decent pictures...
We still have almost every decoration - and piece of furniture - in these pictures. When we bought our house in San Leandro, the holidays just got more and more fun. One year little sister and her girls stayed with us and we got to experience just what it's like to have lots of little kids in the house on Christmas Morning. We had a blast.
And then we had the rest of the family over for holiday fun. Yes, that is a conga line going through the house. We know how to celebrate at our house! And, yes. Alcohol was involved.
Here's a more sedate moment. The family has more than doubled since this was taken.
That was 1999. We didn't fly back east and Victor's mom started guilting us about being home for New Year's. It was the new millennium. Her comment was "Well... I'm not going to be here for the next one." [Note to Nonna - NONE of us are going to be here for the next one.]
We flew east - on New Year's Eve 1999. The airplane was empty. The airports were empty. It was one of the best flights, ever. And we made it in time to celebrate 2000.
And then we moved east. The holidays took on a whole new meaning with snow! And new traditions with old things. Like Mom's tables - still here after all these years.
And more little kids to play with...
And teach how to make cookies.
And more cookies to bake and more decorations to decorate. And being goofy with the East Coast Family.
More cards to send - because we still do send cards...
And still more decorations... The old look of the living room with cheap carpet and uninsulated window.
The kitchen - a constantly-changing theme in here.
The faux mantle we had for a while.
And Santa's on the old window seat.
Even more Santas...
The ever-changing chandelier. That is actually one of those cheap brass 1970s chandeliers that I faux-painted when we moved in. I figured I had nothing to lose since it was already ugly. Had it up there for almost 17 years, now. And it has seen its share of gaudy holiday decorations!
That ugly window gave way to a new really cool window...
And another constantly-changing area is the dining room. The cabinet is now our TV stand. It's the first piece of furniture we bought back when we were poor as church mice. We stripped off a dozen layers of paint and stained it. It's my most favorite thing we own! And it's totally useful, holding extra china, flatware, platters, table linens... I love it.
One year leads into another and another... and every one is better than the last.
So Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night.
Christmas Eggnog Cake
It's a really quiet Christmas Day around here. Almost too quiet. Both of us are used to loud, raucous family gatherings, so it's a bit strange to be home in a relatively quiet house. Nonna just isn't up to traveling to North Jersey anymore - she got carsick the last two times she went, so I don't see any more trips north, for a while. We miss the fun, but it is what it is...
So with a mere three in the house, there's lots of time to do things. Like bake a cake. And what to do when you have a quart of eggnog in the 'fridge? Why... make an Eggnog Cake, of course!
I was first going to make my mom's Eggnog Pie, but changed my mind on the way to the kitchen. I do that often...
A quick Google Search brought up a score of the exact same recipe, so I went for it.
Eggnog Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup prepared eggnog (or see notes for recipe)
- 2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
Frosting:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups prepared eggnog (or see notes for recipe)
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon rum-flavored extract
- 1/8 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
- 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
- Beat 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel, mixing well.
- Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Pour flour mixture into the batter alternately with 1 cup eggnog, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in bourbon. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven until cake springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip or a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (test both cake layers). Cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make frosting, combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups eggnog, whisking until smooth.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. When mixture boils, cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Beat 1 cup butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in cooled eggnog mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, rum extract, and 1/8 teaspoon grated lemon peel. Beat on high speed until mixture is fully incorporated and frosting is fluffy.
- Spread cake with plain frosting between cake layers, over the top and on the sides. Coat the sides with toasted pecans, pressing the nuts onto sides in small handfuls. Refrigerate until serving time.
The frosting is interesting - you cook a batter of sorts with eggnog and flour, let it cool, and then whip it in to butter and granulated sugar. It's very soft and fluffy - easy to work - and definitely needs to get into a refrigerator to set up. Both the cake batter and the icing tasted great on their own.
And it was a hit! We may have to add this onto the Holiday Baking List!
Three of the Seven Fishes
Merry Christmas Eve - La Vigilia - The Feast of the Seven Fish.
We're home this Christmas Eve - Nonna is not up to traveling up to North Jersey - so we're doing a bit of a rake on the 7 fish theme. Three Fish in Puff Pastry.
It's a really simple concept - make a stuffing of crab, shrimp, shallots, celery, and bread crumbs - put it in puff pastry with some fish filets, and bake.
Oh - and it tastes really good.
Since moving east we have gone up to Victor's sister's house for Christmas, and out BIL, Tom, creates a feast. The entire 7 fish, wine, desserts for days... It's a sight to behold. Gastronomic heaven on Christmas Earth.
But it doesn't seem as if we're going to be able to be a part of this, for a while.
Time to institute Plan B.
With only three of us, actually doing 7 fish is difficult when one of the three doesn't eat much fish. I settled on three - crab, shrimp, and cod - mostly disguised.
It was definitely a hit!
I got the basic recipe from AllRecipes.com but switched things around quite a bit - as I usuall do...
Here's the recipe and my changes at the end...
Stuffed Fish in Puff Pastry
allrecipes.com
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup minced celery
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 8 ounces crabmeat
- 8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined and minced
- 1/4 cup dry vermouth
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 2 pounds flounder fillets
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
Directions
-
To make the stuffing: Melt butter or margarine in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Saute onion, celery, and parsley until all of the vegetables are just tender. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and vermouth. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; cook until shrimp is finished cooking (it will be pink). Mix in bread crumbs, a little at a time. When the mixture holds together well, stop adding bread crumbs. Taste and add more seasoning (salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce) if necessary. Set this mixture aside to let it cool.
-
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
-
Roll 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a flat surface. The puff pastry, once rolled should be about 1/3 to 1/4 inch thick and large enough for you to lay the fish on top of it and still have puff pastry on the sides. Lay one of the fish fillets on top of the puff pastry. Spread the stuffing mixture evenly over the fish fillet. Place the remaining fillet over the stuffing. Trim the pastry around the filets in roughly the shape of a fish. Save the trimmings.
-
Roll second sheet of puff pastry out to about 1/3 to 1/4 inch thick. Drape second sheet over stuffed fillets, making sure that there is enough of the top sheet to tuck under the bottom sheet of puff pastry. Trim the top sheet of pastry about 1/2 inch larger than the bottom sheet. Brush underside of top pastry sheet with water and tuck under bottom sheet of puff pastry pressing lightly to totally encase the fish and stuffing package. Place the sealed packet on the prepared baking sheet, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
-
While packet is chilling, roll out pastry scraps. From the scraps cut out fins, an eye and 'lips'. Attach cut-outs to chilled package with a little water. Use an inverted teaspoon to make indentations in puff pastry to resemble fish scales but do not puncture pastry. Chill entire package.
-
While the package is chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
-
Remove the fish from the refrigerator and brush the package with the egg yolks. Measure the thickness of the package at its thickest part. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake the fish for 10 extra minutes per inch of measured thickness. Test for doneness by inserting a thermometer into the package, when the temperature reaches 140 degrees F (70 degrees C) the fish is finished cooking.
I used shallots in place of onions, omitted the red pepper because Nonna doesn't like spice, increased the shrimp, used a pinot grigio in place of the vermouth, used only 2/3 lb of cod, and didn't form it into a fish.
I placed all of the stuffing on the pastry and then put two fish filets on top.
Reality is, you could completely eliminate the fish filets or just add chunks to the filling.
It really was good - and something I will make again!
Christmas Cookies 2016
'Tis the Season!
The annual excessive cookie baking has started! Well... Making the doughs and fillings has started - we actually won't be baking until next weekend. We have a system.
I really do love this time of year. The lights are up, the house is decorated, Christmas music playing in the background, and an Excel spreadsheet of what cookies we're making this year. Yes, I do a spreadsheet, although nowadays it's really just to keep track of the cookies we want to make this year. In my slightly-more-neurotic past, I'd have ingredient lists with cups of flour, sugar, spices, et al, tallied and compiled, knowing down to a gnat's ass how much butter and vanilla was needed. We did a lot more baking back then.
Today, I just buy the stuff when I see it. Flour we have - tons of it. I use Italian "00" flour for pretty much everything and ordered 20 kilos for the holidays. I need more powdered and brown sugars, so only 5 doughs and two fillings done, today. I'll pick all of that up - along with more granulated sugar - tomorrow. Nuts and chocolate in the cupboard, candied peels all made, nonpareils, sprinkles, and all those fun things downstairs. I think we're fairly well set.
One thing I want to make again, this year, is Torrone - Italian nougat. I haven't made it in several years but it's calling my name. I've never been a really good candy-maker because it really requires paying attention and being exact - neither of which are in the top 10 of my better attributes. But I've succeeded, before. I can do it, again.
And then there is biscotti - quite a few variations, there, from Uncle Rudy's traditional to a new one I want to try this year with cocoa glazed almonds. Pizzelles, of course, Aunt Emma's Apricot Cookie, Cuccidati - those fillings are already made. The doughs for Pfeffernusse, Mom's Spice Cookies, Coconut Balls, and Almond Cookies are also made.
I have a recipe for a slice-and-bake fruitcake cookie that looks pretty good, and Auntie's Rum Balls will be made tomorrow once I have the powdered sugar. It ages well, so I like to make it in advance and let it sit in the 'fridge to mellow.
I'm heading in to make the Ricotta Cookie dough once I finish this. We'll see what else I'm in the mood to do.
Too much fun!