Holiday Feastivities

Amanda and I spent this holiday in Ohio, and we weren’t the only ones!  My parents had a total of 12 adults and 1 baby over for the holidays, and we were there to have a great time and help cook several meals for all.

Family and food are the two main factors when it comes to festivities, so my Mom, Dad, Amanda and I were excited to put on a substantial feast.  Amanda and I arrived a few days early to my parent’s house in Perrysburg, Ohio to help prepare for the Feastivities.

We had not even been at home for an hour when menu planning began.  We and my parents brainstormed about different ideas for three nights of cooking that would satisfy (and even wow) our guests and also allow for the cooks to have time to relax, too.

We decided that the first night would be a latke supper with creamed spinach and sausage.  The following evening would be a “grazing” supper of a variety of small bites such as shrimp cocktail, fondue, and crème brulee for dessert.  For the grand finale we planned a dinner of beef wellington and fish for Christmas day supper!

Most of the gang had arrived by the first night.  There were 10 people to feed and latkes were on the menu.  It is hard to ever have too many latkes because they are so good that people are usually tempted to go back for seconds, and even thirds!

We used a classic family recipe to make the potato pancakes.  Instead of the usual pan-fry, we baked the latkes on baking sheets with a touch of oil in a hot oven to achieve a golden crust and fluffy interior.  The hot oven and oil produced lots of delicious latkes with minimal effort and not quite enough smoke to cause a panic among the guests!

Latkes (Feeds: 4 people)
5 lbs	Russet potatoes
1 medium	Onion, Spanish
1 1/2 Tbsp	Salt
3 ea	Eggs
1/4	Flour
1 tsp	Pepper
as needed	Vegetable oil, for frying
-Peel and grate the potatoes and onion.  Work quickly so the potatoes do not turn brown. -Add the salt to grated potatoes and onion and mix well to draw out some liquid from the potatoes.  The mixture will soon become very wet. -Taking a handful of the grated potatoes and onion, squeeze between your hands as firmly as possible to remove nearly all the water.  Transfer to a dry bowl. -Gently use your hands to mix the grated, squeezed potatoes and onion with the eggs, pepper, and flour.  Add just enough flour so that the mixture barely holds together. -Immediately form the potatoes into small hamburger-shaped patties and either pan fry in hot oil or bake on oiled sheet trays in 45od. F oven. -Whether frying or baking, cook the latkes on one side until golden brown, flip, and finish cooking until the opposite side is also golden.  Finish baking in 350d. F oven until cooked through. -Drain on paper towels if needed. Serve hot with sour cream and/or applesauce.
Source: ChefsOnTheRoad.com

To go with the latkes, my dad whipped up a batch of delicious spinach that was creamed with milk, thickened with flour, and topped with hard boiled egg.  This was a fortifying bowl of vegetables that held its own next to the hearty latkes.  What would a Jewish inspired meal be without some sausage—beef, of course!  Dad also put a nice charry sear on some thick slices of kielbasa.

One meal down and two to go!  In my family, Christmas eve is a day for “grazing” and I’m not talking about eating grass!  Grazing is a Kaderavek family tradition as it is for many families (Amanda’s family calls it “hor d’erves”) and it can be a great way to eat!  Many small bites means a variety of flavors and textures that makes the meal exciting, and sitting around the family room to eat keeps things casual.

In addition to shrimp cocktail and cheese fondue with cubed bread and green apples we served deviled eggs, salad, dad’s barbeque meatballs, and a tomato-artichoke tart.  Amanda spearheaded the deviled egg movement, of which she received some help peeling the eggs and some suggestions for what to include with the egg yolk cream (mayonnaise, mustard, a dash of cayenne).  The eggs were smashing, that is, everyone enjoyed them very much!

Dad’s meatballs (I take the liberty of calling them barbeque) were tender buttons made from ground beef flavored with onion and Parmesan cheese and drenched in sweet, spicy, tomatoey sauce.

Amanda and I joined forces to create the artichoke and tomato tart that was pleasing to the eye, vegetarian, and tasted good, too (or so we were told)!  We par-baked the tart shell and filled it with some mashed potatoes and caramelized onions before layering on tomato leafs and artichoke hearts.  To finish we grated some Gruyere cheese and added a drizzle of reduced balsamic make the flavors go “pop!”

Tomato-Artichoke Tart (Makes 8 slices)
1 1/4 cup	Flour	1 ea	Spanish onion, sliced
4 oz	Butter, unsalted, cold, cubed	5 ea	Roma tomatoes
1/2 tsp	Salt	1 lb	Artichoke hearts, frozen
3 Tbsp	Cold water	1/4 cup	Gruyere cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup	Mashed Potatoes	1/2 cup	Balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp	Olive oil	to taste	Salt and pepper
For the tart dough -Combine the flour, butter, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to bread up the butter. -Transfer the contents to a bowl, add the 3 Tbsp cold water and gently mix until the dough barely comes together. -Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes lightly flour the dough and roll out the dough into a thin circle on a floured surface. -Transfer the dough to a 12” tart dish and gently press to fit the dish.  Dock (poke) the bottom of the tart dough with a fork and return to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill. -Par-bake the tart dough in a preheated 350d. F oven until just baked and only very lightly browned (about 30 minutes). To assemble the tart-Cut a small X into the bottom of the tomatoes. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds and immediately transfer the tomatoes to ice water. -Quarter, peel, and seed the tomatoes to get tomato “leaves.”  Season the tomato leaves with salt and pepper to taste and reserve. -heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan and add the sliced onions.  Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and caramelized.  Season the caramelized onions with salt and pepper to taste. -Defrost the artichoke hearts and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and reserve. -In the par-baked tart dough spread an even layer of the mashed potatoes, then a layer of the caramelized onions, then arrange the tomato leaves and artichoke hearts. -Transfer the tart to a 350d. F  oven and bake for 45 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. -Sprinkle with the grated Gruyere cheese while the tart is still hot.  In a small saucepan reduce the balsamic vinegar to a light syrup and drizzle over the tart.  Slice and serve at room temperature.
Source: ChefsOnTheRoad.com

Always trying to think ahead, Amanda and I had made some much anticipated crème brulees the day before so that they were chilled, set, and ready for the torch!  Susan and Chihuey “sous cheffed” it up, each taking a turn with the industrial grade (not restaurant grade) blowtorch!  We think it was not their first time doing this because soon we had a crisp sugary shell encrusting all the creamy, vanillaey custards to be cracked into and savored by all!

Creme Brulee (makes 7 portions)
1 quart	Heavy cream
1/2 cup	Sugar
1 ea.	Vanilla beans
9 ea.	Egg yolks
as needed	Sugar

-In a heavy saucepan, combine cream and sugar and bring to a simmer, being careful not to boil over. -Split the vanilla bean in 1/2 and, using a paring knife, scrape out the black seeds.  Add the vanilla seeds and pod to the hot cream and sugar.  Steep for 15 minutes. -Add the egg yolks to a bowl and slowly temper in the hot cream mixture, quickly whisking until all the cream is incorporated. -Strain the mixture and cool. -Pour the mixture into 6oz. creme brulee ramekins.  Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and add 1/2 inch of water to the pan for a shallow water bath. Bake in 325d. F oven until the creme brulees are set and just barely jiggling in the center. -Cool the creme brulees at room temperature for 1 hour.  Transfer to the refrigerator and cool for a minimum of 3 hours.  Overnight is best. -One creme brulee at a time, sprinkle the top of the chilled creme brulees with sugar and use a torch to melt the sugar.  Sprinkle with sugar again and brulee (torch) the sugar until sizzling and golden.  Serve.

Source: chefsontheroad.com

Finally it was Christmas Day– the day we celebrate by stuffing ourselves into jolly submission, and we decided to go all-out.  Again, the designated cooks were not alone.  This was truly a coming together by all!  Mom and Deda (grandpa) both worked to set a beautiful holiday table for the meal to be enjoyed upon.

Homemade cranberry sauce had been transported all the way from Montreal by Aunt and Uncle Karen and Stephen.  Sister and Brother Megan and Ben brought a pan of crisp and creamy mac’ and cheese that was enlivened with kernels of corn.

Amanda, Dad, and I made our version of a beef Wellington, baked Arctic char, redskin potatoes, and walnut-studded green beans.  Soon after the last gift had been unwrapped, the cooks stormed the kitchen and delved into a flurry of preparations.  Puff pastry sheets were rolled out as beef tenderloins received a hot sear on the stove.  The beef was soon enveloped by the pastry in neat logs, brushed with egg wash, and thrust into a hot oven.

Quartered redskin potatoes were set to boil and were soon drained and tossed with butter and parsley, salt and pepper.  French cut frozen green beans also occupied a pot, soon to be joined by toasted walnuts for a tasty and well-textured vegetable dish.

Arctic Char, a sustainable salmon-like fish was neatly dressed with lemon and dill and sprinkled with salt, white pepper, and a few pinches of sugar for seasoning.  As soon as the beef Wellington was golden brown, cooked, and resting on the counter top the fish took it’s place in the oven to bake atop a hot pan and a drizzle of olive oil–slightly crisping up the skin and baking the fish simultaneously.

For dessert, Bubbi and Deda (Czech for Grandma and Grandpa) brought two lovely pies, apple and pumpkin.  Susan and Chihuey also contributed two beautiful, gigantic Asian pears that were grown in Korea and had a snowy flesh that was sweet, crisp, and juicy.

All of these feastivities can get a little tiring.  Luckily, Mom was fearless in the struggle against dirty dishes, surprisingly un-phased and efficient in the face of the onslaught.  A good time was had by all, including our beautiful new addition to the family, baby Natalie, who helped by gracefully being the center of attention and by being cute!

The holidays wouldn’t be festive without a great feast (or a few) and loving family.  Put these two things together and you have a recipe for unforgettable feastivities!