Narrowing It Down to the Top 25
Perle Mesta I’m not, but I do love a good gathering of friends and family that allows me the rare opportunity of cooking for a gaggle. Just the two of us, “cooking” now often means coming home with sushi from the fish market or popping into Bedford Gourmet for a large container of their roasted cauliflower and some soup.
But I am spending today poring through new and old recipes and cookbooks for about five days worth of meals. Fish, sides, lots of good veggies. Standing Rib Roast Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Or neither?
Throw in a Christmas Day birthday child with a birthday cake and birthday presents, over a birthday breakfast, we pretty much give our souls over to the gym come December 26th. Or add more routines on the treadmill.
I am doing my best to keep the recipes all in the healthy range, but c’mon, it IS Christmas after all and some indulgence is allowed. Like egg nog! The major categories, with some ideas so far, are:
Breakfasts, including NO EGG recipes for Mr. EOS
Ina Garten’s Cherry Almond Granola, yogurts, waffles, fruit
Munchies, for all the times you just pass through the kitchen to ask if there’s anyway to help but there isn’t so you pick a little something off the counter….
Smitten Kitchen Sugar & Spice Nuts, dried apricots, Asian pears, fruitcake
from Smitten Kitchen.com
Easy Help-Yourself Lunches, like chili or soups
Asian Noodle Soup with Chicken or beef, annotated
Winter Asparagus Soup, a recipe I found in a Santa Barbara California magazine. You can tell by the ragged condition of the recipe how much we make this. Four stars. Makes a great meal in itself, with a light salad.
Hors d’oeuvres, from late afternoon on through dinner MUST include my sister’s asparagus roll-ups or Mr. EOS won’t show up! The photo of these below is from The Hedonistic Kitchen but the recipe is the same as my sister uses. WARNING: These disappear very quickly! Can be made ahead and frozen, uncooked.
Drinks, alcoholic and not
Rule #1: Always have a batch of Pimm’s Cup on hand. While it’s traditionally a summer quaff, it is very refreshing and light anytime. Photo and recipe from Kitchen Riffs.
Dinners, healthy yet festive (no tofu allowed)
Fresh Bay Scallops, Salmon, Pork roast, brisket; still undecided about the standing rib roast. Ina Garten’s Mussels in White Wine is one of our favorites
Vegetable Side Dishes, or as a light main course
Three favorites are on the “for sure” list; Orzo with Spinach and Feta, A Delicious and Festive Looking Vegetable Tian from the Barefoot Contessa, and another Ina classic, her Moroccan Couscous
Desserts, birthday cake, or sweets for no reason
New to this category, a recipe in today’s New York Times for Chocolate Whiskey Cake. Might be a good birthday candle option.
from The New York Times
The list will get whittled in the next day or so, ingredients bought, fish ordered, and serious preparation to begin this weekend! You know I would love nothing more than to hear (and see) what you are all planning to cook. Please feel free to send me photos and/or recipes you want shared with this gang.
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FROM MARTHA. Read her comment below for explanation of photos.
AND FROM JOLLY SIR MICHIGAN, he posts his exercise regimen!
Hi,
It all looks fabulous, you are going to be busy in the kitchen.
Mags: I’m looking forward to all the cooking. The dishes and clean-up, not so much!
what day can we show up? be sure and have the asparagus roll-ups (my wife’s sister makes these too) and the pimms cup.
we’re heading to essex for christmas. we send our best wishes to your family and thank you for another fun year of eosredux!
Great post! I love sharing ideas like this. My fridge is groaning after my gathering yesterday. One of these days we will need another in the garage, I think:
Here you can see my rib roast aging, a ham, two giant bowls of mussels(!! I thought they were $2 bags, not $2 a pound, and thought nothing of it when the guy handed me ten pounds! I bought them anyhow! Duh! So thanks for Ina’s recipe, we will be having that tonight. Need another one for tomorrow…)
Christmas Eve is filled with childrens pageants and church, so likely something simple, like shrimp cocktail, cheese plate and cookies.
Christmas Day is Pantone French toast, pigs in a blanket, fruit, standing rib with Yorkshire pudding, caramelized fennel with figs, kale salad of some sort and chocolate mousse.
New Year’s Eve will be cheese fondue.
I also have some veal chops, the ham and bunches of veggies to figure out. I feel totally scattered and stressed out because the seven year old has been home sick since last Thursday ( fine with me-hugging them almost constantly these days…) and our boiler flooded our basement the other day, so I am totally behind on wrapping and sneaky santa stuff!
Here is my purple-ish tree, just to show purple is Christmasy- it’s the royal color, after-all…
All the best,
Martha
[Ed. Note: SEE HER PHOTOS BELOW]
Martha must be my twin sister, lost at birth. Her menu and ours are almost identical, down to the amusing anecdote of buying lots of mussels.
We have a great french toast casserole for Christmas morning too that I make the night before and all that needs to be done is stick it in the over. Beats making waffles one at a time, or flipping pancakes.
With a British husband, there’s no discussion about what to serve on Christmas day – rib roast and yorkshire pudding. I have his mother’s pan for the popovers but I guarantee you I don’t have the talent she did to make them as well. She lovingly calls me “the cute American wife who can’t cook very well!”
We’ve been on a cookie making binge at our house, plus the obligatory gingerbread houses and gifts for teachers. As Martha said, extra kid-hugging too and lots of extra appreciation to teachers.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Your menu looks fantastic! I’m TOLD we’re cooking smoked turkey, lasagna, homemade rolls and some other stuff I’m not in charge of. All the kids will be coming with the grandkids and two additional dogs (5 dogs total), so insanity and chaos will ensue. I’m opting for Mimosas and or Bloody Marys to begin the day with and ramping up as required. I’d have posted a pic of my holiday exercise regimen but I can’t so I’ll send it via email.
Sounds like the Michigan clan is ready for merriment. Dawg sends her best.
If you think you’ve done whittling, you’re only whittling Dixie once you look at today’s New York Times food section about Christmas Sweets. I want to try the small pineapple upside down cake, something my mother used to make all the time but I rarely have.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/12/19/dining/your-best-holiday-sweets.html
Great photos from Martha. Her tree is very sophisticated and elegant. Love it, even with purple.
Michigan, we have similar exercise regimens.
Martha: is that a whipped cream making gizmo on the third shelf down to the left of the ham?
Michigan: LOL!
Jane, that pineapple cake does look yummy!
Catherine, we baked our gingerbread shapes last night-decorating yet to come. What veggie do you serve with your beef & Yorkshire? Nothing ever seems to fit, I struggle with the veg every year
Anon, cream whipped-yes!! Someday I might try a foam but not this week…
Hubby’s tradition rules with the veggie as well. Brussels sprouts. Blech. The kids push them around on the table and pray the dog will beg! Also creamed baby onions.
For those who don’t eat the Brussels sprouts, I make a cauliflower and kale gratin or a vegetable tartin similar to the one shown in EOS’s photos.
Well, since tomorrow the world is going to end according to the Mayan Calendar, the kids have requested their favorite meal tonight.. So, just got back from getting the fresh shrimp to make Penne with Vodka Sauce and shrimp. “It’s the end of the world as we know it…” sing along you REM fans.
Also had the butcher slice up the filet mignon for Christmas Dinner.
SB: That’s right!! All this shopping and cooking is for naught if the Mayans are right. Maybe I’ll have that Hershey’s bar now, just in case.
Mmmmm, shrimp with Penne and Vodka sauce. Your kids have requested quite the good meal indeed!
Filet. That’s something we have done before, love it, easy to prepare, always a hit. A winner.
Catherine, we love Brussels sprouts, but I usually do them with bacon and it just seems too rich. Cauliflower gratin sounds like a winner though! Thanks for the idea. I’m also going to casserole the French toast! Cheers!
love love love the green bow on the purple tree. I’m not so good with ribboning things. I tried on my wreaths and it looked stupid. I just got a brie and sausage strata recipe from my sister which I believe is going into the rotation. Derwood and I are making lasagnas (one meat and one pumpkin…I’ll let you know how that turns out) for Christmas Eve at my other sister’s house and I’m doing a beef tenderloin for whoever shows up chez moi on Christmas day.
Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday to the EOS birthday boy/girl!
Specially love the shots of your cookbooks, with all the notes on the side … and the curled pages with little butter splatters… everything looks so GOOD! yummmmm …
Happy Holidays, EOSR, for you & your beautiful family!!!
And Merry Christmas back to you Betty. After a year on the road, I suspect being home for Christmas must feel awfully good for you. You certainly earned the privilege.
Thanks again for the moules recipe-it was phenomenal!!