Brunches, Lunches and Dinners

And now for the Christmas article from the Petaluma Post...

How do you celebrate Christmas?  I like to make my meals a bit more extravagant.  Thanksgiving is very traditional, but Christmas is time to play.  With family, in-laws and friends you are likely to be moving from house to house.  Maybe you are you are making dinner, maybe breakfast, or maybe just something to bring along.  But just because you are not making dinner does not mean it cannot be special.

I love brunch, anytime of the year, but with catering there are not a lot of Sundays off to enjoy it.  A relaxed Christmas morning is a perfect time for some great food.  Yes the kids are running around with toys and the house is full of guests, but with a little planning you can enjoy the morning too.  Your oven is your best friend. Ham is great hot or cold, travels well, and can be nibbled on all day long.

Cranberry Glazed Ham

9 lbs Ham, bone in, not spiral cup

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

1 Tbl dry mustard powder

2 Tbl brown sugar

1 Tbl ground clove

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the ham in a baking dish, fat side up, and score the ham to create a diamond pattern, cutting to about  ¼” depth.  Place the ham in the oven, and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.  Meanwhile mix the remaining ingredients to create the glaze, and spoon liberally over the ham.  Continue baking for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour.  If the glaze starts to get too dark, cover with foil.  Carve and enjoy.

How about bread pudding for breakfast?  We think of it as a dessert, but it really is just bread, milk and eggs, just like French toast.  But it keeps and travels much better than French toast.

Breakfast Bread Pudding

5 eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup sugar (or to your taste)

½ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups cubed bread

¼ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup pecans

Combine milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar, and whisk together.  Pour over bread chunks, and allow to sit for approximately 30 minutes to absorb.  Pour into a buttered 9x13 baking dish.  Crumble the butter and pecans together and sprinkle over the top.  Finally bake 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees, until set.  Serve warm.

A midday meal can be a great place to change up a few of the holiday favorites.  What about pie for lunch?

My mother-in-law makes a great French-Canadian meat pie, a Tourtière, which is a very simple sausage and mashed potato pie.  Which I would serve with something like a Butternut Gruyer Tart and Tender Greens with Craisins and Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

Tourtière

2 pies crusts (top and bottom)

1 lbs russet potatoes

2 Tbl milk

1 Tbl butter

4 oz ground sweet sausage

4 oz ground beef

1 small onion

1tsp ground sage

½ tsp thyme

Peel and boil the potatoes, then mash with butter and milk; set aside.  Brown the beef, pork and onion with the herbs, the crumble and add to mashed the potatoes.  Place the pie crust in deep 9” pie plate and fill with the potato/meat filling.  Top with second crust, and egg wash to seal.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown.  Serve warm or room temperature.

Over the years my family has enjoyed doing a wide variety of things for Christmas dinner.  At last we have landed a favorite, fondue and hors d’oeuvres.  We don’t sit down for a meal, this way we can nibble and talk throughout the evening.  It also gives me a chance to play with some fun ideas.

Truffle Devil Eggs

12 eggs

3 Tbl mayonnaise

1 tsp djion mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1tsp truffle paste or oil

Boil and peel eggs.  I like to cut the eggs in half the short way, trimming the ends to make them stand (they look like a shot glass), just to update the presentation.  Combine the yolks, truffle and mustard in bowl or food processor, and mix until crumbly, then add  the mayonnaise 1tablespoon at a time until thick but pliable.  Finish with salt and pepper.  For an extra bit of extravagance top with Caviar.

If your family is traditional or contemporary add just a bit of extravagance to your holiday, and have a very merry holiday and a happy new year!

And, of course, if you would like some help with your holiday feast we have our special holiday menu as well as all our regulars available at www.SonomaCaterers.com.

A Modern Thanksgiving!

Okay, I've been bad, I forgot to re-post my Petaluma Post articles for the past few months, so let's start with Thanksgiving!

During the month of November we all seem to eat a lot of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, yams…etc.  We get together with friends, with our clubs, and with family, with all the menus being a very slight variation on the turkey day theme.  But, do you really have to do the same menu over and over?  Have some fun with it!  Use the “same” ingredients but in different ways; make it a play on words; use something in a different way

Here are a few of my ideas:

Of course you must have Turkey…..wild turkey… Wild Turkey BOURBON!  And of course cranberries.  Make a cocktail.  A couple of year ago I created a “Happy Pilgrim”, which made our thanksgiving very happy!  It was inspired when I couldn’t find a cocktail that really paired well with Thanksgiving, and this one fits the bill very well.

Happy Pilgrim

 1 shot wild turkey bourbon

 1 shot ginger beer

 2 shots cranberry juice

 1/3 shot blood orange bitters

 Shake and serve over crushed ice

 Garnish with a fresh cranberry

An extra note on this one: When I selected Wild Turkey it was just for the turkey theme; I didn’t have the best impression of Wild Turkey, it just seemed like a lower shelf product, but it is actually quite good, and I’ve found it getting increased respect from craft bartenders.

Let’s go to yams, I’m not talking marshmallow or even maple syrup.  Let’s talk salad.  Thanksgiving is a very rich meal, so cut it with some healthy greens. Tell your family you’re bringing roasted yams and pecan pie!  Well maybe don’t tell them that, I know hubby would be disappointed with salad instead of pie!  But it’s still a great addition to the holiday feast.

Baby Arugula and Chèvre Salad with Yams Croutons and Candied Pecans

6 oz wild baby arugula

2 oz Chèvre

Candied Pecan (see recipe below)

Yam Croutons (see recipe below)

Sherry Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Just toss the arugula, chèvre and vinaigrette, and finish with the pecans and croutons.

Yam Croutons

1 large yam cut into ½” cubes

1 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper

Roast your yam croutons, turning often to allow to brown and crisp evenly (they’ll get brown and slightly crispy on the outside, but stay soft in the center).  While their baking make your vinaigrette by combining the sherry vinegar, olive oil, honey and S&P.  Allow crouton to cook 10 to15 minutes.  You can allow the croutons to cool or toss and serve immediately for a warm salad. 

Candied Pecans (aka Pralines)

¾ cup pecans

½ cup sugar

Water to cover

Place all in heavy bottomed pot and cover with water, and boil till small thick bubbles (10-12 minutes).  Drain and place on greased sheet pan, then bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until dark in color, stirring every 5 minutes.  NOTE: you only need about a third this volume for the salad recipe above, but hey, who doesn’t want extra pralines?

Sherry Vinaigrette

¼ cup sherry vinegar

½ cup olive oil

 2 Tbl honey

 Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend well

As for stuffing, if you have read my articles in the past you know I love stuffing.  But change it up by bringing stuffed apples for dessert.

Baked Stuffed Apples

8 large, Granny Smith Apples

4 Tbs butter

8 Tbs brown Sugar

¼ cup chopped nuts (recommend pecans or walnuts)

½ tsp Cinnamon

Place the apples in baking dish, if they do not stand up easily trim bottoms to balance.

Cut off the top quarter of the apple, then using a melon baller, scoop out the core with the apples.  Combine all other ingredients, and mix till crumbly.  Pack into apple centers.

Bake at 350 degree for 15-20 minutes until the apples are knife tip tender. Serve with vanilla ice cream

What about your pumpkin pie, does pie have to be dessert? What about hand pies, like empanadas.  Do an hors d’oeuvre and start the meal with the usual ending.

Pumpkin Empanadas with Truffle and Parmesan

1 batch of your favorite pie dough - or purchased pie dough sheets

Pumpkin Empanadas

1 cup canned pumpkin

4 oz grated parmesan

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp white truffle oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix pumpkin, parmesan and spices to for a thick paste; taste test, some pumpkin need more salt.  Using a round cutter, cut out 2½” circles from the pie dough, an place 1 tablespoon of filling in each circle.  Egg wash the edges, and seal with your fingers or a fork.  Chill for about 30 minutes (they freeze great if you would like to make them for the future).  When ready to bake, lay out on a cookie sheet, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with parmesan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Now let me think about mashed potatoes.  NO.  STOP.  My family will never forgive me if I mess with the mashed potatoes!

Thanksgiving 2013

Every year I write a Thanksgiving blog, and this year I'm going to provide some gluten free (don't groan) ideas; at Preferred Sonoma Caterers we had many more requests for gluten free friendly menus and I've learned quite a bit, a few items I'm actually liking the gluten free options better.  But that's the next blog, so check back next week, and again in the middle of the month for some more modern T-day ideas.  But let's start out the month with revisiting some classics.

Let's start out the afternoon with a Thanksgiving cocktail...  The Happy Pilgrim... hubby and I invented with one a few years ago when we couldn't find a cocktail recipe that went well with Thanksgiving.

Happy Pilgrim
1 shot wild turkey bourbon - must have turkey!
1 shot ginger beer
2 shots cranberry juice
1/3 shot orange bitters
Shake and serve over crushed ice
garnish with a fresh cranberry

Now on to stuffing, classic stuffing is a must, but what is classic stuffing.  It depends on where you are from, or perhaps where Grandma was from.  In my family, the Runge side, the traditional stuffing is a classic bread stuffing.  Lots of celery and onions with plenty of sage.  It is baked in the turkey with extra crusties along the legs.  It reflects the Germanic origin of much of the county.  From my time in Austria I recognize this recipe is very similar to bread dumplings from Germany - my family heritage.

“Traditional” Stuffing
Stuffs a 12 to 14lbs turkey
1 loaf simple white bread - cubed
2 yellow onions - diced
1 small head celery - diced
2 sticks butter
2 Tbs dry rubbed sage
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 cups chicken or turkey broth

Sauté onions and celery in butter with the sage till tender.  Place bread cubes, sautéed vegetables and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Add broth till soft, then season with salt and pepper.  Stuff into a rinsed turkey cavity.  The just a standard roast of the turkey.

In Mr. PSC’s family, from the Otis side of the Balshaw side, there is a potato stuffing that I have come to love.  Part of their heritage is from French Canada and shows in this recipe for Tourtiere.  Traditionally this is meat and mashed potato baked in a pie pan with two crusts and served as a main dish.  But his Granny (or perhaps her Granny) decided it would be better used for stuffing a Turkey.  That is his family’s tradition.

Tourtiere Stuffing
1 lbs breakfast sausage - browned
1 yellow onion - diced
2 lbs Russet potatoes - peeled & boiled
1 Tbs dry rubbed sage
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 1½ cups chicken stock

Boil the potatoes till fork tender, then drain and allow to cool slightly. Brown the breakfast sausage and break up with a fork, and remove from the fat.  Add diced onions and spices to fat, sauté till tender.  Mash the potatoes, add the onions and spices, then season with salt and pepper.  Add chicken broth as necessary for texture.  Place in a rinsed turkey or bake in a pie pan (with or without crust) on the side.

You might be wondering about the difference between dressing and stuffing.  The only real difference is geography.  Northerners call it stuffing, while Southerner’s prefer dressing.  One of the most used components in southern dressing is corn bread.  Not what most of us consider corn bread, but a denser version that is cut and laid out to dry.  Corn bread has a much crumblier texture so the stuffing is much softer.

Cornbread
make up to 2 days in advance
2 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup plain flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking soda
1 1/3 cup milk
2 eggs - beaten
6 Tbs veggie oil

Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, then bake in a 9 x 13 pan for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Allow to sit out and dry for 24 to 48 hours.

Corn Bread Stuffing
1½ cup celery - chopped
1½ cup onion - chopped
4 Tbs butter
3 cups turkey or chicken broth
1 tsp sage - ground

Sauté the onions and celery in butter, add sage, then add to the crumbled cornbread.  Add liquid to soften.  Now it is ready to stuff in your turkey and roast.

Many of you out there might have the addition of a vegetarian to your Thanksgiving table.  The question is what to serve that they will enjoy.  What about stuffing a pumpkin?  Small sugar pumpkins are perfect for this.  When choosing your pumpkin make sure that is labeled as a cooking pumpkin.  Choose one medium size and free of blemishes, wash, cut off the top approximately a third of the way down.  You will need to scoop out the seeds and string, the rub the interior lightly with salt and pepper before stuffing.

You can use the pumpkin as an extra vessel for more stuffing (more stuffing is always great), or make it a dish of its own, with another stuffing.

Turkey, of course.  But how to cook it.  A few years ago I experimented with several different methods (brine, deep fry...), but in the end it was the classic that won.  If you would like to know the results you can find them at http://blog.sonomacaterers.com/2010/11/turkey-day-prep-down.html.  And don't let my opinion stop you from experimenting, it was a lot of fun

Of course you can always take the easy way out.  Every year we offer a full Thanksgiving meal for 8 to 10 to go.  Just re-heat and voila, Thanksgiving!  Or just order a few of the dishes the make life easier.  You can find the Thanksgiving catering menu at http://www.sonomacaterers.com/2013Thanksgiving.pdf

Happy Thanksgiving!
A

Not So Delicate, Delicata

So what is Delicata?  It is a distinctive winter squash.  It is actually in the same family as zucchini (a summer squash) but ripens later in the year with a harder flesh that needs to be cooked more like a winter squash.  It is shorter and thicker than a zucchini, with yellow skin and green to orange stripes.  It is also known as peanut squash or bohemian squash.  Delicata has gained in popularity greatly in the last couple of years and is one of my favorites.  The reason being is that it is smaller in size; perfect for two people, plus the skin is edible, so no peeling required.

Season for delicata starts in late September and is often available in to May.  It is very versatile and can move from your summer time menus into winter dinners.  The flavor is delicate, with a firm but creamy flesh.  I recommend it for grilling and roasting but not necessarily soups.

For summer time think about adding it to your grilling vegetables. To prep this long squash, you need to remove the seeds.  Then I recommend cutting it into rounds or crescents.  For grilling I recommend cutting them approximately a quarter inch thick then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Allow a few minutes longer grilling than the rest of your veggies.

Grilled Delicata

1 delicata squash

1 zucchini

1 small red onion

1 red bell pepper

8 oz button mushrooms

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat your grill to medium heat, cut all vegetables in to equal sizes, toss with olive oil and spices.  Start grilling with your delicata squash; it will take 7 to 8 minutes per side depending on thickness, second should be your onions.  When you turn the deicata move them to the outer edges of the grill to cook slower then add in the remaining veg.  Turn once or twice, cooking about 7 to 8 minutes. Try finishing them with just a splash of Balsamic vinegar

Delicata “Croutons”

Roasting delicata makes it perfect for adding to a salad and you can have some fun.  Prepare as above cutting into crescents.  Approximately ¼ inch thick,  lay out on a cookies sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place in a 350 degree over for about 10 minutes, then turn, but before returning to the oven sprinkle lightly with  2 tablespoons of brown sugar mixed with 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne or chili powder.  Bake another 7 to 8 minutes.  Allow to cool completely, then toss a nice salad of arugula, pumpkin seeds and Chèvre, toss with Sherry vinaigrette and finish with your squash.

The vegetarian options with the squash are numerous.  Think of it as an edible container.  Cutting it into either tall cylinders or lengthwise for boats.  It will hold up to being roasted in advance or roasted with a filling.

Delicata Squash & Caramelized Onions

Think of a gluten free Alsatian Tart

3 Tbsp butter

2 lbs thinly sliced onions

¼ tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

4 eggs

Heat the butter in a heavy bottom pot till bubbly, add in thinly sliced onions, salt and thyme.  Turn down to medium low, stirring often, and cook to a golden caramelized color, then set aside and cool.  Combine the cream and eggs, whisk well.  Season onions with pepper and place into squash boats.  Finally, fill to the edge with cream egg mixture.  Bake approximately 30 minutes until the tip of a knife cuts easily through.  (PS – the traditional tart has bacon in it).

Enjoy

A

One Potato, Two Potato

Here's my September column from the Petaluma Post. Enjoy...

No, no, there are many more than two kinds!  Have you recently taken the time to look at potatoes at your

Potato Gratin

farmers’ market?  Are they red, yellow or blue?  Are they Russian or Yukon or whatever?  What ever happened to the traditional russet?  Let me help you through at least a few of the many thousands of kinds of potatoes that are out there.

The first thing to learn about is starch.  This is important for how each kind of potato is best used.  Are you making a salad?  You need a boiling potato, which typically contains approximately 16-18% starch.  This means that they will hold together after boiling, cutting and mixing.  For that light and fluffy baked potato you want a more floury or mealy (baking) potato which has more starch (20–22%) .  This is better for roasting and for baking, and also for making gnocchi.

We are lucky locally to have several farmers growing a large variety of potatoes.  Some of my favorites are Yukon Gold for mashing, Baby Red for salad, Idaho Russet for baking (it was created by our own Luther Burbank!), Russian Banana for roasting and most of all Yellow Finns for roasting wedges.  Yellow fin are my favorite.

A few years ago at home when we planted a potato bed, we put in several varieties and waited to see what would come up.  It was almost like an Easter egg hunt when it came time for harvest.  We missed a few little ones and a plant two comes up every year, and I always find the mystery potatoes to be a fun treat.

Herb Dijon Potato Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

Serves 10-15

3 lbs small red potatoes

2 red bell peppers

6 stalks celery- diced

½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped

¼ cup whole grain Dijon mustard

¼ cup sherry vinegar

½ cup olive oil

 Salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a pot large enough to cover with 3” of water, then cover with cold water and boil until tender, testing with the tip of a knife.  Drain and allow to cool completely, then slice into bite size pieces. 

Roast the red peppers by placing under the broiler or over the gas burner, blacken on all sides.  Afterward place the peppers in a plastic bag to sweat for 5-10 minutes, and then the skins should slip right off (a nice chef’s trick).  Finally cut into julienne strips

Combine all ingredients, and you may serve either warm or chilled.  If preparing ahead, withhold the parsley till serving, to keep it from wilting and add a pop of color.

Potato Gratin

Serves 8-10

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

8 oz grated parmesan

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp salt and pepper

¼ cup olive oil

Thinly sliced the potatoes, rinse in cold water, and drain well.  Combine all ingredients and place on and edged baking sheet, spreading evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden and knife tip tender.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Served 4-6

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes

4 oz butter

½ cup ½ & ½

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut potatoes to uniform size, cover with cold water and boil till tender. 

Brown butter is a French method that browns the solid bits in the butter.  It will greatly intensify the butter flavors; I love this approach. Place the butter in a thick sauce pan, melt and bring up to a boil, and immediately turn the heat down to medium.  Continue cooking until the butter begins to turn brown.  Take to a medium color, and remove from the heat.

Drain the potatoes, mash by hand or machine, add the butter, then the half and half.  Season with salt and pepper.

If you would like a few more creative potato recipes or would like to know the difference between a sweet potato and yam, see my blog (blog.sonomacaterers.com) and search for “potato”.