Holiday Traditions at the Table

As you might expect, food is a major part of the holiday at my house. The festivities begin with the much loved cookie classes, generally scheduled a week or two before Christmas. Class is held in my kitchen, and then we head next door to The Cooking Cottage for either lunch or dinner, depending on the time of day. This year my daughter Kate made several pans of delicious Butternut Squash Lasagna – it was quite a hit – everyone seemed to enjoy it – that will be hard to top next year…

As promised, here is a picture of the 2009 cookies – Black & White Biscotti, Amoretto Truffles, Ambrosia Macaroons, Lemon-Pistachio Wreaths, Chocolate Cherry Toffee Cookies and Southern Cracker Cookies. Cookie classes were attended by a total of 69 people, so we did a lot of baking!

 The major December snow storm didn’t put a damper on the Cooking Cottage Kids Gifts from The Kitchen Classes – Molly’s classes were sold out and every single child found their way through the snow to class and left with a delightful assortment of homemade gifts for their friends and family.

My brother and niece arrived from Michigan and made a beautiful breakfast - poached eggs and speck, which is Italian bacon – delicious!

Our family and friends enjoyed our traditional seafood pasta in The Cooking Cottage on Christmas Eve.

As per tradition, we had a farmer's omelet brunch on Christmas morning at Winnie’s new home.

Christmas dinner at my house consisted of favorite recipes from the fall season at The Cooking Cottage, including Confetti Spinach Salad, Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin, Shrimp Rockefeller, Old-Fashioned Mashed Potatoes and Braised Carrots with Fresh Herbs. Dessert was a tray of Christmas Cookies.

The Shrimp Rockefeller was really popular – here is the recipe - maybe you’d like to include it at your next party or family gathering.

SHRIMP ROCKEFELLER

2 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach

½ cup chopped onion

¼ cup water

¼ tsp salt

3 slices white bread, trimmed and cut into cubes

½ cup butter

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp celery salt

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp hot red pepper sauce

½ cup dry bread crumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp butter melted

1 ½ pounds shrimp, cooked and peeled

Preheat oven to 400º.

Combine the spinach, onion, water and salt in a saucepan and cook until the spinach is thawed and separates easily. Stir in the bread, ½ cup butter, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, garlic powder and hot sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese and 2 Tbsp butter in a bowl and mix well; set aside. Reserve 8 – 10 shrimp. Arrange the remaining shrimp in a greased shallow baking dish. Spoon the spinach mixture on top and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture. Top with the reserved shrimp. Bake for 15 minutes.

Serves 8 - 10

Enjoy!

Catching Up!

The fall season at The Cooking Cottage has been really hectic! I had hoped to write several blog entries throughout the season, but time just got away… Here is what we’ve been up to at The Cooking Cottage.

 

September found us beginning our 18th fall season with classes focusing on the local harvest along with a very successful benefit for The Breast Cancer 3-Day, which Leigh participated in. Also in September, I took a culinary group to Italy’s Lake Como region and the Cinque Terre. The group was terrific and we had a wonderful time!

 

In October, we were off to The Bronx to enjoy the most authentic “Little Italy” in the USA and The Botanical Gardens. We also taught lots of classes, including several focusing on Julie & Julia – very popular!

 

It’s hard to believe that November is nearly over and the Christmas season is upon us – The Cooking Cottage is decked out for the holidays and though most classes are sold out, there is still space available in February and don’t forget Cooking Cottage Gift Certificates make wonderful gifts!

Learning to make mozzarella in the Bronx.

The trip to Italy was fantastic!!!

We enjoyed farmers markets all season long.

Stay tuned for some pictures of this year's Christmas cookies!

Dolce Patisserie

A touch of France in Hellertown (yes, Hellertown!) Alan Pitotti's Dolce Patisserie is a lovely little pastry and confection shop. You can take away the exquisite chocolates - each a work of art, or enjoy a cup of coffee and one of Alan's creations at a cafe table in the shop. When I stopped in a few weeks ago, Alan was putting the finishing touches on a gorgeous wedding cake. 

Last spring Alan came to The Cooking Cottage as a guest chef and will do so again on November 2nd. He will create one of his signature desserts - an Apple Custard Tart with a Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce. Perfect to recreate at home and serve over the holidays!

Check them out at http://www.dolcepatisserie.com/ or take a ride over to the Shoppes at Hellertown and see for yourself...

Great Late Summer Recipe

Last week while at a small farm stand I enjoy visiting on route 313 near Perkasie, ( they've got the best peaches) I got a bit too ambitious and really bought a lot of produce, including several pablano chilies - everything looked so good! By the time I finally got around to making Chilies Rellenos, a week had passed by, but the chilies were still very fresh looking! Here is a recipe you might like to try - pablano chilies are popping up at every farmers market I visit this year - they might be something new in your kitchen....enjoy!

CHILIES RELLENOS

12 pablano chilies
8oz Monterey Jack Cheese
3 eggs, seperated
1/4 cup flour
Canola oil
Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
Cut top off chili, clean out seeds (not to worry if you miss a few), keeping chili whole. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and broil, turning often with tongs, until all sides are blistered on all sides. Immediately place chilies in a paper bag and let steam for 10 minutes.
Shred cheese (I used a food processor) and stuff into chilies.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; beat yolks until thick and lemon colored. Fold yolks into whites. Dredge filled chiles in flour, coating well; dip into eggs. Fry chilies on both sides in 2" hot oil for 3-5 minutes or until browned.
Place on paper towels to drain. Serve with tomato sauce and refried beans.

TOMATO SAUCE

1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbs butter, melted
2 cups tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
6 sprigs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Saute' onion in butter until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients; simmer, covered about 10 minutes.

Meeting Julia

Last evening I finished reading Julie & Julia. If you can get past the language, it really is a great book - very enjoyable to read. A few days ago, my mother, Molly and I went to see the movie. It was my mother's second time (she cried both times over the butter in the Smithsonian). The movie just mades you want to go and cook something!
The book and movie got me to thinking about my experiences involving Julia Child. Over the past several years, we have taken roughly 25 culinary trips to Europe, but the very first few were to La Pitchoune Country House, located in Grasse France. There are two main houses on the property that is now a cooking school run by Kathie Alex. Simone Beck owned one of the houses and Julie and Paul Child the other. The classes were held in the house owned by Julia - Paul had traced her cooking implements on corkboard, just like in Cambridge. I was fortunate to stay in Julia's bedroom in that house twice! Her black and white cat slept at my feet and some of her original manuscripts, along with her hat collection were in the closet. Though Paul had passed away, Julia still owned that property, though she no longer spent time there, as she was so advanced in age. I remember she had a beautiful egg cup collection and several framed personal photographs in the living room.
Also, about that same time , we attended a convention for culinary professionals in Philadelphia. Julia was there and we had a photo taken with her - its in The Cooking Cottage. She was quite interested to hear that we had been to her home in France and inquired about the cat! She signed one of our brochures, which my mother has framed in her kitchen.
A few years later, while in New York City, we took a cooking class at Peter Kumps, taught by Julia and Nick Malgeri. I believe she pasted away not too long after that.
I'd love to take another group to La Pitchoune - if you'd like to come, let me know!

Bake your cake and eat it too!

To celebrate last weekend, I baked a Strawberry Cream Vanilla Cake for a family gathering. My two younger daughters, Kate and Molly both returned home after being out of the country for long periods of time. Molly spent the summer interning at Harmony Hotel in Costa Rica and Kate has been living in Europe earning a master's degree.

A few weeks ago, when my niece Hannah was visiting, we baked the above mentioned cake while Molly watched us via Skype - sort of like she was right there with us! The big disadvantage for her was that she couldn't taste the cake - she felt she was missing out big time and really wanted me to make it for her homecoming. Kate's request was simpler - barbequed chicken legs.

I decided to bake the cake and make the frosting on Saturday. I wrapped the cake in waxed paper and refrigerated it along with the container of frosting. On Sunday all I needed to do was the assembling. This is a lovely cake for a birthday or anytime when you need many servings. Each layer is cut horizonally, so it is a four layer cake.

Below you will find the recipe followed by photos of the assembly and slicing. I hope these make it simple for you to whip up this impressive cake!

Enjoy -- and let me know how it goes. :)

STRAWBERRY CREAM VANILLA CAKE

Frosting

• 1 cup butter
  
• 2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
  
• 4 cups powdered sugar
  
• 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
  
• 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Cake

• 3 cups cake flour
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 3 cups sugar
  
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
  
• 7 eggs
  
• 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup sour cream
  
• 9 Tbsp seedless strawberry jam
  
• 1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 3 cups)

Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar. Then jam. Beat cream in a separate bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill until firm enough to spread, at least 2 hours.

Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Sift flour, salt, baking powder & baking soda. Set aside. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in vanilla and sour cream, about 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter between cake pans.

Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean - about 50 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

Using a large serrated knife, cut each cake horizonally in half. Place 1 cake half, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread 3 Tbsp. strawberry jam over, then 3/4 cup frosting. Top with 3/4 cup sliced berries, arranging in single layer. Repeat 2 more times with cake layer, jam, frosting and berries. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread 2 cups frosting over top and sides of cake. If desired, decorated with a few fresh strawberries.

Can be assembled and refrigerated 8 hours ahead.

To assemble, cut both cakes horizontally with a serrated knife. I like to put strips of wax paper under the cake, to keep the serving plate clean while frosting the cake. 

Jam, frosting, and sliced strawberries result in a lovely and delicious filling for each of the first three layers -- cut side up. 

The finished layers.

The top layer is placed cut side down. Frost the tops and sides of cake. It was very hot on Sunday so I had to work fast!

The cake is very tall -- what an impressive presentation! (If I do say so myself...)

The finished Kate - topped with a pair of fresh strawberries.

Kate and Molly posing with the cake!

It is best to use a wedding cake cut for a cake this size. Cut down the center, then in slices, then cut the slices in half. You will end up with 16-18 servings.

A couple tips: Use the best quality seedless strawberry jam you can find, it really makes a difference. Don't be tempted to use low fat dairy products - go with the real deal - there is butter (1 lb!), sour cream, cream cheese, and cream in this cake. You won't make it often, so enjoy the full flavor.

Becoming a Locavore -- little by little

Did you know that "Locavore" was the 2007 word of the year for The Oxford American Dictionary? A locavore is someone who eats exclusively or primarily what is produced within 100 miles of their home. This is significant, because it brings eating and ecology together in a new way.

In Upper Bucks County we are so fortunate to have a unique variety of farmers markets, farm stands and meat shops that enable us to buy food produced in our "back yard." So maybe it wouldn't be terribly difficult to become a locavore!

Many, including myself, think this seems like an appealing idea, but.... give up coffee, olive oil, lemons, California wines, bananas - no thanks. So how about considering incorporating "locavore awareness" in to your daily life without deprivation, but rather doing what you can?

Here are some ideas...

1. Find a Farmers Market that is convenient for you and patronize it. Get to know the farmers - they'll save you the best tomatoes and give you an occasional free peach or two as a reward for being loyal. You'll eliminate the middle man, meet who is growing your food and feel better about what you're eating.
2. Consider a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) - you invest in a local farm in exchange for a weekly box of fresh seasonal produce and possibly other farm products like honey or eggs. This is especially helpful if you are really busy - takes the worry out of buying locally.
3. Involve your food market - let your grocery store manager know what is important to you.
4. Choose 5 foods that you can buy locally - it won't seem so overwhelming. Honestly, there is no excuse to buy eggs in the grocery store in this area - there are plenty of local sources for them (if you come to class, you already know about the the value of really fresh eggs!).
5. Need help finding sources for buying local? Try buckscountytaste.com - very helpful.
6. Preserve one or two local foods for winter months. You could make tomato sauce, applesauce or just freeze some blueberries!
7. Support local restaurants (and cooking schools :) !) who are supporting local farmers.
8. Participate in the 100-Mile Thanksgiving Project - make at least one or even the entire meal from local foods. Hint: you could order your turkey from Bolton's Turkey Farm in Silverdale.
9. Take your children or grandchildren to visit a local farm. They'll feel a connection to what they eat -maybe even becoming, a healthier and more adventurous eater.

I hope these few easy steps will encourage you to support your local economy and enjoy fresher, tastier food. Think about the benefits to your neighbors and community that result from keeping your food dollar close to home. And isn't it better to eat a local (maybe non organic) apple versus an organic apple shipped from Washington State or New Zealand - we maintain a better air quality by eating the local apple. Also, eating locally keeps you in better touch with the seasons , translates to more variety and often gives you a story about your food souce, taking us back to the way our grandparents ate 60 years ago!

I'd love to hear any comments or thoughts you have...