Fresh Tart

Merry Christmas again! Last night we had our very last Christmas celebration, with Dad & Susanna and David & Etta, home from NYC. Stacey & Cooper were there too, as well as John & Nathan. And of course Jake-a-saurus (my parents' adorable spaniel). We opened presents right away, as we're learning (remembering!) that it's tough for a one-year old (Coop!) to face all that excitement post-dinner, dangerously close to bedtime. The star gift wasDida, an orphaned baby elephant that Dad & Susanna sponsored in Nathan's name through The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Four-week old Dida had fallen into a man-made water hole, poor little sweetie, but is now healthy and settled at the orphanage with other young elephants. Nathan will receive monthly updates on Dida's progress, as well as photos of her with her caretakers. Read all about her and her lucky rescue here.

For dinner, Dad shot and Susanna prepared - I'm not kidding - Christmas goose! Not a roasted goose per se, but something rather more fabulous - a Julia Child, rustic French preparation of goose breasts over whipped potatoes and sauteed cabbage, napped with a rich, long-cooked brown sauce of onions, vermouth, and salt pork. Gorgeous, festive, and of course absolutely delicious, especially with crusty, grainy bread to wipe up every drop. Of that amazing sauce! For dessert, I made an old stand-by, cream puffs filled with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Pretty darn tasty. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

After lots of goodnight "kisses" for Cooper (you can tell he's tired when he starts "fuzzing" his little earlobes), and a very interesting look - on Nathan's new world map - at exactly where in Germany our family is from (Ostfriesland), we packed up our spiffy new gifts and made our way home for an early bedtime. Had to try for extra sleep because...

...tonight, we gather yet one more time, but more on that next year...

Oy, hugely BIG food and wine night tonight, courtesy of Ana Scofield & Rudy Maxa, with Debbie & Stu Wiiliams (of course), and new friends Tessa Marchessault & Greg Becker. Yep, major oy. Poor John, he's such toast, he can't truly eat heartily of shrimp cocktail, pickled herring, smoked salmon...andlobster tails with drawn butter, rice pilaf, crusty bread, mixed greens...andfabulous wines, ice cream, carrot cake...while chatting & making merry... At least not without a bit of fading after a good effort.Oh, not because he doesn't love hanging with good friends - because he obviously does - but because he's just naturally rather quiet, my Johnny, aka Mr. Not Party (who very luckily puts up with Ms. Party Party. Party. Wheeew.).

So, we're safely home, oddly (perfectly) matched as we are, and I'm insanely writing at 1:40 a.m. about the greatness of our lovely dinner, particularly the sips of various and sundry wines (but a sampling):
1980 Dom Perignon Champagne
1992 Bollinger Champagne
1996 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
2001 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
2003 Chateau Potelle (VGS, aka Very Good Sh*t, no kidding)
2005 Chalk Hill Botrytised Semillon

Come fill the bowl, each jolly soul
Let Bacchus guide our revels.
Join the cup to lip, with Hip, Hip, Hip
And bury the blue devils.
(aka Rudy's New Yorker cartoon "cards," thank you very much)

Good night. Morning! Yeah.

Earthy. Good word, right? I'm all about earthy these post-Christmas days, merrily reading The Pillars of the Earth, relishing the descriptions of 12th century English peasants enjoying their "horse bread" (multi-grain) dipped in ale, their fire-roasted meats washed down with homemade wine, their thick ham-n-cabbage soups, served with slabs of farmer's cheese. Rarrr, I'm a total sucker for rustic-food writing of that sort.

Which made me enjoy tonight's last-minute dinner even more. I had John stop for a rack of lamb on his way home, and stirred up a batch of truffly risotto while I waited for him, and we ate both accompanied by the earthiest of wines - a 2003 Turley Paso Robles Zinfandel, heavenly. In fact, if you notice (in my lame phone-photo, sorry, my camera is at Stacey's), there are flecks of what appears to be black pepper in the risotto, but no, it's char from the grilled lamb juices. Yep, I decadently stirred the carved lamb meat juices into the risotto, before a finishing shower of freshly grated Parm and a sprinkle of truffle oil and coarse salt, and I dare you to find an earthier combo. (Recipe for risotto in comments, below.)

John and I just looked at each other and giggled like the 12th century English peasants we're not - John the Jew of York and his mistress, Stephanie Ricemaker of Lake and Field. Har!

Merry Christmas Day! We spent the occasion at my Aunt Mary and Uncle Bruce's lovely farm outside Kerkhoven, Minnesota, as we have for the last several years, lucky us. As always, it was picture perfect - twinkly-sparkly festive and the definition of Christmas-y as we all sat around the gorgeous, gigantic table they set up for the holiday each year. Truly a sight to behold. We shared a toast with a delicious red prosecco, then tucked into prime rib, mashed potatoes, beets with sour cream, buttery green beans with morel mushrooms, and roasted carrots and cipollini onions. Tender challah and crusty no-knead bread (my meager contribution). And my Aunt Marge's killer creamycheese cake with strawberries. Oh yes, quite a meal!

And then, we just sat enjoying the candlelit table, in that charming old farmhouse in the country, chatting and telling stories and reading letters and verses and half-laughing, half-crying through it all. I am so very lucky to have an incredibly cool and fun extended family, my dad's sisters Marge and Mary and their families. So thanks to them, and their fabulous husbands Jim and Bruce, as well as Kim, Kelly, Jomo, Michael, Amanda, and Craig for such a great day. And to Stacey & Cooper for driving John, Nathan, and me out and back (long drive!). And to Dad, Susanna, David, and Etta for making the day complete and completely perfect.

And oh! We feasted the night before as well, of course, Christmas Eve. Stacey, Cooper, Bowen, and my mom were here for gifts and a big fire and a quiet, simple dinner. The crab cakes and Julia Child's chocolate mousse were big hits (recipe for mousse posted in comments, below).

So. I can't decided if it's going to be a great relief or incredibly disappointing to return to Normal Eating. Probably a little of both. I'll let you know when I get there, cuz it sure ain't yet!

And oh again! Because it's adorable, and I'm perfectly unashamed to spice up my food-obsessed blog with a bit of Cooper Cuteness, here's a little video clip, below... Merry Christmas Auntie Etta!

Caviar, caviar, caviar, oooooh, caviar, yay! Merry Christmas to me, tee hee! John and I took the opportunity, with the few hours alone we have this holiday, to indulge in the caviar he gave me for Christmas, with toast points, sour cream, sieved egg, and chopped sweet onion, washed down with lovely Veuve Cliquot champagne. Oh dear, I fret only because how can anything else possibly compare to such romantic decadence? I even thought about making blini, for a perfect Dr. Zhivago-esque experience, but man, too much work. Someday, someday, but with making a big dinner tonight, and baking a couple of loaves of bread for tomorrow, it would be more work than fun, so...buttery toast points instead of blini, hardly a sacrifice, ha.

I won't be posting tomorrow, so consider this my online Christmas card to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Here's to happy time with family, safe travels, tasty food, and fine drink.

My best to you all, with love, Stephanie

Silver bells, silver lights, let it snow and snow and snow! Yes, it's cold and blustery, but oh my goodness it's beautiful out there, truly a winter wonderland. John and I and both kids celebrated the frosty fabulousness with dinner at Ciao Bella - pizza, risotto, lasagna, salad, calamari, tiramisu, salmon - basically, a tour through their entire menu, ha.

Afterward, full and bundled up (and thankful for all-wheel drive), Nathan and I set out for a tour of a different sort, a Christmas-light tour, first checking out displays we looked up in the newspaper, then ending with simple drives through some of our favorite neighborhoods. I'm such a sucker for the big light displays, and every neighborhood looks perfect and Christmas-y under a blanket of soft, fluffy snow, lit by a full moon no less, warmly cold, silver and gold. Having ourselves a Merry Little Christmas indeed.

Tomorrow, stay tuned for late-morning Christmas caviar on toast points for John and me (one of my presents, nice!), then roast chicken and vegetables with stuffing and pan juices, crab cakes, and chocolate mousse and lefse for Mom, Stacey, Cooper, and Bowen for Christmas Eve dinner.

Thank goodness we'll be opening some presents, I'll be needing the exercise, whew.

More brunch! This time here at the hacienda, with a group of Santa's Little Elvettes, aka The Merry Miladies, aka The Brunching Beyotches (ooh, bad one, sorry): Kim, Suz, Polly, Kasey, and Stacey. I've found it quite relaxingly festive at this time of year to host a casual little brunch, a sit-down and put-up your-feet affair. No kids, no hubbies, just girlie chat, a few sips of prosecco, Christmas music, and simple brunch classics like eggs and pastry and cured meats and a new addition this year - cheese grits. Puffy and golden browned and creamy decadent...I'm all about cheese grits, dang (recipe posted in comments, below). I'll have to toss what's left because John and the kids aren't the grits/polenta types, which leaves just me and the grits (shiver), baaad idea.

I made several of my favorites, in fact. Mini-popovers to start (with Hope Creamery butter, natch). Then a crustless quiche with spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, and mushrooms; Neuske's Canadian bacon; cheese grits; and Mom's Almond Puff Pastry with coffee to finish.

Fullness! Fortified for last-minute shopping! Merry Christmas ladies!

Brunch! I forgot to say I had the loveliest brunch on Sunday (before John and I took off for Chicago), with my dad, Stacey, Cooper, and Nathan. At Campiello, turns out a very nice brunch spot. Not that I specifically knew that when I made the res, but I sure do now, and I would recommend it highly. For less than $20/person, you will feast (feast!) on warm blueberry-streusel muffins, eggs (I opted for a shrimp frittata, delicious), and family-style platters of crispy bacon & sausages, thick waffles, fresh fruit, creamy chicken-artichoke penne, roasted potatoes & peppers, champagne, and coffee. Yeah, "try to make a meal," as my mom's grandmother used to say. Lord. (I also forgot to mention that the plane could hardly take off, due to the weight of some passenger's stomach. Uff.)

Oh, also meant to mention that John and I atoned for Friday's viewing of Atonement with a Saturday viewing of Starting Out in the Evening. Now that is a movie, much better. We were able to sneak in a mini-date thanks to Cory& Suz hosting Nathan for Kids Movie Night at Shubert Theater, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix now showing! After our movie, under the guise of picking up Nathan, John and I were invited to sip wine and chat (yay!) in front of a roaring fire with Cory & Suz while the kids stayed really quiet so we'd forget about them and let them stay up too late. Which would have worked beautifully if we were younger parents and could actually stay up later than our children... Alas, we all had our sorry butts in bed by 11 p.m., wondering how on earth we're going to properly ring in 2008. Lame!

And oh, also after the fact (apparently the theme of this entire posting, ha), my mom's recipe for Spiced Cranberry Relish Mold. Perfect for Thanksgiving, of course, but lovely at Christmas too because it is absolutely, festively gorgeous. And the sweet-spicy combo is a tangy foil for uber-rich holiday foods. Enjoy! (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

I realize this sounds rather thick, but I forget what a city Chicago is, man, the real deal. I've been a jillion times (it's a sneeze from UW-Madison), and stayed in various 'burbs and 'hoods, for work and for pleasure - but I guess John's version of NYC (yay for New York!) has sort of shadowed my Chicago impressions...

...until yesterday, when John and I snuck down for a blink of a 24-hour getaway, downtown at the funkalicious, romantic Hotel Monaco, and I suddenly remembered how mighty and impressive a city Chicago is (duh, I know). Very Gotham-esque in its own right, right? And gorgeous, sheesh, sparkling with new-fallen snow and Christmas lights and that killer skyline. And the river! The Hotel Monaco overlooks the Chicago River - was I ever aware of the Chicago River? Uh no, I'm embarrassed to say, I perched in the window seat of our room (HUGE funky window seat, it rocked), and peered out over the skyscraper-lined river, and said to John, hey, check out that stunning river! And he was like, yeah dude, check out that Chicago River, and we totally cracked up. The whole experience made me feel like I hadn't been in Chicago before, it was wild and fun and crazy.

For dinner, we lazily ventured no farther than the restaurant connected to the hotel, South Water Kitchen. Yum. Lovely Cabernet-Merlot blend, a genius side-order of mashed potatoes (they have a whole list of $4 comfort-food sides, a few bites each, enough to feel cozy but not ill), simple French salads (butter lettuce, chives, tarragon-vinaigrette), and a few bites of what they billed as Spicy Spaghetti, in effect Spaghetti All-Amatriciana (bacon, dried pepper flakes, tomatoes). Sigh. Lovely, romantic, restorative, I could definitely get into the 24-hour retreat (John's groaning as I write that - he's frustrated with my 5-day limit on trips, he'll have a cow if I start lobbying for the 24-hour version - but he can't deny it was a true, if short, get-away).

So, now we're back in the land of another pretty cool river...whatever it's called...

Cave Vin, meaning "wine cellar" in French (actually, cave à vin means wine cellar, but we won't be picky), is a lovely little spot to sip wine and nosh on comfy bistro food. How do I know? Well, I did both last night, with John (after seeing Atonement, which IMHO isn't as good as everyone is raving, and doesn't hold a candle to the gut-wrenching book), both of us freezing and in need of sustenance. We used to frequent Cave Vin on a pretty regular basis, but it kinda sorta fell out of our repertoire. Not sure why. But our on-a-whim reprieve made it quite perfect to return to last night. We stumbled into the dimly candlelit (just the way I like it), crowded, nicely noisy room and felt like we'd come home. If you go, absolutely order the garlic pommes frites. Smokin' hot & crisp & skinny, showered with salt and crushed fresh garlic, they're crazy-delicious. (And if you plan to smooch afterward, don't worry - just both eat lots, in effect canceling out your aromatic breath. Breaths. Voila.)

In fact, if you're ever in the post-movie position of wanting wine + hot, crispy frites, which happens to me, well, every time I go to a movie, put Cave Vin on your list. (Along with the bars of La Belle Vie, The Capital Grille, Cafe Lurcat, Mission American, Cafe Barbette, Bacio...yep, I've downed a few frites in my day...not one bit moderate, but OMG taaaasty!)