Christmas Dinner

This year marked the very first time that Hubband and I got to stay home in Florida and have our very own little Christmas. For the past several years we've been flying to New England to spend the holiday with family, and while it is always wonderful, this year we realized it was time to try to start our own traditions. 

We decorated more than we have in the past, as this year we would actually be home to enjoy it, and I got to plan a Christmas dinner! I have cooked Christmas dinners before, but never have I had the absolute freedom that our tiny guest list (Hubband, Mom, myself) allowed me. No preconceived notions about what Christmas dinner should be. No finicky eaters, no one who is afraid to try something different, and the only traditions to respect were the ones we made up. Sound wonderful? It was! It was also rather difficult. When I'm presented with such freedom, my mind immediately goes into overdrive and takes off in multiple directions at once. Eventually we were able to narrow it down, and a five-course meal was the result. 

Course #1: Homemade smoky bacon, sweet seared bay scallops, and earthy sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms, on a blanched brussels sprout leaf. Served with Charles Heidsieck Champagne, 1995 Blanc de Millenaires

Course #2: A salad that I'm currently in love with, fancied up a bit. Greens, roasted butternut squash, diced dried black mission figs, minced shallot, and sherry vinaigrette, topped with duck confit. Served with a 2005 Ramey Chardonnay, Hyde Vineyard, Carneros. (Yes, a white with duck. It was so nice with both the acidity of the dressing and the fat of the duck, I stand by our choice!)

Between courses: A little Christmas visitor! I guess that's your guarantee that the chives are organic. The little fellow warmed right up and we put him in our backyard. 

Course #3: A crab and sweet corn bisque of my own invention. I was very pleased with the result. It was rich and full-flavored, topped with king crab meat briefly sauteed in butter. Served with homemade caramelized onion focaccia and a 2005 Ramey, Hudson Vineyard.

Course #4: Seared duck breast over basmati rice. I used a fragrant brown basmati, and studded it with dried currants, apricots, pistachios, and chopped parsley. The duck was topped with a cherry-orange-red wine reduction, and served with sauteed broccolini and a 2004 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon, Pritchard Hill. 

Our last course was dessert: this ice cream, which has rapidly become a family favorite, and some simple and not-too-sweet almond financiers. 

It was a great night. 

Popeye Would Be Proud

Recently I was debating on what to make for dinner when I randomly remembered a restaurant of my youth: The Ground Round. Why anyone might want to name a restaurant that is beyond me, (the restaurant itself was actually quite nice) but when I was young we loved to go there, and I often ordered the spinach salad, before it was cruelly removed from the menu. It was a wonderful salad, with hard-boiled eggs, bits of bacon, and a warm dressing, and it was often amusing to see the face of the server when a child ordered raw spinach with no prompting. They were much less surprised when my sister and I wanted to order cinnamon dippers, bits of deep-fried dough rolled in cinnamon-sugar and served with fudge and strawberry dipping sauces, for dessert. 

In the spirit of The Ground Round, I made this salad with warm dressing, using my homemade pancetta.

Incidentally, the pancetta turned out fabulously. I know it's rude to toot one's own horn when it comes to achievements, but...toot toot! I'm very proud of it and I will absolutely be making more when I run out. It has way more flavor than anything I've found in a store. Hooray! 

Warm Spinach Salad

This salad was great as a dinner, with two eggs per plate and some rotisserie chicken. It would also be a wonderful side dish with no chicken and less egg, just divided into more servings. I'm leaving the amount of spinach open, after all, only you know how much salad you want, and you can always save any extra dressing. Use regular bacon if you don't have pancetta.

Baby spinach leaves, washed and dried 

Hard-boiled eggs

Shredded cooked chicken (optional)

2 oz thick pancetta, cut into small cubes

1 C red onion, thinly sliced

1/3 C balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 Tb grainy dijon mustard

3 Tb olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Fill plates with your desired amounts of spinach, egg, and chicken (if using). 

Place cubed pancetta in a cold saute pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring as needed, until the fat renders out and the pancetta is browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to a paper towel and set aside. Reserve the fat in the pan, and add the red onion. Saute until the onions are softened and lightly browned. Turn off the heat. Add vinegar and mustard and whisk to combine. Let reduce for a minute or two in the residual heat of the pan, then add olive oil and some black pepper. Taste dressing and adjust seasonings to taste (extra vinegar to add zing, extra oil to mellow). Spoon dressing over spinach, egg, and chicken, and top with reserved pancetta.

A Taste of Summer

I've always been the kind of person that craves. When I was young, if I really wanted a certain breakfast cereal, and we were all out, I didn't stop thinking about it until the next trip to the store. (Sorry Mom, that had to be annoying.) Sometimes a mouthful is really all I need; just a single taste of that one deeply wanted thing is enough. Chocolate is a perfect example. If I really want some chocolate, and I can't stop thinking about it, I can go to the pantry, pop 4 or 5 little chocolate chips in my mouth, and that's it. Craving satisfied, crisis averted. I plan a menu for the week based on what I think I might want, but it's flexible. If a craving hits, I try to satisfy it, within reason. Ignoring it has never really worked out, but for some reason, I still try. 

For a few weeks in July, I couldn't stop thinking about watermelon. Not just a chunk of watermelon though...I wanted watermelon with red onions, and some firm, salty cheese. With a tang of vinegar, maybe. I had no idea where this concept of flavors was coming from, and it seemed a little odd to me, so I attempted to ignore it...totally unsuccessfully. Every trip to the store, I lingered near the melons. I picked up red onions for quesadillas but couldn't put them in the basket without thinking of my salad. Finally, just before the end of the month, I realized that I had had a salad similar to my watermelon daydream at a restaurant here in Orlando...the restaurant we were planning on eating at that very week! I had had it just over a year before, and forgotten all about it until suddenly that mix came into my mind. Unfortunately for me, that salad was no longer on their often-changing seasonal menu, but it was compensated for by some of the best heirloom tomatoes I've ever had. 

Finally, I gave in, bought a little seedless watermelon, and made my salad. It was so light, summery, and refreshing that I made it again two days later for Hubband. And then I bought another watermelon and made it again yesterday for lunch. It's so simple that there isn't a real recipe, just a list of ingredients. 

Watermelon Salad

Inspired by the California Grill

Watermelon, seedless, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Tender greens: I used mache, but try baby spinach or arugula too!

Firm, slightly salty cheese: I used ricotta salata, but feta would also be nice. 

Red onion: sliced as thinly as possible

Sherry vinegar

Toss the washed greens with the cubed watermelon, crumbled or shredded cheese, and onion in proportions that look appetizing to you. Use less onion if you like, or more cheese. Sprinkle the salad with a little bit of salt, then drizzle it with some sherry vinegar. Start with just a little, and add more until you get to your desired level of 'zing'. Some herbs would also be nice: try adding mint or parsley!