Holidays 09: in the Kitch.
When I think back on Christmas and New Years 2009, I have the feeling I’m going to remember myself in the kitchen–where I spent hours at a stretch, happily mixing and chopping and rolling while friends and family wandered in and out, settling in at the table with red wine or iced coffee, helping with frosting and stealing batter out of bowls. There were cookie bags and boxes, a back to basics Alice Waters apple tart and a (cheater) Betty Crocker Christmas cake.
Particular winners this go-round included Deb’s fig and walnut biscotti (I swapped out golden raisins and they were delicious) and pumpkin muffins (used butternut squash–shocker–and made them in GIANT, delightful muffin tins) , Orangette’s chocolate chip ginger molasses cookies, and these parmesan shortbreads (which taste like cheddar goldfish but are oh-so-swank). We tried Martha’s pan roasted chicken (meh, the cook times were off) and her basic chicken soup (OH YUM). A family recipe for walnut crescents. Scrambled eggs. Snickerdoodles. Cheddar-topped cornbread. Mint brownie ice cream sandwiches. So. Much. Food.
We’re going to have to be taking it a little easier in January: we’re headed to Mexico in March, and shaving a little off the middle is tops on my list of Things to Do in 2010. Still, I had a ball making all this stuff, sharing it all with the people I love. It felt good. It always does.
Tell me what you made for the holidays.
January 5, 2010 @ 4:12 pm
Yum! Katie, mostly we made this: http://kimtb.wordpress.com/2009/12/25/the-holiday-amusement-park/. But other standouts were Alex’s puff pastry carmelized onion and apple thingy. And Steve’s winter sangria. And I made the most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches on NYE (toasted rye, brie, turkey, apples and arugula). And crockpot applesauce. A tad simpler than your offerings, but hopefully the graham cracker amusement park will make up for it.
Kim
January 5, 2010 @ 5:10 pm
Thank you for derailing my after-the-holidays diet before it even started with your pictures! Sigh, oh well. 🙂
Everyone in my house was on a sugar boycott, so I couldn’t make a lot of sweets. I did manage to slip in an apple pie and angel food cake with strawberries for College Girl’s b’day. Other than that, fettuccini loaded up with goodies; Christmas Eve glazed ham with fried okra, “new” potatoes, green bean casserole (a staple) and warm bread; and steak and potato soup with more warm bread followed in honor of the cold Midwest New Year’s weather.
Oh yeah, a co-worker gave me Amish friendship bread starter so, of course, I had to make 2 loaves the day after Christmas.
January 11, 2010 @ 9:11 am
I am totally drooling!! Cheddar topped cornbread?? Holy moly!