I'm spending most of the day cooking today. It's something I look forward to about Christmas. Most of the food is really simple, but somehow, it's all very time-consuming. But as long as I have some Christmas tunes on, and as long as I have a plan, it's kind of like a vacation.
"Mommy, I need help cutting this foam heart into teeny tiny pieces!"
"Go ask Daddy - I'm cooking."
"Honey, where is the doo-dad that you never, ever use, but which I can never, ever find?"
"I don't know but I can't help you - I'm cooking."
"Meow."
"Adam, the cat is hungry and I'm cooking."
"Woof."
"Adam, the dog needs to go out and I'm cooking."
Ahhhh, paradise.
Again, I'm making matzo ball soup as a kind of appetizer. I'll use real schmaltz again this year, but I'll prepare it this way, which looks like fun!
The website with the schmaltz preparation also includes a couple of ideas for what to do with it. I can't resist trying the salt and pepper kugel. My understanding is that kugel is basically egg noodles - yuk. But this recipe calls for schmaltz and chicken livers. I'll do this instead of the potato latkes. When Adam heard about this plan he said, "Not only do you disappoint me with no latkes but you add insult to injury and you're going to serve me LIVER? Ack!" I might have to ask Santa to bring him an extra present this year to make up for this offense!
The main dish will be brisket again, but this time I'll try Mark Sisson's recipe. How can I not, after reading Kelly's description of it?
Finally, I'll try this winter squash recipe. I hope it's not as bland as the broccoli casserole I made last year. I don't know what it is about Jewish food, but it's all beige, and it's all bland.
And so I'm off to the kitchen! Merry Christmas to all!
I had forgotten you make your traditional Jewish Christmas dinner. I turned our traditional Christmas breakfast of crepes into a Jewish dish, too as I now make blintzes on Christmas morning. :)
ReplyDeleteI've not known Jewish food to be bland, however I think it's because the amount of salt my family used growing up. For future reference, there are potato kugel recipes, too - if you want a substitute for the latkes.
Merry Christmas!