It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Everywhere you go...

And we did go everywhere, or at least it felt like it.

After spending a couple hours on the phone with Delta over Sunday and Monday getting my cancelled flight rebooked we were finally off to Michigan on leg one of our three leg Christmas journey.  Ben arrived in Michigan on his original flight on Monday morning around 11:30.  My rebooked flight landed me in Michigan at about 10:00 pm on Monday night.  First stop? Pizza House of course (Ben had already hit Panchero's for lunch).  It's probably ridiculous, but our first stop everytime we make it to Ann Arbor is to indulge in some of the college comfort foods we know and love. 

Finished up some Christmas shopping on Tuesday before we packed up and headed to the west side of the state to visit with Ben's dad and his wife.  We had a lovely dinner, complete with a yummy salad weighted down with goat cheese and a bottle of cab. Having spent the evening chatting and catching up we decided we needed more time and came back the next morning for breakfast.  Ben's dad's wife is a great cook and served up perfect, flaky biscuits with homemade jams and sugared bacon.  I really didn't know you could make bacon better, but you can, you really, really can!

The rest of Wednesday was spent wrapping presents back at my parents house, hanging out and playing games with my brother and his friends.  Thursday, Christmas Eve day, dawned early as we piled in the car again, this time to drive to Sarnia to pick up two of our favorite people, Alyce and Dave.  We didn't get a lot of time with them, but an hour in the car and the same over lunch were happy times.  These are some of our dearest friends and it was so good to see them, even if it was a short visit.

The rest of our day was spent with me doing deep breathing exercises in an effort not to beat my father, who refuses, no matter how easy I make it for him, to do his Christmas shopping for my mom until Christmas Eve.  After late afternoon stops at Best Buy, Target, and Bed, Bath and Beyond we finally finished and headed home to prepare for the onslaught of greek relatives.  Fast forward three hours and Ben is in the basement drinking whiskey with my godfather while good-naturedly tolerating the kooky ramblings of my aging uncles, my brother is trying to shelter his new girlfriend from the same and I'm running around plying everyone with booze to ensure the evening doesn't devolve into an opportunity for "the airing of grievances."  All in all, it was a nice night filled with family, food and lots of laughter.  Here are a few highlights.

My parents' god-daughter Sara ripping into the Hannah Montana Movie Ben and I got her (save your comments Hannah Montana haters, I don't like it either, but when that's the only affordable item on the Christmas list, you've got to run with it)

(My Aunt Voula, Dad and Tom - you can NEVER get everyone looking at the camera.  Oh and Tom's face is priceless, I think he's laughing at some less than helpful suggestion offered by my godfather)

(Helping Tom refresh his swing dancing skills)

Christmas morning came VERY early.  Like 515AM.  This was my mom's request to ensure we had a chance to do Christmas morning together before Ben and I jetted off to South Carolina to spend Christmas with his mom, uncle and siblings.  Still bleary eyed opening our gifts from my parents, Ben and I received two kitchen items we've had our eyes on for some time, a KitchenAid Blender and a KitchenAid ProLine 6-Quart Stand Mixer.  Being the huge cooking dorks that we are, we were thrilled with these incredibly generous gifts and can't wait to test them out (product reviews promised!).  But better than getting gifts at Christmas to me, is giving them.  So while we opened ours, we also got to see my parents and brother opening the things I had so much fun selecting!  I was really glad to see my brother liked the watch we'd picked out as this kid has EVERYTHING and we were really at a loss as to what to get him.  Fast forward 30 minutes and, unlike when we were kids, the wrapping paper is all bagged up and, much like when we were kids, Tom is taking inventory of his haul for the year and both he and my dad are decked out in their new MSU (Sorry Wolverines!) snuggies.  All in all, a really nice (and very early) Christmas morning had by all.

While it would have been lovely to stay put and not have to brave the icy roads of the morning, we wanted to make sure we spent some time with Ben's mom and siblings too.  So we packed everything up that would fit into our bags and headed out to the airport with my dad as our chaffeur.  After more hang ups with Delta we were able to flout our miles and get into the preferred security line allowing us to make our 9AM flight to Charleston.  The rest of our Christmas tale in Charleston will have to wait for another post as the pics from Ben's uncle have not arrived yet!

Dear Delta, Do You Think Playing "Let It Snow" As Your Hold Music Is Funny?

About 10PM on Friday as we were all laying around our living room in a food coma from delicious duck, I flipped open the computer to check what time the snow might start.  Weather.com claimed it already had.  We looked out the window and lo and behold we'd somehow missed the first inch or so to fall.  But not to worry, we didn't miss the remaining 18 inches.  In fact, they're all still here.

Now as my previous post indicates, I love snow.  However, today I found another caveat to that love.  This is in addition to loathing those who can't drive in it.  I don't love snow when it disrupts my travel plans.  I was scheduled to depart DC this morning at 930AM.  Alas, my flight was cancelled.  Not because it was still snowing, it had stopped by the early hours of this morning.  But because DC was so unprepared for the dumping of white (and to the city's credit, 20 inches, even by Michigan standards is A LOT) that as they cleared the runways at Reagan they ran out of places to put the snow and had to truck it offsite.  That left the airport closed into the early afternoon and then only running on some of the runways.

The silver lining you ask?  I noticed early enough on Saturday that my flight had been cancelled that I was able to call Delta and, after a mere 55 minutes on hold, get rebooked out Monday at 730 PM.  And the gold lining?  The only remaining seat was in FIRST CLASS!! And since I have oodles of Delta/Northwest miles they were willing to give it to me without asking for the extra fee! There's always an upside.

Take a look at the pretty, pretty mess all the snow made!

(the first 9 inches had fallen by 10AM on Saturday, ten more fell before it was over!)

(The view from our porch about 7PM on Saturday.  There's roughly 15 inches on the ground at this point)

(Hard to snap good pics when the snow is still coming down in buckets!!)

Duck Confit - Day 3 - The Day the Duck is Done and Other Gastronamic Delights

Our "Christmas Dinner" arrived Friday without any major snags.  The expected snag was that no matter how hard I tried to leave the office early, I would get trapped.  I got a little trapped and left at 4 instead of 3, but that's still very early, so I can't complain!

Made it home in time to give the house a once over with the vacuum (I love my cats, but wow, it's like they shoot out hair when they know you're having company) and get right into the cooking.

First course, Asparagus with Poached Egg, Parmagiano and Arugula! Inspired by an item I had in Rennes, France with Al and Dave. Sorry the pic is a little fuzzy.

This dish is pretty easy to make and a delicious way to showcase fresh, high quality ingredients.  You do need to pay close attention to the timing though, so nothing gets overdone.

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus
High quality extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons white vinegar
4 large organic eggs
2 cups baby washed arugula
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lemon, zested

Holding the tip and stem of each asparagus spear snap the asparagus where it will naturally break. Discard the ends. Toss the asparagus with oil and salt, to taste. Steam the asparagus just until its pliable. Remove to a platter and reserve at room temperature.

Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 of the way with water. Add the white vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat on the burner until the bubbles in the water have subsided. Gently crack and drop each egg into the water. Cook the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes. When done the whites will be cooked through and the yolks will be warm but still liquid.

While the eggs are poaching assemble the salad. Toss the arugula with half of the lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Gently toss the salad until coated with the lemon and olive oil. Add more lemon juice and oil if needed. TASTE IT! The salad should be dressed and flavorful but not soggy. Divide the arugula between 4 individual plates. Arrange the asparagus on top of the arugula on each plate.

When the eggs are done, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and gently blot on a tea towel to remove any excess water. Immediately place 1 egg on top of the asparagus on each plate. Sprinkle each with salt, Parmigiano and lemon zest.

Second course, Duck Confit with Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes and Haricots Verts! 


Installment Three - Finishing the Duck

Preheat the oven to 375°.  While the oven is preheating break the duck out of the hardended duck fat.  (I tried several different methods for this and in the end, my hands worked the best). Arrange the duck in a roasting pan skin side up. Pour about a cup of chicken stock in the bottom of the roasting pan to keep the duck from drying out. Cover and roast until hot, 30 minutes. Preheat the broiler. Transfer the duck to a large rimmed baking sheet. Broil the duck, rotating the pan, until the skin is crisp, 4 minutes.

When it's finished it should look like this (ignore the side dish, I stole this pic because I forgot to take one of my own)

While the duck is roasting:

Peel 2 lbs of yukon gold potatoes, rinse and place in a large pot with just enough cold water to cover the potatoes.  Bring to boil and allow to continue boiling until the potatoes are completely soft, but not mushy (about 15 minutes, give or take). 

and

Clean 12 ounces of french green beans by snapping the end(s) off.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the beans for 2-3 minutes until beans are just SLIGHTLY soft. Immerse in an ice water bath to arrest cooking of the beans.

While the duck is broiling:

Drain the cooked potatoes.  Add 4-8 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper (all these ingredients are to taste), 3/4 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup low fat milk.  Whip with a hand mixer until smooth.  As you whip you may discover you need more milk to get the consistency right as some potatoes are starchier than others.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. 

and

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.  Toss the beans in the skillet until warmed through and covered in butter.  Salt as needed.

Plate by adding a generous dollop of whipped potatoes to the center of the plate.  Nestle the duck on the potatoes so its juices run down into them.  Lay the green beans on the plate as well.  Serve!

Third and final course, Chocolate Souffles!

Probably the best part of this recipe is that you can make it ahead and freeze them and they'll still be delicious and light when you bake them! No, I lied, the best part of this recipe is that Ben makes it, not me.  I love making a great meal and then getting to sit with our company while he makes dessert.  Can't beat it!

Souffle:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 large egg whites

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Position oven rack to the lowest setting, and remove middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare the soufflés, lightly coat 6 (8-ounce) soufflé dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk; remove from heat. Add 3 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and egg yolk.

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; place baking sheet on the bottom rack of 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove soufflés from oven). Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the side of soufflé comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon flour; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add 1/2 ounce chocolate, stirring until smooth. Serve warm with soufflés.

Duck Confit - Day 2

Also known as Installment Two - Poaching the Duck

This was an interesting process because the healthy part of me was having serious freak outs about cooking anything I was going to put into my body in 6, count 'em, 6, cups of duck fat.  But I survived the process by reminding myself that this is a once a year treat for two reasons - one, SO DELICIOUS BUT SO BAD FOR YOU and two, it's time consuming to make and I just don't have that kind of time.  Here are the instructions for installment two!
 
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Melt the duck fat in a small saucepan. Rinse the salt and seasonings off the duck and pat the duck dry with paper towels. Arrange the duck pieces in a single snug layer in a high-sided baking dish or ovenproof saucepan. Pour the melted fat over the duck (the duck pieces should be covered by fat) and place the confit in the oven. Cook the confit slowly at a very slow simmer — just an occasional bubble — until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2-3 hours. Remove the confit from the oven. Cool and store the duck in the fat. (The confit will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.)

Duck Confit - Day 1

Friday night Nicole and her mom (my second mom!) are coming over for "Christmas" dinner at our house.  True to form, Ben and I are taking the opportunity to cook up a feast because that's what we LOVE to do.  But the cooking begins today.

Since our protein for the meal will be duck confit, we've decided that to maximize the flavor we want it to sit for at least two days before serving.  That means I actually have to poach the duck tomorrow so I had to cure the duck tonight.  So consider this an entry in installments - Installment One - The Curing Process for Duck Confit - (a.k.a. - the easiest part!).

Ingredients

3 tablespoons salt
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
6 sprigs thyme
Coarsely ground black pepper
4 duck legs with thighs (the leg bone should be left in, the thigh bone should be removed*)

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt in the bottom of a dish large enough to contain the duck legs in a single layer. Evenly scatter half the garlic, shallots, and thyme in the dish. Arrange the duck, skin-side up, over the salt mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining salt, garlic, shallots, and thyme and a little pepper. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 24 hours.

When it's ready for the refrigerator it looks like this...

*I have to plug The Organic Butcher of McLean.   They were the only shop in the area that a) carried duck, b) was willing to de-bone the thighs for me (de-boning a duck is hard and intimidates the hell out of me, I don't even like de-boning chicken) and c) carried and sold duck fat so that I could make true confit instead of having to poach the duck in olive oil.  Hooray!

Coming Soon - Installment Two - Poaching the Duck

Chicken Bouillabase

Ina Garten, some days, you're my hero and today is one of those days!  I made her chicken bouillabasse and it was a great rainy day dinner!  I've included the recipe here but I'll note my modifications.  Of particular note, if you look at this recipe on Food Network you will find that it is accompanied by a rouille recipe.  DO NOT MAKE IT! It changes the flavor of the dish in a very unpleasant way, but without it, this meal is delicious!  As you can see that I have strong opinions about the rouille, therefore, I've omitted it from this post!!

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Good olive oil
1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree (If you can't easily find tomato puree in your grocery store, just throw a can of any cooked tomato into a food processor with a couple tablespoons of tomato paste)
1 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons Pernod (I only use 1 tablespoon because I like a less pronounced anise flavor)
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
Rouille, for serving, recipe follows (NO! NO! NO!)
Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (As you can see the recipe calls for 300 degrees F, for my oven, 325 gives better results).

Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.

Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of Rouille and slices of crusty bread.

Weekend Wonderland

Probably because I spend so much time closeted inside the confines of an office, I cherish my weekends.  Even if I am working at home, at least I'm home, comfy with Ben and my kitties.  And best of all, I can break up work work with house work and fun things too. Here's a little peek at my crafty project from this weekend, channeling my holiday spirit!

This is my wreath.  I am too cheap and like doing crafty things too much to spend a lot of money on a fancy wreath.  So bought a cheapy for $2.99 and added the rest of the accessories myself.  What I didn't realize when I was placing all the pretty blue ribbon is that I inadvertently made a Chanukah wreath.  I love that without meaning too, my wreath is representing more than one holiday tradition (even if only in color!).