So the holidays are coming and I have a few things I want to make based
on posts I have read here.

1) Chicken Liver Pate. Haven't had that in a long time, livers are
cheap. Thinking about serving this on New Year's Eve as part of a cold
snack platter.

2) Head cheese/Souse. Another thing I haven't had in a long time and
since other family members like it, I'm going to try to make some next
week before Christmas. I'll use pigs feet and some Boston Butt instead
of the actual head.

3) Sausage. If Santa was paying attention, we should get a meat grinder
for Christmas and I'd like to try making some sausage, probably starting
with Om's recipe for Italian sausage.

How about you? Did you get any ideas for the holidays from RFC?

George L

George wrote:

> So the holidays are coming and I have a few things I want to make based on
> posts I have read here.
>
> 1) Chicken Liver Pate. Haven't had that in a long time, livers are
> cheap. Thinking about serving this on New Year's Eve as part of a cold
> snack platter.
>
> 2) Head cheese/Souse. Another thing I haven't had in a long time and
> since other family members like it, I'm going to try to make some next
> week before Christmas. I'll use pigs feet and some Boston Butt instead of
> the actual head.
>
> 3) Sausage. If Santa was paying attention, we should get a meat grinder
> for Christmas and I'd like to try making some sausage, probably starting
> with Om's recipe for Italian sausage.
>
> How about you? Did you get any ideas for the holidays from RFC?

I get ideas from RFC all the time, but I try to be completely independent
when it comes to planning for the holidays. I use RFC ideas *around* the
holidays, though. For example, Janet recently wrote what I thought was a
very interesting post about making chocolate truffles. I'm not having
truffles at any of the upcoming holidays, but I might make truffles on an
"off-day" just because I'm interested in trying out what she wrote.

Even your post above gave me an idea: Christine told me about something
called "faux gras" which is made using chicken livers and butter. I think
that New Year's Eve would be a great time to try making it. (I haven't
started planning my New Year's Eve menu yet.)

Bob

Nan wrote:

> Could you share the recipe, Please???

I found it online (with modifications noted) at
http://steamykitchen.com/112-shitake...faux-gras.html. If I make it for
New Year's Eve I think I'll adapt it further as the author notes, using a
cranberry gelee rather than the cucumber-parsley gelee.

Bob

"George Leppla" > wrote in message
...
> So the holidays are coming and I have a few things I want to make based on
> posts I have read here.
>
> 1) Chicken Liver Pate. Haven't had that in a long time, livers are
> cheap. Thinking about serving this on New Year's Eve as part of a cold
> snack platter.
>
> 2) Head cheese/Souse. Another thing I haven't had in a long time and
> since other family members like it, I'm going to try to make some next
> week before Christmas. I'll use pigs feet and some Boston Butt instead of
> the actual head.
>
> 3) Sausage. If Santa was paying attention, we should get a meat grinder
> for Christmas and I'd like to try making some sausage, probably starting
> with Om's recipe for Italian sausage.
>
> How about you? Did you get any ideas for the holidays from RFC?
>

I have gotten some wonderful ideas! Last year I made a tourtiere because
someone posted a recipe here, I started googling other recipes and made one
for Christmas. Never heard of it before that. I don't cook much by recipe
but by concept and I love reading how others combine ingredients well, and I
just try things. It's fun!

George wrote:

> How about you? Did you get any ideas for the holidays from RFC?

RFC is a source of ideas for me, but only one of many. Most of the people in
this group live in the Northern Hemisphere, so the appropriate food for your
December holidays is heavy winter food. That's not the case here at all. My
chief inspiration comes from what I find in the marketplace, and in December
I want to cook light but satisfying food. I might peruse six-month-old posts
to see what gets cooked here in early summer, but I do try to be a bit more
elegant than what most of you make at that time of year. (Sorry to be so
blunt, but I have read time and again about your hot dog cookouts in July,
and that wouldn't be good enough for our Christmas dinner!)

--
"Close The Gap!"

I wrote:

>> How about you? Did you get any ideas for the holidays from RFC?
>
> I get ideas from RFC all the time, but I try to be completely independent
> when it comes to planning for the holidays. I use RFC ideas *around* the
> holidays, though. For example, Janet recently wrote what I thought was a
> very interesting post about making chocolate truffles. I'm not having
> truffles at any of the upcoming holidays, but I might make truffles on an
> "off-day" just because I'm interested in trying out what she wrote.
>
> Even your post above gave me an idea: Christine told me about something
> called "faux gras" which is made using chicken livers and butter. I think
> that New Year's Eve would be a great time to try making it. (I haven't
> started planning my New Year's Eve menu yet.)

....and now I'm adding Dungeness crab to that menu -- ANOTHER idea I got from
RFC!

So for New Year's Eve I'm having:

Faux Gras: I'm thinking of putting it into a crème brûlée dish and searing
with a blowtorch, then serving it with cranberry chutney.

Dungeness Crab: My plan is to have it simply steamed, chilled, and served
cold with a hot beurre blanc spiked with powdered California chiles.

Steak Tarta I use a hybrid recipe, but the most important factors are
that the meat is from a bottom round roast (which is lean and beefy), and
it's chopped rather than being ground. I am bemused by the people who spend
money on Wagyu beef and make tartare out of it. Cold beef fat is not
appealing to me.

I'm hoping to talk Lin into making artisanal bread for the occasion. I need
to add some vegetable dishes[1] and maybe a dessert or two, but so far
nothing has quite "clicked". We'll be drinking Prosecco.

Bob
[1] I'm thinking cooking one or two of these candidates, but would welcome
suggestions:
Vegetable terrine of some kind
Leeks à la Grecque, i.e., stewed in olive oil with lemon
Spinach soufflé
Caramelized fennel on top of celery-root purée
Eggplant caviar
Onion soup gratinée
Savory cream puffs filled with spiced butternut squash and pecans

Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> So for New Year's Eve I'm having:
>
> Faux Gras: I'm thinking of putting it into a crème brûlée dish and searing
> with a blowtorch, then serving it with cranberry chutney.
>
> Dungeness Crab: My plan is to have it simply steamed, chilled, and served
> cold with a hot beurre blanc spiked with powdered California chiles.
>
> Steak Tarta I use a hybrid recipe, but the most important factors are
> that the meat is from a bottom round roast (which is lean and beefy), and
> it's chopped rather than being ground. I am bemused by the people who
> spend money on Wagyu beef and make tartare out of it. Cold beef fat is not
> appealing to me.

If you don't mind, I will upgrade your menu for my own New Year's Eve
gathering:

- Seared Foie Gras with Raspberry Sauce
- Grilled Tasmanian Lobster with Chilli Beurre Blanc
- Wagyu Eye Fillet Tartare with Quail Eggs

I will also serve:

- Asparagus with Bacon and Hollandaise Sauce
- Honeydew with Prosciutto, Coriander, and Ginger
- Cucumber-Shingled Boursin Timbale
- Avocado-Macadamia Ice Cream
- Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut
- Chocolate-Covered Red-Bean Bon-Bons
- Camembert with Fresh Fruit

My husband always serves Dom Perignon on New Year's Eve.

--
End discrimination today - CLOSE THE GAP!