Holiday menus

[small h]

A little NYE pre-gaming. Very pre-.

[Diancecht]

the spread from tonight’s event

savory - noodle kugel, salmon dip with crackers, olives, chicken wings with ranch, brie with pastry, crudités, rollups, egg salad. shortly after i took this pic, the first of several trays of latkes were set out. there’s a selection of toppings at top left - sour cream, applesauce, and jalapeño applesauce. 

i think this is the first time i’ve had kugel. not bad…

 

[Diancecht]

sweet - assorted cookies, fruit, the aforementioned cake, homemade rugelach (chocolate, fruit and nut, fig), chocolate and cardamom cookies. and some sufganiyot.

at foreground left is a giant tub of swedish meatballs. i have to figure out how to reverse engineer this because they were awesome.

Edited December 29, 2024 by Diancecht

[rozrapp]

My blogpost has details and photos about our Chanukah dinner at home.

https://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com/2024/12/29/at-home-2024-chanukah-dinner/

[bloviatrix]

Not sure when we'll have LatkeFest 5785, but the applesauce has been made.

 

[bloviatrix]

No photos but tonight I attempted to make cheese latkes. They tasted ok, but they fell apart and weren't easy to flip.

[splinky]

1 hour ago, bloviatrix said:

No photos but tonight I attempted to make cheese latkes. They tasted ok, but they fell apart and weren't easy to flip.

just curious did you dust with some kind of starch and freeze first?

[Evelyn]

Southern New Year's traditions prep under way. Black Eyed Peas are soaking to cook tomorrow. Gulf Pink Shrimp peeled and ready to boil--to be accompanied by St. Elmo's Cocktail sauce. Collards are ready. Tenderloin covered with garlic, rosemary and smoked sea salt awaiting roasting tomorrow. Champagne chilling. Cabs from Diamond Creek, Stag's Leap and Gemstone. Various other adult beverages/accutrements ready to go. Brillat Savarin, Epoisse and St. Andre cheeses. Snowy Topped Brownie Bites (Dorie G's recipe) dough ready to pop in the oven. Cheers! And an early Happy New Year to All! 

[hollywood]

Is there a silver coin in the peas?  Good luck!

[bloviatrix]

8 hours ago, splinky said:

just curious did you dust with some kind of starch and freeze first?

I did not. You were meant to fry spoonfuls of the batter but it was way to liquid-y so I had to toss. Ended up making what ended up looking like very flat pancakes on the griddle.

[StephanieL]

We're having scallops cooked in garlic butter (plus crusty bread) for lunch today.  Later, there will be pre-dinner cocktails at our favorite tiki bar in Alameda, followed by dinner somewhere that doesn't have a NYE menu.  Tomorrow will be the Rose Parade on TV and black-eyed peas with sausage for midday meal.

[Wilfrid]

I have never liked this holiday. I could have spent time with family and shared my gloom. Instead, I am pacing through the evening, defying the thunder outside, with funny hors d'oeuvres plates.

Smoked salmon with scoops of Zabar's cream cheese and lox. Foie gras with black truffle butter. Pernil with lime. The last, portions chiselled from a vast pork shoulder.

 

 

[hollywood]

OTOH, you could be in Philadelphia.

[bloviatrix]

On night eight we went traditional. Potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce.

 

[Wilfrid]

I am a fool. I had one filet leftover from the holidays sitting in the freezer. I told myself it was venison. Duh, no it was elk like it was on Christmas Day.

But this was delicious, well seasoned, medium-rare with a pan sauce of red wine, cream and crushed peppercorns. I would pay restaurant prices for this, but the garnish should be better than the leftover lentils.

Followed by a plate of Cornish Yarg, this was a great meal. Well done me.

[Wilfrid]

I will happily order that elk again. But I am confused. I thought I found it on D'Artagnan and they liked my instagram post. But the order was fulfilled by Wild Fork Farms who say they get it from their partners, Fossil Farms.

I will track it down. About $29 for three filets and the best red meat I can remember buying in a while.

[Evelyn]

I order pork, chicken and elk from FF. They used to have excellent antelope. But haven't had it recently.

[Wilfrid]

Good news.

[bloviatrix]

Holiday of Shavuot begins tonight. This is the holiday where we eat so much dairy, that you need to lactaid pills even it you're not lactose intolerant.

Here's what I've cooked thus far -

Mom's Sweet Noodle Kugel
Eggplant Parm
Blintz Souffle
Black Bean Chili
Grilled Tuna over soba

Sweet Cheese and sour cherry babka
Frozen pistachio and halva cheesecake with tahina

[Wilfrid]

You remind me of a gigantic cheese event in a Queens warehouse some years ago when I discovered that the cheese hangover existed.

[StephanieL]

20 hours ago, bloviatrix said:

Holiday of Shavuot begins tonight. This is the holiday where we eat so much dairy, that you need to lactaid pills even it you're not lactose intolerant.

Here's what I've cooked thus far -

Mom's Sweet Noodle Kugel
Eggplant Parm
Blintz Souffle
Black Bean Chili
Grilled Tuna over soba

Sweet Cheese and sour cherry babka
Frozen pistachio and halva cheesecake with tahina

Dad made 5 cheesecakes for the synagogue.  I think he's sick of cheesecake now.