Wow...Holy Cow!!!
2012 is over... that is amazing! 2013 has started and so far so good..Last night was New Year's Eve and I got to spend it with some of my favorite people..Doug, Diane and Jack... We all saw the New Year in together..first east coast and then west coast (east coast represent!!)...yeah we are sooo old G... hehehhe.
MAY YOUR NEW YEAR BE DELICIOUS!!!
from Doug and June
Let us (Doug & June) take a moment to wish you all a delicious new year filled with love and chocolate & joy and bacon!!
It's New Year's so what are we eating??? Some wonderful gourmet concoction? Some time honoured treasured recipe??? Some incredible oyster/lobster/champagne delight??
Not even close..Neither of us are cooking this Holiday.. I think he's having chinese and I know I am having take out chinese food, but I did bake a yellow butter cake with vanilla buttercream frosting (does that count???)
We all were up till the wee small hours of the morning...in fact I believe Doug still maybe unconscious.. (gotta love men).
So this blog today will focus on Traditional New Year's food)
January 1st offers an opportunity to forget the past and make a clean start for many of us. But instead of leaving everything up to fate, why not enjoy a meal to increase your good fortune?
Grapes
New Year's revelers in Spain consume twelve grapes at midnight—one grape for each stroke of the clock. This dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain initiated the practice to take care of a grape surplus. The idea stuck, spreading to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Each grape represents a different month, so if for instance the third grape is a bit sour, March might be a rocky month. For most, the goal is to swallow all the grapes before the last stroke of midnight, but Peruvians insist on taking in a 13th grape for good measure. (ok I can eat 12 grapes!! no problem)
Cooked Greens
Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year's in different countries for a simple reason — their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune. The Danish eat stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, the Germans consume sauerkraut (cabbage) while in the southern United States, collards are the green of choice. It's widely believed that the more greens one eats the larger one's fortune next year. (ok, I can eat greens...no problem)
{so far grapes and greens...awesome!}
Legumes
Legumes including beans, peas, and lentils are also symbolic of money. Their small, seedlike appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they are consumed with financial rewards in mind. In Italy, it's customary to eat cotechino con lenticchie or sausages and green lentils, just after midnight—a particularly propitious meal because pork has its own lucky associations. (In my Italian family...no green lentils). Germans also partner legumes and pork, usually lentil or split pea soup with sausage. In Brazil, the first meal of the New Year is usually lentil soup or lentils and rice. In the Southern United States, it's traditional to eat black-eyed peas or cowpeas in a dish called hoppin' john. There are even those who believe in eating one pea for every day in the new year. This all traces back to the legend that during the Civil War, the town of Vicksburg, Mississippi, ran out of food while under attack. The residents fortunately discovered black-eyed peas and the legume was thereafter considered lucky.
(ok, I like split pea soup and I like sausage.. no problem)
Pork
The custom of eating pork on New Year's is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving. Roast suckling pig is served for New Year's in Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria—Austrians are also known to decorate the table with miniature pigs made of marzipan. Different pork dishes such as pig's feet are enjoyed in Sweden while Germans feast on roast pork and sausages. Pork is also consumed in Italy and the United States, where thanks to its rich fat content, it signifies wealth and prosperity. (pig's feet??? BIG problem)
Fish
Fish is a very logical choice for the New Year's table. According to Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, cod has been a popular feast food since the Middle Ages. (Cod changed the world...really....someone needs a hobby, Mark). He compares it to turkey on Thanksgiving. The reason? Long before refrigeration and modern transportation, cod could be preserved and transported allowing it to reach the Mediterranean and even as far as North Africa and the Caribbean. Kurlansky also believes the Catholic Church's policy against red meat consumption on religious holidays helped make cod, as well as other fish, commonplace at feasts. The Danish eat boiled cod, while in Italy, baccalà, or dried salt cod, is enjoyed (that's debatable..enjoyed might not be the right word...endured ..better word) from Christmas through New Year's. Herring, another frequently preserved fish, is consumed at midnight in Poland and Germany—Germans also enjoy carp and have been known to place a few fish scales in their wallets for good luck. The Swedish New Year feast is usually a smorgasbord with a variety of fish dishes such as seafood salad. In Japan, herring roe is consumed for fertility, shrimp for long life, and dried sardines for a good harvest (sardines were once used to fertilize rice fields). (I eat shrimp, scallops, lobster, clams, haddock..no problem)
Cake
Cakes and other baked goods are commonly served from Christmas to New Year's around the world, with a special emphasis placed on round or ring-shaped items. Italy has chiacchiere, which are honey-drenched balls of pasta dough fried and dusted with powdered sugar (OMG..these are SOOOOO Good..you have to try them!!!). Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands also eat donuts, and Holland has ollie bollen, puffy, donut-like pastries filled with apples, raisins, and currants.
In certain cultures, it's customary to hide a special trinket or coin inside the cake—the recipient will be lucky in the new year (if they don't choke to death). Mexico's rosca de reyes is a ring-shaped cake decorated with candied fruit and baked with one or more surprises inside. In Greece, a special round cake called vasilopita is baked with a coin hidden inside. At midnight or after the New Year's Day meal, the cake is cut, with the first piece going to St. Basil (does he eat much??) and the rest being distributed to guests in order of age. Sweden and Norway have similar rituals in which they hide a whole almond in rice pudding—whoever gets the nut is guaranteed great fortune in the new year.
Cakes aren't always round. In Scotland, where New Year's is called Hogmanay, there is a tradition called "first footing," in which the first person to enter a home after the new year determines what kind of year the residents will have. The "first footer" often brings symbolic gifts like coal to keep the house warm or baked goods such as shortbread, oat cakes, and a fruit caked called black bun, to make sure the household always has food.
(cake??? good)
What Not to Eat
In addition to the aforementioned lucky foods, there are also a few to avoid. Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another theory warns against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.
In Germany, it's customary to leave a little bit of each food on your plate past midnight to guarantee a stocked pantry in the New Year. Likewise in the Philippines, it's important to have food on the table at midnight.
Grapes
Curried Chicken Salad with Grapes
Hints of curry and soy sauce enliven this chicken and grape salad, turning a simple sandwich recipe into something really special. Plus, it takes just 15 minutes to prepare.
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1 stalk celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup seedless red grapes cut in half
8 large romaine or Bibb lettuce leaves
8 slices Whole Grain Bread (my fav-Pepperidge Farm 15 Grain Bread)
Stir the mayonnaise, curry powder and soy sauce in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth. Add the chicken, celery and grapes and stir to coat. Top 4 bread slices with 1 lettuce leaf each. Divide the chicken mixture among the lettuce-topped bread slices. Top with the remaining lettuce leaves and bread slices.
(actually healthy!! so there!!)
Greens
Date and Gorgonzola Pinwheels over Greens
Sweet dates, creamy gorgonzola cheese and flavorful bacon rolled up and baked in golden puff pastry...served over greens, they're absolutely irresistible.
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
10 slices thick-cut bacon
1 package (17.3 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
1 1/4 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 5 ounces)
Mixed salad greens
Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.
Place the dates into a medium bowl. Add the vinegar and toss to coat.
Place the bacon onto a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked but not crisp, turning it over once after 20 minutes of baking time. Drain the bacon on paper towels.
Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Brush the pastry sheet with the egg mixture. With the short side facing you, place 5 bacon strips crosswise onto the pastry sheet.
Sprinkle with the half the Gorgonzola and top with half the date mixture. Starting at the short side, roll up like a jelly roll, brushing the pastry with the egg mixture as you roll. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut each pastry roll crosswise into 10 slices. Place the slices, cut-side up, onto 2 baking sheets. Brush the slices with the egg mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.
Divide the salad greens among 5 bowls. Top each with 4 pastries. Drizzle with additional balsamic vinegar just before serving.
Legumes
Savory White Beans & Spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 packet Swanson® Flavor Boost™ Concentrated Vegetable Broth
1 package (about 6 ounces) fresh baby spinach (about 8 cups)
1 can (about 15 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked and drained makes about 2 cups
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the red pepper, concentrated broth and spinach. Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the beans, cheese and pasta and toss to coat.
You can add fresh garlic to the recipe but in either case I think it is excellent. It is easy to prepare and filling.
Pork
Pork Pozol
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 boneless pork loin, diced (about 1 pound)
1 large sweet onion, chopped (about 1 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 chipotle chile in adobe sauce, minced
1 can (about 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (about 15 ounces) hominy whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until it's well browned, stirring often. Remove the pork from the saucepot with a slotted spoon.
Add the remaining oil to the saucepot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic and cook until they're tender.
Stir the broth, cumin, chipotle pepper, tomatoes and hominy in the saucepot. Heat to a boil. Return the pork to the saucepot and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and tender. Garnish with the cilantro.
an alternative idea...This was delicious! I added a large can of red enchilada sauce and used a bone in pork roast instead of the pork cubes. I cooked it for approx 3 hrs until the meat could be shredded from the bone before adding the hominy. The shredded meat was then returned to the pot and the recipe was completed as written. A bit spicy but my family went wild!!
Fish
1 package (about 10 ounces) frozen broccoli spears, cooked and drained
4 fresh or thawed frozen firm white fish fillets (cod, haddock or halibut) (about 1 pound)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Place the broccoli into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the fish. Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the fish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Stir the bread crumbs, butter and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over all. Bake at 450°F. for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
CakeEasy Tomato Soup Spice Cake
1 box (about 18 ounces) spice cake mix
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
Store-bought or homemade cream cheese frosting
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour 2 (8 or 9-inch) round cake pans. Combine the cake mix, soup, water and eggs in a large bowl and mix according to the package directions. Pour the batter into the pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely. Fill and frost with the cream cheese frosting.
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