Category Archives: Menu

Christmas Eve Buffet for 20

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Ham was the featured attraction in 2012

The dark shape at the center bottom of the photo is Johnny Cash, the Cat in Black, drinking from the tree stand.

For me, growing up in a family with Austrian roots, Christmas was always the 24th, and the 25th was the day after. The 24th was also my late father’s birthday. As empty-nester, my husband and I have made it something of a tradition to host Christmas Eve dinner for friends and neighbors.

We have no family nearby. My son who lives 360 miles away is the nearest, and he can never come because it’s peak season for teaching skiing, and my husband’s family are mostly in the greater Reno area. No one expects me to prepare what I “always” make, so I do whatever strikes. Also friends always contribute — if they wish and what they wish. Of course, there was abundant red, white and dessert wine of various sorts. I didn’t keep track. I should have used a flash for these few photos, so apologies for dark, dull images.

December 24, 2012 Menu

  • Appetizers in the Living Room
  • Caprese on a skewer. Fresh grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaf from the pot I’m trying to nurse through the winter.
    Guacamole in small phyllo cups topped with a bit of sun-dried tomato
    Rice crackers with whipped cream cheese and jalapeño jelly
    Assorted nuts

The laden table just before people started serving themselves.

Buffet in the Dining Room

Glazed ham (spiral cut)
Scandinavian-style braised red cabbage
Parsleyed new potatoes with optional bacon crumbles
Roasted sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange)
Thick home-made pumpernickel bread that was light in color and texture from Jerrie
Bubbling-hot Parmesan “fondue” and sliced baguette from Laura
Vegetarian paella from John

Desserts

Pecan tart wedges
Sugar cookie-style pastries
Home-made cream puffs with raspberry cream filling from Vivian
Home-made biscotti from Darlene

Not much left! We feasted well.

We had a wonderful evening with people we genuinely care about, and I hope your celebration was festive and delcious – and perhaps more photogenic.

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Thanksgiving 2012

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We had Thanksgiving. I cooked. My husband baked. We were 10 at the table. And it was good.

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and while I generally write about it in entirely too much detail, I decided that no photos of this year’s appetizers, this year’s soup, this year’s turkey, this year’s vegetables and this year’s dessert are required here. Ditto lots of detailed recipes. Friends brought the hors d’oevres (thanks Reed and Sally), also the sweet potatoes  (thanks Laura) and a splendid pumpkin pie (thanks Suzanne). But everything else was scratch-made in our kithen, using all-organic and natural ingredients from Whole Foods. And Beaujolais nouveau was the holiday wine of choice:

Hors d’oeuvres: 2 cheese dips, one baked and served with crackers, one cold and served with crudités.

Soup: Nigella Lawon’s Pea and Pesto Soup, a really simple recipe that makes a really delicious soup.

Main Course: Turkey: Brined, roasted and stuffed with an apple-pecan cornbread stuffing. I more or less used this recipe but added more celery, more onion and more apple than the recipe calls for but eliminated the eggs.
Gravy: Half with giblets, half without.
Cranberries: Cranberry-Orange Relish.
Mashed potates.
Mashed sweet potatoes.
Roasted Harvest Vegetables:  New potatoes (black, white, red), carrots, whole Brussels sprouts, peeled and cubed butternut squash, tossed in olive oil and kosher salt and oven-roasted.

Dessert: Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake.
Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream.

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Country Dining With Chef Rob Corey

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Award-winning chef’s “Dinner In the Country” was a 7-course dazzler

Chef Rob Corey and a glass of champagne.

Chef Robert N Corey and I have crossed paths at culinary events over the years, notably at the Denver International Wine Festival‘s ‘Taste of Elegance’ chef competitions. More often than not, he has been on the podium for one of the categories. He currently wears several toques. Himself a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he is a culinary arts instructor at Denver’s Johnson & Wales University, runs 12 Seasons Personal Chef & Sommelier Services and every few months puts on a “Dinner In the Country” in a private Niwot home, with farms and ranches not far away.

Johnson & Wales culinary students meticulously plating the "Dinner In the Country" dinner.

Rob invited me and my husband to yesterday evening’s “Dinner In the Country,” which displayed Corey’s style that is at once sophisticated and earthy. He calls his food “nouvelles classics” and uses natural, organic ingredients, cooks them with care, plates them with an artist’s eye and an engineer’s precision, an ethic and aesthetitic truly combining both old and new culinary practices. One of the guests was Bob Munson of nearby Munson Farms, who said that all the produce and herbs were picked that very morning, some by himself.

We started with hors d’oeuvre and Carbo Cava Brut sparkling wine, then sat down at two tables that together could accommodate just 20 guests, so congenial conversation lasted through the evening. By the time the guests assembled, most of the cooking had been done, but eight Johnson & Wales students did much of the perfect plating of complicated, multi-ingredient dishes for which Corey is well known. Jesse Slaughter, whose regular gig is at Hapa Sushi in Cherry Creek, performed sommelier duties. Continue reading →

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Brackets Aren’t Just for Basketball

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Westword creates metro area culinary brackets

All the recent buzz about brackets in these parts has involved NCAA basketball — at least as long as the University of Colorado and Colorado State University were still alive in the first division. But foodies have had their own brackets to obsess about: Westword‘s Street 16.

The “tournament” started with Boulder, WashPark, Highland West, LoDo, South Broadway, Uptown, Havanna Street and South Federal on one side and Cherry Creek, Upper Larimer, Tennyson, Larimer Square, Capitol Hill (6th & 7th Avenues), Bluebird District, Golden Triangle and LoHi on the other.

After the first round, the foodie neighborhoods still remaining are Boulder, Highland West, Uptown and South Federal on one side and Upper Larimer, Tennyson, CapHill and LoHi on the other. The results so far show how eclectically wonderful the metro area’s dining scene has become, and how wide-ranging the tastes of Westword readers are, when the longer established dining districts of Cherry Creek and Larimer Square didn’t make it past the first round.

There’s still time to winnow the remaining eight to the final four, so start picking. You can’t vote on this blog, but I think you can by clicking here. If not, go to Westword‘s Cafe Society blog and click your way to the ballots. I can’t wait to see the results.

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Thanksgiving 2011 Menu & Memories

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Food & friendship on my favorite holiday 

Being from New England, I was indoctrinated with the story of “the first Thanksgiving,” the one when Pilgrims and their Indian friends broke bread together in 1621 in the newcomers’ gratitude for making it through a year in the New World with the help of the original inhabitants. No matter that Thanksgiving didn’t exactly happen that way and, in fact, did not become a national holiday until 1863, when President Lincoln somehow managed to turn his attention away from the Civil War long enough to sign the holiday into law. Historical facts aside, I buy into the Pilgrims and Indian story because I want to.

Time to eat!

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner was the first holiday meal I relieved my late mother of, and I have prepared a lot of Thanksgiving dinners since. To me, it has always been a sitdown dinner and is my favorite holiday. Since moving to Colorado in 1988, the most poeple we’ve ever had at the table was 20. The fewest was eight — and that was this year.

A number of regulars from years past of moved away, and some (including my son) just couldn’t make it this time. We’ve fallen into a Thanksgiving rhythm, that includes wine and hors d’oeuvre in the living room, followed by soup, turkey-plus and dessert in the dining room. During a good Nouveau Beaujolais year, Joseph Drouhin’s wines what we drink. are what we drank. And here’s what we ate:

To Start

Cold shrimp three ways
Two cheese & crackers
Reed’s Prosciutto rolls “with love”

Soup

I originally had place settings for 12 but only eight soup plates for my Royal Doulton Rochelle bone china. I bought four more of this vintage pattern from Replacements.com, so now, I always make soup for a sitdown holiday dinner to amortize the cost.
Brilliant green Florentine soup made with fresh spinach, shallots, vegetable stock and spices — and swirled with heavy cream just before serving.

Main Course

The turkey was a bit of a surprise. I bought a fresh natural Diestel turkey (not organic, but free range and natural) from Whole Foods. Turned out that the neck and gizzards  in the cavity were frozen. Since poultry can’t freeze from the inside, either Diestel put one over on Whole, Whole Foods put one over on me — or both. It was a fine turkey, but I do resent paying fresh prices for a previously frozen product. I need to talk to the folks at Whole Foods. (Saturday note: I did check with Whole Foods, and they told me that only the inside of cavity is “shell frozen,” but that it is otherwise a fresh, never-frozen bird. The giblets freeze from being in that cavity. Good to know!)

This turkey , fresh out of the cardboard box. It was supposed to be fresh, but the gizzards and neck in the cavities were frozen.

Previously frozen or not, the 2011 bird was a flavorful beauty.

To accompany the bird, I made “Awesome Sasuage, Apple and Cranbery Stuffing,” rich dark gravy, fresh cranberry sauce, carrots and mashed potatoes too, plus Laura’s maple-laced sweet potatoes. I found the stuffing recipe on the Internet. It has been online for a number of years, but all the comments were favorable. I too was happy with it. The “Brussels Sprouts and Wheat Berry Slaw with Smoked Paprika Dressing” is from the current issue of Sunset.

Carved turkey (white meat, dark meat, skin), with fresh cranberry sauce showing in the lower lefthand corner.

 

Brussels sprouts slaw -- a fine fresh and nutritious spin on this much maligned crucidiferous vegetable.

 Desserts

My friend and neighbor Vivian is an extraordinary baker. She always prepares the desserts — and this time, because we were only eight and not the customary 14 to 16, she made just two.

Pumpkin tart, made with pumpkin that Viivan baked and pureed.

Apple and cranberry tart.

 Th-th-that’s all folks!

Dishes and silverware washed and ready to be put away until next time.

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Denver Harvest Week Coming Up

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Five Colorado locavore feasts at innovative urban farm

With the exception of the unfortunate listeria issue with some Rocky Ford cantaloupes,  2011 has been a banner year for Colorado-grown and -raised foods, and Denver Harvest Week is its culmination. It isn’t exactly a week, but locavores forgive a little calendar slippage. Chefs from local independent restaurants strut their culinary stuff at The GrowHaus, a nonprofit local urban farm and marketplace, to spotlight the state’s bounty, particularly pork, lamb, beef and bison from Colorado farm-raised animals. Diners are asked to bring your own plates, flatware and wineglasses to each event.

Sunday, October 9, 10 a.m. - Brunch Menu by Steuben’s

  • Butterscotch-bacon sticky buns and corn; green chile scones with lime-cilantro sour cream drizzle; baked pear doughnut; and Chinese five-spice apple muffin.
  • Zucchini and goat cheese fritter with chile-rubbed bacon, tomato peach chutney and a Niman Ranch poached egg.
  • Smoked trout with poached quail eggs and rye bread crumbs and mustard.
  • Colorado short rib hash with queso fresco, three-chile crepe, “Dixon” red chile and micro cilantro.
  • Oven-roasted white chocolate dessert panini with caramelized apples and cinnamon ice cream.

 Monday, October 10, 6 p.m. – Pork Theme Dinner Vesta Dipping Grill, Jonesy’s, Black Pearl, Row 14, Barolo Grill and H Burger

  •  Charcuterie: porchetta, lonza, headcheese, soppressata, Fruition Farms pecora, MouCo Colorouge cheese, pickles, toast and bay leaf honey
  • Blood sausage, tasso and Great Divide I.P.A brat with cherry, peach and bourbon mustards, cabbage, white sauerkraut, red pickled Napa slaw and pretzel buns
  • Roasted 6 L farms pig with fatback pinto beans, adobo rice and Pueblo green chile
  • Manteca chocolate pot de crème with bacon Anglaise and balsamic pig trotter ice cream

Tuesday, October 11, 6 p.m. – Lamb Theme Dinner by Encore on Colfax, Duo, Second Home, ChoLon, Locanda del Borgo and Vine Street

  • Spiced lamb satay with a cilantro-mint yogurt
  • Goat cheese fazzoletti with lamb ragu
  • Ewe Bet Ranch box-roasted whole lamb served with family-style sides and sauces
  • Chocolate lamb suet cake with Chantilly cream

Wednesday, October 12, 6 p.m. — Beef Theme Dinner by Elway’s Cherry Creek, Olivéa, Marco’s Coal Fired Pizza, Rialto Cafe, El Diablo and Bistro Vendome 

  •  Marco’s meatball lasagna
  •  Almond-breaded sweetbreads, preserved Colorado peaches and micro salad
  •  Grilled steak and potato chile relleño with queso Chihuahua
  • Braised beef short rib enchiladas with pipián rojo
  •  Tongue-and-cheek pho with traditional garnishes
  •  Stir-fry tri tip with kimchi
  • Terrine of braised beef tongue with mostarda di fruitti

Thursday, October 13, 6 p.m. – Buffalo Theme Dinner by Root Down, Linger, Avenue Grill, Corner Office, Hideaway Steakhouse, Restaurant 1515 and Biker Jim’s

  • Bison Liver Mousse, Olathe corn fritter, Jackelope Gin & tonic peach marmalade and Oogie’s popcorn
  • “Soup & A Sandwich,” open-faced bison pastrami Croque  Madame, Rocky Mountain Cola caramelized shallots, Avalanche goat  cheddar, fried quail egg served with heirloom tomato bisque and bison  jerky
  • Lengua taco, smoked Mezcal guacamole, Noosa yogurt crema and wild mushrooms
  • Chicken Fried Skirt Steak, bison sausage gravy, White Mountain potato-celeriac puree and foraged greens
  • Braised Bison Shortrib Ravioli, buffalo milk mozzarella, bison bacon, pickled pumpkin relish and James Ranch Belford brodo
  • Buffalo milk ice cream sandwich, Colorado quinoa gingerbread and LeftHand Milk Stout gastrique

Get tickets online for a suggested donation of $50 per person. The GrowHaus is at 4751 York Street, Denver.

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My Lobster Pot Runneth Over

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First the Niwot Lobster Bash and more recently a lobster feast at the home of friends

The recent Niwot Lobster Bash was fun, but when it comes to seafood on a summer evening, nothing beats a clambake, lobster bake or crab boil at someone’s home. Erie doesn’t have salt marshes, sandy beaches, rocky cliffs or sea breezes, but it has good friends who know a lot about food, wine and boundless hospitality. My husband and I were flattered to be invited by Chris and Darcy Davies to a backyard lobster boil last weekend and delighted to accept.

The Davieses run the annual Denver International Wine Festival and the Denver International Beer Comeptition, both of which have chefs’ competitions attached. I’ve known them for a long time but didn’t realize, until Chris showed his skill with crustaceans, that he had worked at a Long Island seafood restaurant when he was in his teens. Like riding a bike, lobster wrangling is something you never forget.

Hors d'oeuvre aplenty in the Davieses' spacious and cook-friendly kitchen.

 

Delicate and well-sauced mussels.

Chris and a couple gorgeous lobsters fresh from the pot.

Fresh lobster, so good and sweet that melted butter (to me) is just a drippy distraction.

Well-cooked lobster and mussels at 5,000-plus feet above sea level and nearly 2,000 miles from New England are the greatest delights, but here’s the whole menu:

  • Bruschetta
  • Denise’s Deviled Eggs
  • Grilled Octopus
  • Angry Shrimp
  • Mussels Provence Style
  • Corn on The Cob (Munson Farms “Peaches and Cream”)
  • Twice Baked Garlic Gratin Potatoes
  • Red Velvet Cake

Two lobster opps in such a short time was a first since I moved to Colorado 23 years ago, and this was the best. The wines. starting with a lovely French rose, were wonderful — and the friendship and hospitality were even more so. Thanks, Chris and Darcy

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