CHRISTMAS 2013

We celebrated Christmas with my daughter Jonel and family on Monday evening, as their original plan for Christmas was to head to the Twin Cities.  (That was thwarted when all in the Cities were ill.)  

One of the Christmas gifts I made was a life-sized baby doll for Elsa.  I had some trepidations, as I thought Iris, whose own life sized baby doll which I made three years ago, was really quite soiled, might feel slighted, or jealous at best.

We did let her in on the fact that Elsa was getting this (Elsa's wish was for one)

...and you can see that Iris is nothing but excited for her sister to open this gift...

It was really sweet watching Elsa's face upon opening this box, for that matter, Iris', too.

Elsa told me at least five times afterward, "I got my wish."  She decided this doll was a boy, and she named him Thomas Jackson Kiesau Gorrill, new cousin to Daisy Will Mason Kiesau Gorrill.

...the cousins and their mothers..

On Christmas day we headed to Tomah, to Freddie's daughter/family's place.  Opening gifts, a very nice dinner, was followed by outdoor fun.  The Arch's have a beautiful hockey-sized pond right by their place, as well as several acres of wooded land.  It was time for the skates and the skis.  (Jonel and family came for dessert and outdoor activities!!)

...getting ready to ski and skate...

The pond was shoveled off, hockey sticks taken out, and fun was had by all.  It was a lovely Christmas Day.

As the cold has seeped in my thoughts quite naturally turn to comfort food...warming and delicious.  

French Onion soup, adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook...served with homemade croutons and grated cheese.

I subscribe to several cooking magazines, one of which features Italian cooking, La Cucina.  This month's magazine had a recipe for risotto with sausage, marsala wine and onions.

Start by browning 1/2# Mild Italian sausage in a skillet for about 10 minutes.  Add 2/3 cup Marsala wine, and 1/3 c. of thinly sliced onion, along with diced fresh garlic.  Reduce heat and let juices reduce by about half, approximately 25 minutes.

Heat about 5 cups of vegetable broth and keep warm, not boiling. 

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbs. butter in a saucepan.  Add 2/3 c. thinly sliced onion and a bay leaf and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.  Add a thinly sliced medium Yukon Gold potato and cook 2 minutes more.  Stir in 1 1/3C cups Arborio rice (Italian rice) and cook until rice is slightly toasted.  Add 1/2 c. broth and cook, stirring constantly until most broth is absorbed.  Continue adding broth in 1/2 cupfuls, stirring all the time, allowing broth to be mostly absorbed before adding more.  Do this until rice is firm to the bite, and most, if not all, of the broth is used.  (I used all the broth.)  Remove Risotto from heat, discard bay leaf, and cover pan for about 5 minutes.

Slice the sausages into thin pieces, but save the juices.

Serve Risotto immediately topped with sausage and juices/onions.  Serve with a fresh salad and crusty garlic bread.

This might seem a bit labor intensive (I didn't think so), but it is worth every bit of prep time.  The flavors are exquisite and unforgettable.  Believe me, it was hard to stop eating this dish.

UPDATE!

Just received the following photos via email and wanted to include them.  The sweaters I knit for the girls

and the babies!!

A LOT OF THIS AND A LOT OF THAT

I know no one out there is waiting with bated breath for my latest post, still, I just wanted to say, like everyone else, I AM BUSY, busy, busy. 

Oh, how I welcome the new snowfall that not only blankets the world with purity, but also brings a stark beauty that is difficult to ignore.  

It has made for evenings of comfort food....

'Jumbata' ...at least that is what my Aunt Bertha used to call a dish that was a jumble of many things.  This is one of our favorite winter meals:  onions, garlic mild Italian sausage sauteed in olive oil and then potatoes and sweet red peppers added to the pot.  The mingling of these flavors is astonishing, served with crusty freshly baked bread....

...and Gypsy soup...adapted from the Moosewood cookbook....spicy and delicious.  Sweet potatoes, red peppers, onions, celery, garlic, chickpeas, paprika, tamari sauce, basil, tarragon....makes for an unusual though extremely wonderful dish...served over basmati rice.

...and then Christmas preparation...the little girls

...painting cards for mama and papa...

helping Nonna make the traditional holiday tea rings

I think I've made about 12 of these, and I use them for gifts to important people in my life, like the mailwoman, the librarian, my masseuse, etc.

And a kind of last minute request for another life sized baby doll.  About three years ago I made one for Iris, and Elsa wondered why she did not have a 'realistic' (her word) doll.  Given a few days until Christmas, I tackled this project...

pattern pieces

(most of this is done by hand, with very little machine sewing)

legs before stuffing with wool roving

The head, pictured here, is actually formed underneath the 'skin layer', shaped by placing heavy duty string in strategic places and pulling thightly

the hair being made

the hair applied...

...and the doll assembled, donning a newly made diaper.  

Not only is this doll actually life-sized, but the arms and legs are movable, too.

Prior to starting this doll, I had embarked on knitting a sweater for the girls with yarn from their sheep, dyed a burgundy

 

one done (by the way this is pretty accurate as to color) button still to be added....

and the other nearly complete

(actually as of now, it is complete and being blocked)

And the need for more cookies presented itself, so here

peppermint candy cookies, made with broken pieces of candy cane.

Am I ready, well not quite.  But I think I am finally catching the holiday spirit.  May you all have a blessed and merry Christmas!!

INSPIRATION

I have been cooking/baking for many years, and still, I am filled with delight each day as I contemplate what I have in the larder and what I can prepare for the evening meal.  I must say that I have been influenced by my father, who was an artist as a cook, and now I am being inspired by another artist chef, Luke Zham, owner and chef at the Driftless Cafe in downtown Viroqua, WI.  You can read the menu here,  http://driftlesscafe.com/.  Reading his daily menu, for me, is like reading a really great book, always looking forward to the next chapter.  I love that he is dedicated to buying local/organic, and the way that he includes the local farm's name in his menu descriptions.  Anyway, Luke has a way of presenting his creations in a 'single' manner....not potatoes here, vegetable, here, etc., but in one grand presentation.  I have been inspired to do the same on several occasions.

My home grown, frozen french green beans, seared with garlic in olive oil....

first fast roasting cashews in a cast iron pan, making a sauce with them, (soy sauce, vinegar and garlic), then sauteing organic bok Choi in peanut oil...

...a homemade semolina flour gnocchi...

and then the layering, first the gnocchi, then the bok choi drizzled with plenty of cashew sauce, and finally topped with the seared green beans.  This meal was absolutely delicious!!!!

I find it a wonderful thing in my life to be inspired by a young chef who has, perhaps, been cooking less than a quarter of the years that I have been cooking.  My father would have loved dining at the Driftless Cafe, as do I.  For me, without a doubt, the best restaurant in the mid-west!!!!!

A TRULY HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Last Christmas my sister Barbara (who lives just outside of NYC) sent me a photo of all of her grandchildren.  I was thrilled to see these kids, but saddened as well, as I had never met most of them.  It was within this sad state an idea was born.  At first I thought to rent a 'lodge' of some sort between all my family out East and those few of us here in the Midwest.  After giving that thought, it seemed like a daunting task to coordinate all of those people, especially since most of them lived in the East, with my sister's children mostly close by her place.  Perhaps Thanksgiving would work, although it was months away.  Letters sent off to everyone, and everyone terribly excited.  (I did check with Barb first, as it would seem she'd bear the brunt of this, and despite my suggesting we get a lodge of some sort out there she wanted to host the event.  Luckily she has a beautiful, huge three story Victorian which housed many of us.)

The event came to be:

My siblings, brother Vic (Butch), sister Jackie and sister Barb.

All of our children, Jonel, my daughter, Nicole, my brother's child, John, Colleen, Liz, Barb's children, Lisa, Gina, Jackie's
 children, and Annie, also Barb's.)

...and all of their children...

Children are phenomenal and bonded pretty quickly, and despite the huge age disparity, they all 'played' together.  It was at times raucous, but pretty much never a problem in such a huge home.

Elsa looking over the couch...it took her the longest to feel comfortable, but when it happened she went 150%.

Elsa, Iris, Gabriell, Nicolas....

Jonel and Lisa and Liz...such a family resemblance!!  (This shot is taken from the Great Room, looking into the kitchen.)

The girl cousins!

About two weeks before leaving, I sent a package out East containing the makings for homemade pizza...jars of home canned roasted pizza sauce, a jar of sour dough starter, cheeses, etc.  So on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, I made pizza for about 35 people, which worked out to 10-12 pizzas.  It kind of felt like a pizza factory, but it was such fun, and I had lots of help.

My sweet niece Annie and I on Thanksgiving day...with lots of people around us.

...the children's table...(How they loved having their own table in another room with nary an adult around!)

One of three tables (all set up in the great room) of adults.  
A sit down meal for 45, unbelievable!

I simply cannot put into words the wonder of reconnecting with my family.  Seeing and being with my siblings was truly special, seeing and meeting the great nieces and nephews was such a highlight, but I must say, for me, being with my nieces and nephews again, was the icing on the cake.  I so enjoyed all of my time with them, crying, talking, laughing, hugging, and hugging and hugging.  I can honestly say this was the very best Thanksgiving of my entire life.  I am so grateful to everyone for taking the time and the expense to make this event happen.  None of us will ever forget this special Thanksgiving.

I am so grateful to my family...this wonderful extended family!!

(And supremely grateful to Barb and her husband Mike for hosting this 'crazy' family event!!)