YORKSHIRE PUDDING

from Joy of Cooking – says 6 servings

Suzanne's notes in my recipe notebook double the recipe.  This served 4 adults adequately, not generously.

Have ingredients at room temp.

Put 7/8 c flour and 1/2 tsp. salt, in a bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in 1/2 c milk. Stir it in. Beat 2 eggs until fluffy, then beat them into the batter. Add 1/2 c water. Beat the batter well until large bubbles rise to the survice. Can cover and put into frig for 1 hour and then beat again (I don't do this). Heat your dish (~9x12”) and melt maybe 4 Tbsp. Butter in it, enough for 1/4 “ pool. Pour in the batter. Bake at 400 for 20 min, reduce heat to 350 & bake 10 – 15 min more.

Christmas eve 2018:   did not reduce to 350, since I was roasting the lamb at the same time.

Spinach sformata

Originally from WaPo. I cook it in a 1.5 liter Corningware bowl. If you are going to unmold and present it, you can oil it and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. I tried lining it with vertical slices of red pepper resembling outlined hearts. The red bled during cooking, and the hearts didn't lie flat against the wall of the bowl after I filled it. A row of thin slices of summer squash around the bottom might look good, or it may be that the ricotta seeps around them, so I'm not sure what will work. One key thing is draining or pressing as much of the water from the spinach as possible to avoid runniness. Our B&B hostess Ruth at Kealakakua adds half-cooked quinoa to to her morning fritatas to absorb liquid released by the cooking spinach.

Ingredients:

• 24 oz fresh spinach, long stems removed
• 1/2 t. each of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
• oil to saute 1 small onion, finely chopt, and 1 clove garlic
• 3 eggs, whites separately beaten, or 6 whites
• 1/2 cup + grated Parmigiano and/or pecorino)
• An ounce (25 g) of raisins, soaked in warm water, then drained and minced (optional)
• 24 oz ricotta; can use skim; can sub in 8 oz. Cottage cheese
• up to 3/4 c. quinoa (can use brown kind) half-cooked in 1 1/2 c water; strain
• Salt and pepper
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 and boil ~ 1” water in a skillet. Drain the well-washed spinach and heat it in a pot with the water that remained on the leaves; when it wilts and is pretty done drain it again, cut it pretty fine, press in a strainer, and season it with the cinnamon/nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Combine the spinach with the onion & garlic, cheese, egg yolks if used, quinoa and raisins. Fold in the egg whites and pour the mixture into the mold. Put the skillet into the oven and add the mold. Bake it for 15 min at 375, then for another 40, or until it sets, at 325 and serve it hot, sliced.

Eggnog - again, by Not Suzanne
for 96 oz., or lots for 12 people
9 eggs, 2 pt. cream, 4 c. brandy, bourbon or rum
1/4 t. salt & 1/2 t. cream of tartar & 1 T. cornstarch
cooking thermometer and 2 very large cannisters or mixing bowls

Yolk mixture:  beat yolks until light.  Add 1 T. cornstarch (avoids curdling).  Add 2 pts. + 1 c. cream.  Cook in microwave, stirring frequently, until it reaches 175 degrees.  Add liquor and refrigerate. 

Whites:  beat to foam them, then add 1/4 t. salt & 1/2 t. cream of tartar.  Then beat until they make stiff shiny peaks.  On stovetop cook 1 1/2 c. water and 4 c. sugar.  Do not stir until it is clear.  Then cover pan and boil rapidly.  It will form bubbles and thicken.  Then uncover it and boil it until it reaches 238 degrees.  Then stream the hot mixture into the whites while beating them.  Beat for 5 more minutes. Mix the yolks and whites. 

Maybe add nutmeg.

Braised Pork Tenderloin by Not Suzanne

My apologies to Suzanne, whose identity usurped my Chez Toby access on MY computer.  I shall remain nameless.

M bought us 2 1.7 lb pork tenderloins at Safeway.  I sliced a largish sweet onion and sauteed it in olive oil, probably for 45 min. or more.  It had begun to caramelize.  Reserving the onion and the oil, I switched the pan to roasted almond oil and sauteed 3 large sliced, peeled Fuji apples until they were starting to crisp and brown.  I reserved the apples and that oil with the onion.  Then on medium high I browned the peppered tenderloins in a small amount of olive oil, turning them 3 times.  Then I added the reserved apples, onions and oils, about 3 T. balsamic vinegar, and enough vegetable stock to come half-way up the tenderloins.  I reduced the heat to medium low and cooked for about 30 min.  I think I forgot to add cinnamon.

Persimmon pudding

Jody reports that she made PP and that Libby immortalized it in a very well annotated post on Cafe Libby.  I can't access Cafe L!  Horrors!  So here is a Cliff's Notes version of my standby, from the WashPo:

3 T butter
1.5 c sugar
2 T vanilla
2 egga
2 lb persimmons - boil 1 min + to remove skin

1/4  milk
2 1/4 c flour
1.5 t baking soda
1/2 salt
1 t cinnamon
1T grated lemon peel

Oil and flour on mold.  Can cover mold first with parchment paper and then with tin foil, using rubber band to secure.  May take 2.5 hrs to cook.  Water should stay 1" away from top of mold. 

add 1/2 t sugar to brandy and mix.  Pour mix over top of unmolded pudding so it puddles in grooves.  Place atop tray or good large trivet.  ,Ignite
.

Spinach pancakes

I have a toddler who LOVES pancakes! He does not eat veggies. I attempted to use this to my advantage tonight, with some success - I made savory spinach pancakes:

-Make pancake batter from mix (1 cup mix, 1 cup water according to the box I have)
-Put batter and 1 cup of cooked spinach (nuke for 2" in water) in a blender and blend until smooth
-Fry pancakes in EVOO

Meanwhile (optional):
-Cook thinly sliced apples in walnut oil

Pair pancakes with apples, or, if your child starts yelling "MORE RAISINS!!!!!", pair them with raisins. I liked them a LOT, and he liked them some.

Rye bread

I tried out this rye bread recipe - it was a great success!

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/caraway-rye-bread-recipe

Mild and moist.  I would recommend using the full 2T of caraway seeds. I substituted ricotta for the sour cream, because I didn't have sour cream - worked great. Made it in the bread machine under the whole wheat setting.

Try it with butter, sliced radishes, and salt!