I wish I had tales to tell that involved me being so busy with Christmas cooking and endless party giving that I haven’t had time to think about posting. Sadly, the truth of it is that I’ve been up to my eyeballs in retail. I really enjoy both my jobs, but working 60 plus hours in the weeks leading up to Christmas left me drained and Christmas itself went by in a whirl.
We did make Keifel’s grandmother’s black cake. I went to a cookie bake. I made some other little things and we roasted a turkey for the new year. Mostly, I sold other people implements for their gift giving and holiday cooking and baking. I had a nice moment on Christmas Eve. A customer bought a cake mix and some ramekins and then lost the instructions and called Christmas Eve asking for me. I talked her through it and she came in the week after Christmas and thanked me for my help and said the cakes had made their Christmas dinner. That made all the crazy hours worth it (and again validated what I hope to do at the end of this culinary school odyssey.)
My mom’s been here the past week and a half. It seems she was the white tornado in that when I got home all the cooking and cleaning was done and I had only to sit down to one of her home cooked meals. My mom would say she isn’t a fancy cook. But she’s a very good cook and made some delicious things while she was here. The apple slaw below was her take on the one in The Joy of Cooking.
Doris’s Hot Apple Slaw
4-5 strips maple cured bacon
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon demerara sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 large cooking apple, grated
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
Fry the bacon in a heavy saute pan (we used the cast iron skillet). When the bacon is crisp remove it from the pan to cool and reserve. Drain most of the rendered fat from the skillet and add the onion. Saute briefly. Add the vinegar, water, sugar and caraway seeds to the onion and warm through. Add the cabbage, carrot and apple and saute for 2 more minutes, until warmed but still very crunchy. Serve immediately with crumbled bacon on top.
Keifel and I decided this would be great with my lettuce wraps:
Vic’s Lettuce Wraps
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 Cup dry wild rice, cooked separately
1/2 Cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 jar hoisin sauce (I try to find a brand that does not contain high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors)
1 head of Boston or butter lettuce
Saute turkey until evenly browned, drain any fat. Add wild rice, pine nuts and hoisin and heat through. Mound on a platter and serve surrounded by lettuce leaves. A peanut sauce and hot chile oil sauce on the side are a nice addition.
I do hope to post more. I’m working two jobs and taking three classes this semester. I miss this when I don’t have time. Thanks for all the positive feedback and gently ribbing (Pablo, thanks). Happy New Year, ya’ll!
