The Holidays have Arrived.

The holidays have landed. They're here and we're not sure if we're ready just yet. There's so much to do. so much to wrap. so much to cook. so much to set (the dinner table, that is). And, truth be told, so much left to buy!!!!!

But, we won't digress to the endless lists of gifts still left to purchase. We'll focus on the food and the table settings.

First, the table. Do you set it a day (or two or three) early? I used to laugh when it was Christmas Eve Eve and my grandmother was hounding me to set the table, but now, with a few more years under my belt, I understand (and I do it, too!).

I still have some ideas floating around in my head. Simple or elegant? Rustic or fancy? Silver or gold? Gosh, so much to think about. But, here are just a few inspirations to get you started...

And dinner. At Christmas time, I love getting creative with the menu. Unlike Thanksgiving, my guests are not expecting just the turkey basics, so I can surprise them! which is super exciting.

Here are some menu ideas...

From Cannelle et Vanille...butternut squash soup, lobster, avocado and citrus salad, tenderloin, broccoli rabe, tortilla, panettone bread pudding, trifle and lots and lots of cookies. 

Another inspiring menu we came across...To start: shrimp with remoulade dipping sauce, butternut squash soup. For the main course: filet mignon with blackberry sauce, orange and radish salad with cinnamon vinaigrette, rice with toasted sesame, asparagus and mushrooms. And for dessert: chocolate almond torte and roasted cinnamon ice cream.

And my menu - I thought about doing butternut squash soup as a first course, however, it seems a bit overkilled at this point, so I'll spare you those details. But, we're cooking up prime rib with hasselback potatoes and some roasted vegetables (which I've left up to my mother, so I'm in suspense on this one). Salad and dessert are still yet to be decided.

Suggestions?

Enjoy and have a fabulous holiday!

greatest meal EVER. part dos.

Jeanette Holliday meets Cioppino.

I’ve eaten a lot of really great things in my life, and I can’t wait to eat much, much more.  But a meal, well a meal is so much more than eating.  It’s about the experience surrounding the act of eating.

The night that we had been invited over our friends house, who we fondly referred to as the ‘Neighbors’, clearly stands out in my mind as one of the greatest meals of my life. We arrived early in the chilly spring evening with a bottle of Jam Jar wine and a plate of shrimp cocktail (to butter up to our hosts, of course!) in hand, smiles affixed to our faces, and our bellies ready for what the Neighbors had cooked up for us.  The house just smelt of everything warm and delicious.  After inquiring, the Neighbors let us peak into the Le Creuset to see what was in store – Cioppino! Until that night, I had never even heard of, let alone tried.  It’s a brilliant Italian style fish stew.  You can find one of the better versions of the recipes here { http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cioppino-106263}. 

A great meal doesn’t have to be something extravagant, expensive, or involved.  A great meal must consist of a few simple things…  In fact, my greatest meal ever consisted of just three things:

Bread.  Oh!  The bread.  Crusty, crunchy and available to be smothered with Kate’s butter all we wanted.  A soup-based meal is never fully complete until the bread comes into the picture.  The Neighbors share my feelings towards bread and therefore, we were fully stocked with enough bread to soak up the entire pot of stew.

Simple, delicious, ingredients prepared together by someone who truly enjoys the art of cooking. The neighbors had been my gateway to the wide world of food and all that can be done with it for quite some time, and they were about to show me something new – again!  Both of them took pleasure in the preparation and act of cooking and it always shows with each dish they set forth in front of their guests, and that night was no different.  The stew consisted of some of the most basic pantry items, but after cooking for hours, it was one of the most hearty, well-balanced soups I had tried to that point.

Company.   The Neighbors had invited some other friends over who we like to call D&T.  The combination of the six of us (yes, I tagged along MY significant other who I just like to call Scooter), the soup, the bread, and some libations was truly the way to seal the envelope on making the evening enjoyable.  We ate and laughed for hours upon hours. 

As long as you have good bread, great ingredients, and some good company, every meal can be just as great as the next.

four-legged foodie.

HA. love it.

It doesn't get any better than this. You're a foodie and your DOG (or cat) is too.

See the full post at Oh Joy Eats, here.