Christmas 101: Celebrate the Holiday Season from Christmas to New Year's

202 Pages·2007·1.99 MB·English

by  Rick Rodgers

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Christmas 101
Celebrate the Holiday Season from Christmas to New Year’s
Rick Rodgers
Photographs by Ben Fink

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Contents
Acknowledgments
vii
Introduction
1
Appetizers, Snacks, and Beverages
’Tis the Season to Party
9
Salads, Soups, and Other First Courses
It Came Upon a First Course Clear
30
Roasts, Birds, and Other Main Courses
The Groaning Board
47
iii
Side Dishes and Stuffings
From Cranberries to Black-Eyed Peas
70
Festive Breads
Comfort and Joy
84
Candies
Visions of Sugarplums
98
Cookies
The Christmas Cookie Jar
107
Photographic Insert
Desserts
Oh, Bring Me a Figgy Pudding . . .
139
Holiday Menu Planner
159
Gifts from the Kitchen
170
Index
173
About the Author
Credits
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher
iv Contents
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Acknowledgments
The holidays bring especially wonderful students, and traveling all over the country, I
memories of my family. My parents, Dick and get a firsthand look at how people really like to
Eleanor Rodgers, play a big part in all of my cook and shop for groceries. I will always be
books, because they taught my brothers and me grateful to the schools that gave me this
how to cook in the first place. And in a holiday invaluable opportunity: Sur La Table
book where generosity and warmth of spirit are (headquartered in Seattle, WA), Adventures in
celebrated, this terrific couple deserves to be up Cooking (Wayne, NJ), Draeger’s (Menlo Park
front and center. and San Mateo, CA), The Silo (New Milford,
Diane Kniss, as always, stuck by me through CT), Classic Thyme (Westfield, NJ), Cook ’N’
countless dozens of cookies, mountains of Tell (Colts Neck, NJ), Central Market (schools
candy, and yet another batch of turkey recipes. throughout Texas), Kroger’s (Tampa and
Celebrating Christmas outside of its season was Sarasota, FL), In Good Taste (Portland, OR), and
fun, but even more so with Diane around. Let’s Get Cookin’ (Westlake Village, CA).
Thanks to the friends who supplied recipes, First, an extra serving of dessert to my old
Vicki Caparulo, Marie Intaschi, Ron Marten, friend Harriet Bell, who originally saw the
Mary-Lynn Mondich, Grigg K. Murdoch, and value in holiday cookbooks that taught the
Howard Shepherdson. A special note of basics. Thanks to Gail Winston who took
gratitude is due to Kelly Polan for testing over the reins with grace, and was ably
recipes. assisted by Sarah Whitman-Salkin. I am also
When people ask me what I like most about happy for the support of Michael Morrison
my job, my answer is easy—teaching cooking and David Sweeney at William Morrow/
classes. Nothing beats the interaction with my HarperCollins. Production editor Ann Cahn
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kept the book on schedule, and I kept copy Finally, my deepest appreciation and
editor Leda Scheintaub busy. The original admiration to Patrick Fisher, who has come
version of this book was improved by the home to goose dinners in the middle of July
work of Sonia Greenbaum. I lift a toast of and kept his sense of humor throughout. And
Grand Marnier to Susan Ginsburg, my to his coworkers at Newsweek magazine, who
longtime agent and friend, and her assistant, gleefully helped eat all of those holiday cookies
Emily Scardino. and candies.
vi Acknowledgments
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Introduction
I
t’s no secret. I love the holidays. Now, regret. (They just might find the recipe in this
Thanksgiving is great, but I have to admit collection.)
that there is one thing wrong with that As in Thanksgiving 101, where I concentrated
holiday—it’s only one day long. On the other on how to deal with that holiday’s demands
hand, it makes up for this deficiency by being and pleasure, I want to share my tips on how to
the start of the long Christmas and New Year’s have a hassle-free, fun, and delicious Christmas
holiday season. The day after Thanksgiving, as season. You can do it! It boils down to one
soon as I set the turkey soup on to simmer, I word: organization.
inaugurate the next six weeks of partying. It’s When I was catering, we often had two or
quite a whirlwind, but I revel in every second. three parties on the same day. But as busy as I
In my cooking classes, where many of my was, I never allowed business to get in the way
students are young people who want to start of my own personal Christmas festivities. I
their own holiday traditions, I hear the same always found the time to bake my own cookies,
questions over and over again. How can I have make food gifts, send out cards, and put up the
a cocktail party that I will enjoy as much as my tree. How? I baked cookies before the holiday
guests? How do I get my kitchen together to rush and froze them. I made food gifts like
bake a big batch of cookies? What’s a great flavored vinegars that improved with aging.
Christmas dinner menu and how can it be I bought Christmas cards the first week they
organized to get all of the food on the table at appeared in stores, and addressed them on lazy
once? But most of all, I hear a sad story: They October afternoons or while trapped on long
never got that recipe for their favorite cookies airplane flights between coast-to-coast cooking
from Grandma, and now they live a life of classes. And how did I put up the tree? I threw a
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tree-trimming party. I would much rather make
Making a List and
a buffet meal of easy, never-fail recipes (that are
Checking It Twice
included in this book) for friends than fret over
hanging the ornaments. Organization is a skill I developed as a caterer.
Too many people think of these recipes as The holiday season was our business time. We
strictly holiday fare. OK—maybe you don’t catered every kind of party, from corporate
want to serve fruitcake at a Fourth of July bash, cocktail bashes to celebrity-studded open
but there are plenty of other dishes here to use houses, to tree trimmings (once a hostess
for year-round entertaining. Everyone should insisted that the children decorate cookies to
have a recipe for a great baked ham or roast hang on the tree—nice idea, but what a mess!),
tenderloin for buffets. The appetizers in this to elegant sit-down dinners. We often had two
book would be welcome at any party. And the or three parties on the same day, so each one
tips on how to turn out dozens of cookies had to be organized to the last frilled toothpick.
without stress will come in handy whenever Lists saved the day.
you have a cookie craving. No matter what kind of party you are giving,
It is not the goal of this book to be a a series of lists will help you breeze through the
complete holiday cookbook—to include all of process. Every time you mark a chore off the
the traditional Christmas and New Year’s foods list, you will get a rewarding sense of
cooked around the world would take volumes. accomplishment. And if you look at a list and
These recipes are for my favorite holiday foods feel overwhelmed, pick up the phone and get a
in time-tested versions that I have served to friend to give you a hand. Here are the lists that
catering clients, cooking class students, and I use again and again:
friends for years. Some recipes are labeled • Guest List: If you are having a large
“101.” These are basic recipes that I explain in
holiday party, send out invitations as early
depth, just as if you were taking one of my
as possible, no later than three weeks
cooking classes. Also, I am fascinated with how
beforehand. Very often guests will receive
our culinary traditions developed. In the
multiple invitations for the same evening,
sections entitled “It Wouldn’t Be the Holidays
so get your claim in first. The most popular
Without . . .” you’ll find out why we eat the
dates seem to fall on the second and third
things we do during the holidays.
weekends of December. (On the weekend
This is a somewhat personal book, as I have
before Christmas, many prospective guests
been influenced by the recipes and traditions of
are already traveling to visit families.) We
my family and friends. If you have a family
usually give our holiday party the week
favorite that isn’t included here, I hope it
between Christmas and New Year’s, or
motivates you to get the recipe from your elders
sometimes even up to Epiphany, on January
and start your own holiday collection. Don’t be
6. This avoids the usual holiday snafu, and
one of those people who regret not getting
we get a lot more acceptances. If necessary,
Aunt Zelda’s cookie recipe. Ask her! That is the
send a map to the party along with the
only way these wonderful traditions are passed
invitation so you don’t have to spend time
along.
on the phone giving directions on the day
of the event.
Plan on making follow-up calls to get an
2 Christmas 101