Snacember 14

Everyone starting to get a little "hurry up with the holidays already"?

Mid December, my energy starts to wane a bit.  In part, because Christmas is not the holiday of my people, and I begin to lose my heart-warmed fascination with the twinkle lights and generousity of spirit, and I start to go all "Really?  With the flipping Christmas music 24 HOURS A DAY, really?".  It matters not that my people wrote and recorded some of the best holiday tunes, there are only so many times one wants to hear Barbra do White Christmas.

I want to be able to go to the grocery store without being accosted by red suited fat men in beards wielding bells and buckets asking for my spare change, and go back to being accosted by plastic bag suited skinny men in stubble wielding windshield solution and rags asking for my spare change.

I try so very hard not to let the Humbug take hold, especially since I do get the anticipation of spending Christmas Eve watching Amazing Goddaughter open her presents with true wonder and loud exclamations of delight, and Christmas Day with some of my other favorite Gentiles, Officer K and his family, with the Christmas ham and all the trimmings.  Yum!  Holiday cheer!

But those wonderful celebrations that bring me back to the place where I love and appreciate this holiday that isn't mine are still a week and a half away, and I've been listening to freaking Sleigh Ride since Halloween!

Which means I need a moment (or five) of Zen.

If you are also having your patience a little frazzled- whether it is anticipating hoardes of relatives descending upon you, or the frustration of not yet being able to find the last Zhou Zhou Dream House or whatever your kid needs to prevent Xmas Morning Meltdown, or if you too are not of a background that includes Xmas as one of its holidays and are really sick of having someone elses stuff foisted upon you everywhere you go- here are my five best tips for regaining balance.

1.  Tea.  Really good tea, made in a small pot, and served with milk and real sugar, in a pretty tea cup.  With some cookies on the side.  I put it all on a little tray, and snuggle up in a cozy chair in my front window, a wrap around my shoulders and a good book in my lap, and for an hour or so, I just read and sip and take little mouse-like nibbles and let everything get back to even.



My teapot of choice.
















Their winter collection, warming and yummy.















The perfect crispy spicy cookie to go with tea!









2.  Bath.  Hot bath.  Long bath. With candles.  And double bubbles.  And by double bubbles, I mean bubbles in the bath and in my glass.   I guarantee you that a long soak in fragrant water with a glass or two of champagne (preferably pink!) will lift your spirits tremendously.  Open that bottle of sparkles that someone brought to your last party.  Or pick up something special for yourself.  Gruet makes a very affordable and delicious sparkling wine, and yes they have pink, and they also come in half-bottles.  Remember you are trying to mellow out, not get schnockered.







I like stemless flutes for bathing, less likely to have a tip-over incident.  These are also great for parties!













For the most delicious smelling candles, I go with Kobo!










3.  Buttered Egg Noodles.  Seriously, I don't know why, but they always make me feel better.  I like the extra wide ones, but use whatever you prefer, or any other pasta you like, what matters is that they are slicked with the barest hint of really good butter and some salt, in a bowl on my lap.  I resist every urge to gussy them up with lemon zest or chopped parsley or cheese, and remind myself that what will make me happiest is just the simplest bowl of childhood comfort food. 




Plugra is my go to butter.  And it does make a difference.












4.  Eloise.  Yes, the kids book.  Eloise is what works for me, but you can grab any of your own childhood faves.  I am instantly transported to when this time of year meant winter vacation and no school and plenty of time to read and presents and everything wonderful. 




Eloise is my go-to girl.  I still want to be her when I grow up.
















The Little House series always made me feel better, especially since I was not living on the prairie trying to keep warm in front of a wood-burning stove.













The Phantom Tollbooth is one of those books that actually can become even more meaningful when you come back to it as a grown up.















The Once and Future King sparked a lifetime love of all things Camelot.











5.  List making.  I know that list making doesn't really seem like fun, or particularly calming, but I don't mean the traditional lists that you have to make all the time for errand-running or grocery shopping.  I mean hopeful lists.  Wish lists.  Pretend you are a kid and it isn't inappropriate to create a totally materialistic list of stuff you long for lists?  Make a list of places you want to travel, or adventures you want to have.  Think bucket list.  Partnered?  Make a list of all the things you want to do or see with your sweetie.  Single?  Make a list of everything you want your future honey to be.  Dream big,  be honest, and take the time to fully indulge in the fantasy.  Yes, winning the lottery is a valid dream, I have all kinds of plans for when I do.  And no, World Peace and Cure for Cancer are not for these lists.  These need to be personal and self-indulgent.

Some things on my "lottery winning list"...




IPad.  Need I really say more?

Cutipol Ebony Flatware.  I want twelve placesettings of this like I want air.  Charming Suitor and I first saw this stuff in Montreal, and both of us immediately fell in love with the line from Portugal.  Both casual and elegant, and beautifully made.  Yum.

Queen Size Serta Perfect Day Waking Hour Mattress with Mega Euro Top.  Matress of the Gods.  The tallest, squishiest, most cloudlike mattress EVER.  I own my Princess and the Pea tendancies, and this bed is insanely amazing.

Thermomix TM31  This machine defies description, but for simplicity, lets just say it is a blender that cooks.  It also makes risotto. And purees of things that have a texture so ethereal it is like a mouthful of velvet.  They won't sell them in the US, but the Canadian ones have the same plugs and I'm desperately trying to finagle one.  Also?  I might have to hock a kidney, since these puppies cost more than all my other small appliances combined.








Some other things?  I want my books to go all bestseller, I want someone to option them for film and television, and to rake in eleventy million dollars.  I want to buy my building and convert it into a single house and hire NY Penny to help me and Charming Suitor make it the coziest most beautiful place on the planet.  I want a little house in France where Charming Suitor and I can hole up for a couple of months a year, meeting quirky locals and eventually being embraced by the community.  I want to never ever get another piece of Spam mail.  I want some doctors to discover the key to long life and health on a total pasta and chocolate cake diet.  I want everyone I love to get everything they want too.

Okay.  I feel better. I think I can get through the next couple of weeks.

What's on your list?

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Snacember 13

Remember back around Thanksgiving, when I told you that Mrs. Charming had taught me the secrets of her magical yeast rolls?

thanks cookingbytheseatofmypants.com

I promised to share the recipe in time for the holidays, and I am only as good as my word. The only tricky part here is that they do their rise in the fridge overnight, so you can't just spontaneously decide to make them.  The upside, is that the slow cold rise makes them super tender.  Fear not the amount of butter and shortening here, it is the holidays after all...



Charming Family Yeast Rolls

2 pkg dry yeast dissolved in 1 c warm water
1 c shortening
1 c boiling water
¾ c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 sticks butter, melted
1 ½ t salt
6 c all purpose flour

Put shortening in a large bowl and pour over boiling water to dissolve. Add sugar, salt, eggs, flour, and dissolved yeast. Mix well, put in a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

On a lightly floured board, roll the dough 1/2 “ thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter. At this point, you need to decide what kind of bread you desire.... 

For basic rolls, pour half of the melted butter in the bottom of two roasting pans, place the cut rolls on top and then paint the tops with the remaining butter.  Let rise 2-3 hours at room temp and then bake at 350 for 18-24 minutes until golden brown.

For fun Cloverleaf style rolls, use a smaller biscuit cutter, dip two or three rolls in melted butter and stack, then place the stacks on their sides in buttered muffin tins, let rise 2-3 hours and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. (For Parker House style, make the dough into small balls, three per cup, rest of instructions the same)

For lovely rings of break-away bread, dip each piece in melted butter and stack sort of willy nilly in 2 greased bundt pans. Let rise 2-3 hours till doubled. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until browned.

My fave bundt pan...


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Snacember 12

Having a party?  Want to figure out how to deal with the beverage situation, so that you don't need to hock a kidney to give your pals a little tipple? 

How about punch?

No, I'm not talking Nog, you can do that on your own.

No, I'm not talking about that garbage can crap you made in college with the grape Kool Aid and everclear.

I'm talking about elegant, delicious punch. 

The kind of punch that means that you don't have to set up a whole bar.

This one is my fave, you can do it with Vodka if you really hate Gin, but I think the Gin is snazzier...

Gin Punch


Simple Syrup:

1 lb sugar
1 c water

Heat over medium heat till dissolved.  Add 1 T orange flower water if you have it.
2 lemons, peeled, peels reserved, sliced into rounds
1 bottle good gin (I love Northshore #11)
1 c Lillet or White Vermouth
1 c fresh lemon juice
2 liters sparkling water or club soda

Put lemon peels in a large bowl and mash with a muddler or spoon to release the oils.  Pour over the gin and Lillet or vermouthand let steep for an hour.  Add the rest of the ingredients along with 2/3 c of the simple syrup.  Taste, if you want it sweeter, add more syrup, more tart, add more lemon juice.

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Snacember 11

Enough with the cooking at home!  At this time of year, by the time I am done baking for presents and cooking for pot lucks and prepping for parties, frankly, the idea of getting dinner on the table just sends me into chaos.

And I don't know about you, but my next travel vacation isn't scheduled until summer.  Most of the people I know aren't traveling right now, and if they are, it is to visit family.

So here is my recommendation for the kitchen-weary among you, who might be pining for a little vacation.

Go on a culinary adventure.  Find the cool out of the way place specializing in Polish delicacies and taste every varitety of pierogi they sell.  Hit Chinatown and eat at the little place around the corner from the famous place, and commit to at least half of the things you order being things you've never tasted before.  Hit an Ethiopian place and eat with your hands, head to Greektown and try the grilled octopus, or find out what all the Cuban Sandwich fuss is about. 

And if the weather is evil and leaving the house unthinkable?  There is nothing wrong with popcorn for dinner.  Pop an extra-large batch, grab something to drink, and settle in with a movie or your favorite television shows. 

How do you battle the dinner rut?

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Snacember 10

I might be a gourmet, but that doesn't mean that everything I cook or eat has to be some kind of foofy fancy expensive nibble.  I have tremendous fondness for some of the more low-brow retro stuff from my youth, and I love giving a little tweak to update things.

thanks comfort-recipes.com

Case in point?  The traditional mini hotdogs you usually find swimming in a pool of BBQ sauce next to a cup of toothpicks with frilly tops.  I love hot dogs.  And I love them in little mini sizes.  And there is not one thing wrong with the BBQ sauce treatment.  But try this one for a little update!  (but definitely serve with the frilly toothpicks!)

Ginger Mustard Mini Sausages

1 lb mini hot dogs
1/4 c ginger preserves (I like Dundee)
1 T whole grain mustard
1 T soy sauce
1 T honey
1/4 t ground ginger
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Mix sauce ingredients together and taste.  If you want it more gingery, add more ground ginger.  Spicier? More white pepper.  Sweeter?  More honey.  You get the picture.  When you like the way it tastes, spread the sausages on a foil lined tray, and spread the sausages out.  Drizzle the glaze over.  Bake for 10 minutes, until sausages are hot and the glaze has gotten a little sticky.  Serve warm.

Snacember 9

Need a new place to visit to find cool gifts for those people on your list that are hard to buy for?  I have just the solution:

http://store.kaufmann-mercantile.com/

They have a small hand-selected group of really wonderful gifts, especially for cooks and gardeners.

Some of my faves?

Chemex coffepot for the coffeelover in your life.  This and a bag of premium beans will get you a permanent invite for breakfast.

Yes, its a hammer.  But it is a really beautiful hammer, and sends the message that you are so appreciative of their skills around the house.  Bonus?  I bet those projects you've been waiting to get completed will magically become a priority.

This glass measuring cup is great for the cook in your life, I love that it has both oz and ml, and its generous cup and a half capacity.

The best stocking stuffer for the baker in your life.  This small cup measures from 1-5 tablespoons, I've never seen one anywhere else, and it is a gamechanger.

These deerskin gardening/work gloves are soft but strong, will last forever, and are surprisingly stylish and affordable.  I recommend buying before someone has to lug a tree out of the living room.

They also carry some beeswax tealights that I love!  Pop on over and check them out...

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Snacember 8

First off...

Congrats to DENNY144 for winning the Tradition contest!  I love that you are starting a new tradition in your family to help accomodate the needs of sharing your kids with their in-laws.  I think it really shows the spirit of the season, and hope that everyone will take a page from your book and know that the holidays are the holidays because we are together, not because of some accident of the calendar.  Anytime we can gather to celebrate together it is a holiday!  DENNY144, please e-mail me with your address at staceyballisinfo (at) gmail (dot) com and I will send you out your fabulous William Bounds Electric Peppermill ASAP.

Don't forget, if you buy any of my books as a gift for yourself or anyone, you can e-mail me the receipt and your address and I will do a personalized bookplate sticker so that you can give the gift of autographed books!  Get me those receipts to staceyballisinfo (at) gmail (dot) com by Dec. 15 and you'll have your shiny sticker in time for the holidays. 

And now, darling Chickens, a small query....

Anyone else in need of a new side dish?

At this time of year, there is no shortage of casseroles, stuffings and dressings, roasted root veg and endless potatoes.

But at the fifth holiday buffet, don't you wish there was something a little new?  A little sparkly?

Your Polymath to the rescue!

I love this rice dish.  The wild rice mix is toothsome and flavorful.  The pistachios add crunch and subtle richness.  The dried currants are a welcome break from endless dried cranberries.  And the fresh mint makes everything pop with vegetal freshness.

Goes beautifully with every meat in God's creation.  Especially easy to make if you have a rice cooker, like this one...















Travels easily for pot luck parties, or is just a lovely new partner for your regular Tuesday dinner.  Excellent hot, or at room temp, just don't do it cold or the butter goes all squidgy in a greasy way.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Wild Rice Pilaf with Pistchios, Currants, and Mint


2 c wild rice blend (I like the ones that have at least 3-4 different rices in it)
2/3 c toasted pistachios, chopped
2/3 c dried currants
1/2 c wine
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
4 T butter, melted
S&P to taste


Cook rice in rice cooker or according to package directions. Heat wine (whatever you have, red or white even sherry) and currants until currants plump, about 4-5 minutes, and discard liquid.

Mix cooked rice with melted butter, pistachios, currants and mint with two large forks (a spoon will break up grains and make the pilaf mushy). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Some other good combos:  walnuts and chopped figs, pine nuts and dried cherries, pecans and golden raisins, hazelnuts and chopped dates.  If you hate mint, you can swap it out for flat leaf parsley, but I think the mint makes it.  Chives are also good.

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath