New Year's Eve Menu

APPETIZERS

• Antipasto platter
• cheese, salami, olives
• Funghi tagliati e fettine sottili, con mozzarella fusa e timo
• sliced mushrooms with melted mozzarella and thyme

SEAFOOD
Taittinger Brut Champagne

• Oysters rocafella
• Naked Cowboy, Kusshi, and Delaware raw oysters with champagne foam and mignonette
• Sea scallops crudo 
• with shaved fennel and extra virgin olive oil
• Baked clams
• parsley, oregano, shallot, parmesan and bread crumbs

PASTA
Michel-Schlumberger 2011 La Nue Chardonnay 

• Casonsei from Val Camonica
• Homemade pasta stuffed with a sausage, potato, and chard filling

MEAT
Canetto 2006 Reserve Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

• Tagliati di manzo con radicchio
• Thinly sliced beef with wilted radicchio and gorgonzola
• Edible rocks 

DESSERT
Loxton 2009 Late Harvest Zinfandel

• Salted caramel tart with chocolate ganache

(Early) Christmas Eve Menu

Stanislaw Christmas Eve has been moved to the 22nd this year! My sister-in-law and her family weren't going to be with us on the 24th so we're celebrating a few days early all together. 

Given the non-traditional timing of the celebration, we decided this year to go with a non-traditional (for us) menu. A Mexican inspired feast featuring recipes from Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home by chef Scott Linquist, a couple Rick Bayless recipes, and a few home-brewed ideas. 

We started prepping Thursday and had a major cooking session last night. We're heading out with bags and food in tow in a couple of hours to finish, assemble, and enjoy. Recipes to follow after the holiday!

Wild Mushroom Sopes

Chorizo, Potato, and Goat Cheese Sopes

Rice with Roasted Poblano, Spinach, and Fresh Cheese

Romaine and Radish Salad with Tomatillo-Lime Dressing

Cascabel Chile-Marinated Carne Asada Tacos

Pumpkin Black Bean Tacos

Chipotle Marinated Chicken Tacos

Happy New Year!

So I've been remiss with my blog but the end of 2011 was busy, busy, busy with classes, practicum and working part-time 2-3 days/week! I've been enjoying a little mental break while gearing up for some big events starting off 2012! I'm also back in the kitchen and have the Christmas Eve menu to post about as well as a couple Mexican and Indian cooking extravaganzas!

But for now, a little video to start you off smiling in 2012!

Much love, peace and prosperity to you all in the coming year!

Christmas Eve

This year marked the 5th year that Jason and I have cooked Christmas Eve dinner.  I have to say, I think it was one of our best ever!  Instead of cooking at our house, dinner was served at my in-laws due to the ever increasing family!  More than anything, the meal seemed to be the most well-rounded and cohesive meal that we have served.  We started with a plated salad and then served everything else right at the table.  A couple of bottles of wine, great food and family, just what the holidays are all about!

We were sad not to spend the evening with my family who usually joins us at our place, but it gave my mom some extra time to prepare for the amazing beef tenderloin dinner she served us on Christmas day!

CHRISTMAS EVE 2010 MENU

• Beet, arugula and blood orange salad with champagne vinaigrette
• Roasted multi-colored baby carrots
• Lentils with red wine and herbs
• Chestnut stuffing with fennel
• Roasted pork loin with pickled raisins

Merry (Molecular Gastronomy) Christmas!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  I enjoyed myself immensely and the long weekend felt truly like a break.  We saw family and friends, ate well, opened wonderful presents and started our foray into Molecular Gastronomy!

The main component to Jason's Christmas gift this year was a Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit from ThinkGeek.com.  It was true inspiration and turned out to be one of the best gifts I have given him!  We spent Saturday afternoon and evening at our friend Nancy's house familiarizing ourselves with the kit and trying out our first recipes!  Spherification was a total success, gelification a strong start. 

First up, prepping Capri Sun Spheres!

  

Capri Sun

Then a Green Juice Gelee:

Next a Sparkling Wine Semi-Gel (didn't quite turn out)

Time to make the spheres!  Capri Sun mixed with sodium alginate and allowed to rest for about 30 minutes.  Then dispensed with a pipette into a bath of calcium salt and  water, then rinsed in a pure water bath. 

The green gelee formed with Agar-Agar as well as another gelee we made with some leftover Capri Sun.  We topped them off with a few capri sun pearls, or caviar.

Quite an interesting day!  I think we will be adding a whole new twist to our cooking!

Christmas Eve Eve

Ever since Jason and I started hosting Christmas Eve dinner, we have set aside Christmas Eve Eve as date night.  It started the first year because we had been doing so much work and planning and cleaning and really needed to get out of the house, take a deep breath and relax with eachother before the onslaught.

The last 3 years we have had our Christmas Eve Eve date night dinner at Think, a BYOB restaurant on the edge between Bucktown and Logan Square.  We've had many dinners there and always a lovely time and have always enjoyed deciding what wine will be the special wine for the year.

Unfortunately, Think closed recently and we were forced to rethink our date location.  We decided to go with Magnolia, a great neighborhood restaurant in Uptown.  The website doesn't do them justice and unfortunately I didn't take any photos.  But the interior is simple and warm, with exposed brick and beamed ceilings and minimimalist photos on the walls. 

As an appetizer we split the mussels which were delicious.  Some of the largest mussels I've had in a long time, served in the proverbial white wine and fennel sauce with a baguette.

For an entree we split the grilled beef tenderloin which was topped with braised short ribs, served over spinach with a couple of ricotta dumplings on the side.  It was fantastic.  The idea of the beef tenderloin short rib combo threw me in theory but worked perfectly in actuality.  The short ribs were used sparingly on top of the tenderloin and added a touch of sweetness and an interesting textural contrast.

To drink we brought the 2002 Concha y Toro Don Melchor that I had given Jason for Christmas about 3 years ago.

A perfect Christmas Eve Eve to get us in the Christmas spirit.

Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are one of my favorite holiday snacks.  My mom always had little bowls of roasted chestnuts around the house as soon as the weather really got cold.  They remind me of childhood and make me want to wrap myself in warm clothing and sit in front of the fire. 

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Use as many chestnuts as you would like.

Preheat the oven to 425

With a paring knife, cut an x on the flattest face of each chestnut.

Put them on a baking sheet cut side up and roast for about 20 minutes.

Let cool, put on your warmest socks, wrap yourself in your softest sweater, peel and enjoy!