Soups: Parmesan Pasta l Stracciatella l Stracciatella Soup with Spinach and Pasta l Orzo Spinach l Lentil Orzo l Mediterranean Orzo l Creamy Meatball l Leftover Pork and Potato l Seafood Soup (Zuppa di Pesce)

We were having mild weather - for Winnipeg - during the past months.
But since mid January it has been back to normal.
Translation: COLD.
Salads and quick meals just won’t satisfy.

Nope… it’s time to make pots of soup.
Lots of Soup.

Mediterranean soups have something for every taste, schedule and budget.
Stracciatella Soups are light and can be put together quickly.
The leftover meat soup makes good use of a roast and helps the budget.

The Seafood Soup, also known as Zuppa di Pesce, is a filling meal that is usually made for Christmas Eve, the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
The traditional fish choices include baccalà (salt cod), shrimp, clams, mussels, squid, scallops, smelts or sardines, eel and lobster or crab.
Zuppa di Pesce includes five of the above.
Add another two items from the list and you’re all set for Christmas Eve.

You’d also be ready for a cold night anytime.


Hints:

Parmesan rind has long been used to give extra flavour to soups.
If you buy Parmesan by the piece cut the leftover rind into 3 inch pieces, bag them, and store in the freezer.
You can also use a rind from other hard, aged cheeses like Pecorino Romano or Asiago.
A tablespoonful or two of Worcestershire Sauce could replace the rind.
If you want to make it totally vegan, use a spoonful of nutritional yeast instead of the rind.


About the Parmesan Pasta Soup…
This would also be good with a can of sliced mushrooms added.
This soup’s leftovers thicken. Add broth or milk when you're warming leftovers.


About the Stracciatella Soup…
You could stir in some finely chopped spinach before adding the eggs.

Ma usually served a light soup, such as this, as the first course for a Sunday meal. Ma believed that, if she took the edge off everyone’s appetite, there’d be more leftovers.


About the Orzo Soups…
The orzo will absorb the broth overnight. Just add stock or water when you're warming leftovers.


About the Creamy Meatball Soup …
You can make the meatballs in advance and freeze them. Allow 4 hours, or overnight, to thaw before preparing the soup.

Use any size can of diced tomatoes, depending on how thick you want your soup.
Instead of the spinach, you can garnish the soup with grated Parmesan or fresh parsley or basil.


About the Leftover Pork and Potato Soup…
You can use any leftover meat and any vegetables, fresh, frozen or canned.
If you’d like the soup to be a bit spicier, add sage, thyme or basil to taste.


About the Seafood Soup…
This soup is more like a stew. The traditional Italian recipe has been adapted to make use of fish available in North America. The only rule is to add each seafood at the right time so that nothing overcooks.
Squid needs a long, gentle simmer to turn tender.
Cod cooks more quickly, but holds its shape well in the broth.
Shrimp cooks quickly and goes in last.
Clams and mussels are steamed separately so that you can remove each as soon as it opens.

If you don’t have passata use tomato purée. You can also use tomato paste (which is thicker) or crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce.
The tomato base can be made a day ahead. Refrigerate it in an airtight container, then pour into a Dutch oven and simmer before proceeding with the recipe.

Sautéing shrimp shells in oil gives the oil a stronger seafood flavour.
Don’t worry about it if you don’t want to do it, or have shelled shrimp.

 

Parmesan Pasta Soup

4–5 servings

Finely dice
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves

Place in a dutch oven
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Heat over medium heat.
Add the diced onion.
Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add
the diced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon thyme
Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add
4 Cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
Bring to a boil and add
1 1/2 Cups small shell pasta
Cook until just tender, about 8 – 10 minutes.
Lower the heat and gently stir in
1 Cup milk or half-and-half
1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
While it simmers, stir until the cheese melts and the soup turns creamy.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot, garnished with
fresh parsley, chopped
extra Parmesan cheese


                                                               Stracciatella Soup

4–6 servings

Place in a small bowl
3 large eggs
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or 1/2 Tablespoon dried)
A pinch of nutmeg
Whisk together.

Place in a dutch oven
8 Cups chicken or vegetable stock
Bring it to a gentle boil over medium high heat.
Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium low.
While stirring the broth in a circle, slowly pour in the egg mixture.
After all the egg mixture has been added, stop stirring and let it simmer for 1 minute.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese.


                                                               Stracciatella Soup with Spinach and Pasta

4–6 servings

Thinly slice
4 scallions (green tops only)

Place in a small bowl
5 large eggs
A pinch of nutmeg
Whisk together.

Place in a dutch oven
8 Cups chicken or vegetable stock
Bring to a boil.
Add
1 Cup ditalini or other tiny shape pasta
Cook until al dente, about 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Lower heat to a gentle simmer.
While stirring the broth in a circle, slowly pour in the egg mixture.
After all the egg mixture has been added, stop stirring and let it simmer for 1 minute.
Add
a pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or 1/2 Tablespoon dried)
the sliced scallions
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
Simmer just until spinach wilts, about 1 – 2 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.


                                                               Orzo Spinach Soup

6  servings

Finely dice
1 small white onion
1 Cup carrots
1 Cup celery
6 garlic cloves

Place in a dutch oven
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Heat over medium high heat.
Add
diced onion, carrots, and celery
Sauté for 5 – 7 minutes, until softened.
Add
diced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add
6 to 8 Cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Stir in
1 Cup orzo
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 8 – 10 minutes.
Add in
2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach or kale
Simmer until wilted.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve hot, garnished with
Grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil
 

Lentil Orzo Soup

4-5 servings

Finely dice
1 onion
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 garlic cloves

Place in a dutch oven
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Heat over medium high heat.
Add
diced onion, carrots, and celery
Sauté for 5 – 7 minutes, until softened.
Add diced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add
6 Cups vegetable broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Stir in
1 Cup red lentils
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
Stir in
1/2 Cup orzo
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 8 – 10 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve hot, sprinkled with
Chopped fresh parsley


                                                               Mediterranean Orzo Soup

4 servings

Finely chop
1 medium yellow onion
1 large carrot
2 ribs celery
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 Cups curly kale, stems removed

Quarter
6 ounces cherry tomatoes

Place in a dutch oven
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Heat over medium heat.
Add
diced onion, carrot, and celery.
Sauté for about 5 minutes until soft.
Add diced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add
5 Cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 inches Parmesan rind (optional)
the quartered cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
Bring to a gentle simmer then stir in
3/4 Cup orzo
Cook for 6 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.
Stir in
the chopped kale
Cook until kale is wilted, then discard Parmesan rind.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
If the soup thickens too much add stock or water.
Serve hot with
a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh basil
Grated Parmesan cheese

Creamy Meatball Soup

6–8 servings

For the meatballs: place in a bowl
1 pound ground beef (or mix with turkey or chicken or pork)
1/4 Cup breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley (optional)
Combine gently and roll into 1 inch balls.
Set aside.

Dice
1 small onion
2 celery stalks

Place in a dutch oven
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Heat over medium heat.
Place a few meatballs in the pot and stir to brown the balls.
Remove balls to a plate and repeat with remaining balls until done.
Set aside.

Place in the same pot
diced onions and celery
Sauté over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 Cups chicken or beef broth
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano or basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Stir well, then add the browned meatballs. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Stir in
1 Cup elbow macaroni or pasta
Simmer until tender, about 8 –1 0 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Lower heat and stir in
1/2 Cup heavy cream
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan
Let it warm through, about 3 minutes.
Add for garnish (optional)
1 Cup fresh spinach, chopped
Stir just until wilted.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.


                                                               Leftover Pork and Potato Soup

6–8 servings

Dice
2 onions
4 celery ribs
4 large carrots
4 medium potatoes

Cut into cubes 1/2 inch or smaller
2 Cups leftover pork

Place in a dutch oven
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Heat over medium heat and add
diced onions, celery and carrots
Cook on medium until the onions just start to turn translucent.
Add
1 can mushrooms, undrained
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
Cook until the vegetables start to become soft.
Add
diced potatoes
2/3 Cup barley
2 900 mL containers chicken stock (or 2 quarts homemade)
2 Cups water
the cubed pork
1/2 Cup frozen green beans
1/2 Cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Simmer, cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Seafood Soup

6–8 servings

Place in a bowl of salted cold water
1 pound littleneck clams
Let stand for 30 minutes. Lift out clams. If there is no sand in the bowl, they're ready to be scrubbed and used.
If there is sand, remove the clams, drain and rinse the bowl, fill with fresh salted water, and return clams for 30 minutes. Repeat this process until the water is free of sand.

Peel and devein
8 ounces large shrimp
Place shrimp in a bowl and reserve the shells in another bowl.

Sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch thick rings, leaving the tentacles whole
1 pound squid
Pat dry.

Cut into 2 inch by 1 inch pieces
1 pound skinless cod fillet, 3/4 to 1 inch thick

Scrub and debeard
8 ounces mussels

Finely chop
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 bulb fennel (Save the fronds for garnishing)
4 medium garlic cloves

Place in a dutch oven
1/4 Cup olive oil
Heat over medium high heat.
Add
the shrimp shells
Cook, stirring frequently, until shells begin to brown.
Using a slotted spoon remove and discard shells.
Add
Chopped onion and fennel
1/4 teaspoon salt
Stirring occasionally, cook until beginning to brown, 7 - 9 minutes.
Stir in
Chopped garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cook about 1 minute.
Stir in
3/4 cup white wine
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Cook until wine is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.
Stir in
1 8 ounce bottle clam juice
1 24.5 ounce bottle tomato passata
Stirring occasionally, simmer until reduced by about half, about 20 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, place prepared squid in pot, cover, and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

While the squid is cooking, place in a 12 inch skillet
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 Cup dry white wine
the cleaned littleneck clams
Bring to a boil, covered, over high heat. Steam until clams just open, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove clams to a plate.
Add to the skillet
the prepared mussels
Cover and cook over high heat until mussels have opened, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove to same plate.

Place prepared cod in tomato sauce in dutch oven, cover, and simmer 8 minutes.
Add and push the peeled shrimp into the sauce. Cook, covered, 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
add the opened clams and mussels and the cooking broth to the tomato sauce and simmer to warm through.
Stir in
1/4 Cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide seafood among bowls, making sure each contains a bit of everything.
Ladle broth over seafood and drizzle each with olive oil.
Garnish with fennel fronds, if desired, and serve with crusty bread.

It could also be served over linguine. 

Bread Pudding, with and without sauce / Christmas is Baa-aack!!! by Margaret Ullrich

Well, here we are, the first Sunday of Advent.
I know what you’re thinking… 

We just got through Thanksgiving, there are bowls of leftovers crammed in the fridge and now we have to plan for and work through more holiday crap?
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

We’ve done it before. We can do it again.

The bills for the last holiday are going to be on the statement coming in the next few days and it ain’t gonna be pretty.
Time to cut corners where we can.

Bread puddings are a great two-fer, when it comes to desserts.
They use up the bread that’s hard enough to dent walls and the rest of the ingredients are usually on hand.
If anybody starts pining for a fancy cake, give him THE LOOK, and start yelling about all you have to do to get all the Christmas chores done.

We’ve done it before. We can do it again.


Hints:

About the Bread and Butter Pudding #2…
This recipe is excellent for using leftover breads. Try rolls, raisin bread or biscuits.
Want to add raisins or chocolate chips? Add 1/4 Cup to the egg mixture. 
You can use a larger pan and double the recipe.
Brown sugar instead of white is also good.


About the Bread Pudding with Banana-Pecan Rum Sauce…
This works best with bread that is  a few days old.

If you want to add 1/4 Cup dried currants, separate them so that there won’t be clumps. Pour the bread mixture into the casserole in three batches, sprinkling a third of the currants over each.

Refrigerate the pudding for at least 3 hours to serve chilled with whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup.
It's also delicious at room temperature and served with vanilla custard sauce.


About the Tres Leches Bread Pudding…
For a bit of variety you can add banana slices, marshmallows or raisins.  
If you prefer a crusty top remove pudding from the oven 10 minutes before it is done, and sprinkle over the top a mixture of
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Cup oatmeal
Return to oven to complete baking.


                            Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce



Lightly grease a deep 2-quart baking dish.


Preheat oven to 350° F

Cube enough to make 4 Cups

white bread

Place cubes in baking dish.
Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes.


While cubes are browning, place in medium pot
2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup butter, cubed
Place over medium heat and stir until butter is melted.
Remove pan of bread from oven and pour milk / butter mixture over cubes.
Sprinkle over the cubes
1⁄2 Cup raisins
Let sit 10 minutes.
Stir in 

2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

1⁄2 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

Blend well to combine thoroughly.
Cover and bake for 50 minutes.

While the pudding is baking prepare the Vanilla Sauce


Place in a medium saucepan
1⁄2 Cup butter
1⁄2 Cup sugar

1⁄2 Cup brown sugar

1⁄2 Cup heavy cream

Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in 

1 Tablespoon vanilla 


Let pudding stand at least 10 minutes before serving with sauce.

Serve warm or at room temperature.



                            Bread and Butter Pudding


Grease well a 9 x 9 baking pan. 

Have on hand
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 Cup raisins

Remove the crusts from
8 slices of bread
Butter the slices, using a total of about 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter.
Cut each slice in half to form two triangles.
Place 8 of the bread triangles with the butter side up in the prepared pan.
Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and the raisins over the bread layer.

Place another layer of bread slices on top.
Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and the raisins over the bread layer.

Place in a medium bowl
2 large eggs
1/4 Cup sugar
Stir together and set aside.

Place in a small pot
1 1⁄2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup heavy cream
Over medium heat, stir together until combined.
Add about 1/4 Cup to the egg mixture and stir well.
Pour the warmed egg mixture into the milk mixture, remove from heat and stir to combine well.
Pour the custard mixture over the bread and let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool, sprinkle with sugar to garnish and serve.

                            Bread and Butter Pudding #2

Grease well a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

Place in a small pot
2 1/2 Cups milk
Scald, remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool.

Have on hand
8 slices of French bread, each 1/2 inch thick
Butter one side of each slice, using a total of about 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter.
Place the bread slices, buttered sides up, in the prepared casserole.
Sprinkle with
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place in a medium bowl
3 large eggs
Slightly beat, then add
2/3 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
Stir together, then add the cooled scalded milk.
Pour over bread.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Place casserole in a large pan.
Add enough very hot water to the pan to go up the sides about 1 inch.
Cover casserole loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil.
Continue baking 40 minutes longer, until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge of casserole comes out clean. (Cover with foil if top is getting too brown.)

Take pan out of the oven and remove the casserole.
Sprinkle pudding with confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Serve warm.
Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator.


                            Bread Pudding with Banana-Pecan Rum Sauce

Grease well a 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Combine in a small bowl
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Have
8 ounces of sliced white bread
Butter one side of each slice, using about a teaspoon unsalted butter on each.
Sprinkle the sugar / cinnamon evenly over the buttered bread.
Stack the bread and cut into cubes, 16 squares per slice.

Place in a large bowl
4 large eggs
1/3 Cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Cups milk
4 teaspoons rum (or 2 teaspoons extract)
2 teaspoons vanilla
Stir together to combine.
Add buttered bread cubes, mixing gently.
Pour mixture into the prepared casserole and let stand for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and a knife inserted in centre comes out clean.
Place dish on rack and cool 20 minutes to serve with either ice cream or sauce.

While the pudding is baking prepare the Banana-Pecan Rum Sauce

Slice into 1/4-inch rounds
2 medium bananas
Set aside.


Place in a small skillet
1/2 Cup chopped pecans
Stirring constantly over low heat, toast the pecans for a few minutes.
Remove nuts to a small bowl.
Add to the skillet
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Melt over medium heat.
Add
1/4 Cup dark brown sugar
Cook, stirring, for about a minute.
Add
2 to 4 Tablespoons rum (or 1 to 2 Tablespoons extract)
1/16 teaspoon salt
the sliced bananas
Stirring occasionally, simmer for 2 minutes.
Spoon over warm bread pudding.


                            Custardy Bread Pudding

Grease well a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

Place in a small pot
2 Cups milk
Scald, remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool.

Cube enough to make
2 Cups
 white bread

Place cubes in prepared baking dish.

Place in a large bowl
3 large eggs
Beat well, then add
the cooled scalded milk
1/2 Cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 to 1/2 Cup raisins (optional)
Stir together to combine.
Pour mixture over the bread cubes and combine lightly.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Place casserole in a large pan.
Add enough very hot water to the pan to go up the sides about 1 to 2 inches.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a knife inserted into the centre of casserole comes out clean.
Serve warm.


                            Tres Leches Bread Pudding

Grease well a 9x13 inch (3-quart) glass baking pan.

Cut into 1-inch cubes

1 loaf (12 oz) French bread

Place in a large bowl
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 Cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 egg yolks
Beat with wire whisk.
Stir in bread cubes.
Pour mixture into baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and centre is set.
Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.
Sprinkle with chocolate shavings (optional)

                               ~~~~

Back in 2004 I wrote this for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’. 
Christmas stress and chores haven’t changed.  Darn!!

 

     Whenever I wonder if God is a man or a woman - which I admit isn't often - all I have to do is remember the ho-ho-ho good time women have during the holidays.

     Yep.. God is a man.
He sits there and just expects holidays to happen.  They happened last year, right?  No problem.  He just sat and wallah!  Christmas.

     Okay, ladies, we know it takes more than sitting.  Remember that cheery little commercial in which we heard Nat King Cole singing about Mrs. Santa Claus?  We saw a woman frantically throwing toys into a cart with one hand, keeping a toddler from jumping out of the cart with another hand and clutching a preschooler with another hand.  Of course she had three hands.  She was a Mom.

     Admit it.  We don't have holidays because we like them.  They're part of our culture, our tradition, our civilization.  Yeah.  So's cleaning the toilet.  There are books with sentimental nonsense, like:
    Evenings when blustery winds howled were cozy times, perfect for sorting recipes.  The children were helping Mama at the oak table chopping fruit and raisins.  Papa was happily crushing nuts and fresh spices in the grinder.

     Yeah.  Those people had cabin fever.  Sorting recipes?  Didn't they have any favourites?  Children chopping raisins?  Sure.  Yank a gameboy out of a kid's hands, give him a big sharp knife and you'll both end up on the 6 o'clock news.  Papa crushing his nuts in a what?  I don't think so.

     Remember how we thought technology would make life easier?  How we'd have four day work weeks and loads of leisure?  Uh huh.  Technology means that even if you're in a public washroom, you - and a dozen other women who had to answer nature's call - can't escape your cellphone playing Up a Lazy River.  Work is feast or famine - either you've nailed three part time jobs into a raft which you hope will carry you to your golden years when your ship will come in (if the pension plan doesn't go belly up) or you've been downsized.  Again.

     And now the holidays are back.

     Okay, grab a pen and paper, sit down and think this through.  Why are you doing this?  Some say Jesus is the reason for the season.  Okay, that's a start.  If He's the only reason you're doing The Season it should be a lot less hectic.  Remember God became human.  Humans can't become God.  So get rid of the crap that’s crept into the creche.

    What's important to you and your family?  Not to the neighbours, not to Granny and definitely not to the stores.  If you want to create pleasant memories set your own priorities.  Don't let urgent things like making fancy decorations keep you from important things like spending time together.  If anyone tries to talk you into doing something a little extra, just say no.  
 
     Back to those memoirs.  Maybe chopping and crushing was their idea of a crackerjack good time.  But if your kids are going to make a beeline for the Oreoes, why stay up till midnight making sugar cookies in strange shapes that can't be dunked into a glass of milk?  I know.  It's tradition.  So, delegate.  Bang open some tubes of cookie dough and let the kids get creative while you take pictures.  They'll actually eat those cookies.

     Invited someone who thinks store bought food is just not fit for the holidays?  Stock up now, destroy the wrappings, toss your cookies into bread bags and freeze them.  Remember how in the 60s we distressed furniture?  When it's 'show time' pop the cookies into the oven for nice burnt edges.  Muck up the cake's icing so it'll look like you really tried.  The snob will respect your efforts and eat, none the wiser.  Just make things look like they weren't made by a professional.

    Speaking of professional, avoid The Stewart.  If you must watch Martha, remember: It's TV.  She's paid to be a pain.  You've seen blooper shows.  Trust me.  Martha bloopers.  She bakes 20 cakes and shows the best one.  Look at the credits.  She has an army doing the work.  She isn't trying to make all this crap when she's bone tired after putting in a 12 hour day and everyone's asleep.  When you watch one of those autopsy shows like CSI do you get an urge to carve up a cadaver, too?  

     Do you have a friend who's another Martha?  Whoopee for her.  Like Mama done told you, if your friend jumped off a bridge would you do it, too?  There has to be something your friend hates to do.  Now's a good time to swap your expertise for hers.  Yes, you are good at something.  She bakes, you wrap.  See?    
     
     Ever feel that if you don't do everything the family's been doing since the Dark Ages, the holidays will be ruined forever, it will be all your fault and the family will never recover?  According to Doctor Bush, a psychologist, Guilt feelings are a messy mixture of insecurity, self-doubt, self-condemnation, self-judgment, anxiety and fear.  It's a whole mishmash of stuff.

     Dump the guilt.  Make a list of all the things you think you have to do, including making that mystery relish that's been in the family since the Black Death.  After dinner, before everyone runs off, read the list.  If something gets big smiles, it's a keeper.  If you say 'Relish' and people make barfing sounds, scratch it.  If your family's too polite or you've invited out of town relatives just think about the past year.  If you were still trying to unload that relish with the Easter ham, lose the recipe.  
    
     Office Parties were dandy back when men held the same job for decades, 'The Wives' were drooling to dress up and 'Meet those exciting people you work with' and the kids could be packed off to Granny's.  Now both spouses have parties - guess what, they're always on the same night - 'The Wives' and 'The Husbands' don't want to meet The Idiots you're always complaining about, Granny's on a cruise and the Goth babysitter looks like Dracula.  You see your co-workers enough.  They'll save you a copy of the secretary's xeroxed butt.

     Cards used to be nice and simple.  They had pretty pictures and a cheery message.  All you had to do was sign and send.  Then some fool got creative and started printing up long bragging letters.  Do your friends a favour.  Don't write The Letter.      

     Being tempted by seeing everybody in the flyers looking wildly happy?  Want your family to go nuts, too?  Guess what.  The folks in the flyers are models who were paid big bucks to grin like idiots and jump around like that.  Stores want you to buy stuff.  That's their only goal.  Helping you have a nice holiday is not their problem.  If they had their way you'd replace everything every year.

     Remember how the best presents were items that showed someone knew what you really liked?  Maybe somebody hunted down a book by your favourite author.  Those gimmicky things that looked impressive seem downright strange on December 26th.  Do your family a favour and toss those flyers.  

     Do get yourself some little treats.  I have a friend who picks up a few bags of pfeffernusse cookies every November.  Whenever she feels like all she's doing is giving, giving, giving, she pops a pfeffernusse and gives herself an old time Christmas.  It doesn't take much.  

     God bless us, everyone. 

Anna Sultana’s Bread Pudding with Thick Sauce, and with Vanilla Sauce / Easy Vanilla Sauce / Walnut Bread Pudding / Custard Bread Pudding, with and without Vanilla Sauce

Bread prices, just like most food prices, keep rising.

Loaves of plain, basic white and whole wheat bread at our local grocery store went up ten cents a loaf last week.
Sometimes there are deals: if you buy more than one loaf the price per loaf is reduced.
Wrapped in plastic, a loaf of bread can be stored in the freezer.
If there’s room.
If the freezer is full the second loaf could go stale and dry.

At these prices no one wants to toss any food out.

No problem. The second loaf can be used to make a dessert.
Bread Puddings are easy to make and are cozy warm endings to winter meals.
And there are so many variations!
You’re sure to find one that will use what you have on hand.

Custard Bread Pudding, with and without Vanilla Sauce, are cooked in a water bath.
It’s worth going the extra mile and using the second pan.
The water bath insulates the custard bread pudding from the direct heat of the oven and prevents curdling of the custard.


Ma made use of every loaf of bread that came into our home.
Especially when Pop was out of work.
To take a look at her favourite recipes, ‘Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz’ and ‘Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz #2’, just paste ‘pudina’ in the search space and click.

Ma’s bread puddings had a lot of heft to them.
Well, I guess you can say that about many Maltese, too.


Hints:
Be sure to use a baking dish that’s deep and large enough for the recipe you’ve chosen.

If your bread is too stale to cut easily, wrap it in a damp kitchen towel, set it on a pan and heat it in a 350º F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

About Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce…
Instead of the nutmeg you can use cinnamon.
For a lighter dessert replace the heavy cream with half and half or milk, either whole or 2%.

You can substitute finely chopped green apples and/or cranberries for the raisins.

Leftover hamburger or hotdog buns or rolls can be used instead of French bread.

This recipe makes a sweet dessert. You can reduce the amount of sugar.


About the Easy Vanilla Sauce Recipe…
Instead of the milk and half and half you can use 1 cup heavy cream or just milk, even skim milk or non-dairy milk.
Don’t rush adding the warm milk to the yolks. If you add it too quickly the yolks will cook and the sauce will curdle.

You can add some dark rum at the end to cut some of the sweetness.
You can also add ground cinnamon or cloves, if you want.

To reheat, place the vanilla sauce in a small pot, warm over very low heat, and stir constantly while heating.

Easy Vanilla Sauce is also known as Creme Anglaise and can be used to top fresh fruit, or paired with any baked dessert.
You can also make a gingerbread trifle: gingerbread, Creme Anglaise, raspberries, dusted with confectioners’ sugar and topped with raspberries.


About Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce…
The outer crust is crispy while the custard-like interior is soft. Make sure your stale French bread is dry. If it isn't dry you can lightly toast the bread cubes in the oven or leave it out on the counter, unwrapped, for a day or two.


About Custard Bread Pudding…
This recipe has more custard than bread.


                       Bread Pudding with Thick Sauce

Grease well a 9x13 pan or a deep 2-quart baking dish
                     
Cube 8 slices white bread
Place in a large bowl and add
1/2 Cup raisins, any kind

Combine in medium saucepan
2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup butter
Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted, 4 to 7 minutes.
Pour milk mixture over bread, and let stand 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 325º F 

Add to bread / milk mixture
1/2 Cup sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until centre is set.

Place in 1-quart saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 Cup heavy cream
Cook over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla

To serve, spoon warm pudding into dessert dishes and serve with sauce.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.


                       Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Lightly grease a deep 2-quart baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375° F

Cube enough to make 4 Cups
French bread
Place cubes on pan. Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375° F

Place in large bowl
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1⁄2 Cups sugar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
Blend well to combine thoroughly.
Stir in
1⁄4 Cup butter, melted
2 3⁄4 Cups heavy cream
Gently stir in
the cubed French bread
3⁄4 Cup raisins
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 20 to 25 minutes.
Let pudding stand 10 minutes before serving with sauce.

While the pudding is baking prepare the Vanilla Sauce

Place in in a heavy saucepan
1⁄2 Cup sugar
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1⁄4 Cups heavy cream
Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened.
Remove saucepan from heat and stir in
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Serve warm or at room temperature.


                       Easy Vanilla Sauce Recipe

Place in a small, heavy saucepan
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup half and half
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat.

Place in a medium bowl
4 large egg yolks
3 Tablespoons sugar
Whisk together.
While whisking constantly, slowly add 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks.
Gradually pour the mixture into the saucepan and, whisking constantly, heat the sauce over medium low heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and let sauce cool.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve if desired.
Serve warm or chill in the refrigerator.


                       Walnut Bread Pudding

Grease well a 9x13 pan or a deep 2-quart baking dish
    
Preheat oven to 350° F

Cube 10 slices raisin bread, or other dried-fruit bread  
Spread bread cubes on baking sheet.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool.

Place in a large bowl                                 
2 1/4 Cups milk                                                                                                    
3 large eggs                                                                                                      
6 Tablespoons sugar                                                                           
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon                                                                                          
3/4 teaspoon vanilla  
Whisk together.
Add
the toasted bread cubes                                                                                      
6 Tablespoons walnuts, coarsely chopped                                                    
Stir to coat bread cubes.
Let stand 15 minutes, stirring half-way, until bread is completely soaked.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes, until golden and egg mixture is set.
        
To serve: drizzle prepared caramel sauce over warm pudding (optional)


                       Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Butter well a 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole

Cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound loaf of day old French bread
Set aside.

Place in a large bowl
3 Cups whole milk
1 Cup heavy cream
1 1/4 Cup half and half
7 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 Cup sugar
zest of half an orange (optional)
Using a whisk, mix well until the eggs are fully blended, 6 to 7 minutes.

Pour this mixture into the prepared casserole.
Add in the bread cubes and gently toss until all the bread is coated.
Don’t stir more than 10 minutes. You don’t want the cubes to break apart into pieces.
Cover the casserole tightly with foil and place in the refrigerator.
Leave overnight, or at least 2 hours, until all the custard mixture has been soaked up.

Preheat your oven to 350º F

Set the covered casserole in a large pan that will comfortably hold it.
Do not fill casserole more than 3/4 full.
Fill the large pan with boiling water to the half-way point.
Place the casserole in the large pan in the oven.
Bake for 90 minutes, uncover the casserole and bake until the crust becomes browned and crispy.
Remove from oven.
Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes before slicing it.
Top with berries, powdered sugar, or caramel sauce.


                       Custard Bread Pudding

Place in a blender
1 quart half-and-half
4 large eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Blend until smooth.

Butter well a 2 to 2 1/2 quart casserole

Cube 4 slices white bread
Place bread cubes in prepared casserole.
Sprinkle over bread cubes
1/4 Cup raisins, more or less
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

Preheat oven to 300º F

Set the casserole in a large pan that will comfortably hold it.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes.
Do not fill casserole more than 3/4 full.
Fill the large pan with boiling water to the half-way point.

Place the casserole in the large pan in the oven.
Bake 1 1/2 hours, until set.
Serve warm or cold.

Happy New Year! Anna Sultana's Cotechino with Lentils, Lentil Soup, Baked Frittata / Cornbread with Sausage, Hoppin' John / Christmases Past by Margaret Ullrich

Wishing you all the blessings of the season
and a New Year filled with all the best!
Thank you for visiting
hope to see you again in the new year!
~ Margaret

We’ve made it through 2022!!!

That alone gives us a reason to celebrate.
We’re not totally done with Covid-19, so please stay safe and take precautions.
Maybe a bit of menu planning will give us some more luck as we enter 2023.

Southerners have a saying Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold.
Other foods that are supposed to bring you good luck, wealth and health are:

Pork - pigs move forward when they eat and represent wealth and progress in Europe.

Lentils - Italians eat golden lentils on New Year’s Eve to boost their fortunes.

Tomatoes - Italians believe tomatoes bring good health.

Sauerkraut - Germans and Eastern Europeans eat a heaping plate of sauerkraut for wealth.

Grapes - Spaniards eat a grape at each stroke of midnight, with each representing a month in the new year. If one grape is bitter, watch out for that month!

Ring-shaped cakes - are a symbol of coming full circle.
 
Fish - scales resemble coins, and fish swim forward in schools, representing power and progress. 

Pomegranate - Greek families toss a pomegranate against their front door when the clock strikes midnight. The more seeds the more luck you’ll have. Put your pomegranate in a plastic bag to avoid a mess.

Mandarin oranges - bring prosperity. Having one with the stem and leaf attached will bring a long life and fertility.


Back to American Southerners and Hoppin John…
Hoppin’ John is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day to bring luck. In 1847 it was mentioned in The Carolina Housewife. It is made with black-eyed peas, rice and pork, and is often served with collard greens and cornbread.

Make extra. If you have leftovers it implies that you are frugal and promises greater prosperity. Sometimes a dime is inserted in the dish before serving. It is said that wealth awaits the diner who gets the dime.
Eating all but three of the black-eyed peas on your plate promises luck, wealth, and romance.

Hints:

Cotechino is an Italian pork sausage seasoned with clove and nutmeg. It has a mild flavour.
If you can’t find it in your local store, a pork loin roast seasoned with clove and nutmeg and roasted would do nicely. Adjust cooking time so that the meat is cooked thoroughly.

Lentil to liquid ratios varies depending on brand so follow the directions on the package.



About the Cornbread with Sausage…
If you don’t have any stale bread, just cut slices into 1 inch pieces, put pieces on a baking tray, cover with a paper towel and let the bread sit on the counter for a few days.

About the Hoppin' John…
If you want a meatier Hoppin' John you can add cubed ham or 2 or 3 chopped pork chops.

If you want more vegetables add chopped green bell pepper or carrots and a can of tomatoes.

You can cook the rice separately, then place it on a large platter and spoon the cooked black-eyed peas over the rice.

                        Cotechino with Lentils

Serves 4

Chop
1 onion
1 celery stalk

Poke with a fork
1 pound Cotechino
Place it in a large pot and cover the meat with cold water.
Add
the chopped vegetables
3 bay leaves
Over high heat bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove the Cotechino and let it cool.
Slice in 1/2 inch thick slices and place on top of the lentils.

While the pork is cooking dice
1 large onion
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic

Place in a large pot
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Place pot over medium heat.
When hot add the vegetables and garlic and lower heat to medium.
Cook until lightly browned.
Add
4 Cups water or chicken broth or beef broth
Stir in
2 Cups dry lentils, washed
Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender.
Remove from heat and stir in
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Lentils should not be too dry or too soupy.


                        Lentil Soup

Serves  6 to 10

Chop
1 medium red onion
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
4 cloves garlic

Put in a deep pot
1 pound dry lentils, washed
Add
the chopped vegetables and garlic
4 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Cover the pot, let come to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes.
Lower heat, uncover the pot and simmer.
While the lentils are simmering boil 4 Cups water in a medium pot. Add it to the lentils if they are too dry.
Stop cooking the lentils when they reach your desired tenderness.
Taste the lentils and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.


                        Baked Frittata

Grease an 8 inch square baking pan

Slice
5 medium red potatoes

Chop
1 onion (enough for 1 Cup)
1 green pepper (enough for 1/4 Cup)

Place in a medium bowl
12 large eggs
3⁄4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1⁄2 Cup water
1 teaspoon dried basil
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
Beat until blended.

Place in a large skillet
1⁄4 Cup olive oil

Add the potato slices and sauté for 10 minutes. Add
the chopped onion and green pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Sauté until tender, then add
4 Cups chopped broccoli, frozen or fresh

Cover and cook 5 minutes.
Arrange the vegetable mixture in the prepared pan.
Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables.
Sprinkle over the eggs / vegetable mixture
1 1⁄2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded 

Bake, uncovered, at 350º F for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

                        Cornbread with Sausage

Grease an 9 x 13 inch baking pan

Crumble into a large bowl
3 Cups stale cornbread
3 Cups stale white bread

Chop
2 onions
3 celery stalks
1 cored, peeled apple
2 cloves garlic

Place in a large pot
1/2 pound butter
Melt over medium heat and add
1/2 pound sausage meat
the chopped vegetables
Add
the chopped apple and the garlic
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
Stir to blend well, salt and black pepper to taste, and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350° F for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.


                        Hoppin' John

6 servings

Chop
1 onion

Place in a large pot
1 1/2 Cups dry black-eyed peas
1 pound ham hocks

the chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste


Cover with
4 Cups water or chicken broth

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove ham hocks.
Cut the meat into pieces and return the meat to pot.
Stir in
1 1/2 Cups long grain white rice

Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle over top
1 Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
Serve with cornbread or Cornbread with Sausage.
 

                                                            ~~~
This was a holiday piece I wrote a few years ago for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’ when we decided to chat about past Christmases… both good and bad.

I wish you all a very happy holiday season full of peace, health, joy and love.
And, of course, favourite foods.
Let's not forget television specials and Christmas music.

For those who don't know the story, the Christmas carol Silent Night was written in the nineteenth century because of a problem.      
In a small Austrian church the organ was broken and couldn't be repaired in time for the Christmas Eve Mass. So, in a couple of hours, Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber created a simple song that could be played on the guitar.
It was called the song from heaven.
      
On Christmas Eve in 1914, the German soldiers singing Silent Night brought a touch of humanity to World War l. The British soldiers responded with another carol, The First Noel. For a few hours, peace returned, thanks to music.


The first year I was on the CKUW radio show 2000 & Counting, Older and Wiser I prerecorded our two holiday shows. That year the holidays occurred on Tuesday, the day we usually broadcasted, and we wanted to be home.
I taped each person telling a story and their favourite Christmas carol recording.
The segments filled the two hours easily.

Normally we did our shows live and, as our listeners knew, we did make mistakes. 
With prerecording, we were able to edit them. We sounded pretty good.

      
Maybe that's the problem with modern life.
We hear recordings and see shows that have had dozens of retakes.
Sometimes they show the bloopers.
It's pretty funny to see that even big stars make mistakes.
But, most of the time, all we only see a smoothly running show where everyone always says the right thing, the dinner is cooked to perfection and all problems are resolved with everybody hugging each other within a half an hour.

It can leave one feeling like he's been cheated or that he should try harder.


The first Christmas was a stinker.  Being in a big city with no available rooms is not fun. Add to that Mary was about to have her first baby in a barn with just a carpenter there to help.
I don't think any Christmas has ever gone according to plan.
And maybe Christmas just isn't supposed to be perfect.


A first Christmas away from all that's familiar can be rough.
Our first married Christmas was a big change.
Paul and I are originally from New York City.  Tons of people.
I came from a huge family - a first generation immigrant family.
My parents and their siblings couldn't get enough of each other.     
But, there we were in 1972, all alone in Surrey, British Columbia.
The two of us in a basement apartment watching Perry Como's Christmas Special.
It was something from home for us.
This was in the days before Skype. We hadn't seen our relatives for six months.    
When we watched Perry Como, it was good to know our folks were watching it, too.
For an hour, we were all together.
Then we went to bed for a long winter's nap.
     
The next morning we awoke hearing our puppy happily yelping and splashing in water.
No, he wasn't in a basin or a tub.
     
Surrey in those days was very rural. There were open drainage ditches running along the lengths of the residential blocks. The ditch in front of our house had gotten plugged. The rain had soaked our lawn and was seeping through three walls of our apartment. We were rapidly being flooded.

We piled things onto our bed.
The folks upstairs helped us carry everything else into their apartment.
Within a half hour water covered about two feet of our first Christmas tree.
We were safe and dry upstairs, sharing a cup of coffee.
Then we heard our phone ringing.
My folks had said they would call on Christmas Day.
If we didn't answer the phone, they would worry.
This was in the days before cell phones.
Our only phone was on the table in our apartment.
Our flooded apartment.

We braved the icy water and the risk of electrocution to answer the phone.
We wished my folks a Merry Christmas.
Keeping our teeth from chattering, we made small talk.
No mention of of our apartment suddenly becoming a wading pool.
What would've been the point of worrying them?


Living in British Columbia is just a memory.   
Perry Como's Christmas Specials are just a memory.
My parents, also, are just a memory.
But thanks to memories, we can enjoy a Christmas from the past.


During the holidays people often feel a bit down.
If this is your first Christmas after a major loss or change, be gentle with yourself.
Forget the rules. Do what will make it easier for you.

It won't be perfect.
So what?
It will be real… another Christmas memory.

Anna Sultana's Zuppa Inglese and Zabaione with Berries / Would Santa Ever Find Me? by Margaret Ullrich

 

Five days until Christmas!
We’ve had over a month of baking - and eating - platters of traditional breads, cakes, cookies and pies.
Time to enjoy something a little less starchy.
A bit of alcohol would be a good idea, too.

The name of the Neopolitan Trifle, Zuppa Inglese, translates into 'English Soup'.
The original recipe called for Alchermes, an Italian liqueur. It was prepared by infusing spirits with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, herbs, vanilla, and other flavouring agents. Its scarlet colour came from the addition of cochineal.

Some say the name is a little joke to tease the English about their love of rum.
It was first served to Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton in the 18th century and there was so much rum in it that it had to be eaten with a soup spoon.
It’s a good idea to eat it with a spoon in the twenty-first century, too.

Zabaione is an Italian dessert made with eggs, sugar and Marsala wine.
It was invented in the 16th Century in the Medici court in Florence, Italy. It is classified as a sauce, and was used to fill pies and tarts. It is not a custard because it does not have milk or cream in it.
It is usually served warm, though it can be served cold, as a sauce, or even frozen.

Hints:

About the Zabaione with Berries…
You can substitute any other sweet wines that you prefer, or have on hand. Try sherry, port, Madeira, Moscato d'Asti, or Grand Marnier.
If you prefer your Zabaione sweeter you can add more sugar, a tablespoonful at a time.

The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.
Zabaione needs constant whisking, so that it doesn't overcook or curdle.

Whipped cream can be added to the cooled Zabaione and gently folded together.

It can be served with fruit, such as canned or baked peaches, or between cake layers, or on chocolate pudding, or to fill cream puffs.



                        Zuppa Inglese

Combine in a small bowl
2 1/2 ounces cocoa
1 1/2 ounces sugar

Place in a small pot
1 ounce milk
Heat to boiling, then remove from heat and slowly add
the cocoa / sugar mixture
Blend together and let cool.

Peel the zest from
1 lemon

Combine in a medium pot
3 Cups lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place in a large pot
5 large egg yolks
5 ounces sugar
Beat together until well blended and slowly add
3 1/2 ounces flour
Add
the lemon peel
the milk / vanilla mixture
Put the pan on the stove and cook over medium heat.
Stir continuously until the ingredients reach the boiling point.
Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool.
Stir occasionally and remove the lemon peel. Let cool.

Have on hand
7 ounces lady fingers, approximately
1 Cup rum
1 Cup maraschino

Dip a lady finger on one side in rum and the other in maraschino and place in a deep glass flat-bottomed bowl.
Repeat with enough lady fingers to make a layer on the bottom of the bowl.
Add a layer of chocolate and a layer of the sugar / egg mixture.
Repeat the layering process.
Garnish the top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.


                        Zabaione with Berries

Place in a bowl that fits in a double boiler
6 large egg yolks
1/3 Cup sugar
Add
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 Cup Marsala



Fill the pot of a double boiler halfway with water.
Over medium heat bring the water to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Set the bowl containing the custard mixture over the water. 


Whisk the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture triples in volume and becomes pale. 
Longer cooking will thicken the Zabaione, giving it the texture of a mousse. When it reaches the desired consistency, take the container out of the pot of water.
Pour it into a serving bowl and serve warm.

If you want to serve it cool, set it aside for about 15 minutes.
Ladle the Zabaione into individual dishes and serve with whipped cream, berries, and / or cookies, such as biscotti.


                                                            ~~~
In 2004 I wrote this story and read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'. For a few years it was an annual tradition for ‘2000 & Counting’ and for ‘Better Than Chocolate’. I got a few e mails asking if I could post the original story.
Here it is… Merry Christmas!

Change follows us from the cradle to the grave. When I was five years old I was hit with a megadose of change - I moved to another town, got a baby sister, got to go to kindergarten and got Santa Claus.
    
Five years earlier my parents and I had emigrated from Malta to New York and settled in Corona. We didn't have much choice. Five of Pop's brothers and sisters lived in Corona. So, we had to live in Corona, too. 
    
Corona was a little slice of Italy on Long Island. The store clerks were bilingual: English and Italian. The grocery stores in Corona were stocked with Italian necessities. Almost everything in all the other stores had been imported from Italy. 
Corona was where we learned how to be Americans. 
    
Nonni's children, Betty and Angelo, had married two of Pop's siblings, Joe and Helen. So, Nonni was a double Grandma in my family. Since all my grandparents were in Malta, Nonni treated me as a grandchild, too.     
    
Every Christmas Eve we gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home. A whole corner of their living room was filled with Nonni's manger scene. It was not just a shed with Mary, Joseph, three kings and one shepherd standing around Baby Jesus. Nonni had a complete village with houses, trees, hills, paths, ponds and animals. There were people walking around just minding their own business. Some of the figures were really old and we couldn't play with them. But each year Nonni added something new: a woman carrying a basket of eggs, a farmer carrying a head of cabbage, a man carrying a bundle of wood. Nonni’s manger scene was better than any store window on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
    
Dinner was a feast. Fish was traditional - eel for the parents, bluefish for the children. There was also soup, pasta and vegetables, followed by ricotta pie, anise biscotti, pizzelle and cuccidati cookies, strufoli, creamy roasted chestnuts and torrone candy. My favourite was the huge golden mound of strufoli: tiny doughnut balls covered with honey and multi-coloured sprinkles. After dinner we played games and our parents talked until it was time to walk to the Midnight Mass at St. Leo's. After Mass we returned to Uncle Joe's for some panettone, a holiday bread made with butter, raisins, almonds and citron.

Then Nonni would tell us to look at the manger scene for the surprise. The blessed Bambino, Baby Jesus, had suddenly appeared!
    
Christmas Eve was a wonderful night. But the big day for us children was January sixth. The night before we had hung our stockings and waited for La Befana to bring us toys. 
    

For those unfamiliar with the story, La Befana was a little old lady who had been sweeping her house when the Wise Men knocked on her door. They were looking for Baby Jesus and asked La Befana for directions. They then invited La Befana to join them. The old woman refused, saying she had work to do.
    
When it was dark, a great light and angels appeared in the sky. La Befana realized that the Wise Men weren't kidding about somebody special being born that night. Broom in hand, La Befana tried to catch up with the Wise Men. She never found them or Baby Jesus. Every year she searches for Baby Jesus and leaves presents for good little boys and girls. 
    

La Befana took care of me for four years. Then we moved to College Point so we could live closer to Lily Tulip where Pop worked. Then it was time for my sister to be born. While Ma was in the hospital I stayed with Aunt Betty, Uncle Joe and their daughters, MaryAnn and Carol Lynn. It was nice living in Corona again. The next day, Nonni diNoto took me to the local 5 and 10 and gave me a quarter.      
"Buy for sister."       
I didn't have any idea what a baby sister would want. I liked westerns, so I grabbed a toy gun.      
"No. Buy a rattle."    
A rattle? That sounded boring, but I bought a pink plastic rattle. 
    
In those days children were not allowed to visit anyone in the hospital. When Aunt Betty visited Ma, she gave the rattle to my new sister. I waited outside the hospital and waved to the window of Ma's room. When Aunt Betty returned she had a gift from my new sister for me: three pieces of chocolate. 
    
Well, wasn't that nice of her. Not as nice as a toy gun, but maybe that was all she could get from where she'd been.   
    

After Rose was born we didn't go to Corona as often. It was easier to walk to the local church instead of driving to St. Leo's. I missed seeing my family. 
    
That September I started kindergarten in St. Fidelis School. Some of the good sisters had wanted to travel and meet exotic heathens in far away places. Well, they almost got their wish. I was the first Maltese child they'd ever seen. College Point had been settled by Irish and German families. It was time for me to learn about America through their eyes. 
    
As Christmas approached, the windows of the German bakeries were filled with the most beautiful cookies I'd ever seen. They were in all kinds of shapes: stars, angels, animals and wreaths. They were decorated with coconut, jam, icing and tiny silver balls. Some of my classmates brought in samples of their mothers' baking. I brought some biscotti. My friends were polite and tasted the dry, double-baked bread. Then we ate the lebkuchen, pfeffernuesse, zimtsterne, and jam filled spitzbuben. The stollen reminded me of panettone. I thought a German Christmas was delicious. I planned to eat German and Italian holiday food every Christmas for the rest of my life.

We helped Sister decorate the Christmas tree with sugar cookies which had been twisted into figure eights. Then Sister told us to gather around her. She was going to read us a story. Sister showed us the picture of Santa Claus and his eight reindeer. My friends were delighted.
    
I was confused. 
    
I had never heard any of this before. Santa was supposed to slide down a chimney and land in a fireplace. We didn't have a fireplace. We had a huge, oil-burning furnace in the basement. Ma hung our stockings, along with all the other wet laundry, on a clothesline near the furnace. It made awful noises and had fire in it. If Santa landed in it he'd fry like a strufoli. That would end Christmas forever. I didn't think Santa would take such a risk for a total stranger. The lovely cookies felt like lead in my stomach.
    
Sister talked about Santa checking his list of good little girls and boys. Santa had a list? I knew we were on the Registered Aliens list. Every January the TV reminded Ma to fill out green cards so we wouldn't go to jail or Malta. How could I get on Santa's list? Could Santa get my name from the Aliens list? Did I need to fill out another card? 
    
The afternoon went from bad to worse. Sister told us we could put our letters to Santa in the special mailbox in the classroom. A letter? What language did Santa speak? He'd never heard from me. I wasn't on his list. What could I say? 
    
"Hi, you don't know me, but I'd like some toys." I'd never written a letter to La Befana. She just gave me toys. Would Santa shoot La Befana if she came to College Point? Oh, boy… I was in big trouble.    
    
In kindergarten we learned about God the Father, about how we should pray to Him and tell Him what we needed. I didn't need another Father. I figured if my Pop was always busy working, this guy who took care of everything in the whole wide world would really never have time for me.
    
I needed a Grandma.
    
The next time we went to Corona I told Nonni about Santa Claus and that he was in charge of Christmas in College Point. Nonni listened patiently as I explained the rules.
    
She repeated the main points, "Santa Claus. A letter."     
I nodded.    
"I fix. I write letter to Befana. She give to Santa. No hard feelings. Christmas come."
    
I had my doubts. Nonni had never been to College Point. Maybe nobody ever had to change from La Befana to Santa Claus. Maybe Christmas was lost forever, like some of the packages we never got from Malta.
    
On Christmas Eve we all gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home in Corona. We had the Christmas Eve dinner. Then we went to St. Leo's for the Midnight Mass. Everything was familiar. Latin and Italian. Why couldn't we have stayed there? 
    
When we were leaving the church I saw a pale cloud in the sky. It looked long and thin, with a sort of lump on one end. For a moment I thought it looked like Santa and his sleigh with eight tiny reindeer. I kept looking at that cloud. It followed us from the church to Uncle Joe's house, where we had panettone. When we left, the cloud was still there. I watched from the car. The cloud followed us from Corona to College Point. 
    
I never noticed clouds before. Did clouds always follow people from one town to another? Was it really a cloud? Sister had told us that Santa had millions of helpers, tiny people called elves. Could it have been an elf picking up the letter from La Befana?
    
Christmas morning, Pop was eating breakfast while Ma was cleaning Rose. Ma sent me to the basement to get some dry diapers that were hanging by the furnace. Being a big sister wasn't much fun. I pulled down two diapers. Then I noticed some lumps by the furnace. I thought some clothes had fallen off the line. I walked toward the furnace. 
    
But the lumps weren't clothes. 
They were boxes. 
They were wrapped. 
They were presents! 
They were for me!!

Santa had found me.

Anna Sultana's Ricotta Cheesecake and Cannoli Cheesecake (Baked and No-Bake) / Muriel’s Family Christmas by Margaret Ullrich

Thanks to a huge Colorado Low we folks in Winnipeg have been having our first major snow storm of the season.
And we’re not finished shovelling.
We’re supposed to get more snow during the next two days.
When it comes to Winnipeggers getting exercise in winter, who needs to join a gym?


It’s been a while since I posted a recipe for the no-fail edible tranquilizer, a cheesecake.
In honour of the holiday season, and all its stresses, I’m posting three recipes!

The Ricotta Cheesecake is nice and light and the recipe is pretty simple.
Don’t be confused about the Cannoli cheesecakes.
Many of you know that Cannoli is an Italian pastry made of fried pastry dough tubes, ranging in size from 3 to 8 inches, and filled with ricotta and chocolate bits.
You won’t be expected to deep fry or stuff anything for the Cannoli Cheesecakes.
They are just ricotta cheesecakes with a bit of chocolate.

Ah… cheesecake and chocolate!
Don’t you feel calmer just thinking about that?


Hints:

About the Ricotta Cheesecake and No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake…
If you have a package of graham cracker crumbs, you could use their recipe for the crust.

Don’t have mini chocolate chips? Don’t make an extra trip to the store.
Just use what you have. You could even chop finely a chocolate bar, or two.

About the Cannoli Cheesecake…
If you don’t have a box of cannoli shells you can use any cookies you like or have already.


                        Ricotta Cheesecake

Generously grease a springform pan with butter.

Melt
1/2 Cup butter

Place in medium bowl and crush
18 graham crackers
Stir in the melted butter.
Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and along the sides of the springform pan, then set aside.

Sift together into a small bowl
1/3 Cup flour
1 Cup sugar

Place in a medium bowl
4 Cups ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoons orange extract
Stir together, then slowly fold in the flour mixture until well blended and smooth.

Preheat oven to 325º F

Add, one at a time
6 large eggs
Continuing to blend after each addition.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour cheese mixture into the graham crust and gently smooth top with a spatula.       
Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until cake is firm throughout the centre.  
Remove pan from oven and let sit on counter 2 hours.
Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Run a knife around to loosen the cake before removing the outer part of pan.
Generously dust the cheesecake with sifted confectioners’ sugar.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.


                        Cannoli Cheesecake

Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment.

Crush
7 ounce package cannoli shells
Stir in
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
Press crumbs firmly onto bottom of pan.
Bake 10 minutes, then let cool.

Place in a large mixer bowl
4 Cups ricotta cheese
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/4 Cup flour
Beat on medium speed until well blended.
Add
1/2 Cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Mix well.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Add, 1 at a time
5 large eggs
After each addition mix just until blended.
Pour cheese mixture over the crust.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle over top
1/3 Cup mini chocolate chips
Press chips in lightly.
Continue to bake 10 more minutes, until centre is almost set.
Remove from oven and let sit on counter 2 hours.
Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Run a knife around to loosen the cake before removing the outer part of pan.

Before serving sprinkle with
1/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar
Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.


                        No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake

Generously grease a springform pan with butter.

Melt
1/2 Cup butter

Place in medium bowl and crush
18 graham crackers
Stir in the melted butter.
Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and along the sides of the springform pan, then set aside.

Place in a large mixer bowl
16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
Beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Add
1 1/2 Cups heavy cream
Beat until fluffy, then add
1 Cup ricotta
2/3 Cup confectioners’ sugar
Beat until fluffy.
Stir in
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Fold in
1 Cup mini chocolate chips
Pour cheese mixture into graham crust and gently smooth top with spatula.
Top with
1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips
1 Cup crushed cannoli shells, for garnish (optional)
Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.
Let soften 15 minutes before serving, then slice.
Run a knife around to loosen the cake before removing the outer part of pan.
Store leftovers in the freezer or refrigerator.

                                                       ~~~
This was a holiday piece I wrote a few years ago for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’ when we decided to chat about family holiday dinners. 
Being politically correct - and politically sensitive - was just starting around the turn of the century.
It was and is still a part of menu planning.

The family that eats a holiday dinner together… can still be in for a whole lot of trouble.


My friend Muriel still hasn't recovered from last Christmas.

The poor dear had tried to please everybody. Solomon couldn't have pulled that off. Muriel was willing to go with the flow, but she was caught in a tsunami. Her husband Tom is a simple man with simple tastes. He just wanted a roasted bird with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

He should never have had children.

Their eldest daughter, Donna, keeps up with trends. Muriel had asked Donna to bring the appetizers. Muriel expected their traditional celery sticks with cream cheese, crackers and cheese cubes. Donna waltzed in with an oriental party pack and assorted seafood and chicken wing platters. Something for everyone. Uh, huh.
Tom backed off when he saw the egg rolls. "I don't like Chinese."
Donna said, "I got you BBQ chicken wings."
Ignoring her, Tom said, "They don't serve bread." He went to the kitchen for bread.


Then Betty arrived. Betty lives in a commune and supports the rights of everything and everybody… except those of the hostess. Betty always carried tofu because she never ate dairy products or anything with eyes or eggs. Muriel had prepared a nice salad for Betty. Not good enough.
"Were the pickers paid a decent wage?"
"The lettuce had a union label."
"I only eat organically grown food. Did they use manure."
"We had to scrub the carrots with bleach to get the E coli off."
"Oh... okay."
Tom heard E coli and reached for another slice of bread.


Finally their son Bill arrived with his wife Carol and their children, Krystal and Jason. Bill and Carol had every allergy in the book. Bill also had high cholesterol and Carol had her waistline. They avoided the platters of appetizers and drank the water that they had brought.

Krystal, a tender-hearted child, burst into tears when she saw the chicken wings.
"Oh, those poor birdies. Do you know how they treat chickens, Grandma?"

Muriel figured the birds were better off than she was. They never had to make a holiday dinner for the family. But this was her granddaughter.
"Krystal, dear, these birdies lived in a happy place where they laughed and played and sang songs for a long, long time. Then one day they just went to sleep and, just like butterflies, they turned into chicken wings."
"Oh... okay."
Who says the next generation knows it all?
Tom heard Muriel's tale of the laughing, singing chickens, figured she'd finally lost it, and ate more bread.

Ignored by his elders, Jason gobbled a fistful of seafood appetizers and started wheezing. Muriel packed away the appetizers before her children could start a food fight and led them to the main event.


The table looked like a sailboat regatta that had been designed by Martha Stewart. Every dish had a tiny flag listing all of the ingredients. Muriel did not want to have to call the paramedics again. Krystal cried when she saw the turkey.

When Betty reached for the potatoes, Bill said, "But they have eyes". Betty meant to kick her brother, but got her sister-in-law, Carol, who screamed and kicked back. Muriel yelled at her kids. The holiday dinner was just like always. Damn.

After everyone had eaten what they could, Muriel brought out a carafe of hot cranberry apple cider. This was her gift to herself. Seeing all the different coffees at the supermarket had made her go all whoozie. Whatever happened to plain old coffee, black or with cream? Muriel’s children didn't say a word while visions of cappuccinos, espressos and lattes danced in their heads.

Betty was in charge of the dessert. She had created something that was just what the doctor ordered. No eggs, no cream, no butter, and no taste.
Tom just saw a pumpkin pie and it looked fine. He helped himself to a slice, smiled and thought that Betty was returning to the food of her mother.

But, something tasted... off. Maybe a new spice?
"Betty, what's in this pie," he asked.
"Tofu."
"Geez." Tom reached for the bread.

Jason had wheezed throughout the whole meal.
All in all, it had been just another family holiday get together.


God help Muriel. The holidays are back.

Anna Sultana’s Ross il-Forn and Macaroni and Cheese / My Daddy-Daughter Date

 

Well, here we are, the last weekend in August.
There are a few more official summer days we can enjoy this week.
Let’s make them good ones!


Covid-19 is still affecting our food supplies, giving us record-breaking high food prices.
Supply chain problems are also affecting what we can actually find on the store shelves.
It’s time for us to get back to cooking basics.

Rice, pasta, eggs and cheese can usually be found in grocery stores.
They are sometimes on sale.
They can be prepared in dozens of meals at reasonable prices.
Maybe that’s why they are in so many Comfort Food recipes.

Have a large bag of rice in your pantry?
Make a pot of ross il-forn.
Macaroni was on sale and you have cheese in your fridge?
Make a pan of macaroni and cheese.


Hints:

Either recipe can be served with a salad or cooked vegetable.

About the Ross il-Forn...     
it’s an easy, economical recipe, but it has to bake for 90 minutes, so plan ahead.

About the Macaroni and Cheese...
Instead of the dry mustard you could also use onion powder, Worcestershire sauce or prepared mustard.

Old Cheddar Cheese is usually used in the traditional recipe, but this recipe also works with Gouda, mozzarella, marble cheese, Feta, Asiago, Emmental - also known as Emmenthaler, Emmenthal or Emmenthaler - or jalapeño cheese or your favourite blend.

Instead of topping with tomatoes you can use buttered breadcrumbs:
Place in a small pot
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter  
Melt over medium heat.
Add
1/2 Cup fine breadcrumbs 
1 teaspoon salt                 
1/2 teaspoon pepper         
Stir to coat the crumbs.


                                                               Ross il-Forn

Finely chop
1 onion
2 slices bacon

Place in a dutch oven
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Fry over medium heat
the chopped onion and bacon                     
           
After the bacon has cooked add
12 ounces ground beef or pork, or a mixture of the two
Stir until the meat has browned.

Add
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes, undrained                                    
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Simmer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350º F  

Mix into the sauce
1 1/2 Cups uncooked white rice
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 Cups water
Stir well, cover and bake 30 minutes.  
Take the pot out of the oven and stir the mixture thoroughly.
Sprinkle on top
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Continue baking for 60 minutes.
                                                                               

                                                               Macaroni and Cheese

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan

Grate
1 pound old Cheddar Cheese
Set aside.

In a large pot place
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Add
4 Cups elbow macaroni
Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta well and set aside.

WHILE THE PASTA IS COOKING:
Place in a dutch oven
1/2 Cup margarine
Melt over medium heat.
Blend in
1/2 Cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Stir in
4 Cups milk
Cook and stir over low heat until thickened.

Preheat oven 350º F

Stir in
the grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Add the cooked macaroni and stir gently to mix well.
Turn into the greased pan.
Spoon over the macaroni
28 ounces canned whole tomatoes, drained
Bake 40 minutes.


                                             ~~

PBS recently had a documentary, 'On Broadway', about the history of Broadway over the past 60 years.
Ah, Broadway… what changes you’ve seen since the 1960s!
I wouldn’t recognize the place now.

The PBS show reminded me of a story I wrote a few years ago about when Pop was my escort for our first taste of New York culture.


A few weeks ago there was an article called Daddy-Daughter Date in the newspaper.
No, they weren't going all pervy.
The Winnipeg Free Press is a family paper.
No funny business. Hey, this is Winnipeg.

The date in the article took place in Chicago.
A nice dinner and a Tony-award-winning comedy.
Shopping at the Oprah store.
No funny business. Hey, we're talking Oprah.


Daddy-Daughter Date.
What can I say?
Been there, done that.
More or less.

The pair in the article was going for a bonding experience.
When Pop and I had our date, I was a teenager living at home.
We’d had more than enough bonding.
The date wasn't our idea.
We were being ordered to go out together.

The date was Ma's idea.
No funny business. Hey, we're talking about my Ma.


One of the illusions about New Yorkers is that they fill their days going to plays, symphonies, operas and ballets.
Yeah, right.
Maybe some folks live like that.
The folks who live in Manhattan.
Not the bridge and tunnel crowd of New York.
Not folks, like us, who live in Queens.


One of the perks of colleges in New York during the 60s were the ticket offers.
We're talking plays on Broadway, opera and ballet at Lincoln Center.
Discounts, two-fers, buy two/get one free.
Anything to get butts into the seats.
If New York had had dollar stores then, they would've sold tickets there.

I was going to Pratt and had my own column in the school paper.
Shakespeare it wasn't, but I was being published every week.
I wrote about the tickets available at the student services' desk.

I picked up tickets every week, along with press releases.
They were reference material for my article.
After I wrote my piece, I just tossed them.
It was only a matter of time before I'd want to use one.

Only problem was, all the shows were in Manhattan.

Let me explain.
Ma had a terror of me going into Manhattan alone.
My choice of colleges was limited to what was on Long Island.
So I ended up at Pratt.

Pratt was in the heart of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a rather unpleasant area.
My first week at Pratt, the top story in the school paper was the rape, in broad daylight, of two nuns.
It had happened a couple of blocks from our campus.
We were being told to "Be Careful". Okee dokee.


I really wanted to see The Nutcracker.
It was being performed at Lincoln Centre.
Ma panicked when she heard where I wanted to go.
The only way I could go to Lincoln Centre was if my Pop took me.
Pop was outnumbered.
The poor guy was going to get some culture.


Showtime!! We were in our bargain balcony seats at Lincoln Center.
Pop wasn't thrilled.
He was more uncomfortable than Cher's Dad was in the movie Moonstruck when they met at Lincoln Center.

The music began.
Pop settled down in a chair and, within minutes, was sound asleep.
Or so I thought.
He was wide awake for the belly dancing bit.
Then he was asleep again.
So much for sharing great art in Manhattan.


A few years after our date, my parents visited us in Winnipeg.
Lucky for Pop, Winnipeg keeps farmer's hours.
The theatre, ballet, etc. shut down in the summer.
Paul and I decided to take them for a riverboat ride.
That's what passes for an experience in Winnipeg.

So we went to the Red River.
Pop wasn't thrilled at the idea, but he was outnumbered.  Again.
We were on the deck.
Pop settled down in a chair and, within minutes, was sound asleep.
Or so we thought.

Ma and I started talking about what to make for supper.
Ravioli... lasagna... ross il-forn?
Pop muttered, "Ross fil forn."
Then he was asleep again.

I'll always wonder if Pop did actually watch and hear The Nutcracker.