There is a favorite meal around our house, fish tacos served with home made Pineapple Mango Salsa.  Our family, from youngest to oldest and any friend who has joined us at the table to share in this meal, has fallen instantly in love.  I think the best part about this meal is the leftovers.  Devon usually makes a large batch so the love keeps giving all week long.  The thing is, this recipe has never been written down.  It’s all in Devon’s head.  (Like most of his recipes.)  So, last week when he made this meal again, I stood next to him, pen and paper in hand and nailed it down for you.  This is a perfect meal to share with a large group this spring or summer.

Usually we use talapia, but any soft fish will do.

Fish Taco Filling:

10 fish fillets

kosher salt or sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

1/2 white onion finely chopped

2 cloves of minced garlic

3 Tbls. olive oil

1 Cup chopped cilantro

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly coat sheet tray with olive oil and place fillets on it.  Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.  Bake approximately 10 minutes until cooked.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil.  When oil is hot, put in onions and saute until translucent and slightly caramalized.  Add in minced garlic and saute just a couple more minutes. Turn off heat.

When fish is done, put it in the pan with the onions and break apart until crumbly.  Toss in cilantro.

Pineapple Mango Salsa:

1/2 red onion, small dice

2 small green bell peppers, small dice

6 champagne mangoes, small cube

3 Tbls. ginger, finely chopped

3/4 of a fresh pineapple, small cube

1 habenero, seeds and veins taken out and finely chopped

1 oz. of honey

pinch of kosher salt

1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro

2 small limes, juice of

Toss all the above together in a bowl and enjoy!

For our large family, we usually put out lots of choices so each person can build their own fish taco.  We offer hard shells, flour tortillas and my personal favorite, corn tortillas.  We also add shredded cheese, tomato salsa, finely chopped lettuce (sometimes mixed with cabbage), sour cream (I prefer Greek non-fat yogurt) and homemade guacamole.  Ok, I’ll share one more recipe.

Fresh Guacamole:

3 ripe avocados, flesh scooped out

1 small green bell pepper, diced

4 tomato ends (Devon likes to use up every part of the vegetable)

1/2 red onion, diced

3 cloves, minced garlic

lots of crack pepper

kosher salt or sea salt to taste

pinch of cayenne pepper

juice of 1/2 a lime

Toss all the above together, mashing the avocado with a fork.

Do you have a favorite fish taco topping? Please share! We love adding to our fish taco building options.

Not too long ago, Devon and I attended a Baltimore food blogger’s get together hosted by Dara at Dining Dish, in Julie from Kitchenography‘s home.

The event was held in honor of Nick Malegieri and was an introduction to his new book Bake!.

Nick is the former Executive Pastry Chef at Window’s on the World.  His credentials and awards speak volumes of his talent and commitment to the art of baking.

This event was wonderful, in that it was casual and informal.

(My kind of event!) We gathered and mingled.

Then Dara introduced Nick.  He shared some of his passions, a bit of his story and then opened up the floor for questions.  He fielded questions about his opinion of baking bloggers and super expensive cookbooks, to what inspired him to start baking and how to get published.  He was gracious and humble.  He was a wealth of information and listening to him, you realized this is a man who understands baking inside and out.

Nick then introduced two items that he made for the evening.  One was this,

Chocolate Bourbon Cake.  Seriously…can you go wrong with this?

The surprising item for me were these little babies.

They look unassuming and non-descript…but, let me tell you, when Nick followed up the event with a letter and the recipe for these Tozzetti: Roman Anise, Almond and Hazelnut Biscotti, I was over the moon with joy.  I couldn’t stop eating these.  Julie filled a bag for us to take home at the end of the night.  Let me just say, I couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning and have these with my coffee.  I’m thinking I need to go buy a new cookie jar, to keep it full of these.  They need to be a staple in my home.

Nick shared the recipes with us and not wanting to keep for myself, something so divine, I want to share them with you.  I promise you, neither of these recipes will disappoint.  Neither will Nick Malgieri’s cookbook Bake! We picked one up for our son.  (He wants to own a bakery when he gets older.)  He has already made Kyra’s Hot Milk Sponge Cake recipe that is found in the book and it was delish.

I’m so grateful to have found such a wonderful and talented group of friends through blogging.  Thank you for sharing your own wonderful dishes with us that night.  Also, Dara and Julie, thank you for hosting such an inspiring night and Nick, for sharing with us your talents and recipes.

TOZZETTI:  ROMAN ANISE, ALMOND, AND HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Unlike most biscotti that are formed into narrow loaves before baking, tozzetti are spread in a pan.  After the initial baking, they are cut into narrow strips and dried in the oven until shatteringly crisp.

Makes about 80 thin biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds, lightly toasted

1 cup whole blanched hazelnuts, lightly toasted

3 large eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons Sambuca liqueur

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon aniseed, crushed

One 9 x 13- x 2-inch pan, buttered and lined with buttered foil

1.  Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2.  Stir the flour and baking powder together, then stir in the almonds and hazelnuts and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sugar, continuing to whisk for a minute until somewhat  lightened.  Whisk in the liqueur, vanilla, and aniseed.  Use a large rubber spatula to stir in the flour and nut mixture.

4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until just firm, about 20-25 minutes.  Cool in the pan on a rack.

5. When completely cool, slide the slab of baked dough to a cutting board.  Use a sharp serrated knife to cut into three 3-inch wide bars, then cut across them to make 1/2-inch thick biscotti.  Arrange the cut biscotti on 2 paper-lined pans.

6. Dry the biscotti until very crisp but still light in color at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Cool and store in a tin.

Copyright © Nick Malgieri 2011, All Rights Reserved

CHOCOLATE BOURBON CAKE

The sweet, mellow flavor of Bourbon has a great affinity for chocolate.  Serve this unadorned cake with a little unsweetened whipped cream.

Makes one 8-inch cake, 8 to 10 servings

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70%), cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

Pinch of salt

5 large eggs

3 tablespoons best-quality Bourbon

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

One 8-inch round 2-inch deep pan, buttered, bottom lined with a disk of buttered parchment

1.  Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, allowing it to sizzle and get really hot.  Remove from heat, add chocolate and whisk smooth.

3.  In a bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, flour, and salt together; add all the eggs and Bourbon.  Whisk together smoothly

4.  Stir the brown sugar into the butter and chocolate mixture and stir into the batter.

5.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake the cake until the center is still soft, but no longer liquid, 25 to 35 minutes.

6.   Cool the cake on a rack.

7.   To serve the cake, invert to a platter and remove the pan and paper.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap if not serving immediately.

Copyright © Nick Malgieri 2011, All Rights Reserved

We love a good salad.  Back in the day when Kristin and I were raising very young children our morning coffee time would often overflow into lunch time.  We made the kids some peanut butter sliced sandwiches and some chopped fruit and put them on the back porch to eat.  Then, Kristin and I would make ourselves a salad.  We had a way of cleaning out the left overs.  We made a sort of a clean out the fridge salad if you will.  We would put just about any fresh leftovers into a salad…rice, chicken, leftover green beans, corn, you name it.  Top your additives over a fresh bed of greens, add a vinagrette and you have a savory meal.   If our day was especially enjoyable the lingering coffee time that had rolled into lunch would sometimes roll into dinner.  Our husbands would come home from work, change and start cooking something for our whole crew.  Those were the days.  That is really where LoveFeast Table all began.

This salad is kind of my go-to salad.  I make it year round.  But, it is always on our plates at Easter time.  I think it complements ham and our family always has ham for Easter.  This recipe originally was given to me by Kristen, of High Heels And A Hammer.  It’s one of her mom’s I’m sure.  Kristen’s mom was a wonderful cook and entertainer.  The recipe is hand written on an aged recipe card from over a decade ago, back in the day when friends wrote friends out recipe cards in cursive.

Mandarin Orange Tossed Salad

1/2 Head Shredded Lettuce (I’ve always used Romain lettuce)

1 Cup chopped Celery

1 Can Mandarin Oranges, drained

1/4 Cup Candied Almonds*

Dressing:

1/2 tsp. Salt

Black Pepper, dash

2 Tbsp. Vinegar

Tabasco, 2-3 drops

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1/2 Cup Salad Oil

1 Tbsp. minced parsley

2 Green Onion Tops, sliced thin

Shake dressing in a jar.  Add nuts and dressing just before serving.

*Candied Almonds:  Add enough sugar to coat almonds in fry pan. Heat until sugar melts and and the almonds are caramelized.  Spread on parchment or plate to cool.

*****

The night after BlogLove™ ” Spark & Style”,  Kristin and I stayed up way, way to late talking.  I think we were revved up and couldn’t quite come down off the fun we had.  The next day we had to hit the ground running with a business meeting over in St. Paul.  When we came home we emptied the van and unloaded all the party props.  We were so tired we wanted to collapse!!  Kristin actually got a second wind and started organizing things, my husband Todd, the BlogLove™ “Spark & Style” bartender set to making us a delicious dinner.  Did you know a little secret about LoveFeast?  Our husbands cook!  A lot.  And, we love it.  However, that evening I made a variation of this salad for Kristin, me and Todd.  It was delicious and felt restoring the way a good salad sometimes does. I’m going to be sharing  that variation with you a little later.  It’s going to be my go-to summer salad!  But, for now enjoy the basis of most of my salads, the vinagrette from Mandarin Orange Salad.

Do you have a go-to salad?  We’d love to hear what it is!

We hope this day finds you happy!!  Kristin and I have a bit on our plate this morning.  Kristin is at a homeschooling co-op and I have a team of carpet layers pounding carpet into every level of the house.  Right now my living room office and dining rooms are crammed into the kitchen.  I’m surrounded by my chaos and my sofas, chairs, cabinets, and accessories.  I can’t complain much though.  Because this is by choice not by flood.   So, Kristin and I are going to have depend on you all for creative inspiration today.  We hope that on the below link you share your recipes and decorations and stories of Valentine’s with us.

Here are some LoveFeast Table stories, recipes & Valentine’s Day inspiration previously posted~

I Fell In Love In Colorado ~ Super Hero Love ~ LoveBomb-ing Boys @Ridge

LoveFeast Chocolate Espresso Cookies ~ Pig Cake & Shebang Cheesecake ~ Feel This Red Velvet Cake

This New Year’s Eve, we were invited to spend it with our friends Amanda and Noe.  They are back from Africa and wanted to get together!  The arrangement was, Devon cooks and they buy the food!  We were joined by two other friends, Kat and artist husband Matt!  It was shaping up to be a yummy and fun night!

With a little brainstorming we created a menu with steak as the star (per the guy’s request!)

The night was started off with Devon’s Caesar Salad. The entree was grilled rib eye steaks topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions and roasted sweet potatoes with caramelized onions and cranberry sauce.

Amanda requested something lemony for dessert so I decided on Lemon Mousse!  I’ve made this Lemon Mousse before!  It is rich and tangy and decadent and well, the perfect way to ring in the New Year!!!

Typically my grocery store doesn’t carry Meyer Lemons, but for the holidays I found these beauties!

Zest one lemon.

Juice approximately two lemons to yield 1/2 Cup of lemon juice.  I love this electric citrus juicer.  I picked it up years ago at a flea market for $2.00.  I’m not a huge kitchen gadget fan, but this machine has come in handy over and over!

Then take 6 egg yolks and strain them through a fine sieve.

Combine the egg yolks with 1 Cup of sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a non reactive pan and cook stirring constantly for 10-12 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and whisk mixture to cool it slightly.  Then stir in 1 stick of butter that has been cut into small pieces.  Drop the pieces in one at a time, until fully incorporated.

Put into a clean container and refrigerate until chilled.  Take a quart of heavy cream and put into a kitchen aid mixer with a whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium until cream is thick with soft peaks.  Add 1 tsp. of vanilla and 1 Cup of confectioner’s sugar and mix until combined.  Put the heavy cream into a large mixing bowl and then gently fold in the lemon curd until mixed.  We served the mousse with fresh berries.

I apologize I don’t have pictures of the final steps.  At that point, out New Year’s festivities were under way and I wanted to enjoy the moment without my camera!

But, I promise, this dessert will help you celebrate just about anything!

Happy 2011!!!

Milk Punch Christmas morning is a tradition my sister-n-law’s family savored back in the day when my sister-n-law, Kim was growing up.  Apparently the recipe and tradition comes with…more stories and memories than can be caught up with.  It’s a now one of our generations favorites along with the Holiday Sangria Kim and I discovered one year.  It’s simple yet, smooth and pleasing Christmas morning.   But, let me just say this…it’s not the milk you put out with cookies for Santa.

Something for the adults to enjoy while the kids are doing this~

Grandma’s Milk Punch Recipe

1 serving~

2oz. Brandy

1oz. Creme de Cocoa

3 oz. Milk

1/2 tsp. Brown Sugar

1 dash bitters-optional

Dust with Nutmeg

During the holidays, when we are asked to bring a dish, our go to appetizer recipe is Baked Brie en Croute with Cranberry Chutney.  It is a recipe that sounds impressive but is super easy to make!  It only requires 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time!  We usually make the chutney from scratch.  But, you can buy any jarred chutney.

This is what you need:

1 wheel of Brie (the recipe I’m showing here, used a small wheel)

1 stick of butter

1 package of phyllo dough (you will only need half the box for a small wheel)

1 Cup of cranberry (or other) chutney

Now you need to prep your area.  You need one clean, damp dish towel to keep over unused phyllo dough.  Phyllo dough dries out quickly, so you want to always leave it covered when not working with it.

Melt the butter and get out a sharp, un-serrated knife.

Brush a sheet tray with butter and set the oven on 350 degrees F.

You will be working with two layers of phyllo dough at a time.   You will use 10 sheets of phyllo dough.  Lay the first two on top of each other horizontally on a clean surface.  Brush them generously with melted butter.  Then place two more pieces on top of them, but this time, vertically.  Brush them generously with butter.

Take two more pieces and lay them on top diagonally.  Brush them with butter.  Then take two more pieces and lay them on top the other way, diagonally.  Brush them with butter.  Every surface of the phyllo should be brushed with butter.  (Note…In my photos the dough is cracked on the edges because I left it out to defrost too long and the edges dried out.  I recommend letting the phyllo defrost in the fridge overnight, instead of on the counter.)

Place the brie in the center.

Spoon on the chutney.

Take one side of the phyllo dough and wrap it over the chutney.  Brush corner with butter.  Then go around the brie, gently folding dough over until the chutney is covered.

With the other two pieces of phyllo dough, brush them with butter.  Then cut 3, 2 in. strips.  Gently wrap a strip, folding and twisting to make a rosette.  Do this with the other two strips and place on top of the brie.

Place the brie on the prepared pan.

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes until the phyllo turns golden brown.  Serve on a platter with crackers or crostini.

We have had an amazing Cookie Exchange!  We are so honored to have so many talented guests, from all over the world, pull up a chair at our Table and share their favorite cookie recipes!  Not only has there been a variety of recipes, but also a beautiful array of stories, memories and feelings about what the holidays hold for each of our guests.  We want to thank them all for taking the time to share with us!  And, we can’t wait to make these recipes for our families!

In the midst of our virtual Cookie Exchange, I was invited to an “in real life” Cookie Exchange with a number of local Baltimore/DC bloggers!

Immediately my brain began going over every cookie recipe I’d ever made, hoping to find just the right one!  I was coming up short.  I knew there would be plenty of sugar cookies and variations of chocolate chip cookies…I wanted something unique!  Then I came across this recipe in Food and Wine’s November 2010 magazine.

Stop my beating heart!!!  Chocolate, bacon, coconut, almonds, dulce de leche!!! What more could you ask for in a cookie?

This recipe seemed pretty doable.  It seemed straight forward until I realized my local grocery store doesn’t carry dulce de leche.  So, as I’m standing there in the refrigerated isle,  I pulled out my phone (I love modern technology!) and googled dulce de leche recipes.  At the top of the screen was Alton Brown’s recipe.  Being as we are huge fans of Alton Brown, I quickly scrolled the recipe and gathered the necessary ingredients.

Friday night I started to prep for my now-more-difficult, cookie recipe!  I began by bringing the milk and sugar to a boil.

Making dulce de leche is not hard, but it takes some time and, can I just say, it’s soooo worth it!  I even added a bit to the kids steamers for a dulce de leche steamer.  Delish!!  (But, if you can find it jarred, you can save time skipping this step.)

It cooked for almost 3 hours and turned into a yummy caramel color and consistency.

Meanwhile, I baked the bacon.  (Yes, baked…a secret I learned from my husband’s time in commercial kitchens.  It’s less messy and so much easier than frying up in a pan!)

The sliced almonds were also roasted in the oven.  (You can buy them pre- roasted and salted and save a step here too.)

After the bacon, dulce de leche and almonds were done, I put them in the fridge overnight.

The next morning I brewed an Americano and got busy finishing these babies!  After setting the oven to 350 F, I put the butter into the pan to melt and brown.  Browned butter is called beurre noisette.  It’s a french technique that adds a delicious nutty flavor to the butter.  I will say, it pays to buy good butter for this step!  Once the butter is brown, you have to freeze it.  This takes about 15 minutes.  I froze it in my Kitchen Aid mixer bowl.

After it’s frozen, add the sugar, vanilla seeds, (you can substitute a tsp. of vanilla for the beans) egg yolk and mix.

Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times to get all the butter.  Mix until moist crumbs form.

Then press the mixture into a pre-prepared pan.  (Just so you know, I doubled this recipe, that’s why my pan is so large.)  Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes until set and golden brown.

While the crust is baking, mix the crumbled bacon, chocolate chips, coconut and roasted almonds in a bowl.

Set aside.  Then pour the dulce de leche in with the sweetened condensed milk and mix.

After the crust is done, pour 2/3 of the dulce de leche mix onto the crust, then sprinkle the bacon mix right onto the dulce de leche and press it gently into the caramel.

Then pour the rest of the dulce de leche onto the mix.

Bake these bars for 35-40 minutes.

Just for a little extra something special, I sprinkled a little bit of flake salt over the top!

After these cookies cool,  cut them into squares or triangles.

I packed mine up and got ready to go to Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom‘s Cookie Exchange!

Dulce de Leche Recipe borrowed from Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 1 quart whole milk
• 12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

Dulce de Leche, Bacon, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Magic Bars borrowed from Grace Parisi compliments of Food and Wine

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2. 1/4 cup sugar
3. 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
4. 1 large egg yolk
5. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. 4 ounces bacon, finely diced
8. 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (6 1/2 ounces)
9. 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
10. 1/2 cup salted roasted almonds, chopped
11. One 16-ounce jar dulce de leche
12. One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving up to 1 inch of overhang. Spray the paper with vegetable oil spray.
2. In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and browned, about 4 minutes. Scrape the butter into a large bowl and freeze just until solid, about 15 minutes.
3. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla seeds and egg yolk into the butter at medium speed until blended. Add the flour and salt and beat until moistened crumbs form. Press the crumbs into the prepared baking pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the crust is set and lightly browned.
4. Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl used to make the crust. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels and let cool. In the bowl, toss the coconut with the chocolate chips, almonds and bacon.
5. In another bowl, whisk the dulce de leche with the condensed milk; pour two-thirds of it in the crust. Lightly press the coconut-bacon mixture over the dulce de leche. Drizzle the remaining dulce de leche mixture on top.
6. Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the bars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Carefully remove the bars from the pan and peel off the paper. Cut into bars and serve.

Make Ahead

The bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

We are so happy to have Rosa sharing her recipe all the way from her beautiful Geneva countryside village situated in the French speaking part of Switzerland.   Her blog is filled with delicious eats as well as beautiful photography of nature.   Some of her loves include music, nature, cats, books and films which can all be found on her blog Rosa’s Yummy Yums.  We’re so glad to have her join us at our table! ~Chris Ann & Kristin

******

For me Christmas is synonymous with cookies, cocooning, good food and birthday bashes. Having been brought up in a non-religious family which believes were more Pagan-based than god-fearing this time of the year had a totally different significance for me than for the pious people…

“Noël” has always been about the celebration of Yule, the winter solstice which doesn’t involve Jesus or angels (those heathen traditions were absorbed by the Christians much later and their iconography was replaced by that of the men of God), but rather the reverence of the cycle of life (“Yule” meaning wheel in Germanic – wheel of life represented by the changing of seasons, the cycle of light and darkness, death and birth). It is then that we are reminded that it is the darkest period of the year, yet it also marks the rebirth of light. This reawakening of the sun who is the giver of warmth, life and light represents an important turning point symbolized by hope and joy, hence the festivities.

Unfortunately, my birthday has to fall exactly on Christmas day/Yule and I have to share it with Jesus, so that means presents only once a year and a day which isn’t entirely dedicated to me. Quite a tragedy for a kid. As you grow older it becomes less of a calamity, although it still sucks big time. Anyway, I nonetheless had a wonderful time even if we spent the holidays at home and had no big get-togethers as my grandparents lived in England, my Swiss grandparents were too old to come and as we had no contact with most of our relatives. I would lie if I told you that I didn’t feel a little lonely and was envious of others who had crowded parties, but it was all I ever had known. Rarely did we gather with our family and friends to enjoy a festive meal and exchange gifts. Loud cheers and laughter were quite a rare thing at home…

Once though, when I was about six we traveled to England to visit my grandparents who lived in a youth hostel in the Stratford-Upon-Avon area (birthplace of Shakespear), Warwickshire. They were the wardens at Hemmingford House, a splendid Georgian mansion which is set in over three acres of grounds in the tranquil and quaint village of Alveston. During the end of year celebrations, the hostel was not open to the public and I was free to wander through the beautifully tiled long corridors of the dormitories, ride my bike through the rural village, visit the multiple annexes and roam in the immense property garden that was populated by many wild rabbits as well as hedgehogs. The perfect place for a kid.

That very Christmas was magical and just like the ones you see in glossy English lifestyle magazines. Everything was covered with a thick coat of snow, the air was crisp, silence was omnipresent and the postcard-like countryside looked so secretive and peaceful. On the 24th we had a fantastic 100% homemade British meal (my grandmother is an extremely good cook/baker and a great source of inspiration) with turkey, sage and onion stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, buttered Brussel sprouts, luscious gravy, lush trifle and tantalizingly moist & versatile fruit cake (the kind that was made months in advance, soaked with brandy and topped with marzipan). Then we attended Christmas mass at St. Helens church for the sheer beauty of the moment (choir & mystic atmosphere) and then went to bed.

That night, before saying night-night, I had put a few biscuits in a plate and filled a glass with sherry that I placed on the living room table next to the settee. This ritual made me very feverish. Like most kids of a certain age I believed that Santa would come in person to put the presents under the tree and sit down a for a short moment while enjoying my food gifts. Aaahhh, those times of innocence are so beautiful and priceless!

As I tried to find sleep, I remember hearing a big thud against the apartment door that led to the dorms and with much excitement thought to myself  “That must be Santa, he is here!!!” (a few years later I learnt that on this very evening both my father and grandfather were the ones who had “played” Santa LOL). You can imagine that after this episode it was very difficult to close my eyes, so after a few hours of lying awake I finally fell asleep from exhaustion. The next morning I was the first to get up. The prospect of seeing the imprint on the couch where Santa had sat while drinking his sherry and eating his cookies and the sheer idea of opening my presents was just unbearable and sent shivers down my spine. Once everybody had come out of bed and had washed, time had come to discover what was hiding behind the shiny paper wrappers. I always loved that delightful moment when you rip the paper of and uncover it’s content. What a dazzling feeling!

Magnificent memories that cannot be washed away with the years.

Without a doubt, “Coffee Kisses” are the cookies that come to mind when thinking of England and my grandparents. As a child, every time I visited them I begged my grandmother to bake those irresistible cookies with me. She accepted very reluctantly as she hated having people “in her legs” while she was busy in the kitchen and was not to hot at the thought of baking with a messy and energy-ladden kid. Anyway, for my greatest pleasure I always won after a few hours of supplicating and haggling!

The recipe we used came from one of her old 60’s Be-Ro cookbooks (she nearly had the whole collection since the 50’s). Those little brochures are chock-a-block full of classic British pastry recipes that are all excellent. Some years ago, my grandparents sent me my very own copy. Really thoughtful of them. I am so glad to be the proud owner of that leaflet as it is very handy as I am constantly using it.

Even-though we never made those “Coffee Kisses” specifically for Christmas I now love to add them to my selection of baked goodies as they are just heavenly and so festive. They have such an exhilarating coffee aroma and are blissfully delicious. It is impossible not to fall in love with those whoopie pies-like sandwich cookies and be totally addicted to their crisp crust, softish interior and lipsmackingly buttercream filling. Little bites of heaven.

Coffee Kisses

Recipe adapted from Be-Ro.

Ingredients for the “Cookies”:
180g (6 oz or 12 Tbs) All-purpose flour
3/4 Tsp Baking powder
75g (5 Tbs) Castor sugar
1/4 Tsp Sea salt
75g (5 Tbs) Unsalted butter
1 Medium egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla extract
2 1/2 Tsp Instant coffee
l Tbs Hot water
Ingredients for the “Coffee Buttercream”:
50g (2.7 oz) Unsalted butter
100g (3.5 oz) Icing/powder sugar, sieved
2 Tsp instant coffee
1 Tsp Hot water

Method for the “Cookies”:

1. Heat the oven to 180º C (350ºF).

2. Dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water and set aside.

3. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.

4. Rub in the margarine in order top obtain a sand-like consistency.

5. Mix the egg, vanilla extract and the coffee essence together and add to the flour mixture, mix well until it comes together.

6. Divide the pastry into balls the size of a walnut.

7. Place them on a baking sheet lined with sulfurized paper and bake for about 15 minutes.

8. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool on a rack.

Method for the “Coffee Buttercream”:

1. Meanwhile make the coffee buttercream by creaming the butter and gradually adding the  icing sugar. Mix until fluffy and light.

2.  Dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix well.

3. Sandwich the cookie shells in pairs with the coffee buttercream and serve immediately (otherwise the cookies will get soft).

NOTE: I recommend that you use a stand mixer for making this recipe.

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Thank you to Rosa from Rosa’s Yummy Yums for joining us at the table! ~Chris Ann & Kristin

As soon as we got on twitter one of the first twitter “handles” to catch our eye was @lifesafeast.  We knew right away we had found a kindred spirit.  Our American friend, Jamie writes her blog from France where she lives with her husband and sons.  She is a Contributing Blogger for Huffington Post Food and a co-founder of the new From Plate to Page Workshops for food bloggers.  She nourishes her soul with food, baking, sharing and writing.  Those who visit her blog, Lifes A Feast will be filled with her stories and feast on her mouthwatering pictures. We are so happy to have her join us at the table! ~Chris Ann & Kristin

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THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS to a Jew

AND COOKIES FOR GIVING

Tiny white fairy lights trailing across windowsills and tabletops, swags of gaily-colored bulbs shimmer in the night all across town lending a ghostly glow to the darkness, an air of something festive. The fresh scent of evergreen, the holiday music putting a bounce in your step, there is definitely a feeling of Christmas in the air. I love Christmas. Even as a small child, I felt the excitement mount as the decorations went up all over town, I sensed that special holiday energy in the air, an electric buzz of peace on earth and goodwill towards men.

Yet I don’t celebrate Christmas. Both of my parents were raised in orthodox Jewish households in large New York Jewish communities. They married and had a family and moved south to Florida, to a new land populated with a new people and they soon found themselves in very non-Jewish surroundings. And although they no longer observed the laws of the religion as strictly as their parents had done, we celebrated all of the Jewish holidays, went to Shabbat services on Friday nights and quite often on Saturday mornings as well, we went to religious school every Wednesday and Sunday, belonged to the youth group and were completely faithful to our religion.

So we were raised observing the Christmas holidays from afar, and sometimes pretty close up: school Christmas plays and Christmas carols, gaudy decorations and garlands of colored lights hanging from every tree and rooftop, Jolly Santas and rotund Snowmen popping up in every yard and shops and stores filled with Christmas candy, Christmas displays, Christmas gifts to delight and tempt any kid. Yes, I grew up surrounded by the Christmas magic, fascinated, drawn to this holiday that we didn’t celebrate like a moth to the flame. We celebrated Hanukkah. Eight days and eight nights of candlelight and potato latkes and gifts, Hanukkah was a fun, festive yet rather low-key affair in our home, so the gorgeous, elegant tree standing proudly in our neighbor’s front window was a wonder, a thing of beauty to this simple Florida girl, and my imagination ran high even as I recoiled at the thought of being obliged to celebrate at school. Every single year, our grade school put on a Christmas pageant and there I was, in the chorus, singing songs that I never believed in, having to watch my friends perform the story of Christmas up on that stage in the school cafeteria. Finally I could stand it no longer and I revolted. I complained about the injustice, the discrimination and I point blank refused to participate. The school powers-that-be responded by allowing my class to organize a Hanukkah play – with little old me as the star – which was then performed alongside the Christmas play.

Yet I still dreamed of Christmas. What joy and with what utter delight did I dash across the yard to the neighbor’s house to help decorate that magnificent Christmas tree as their own children grew up and moved out. Carefully placing each shimmering glass ball and tossing just the right amount of dazzling tinsel on the green boughs, stringing popcorn and cranberries and digging into plates piled high with elegant Christmas cookies became an event that I prayed for, waited for every single December. My brothers and I would wander the neighborhood streets after dark to catch a glimpse of the fabulous Christmas decorations, stroll among the Christmas luminaries casting an unearthly, romantic glow up and down cul de sacs, spying hidden Santas and laughing out loud at Ho Ho Ho’s piped in across entire streets. Trips to the grocery store with my mom would find me pulling her excitedly across the chilly expanse of groceries to the Christmas candy display where I would beg for boxes of chocolate-covered marshmallow Santas, white marshmallow Snowmen Peeps and red-and-white candy canes. She and I would end up going back together the day after the holiday and snapping up box after box of each and every delightful Christmas confection at half-price, our own guilty concession to this Christian holiday.

And gift giving. I have always adored giving gifts and I love giving edible gifts at this most joyous of holiday seasons. From a young age, I would sit and hand roll chocolate truffles and make cookies for my mom’s office holiday party. Older and on my own, I would continue to make truffles and other Christmas treats to give to loved ones. And I still do. The French are fascinated by American and Italian specialties, so every year finds me in my kitchen filling up tiny aluminum bread tins with chocolate-chip-banana, cranberry-orange-pecan and pumpkin-chocolate chip batter which get baked, carefully and festively wrapped and handed out to friends. I bake trays of cookies for JP to carry to the office where he places them proudly next to the coffee machine, adding a festive touch to the pre-holiday Christmas cheer. Stollen and Christmas Spice Cakes, redolent of warm, earthy cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, kissed by the tang of orange, studded with jewel-like dried cranberries, blueberries and pistachios make for something joyous and festive indeed. The choice is endless yet simple, each and every treat infused with something so special and celebratory that no matter which holiday you celebrate (or don’t) these confections are sure to please, guaranteed to bring goodwill and seasonal joy to the hearts of even the biggest Scrooge!

For my lovely Feast sisters of Love Feast Table, I selected two Italian cookies to share: Holiday Biscotti, studded with Christmassy red dried cranberries and green pistachios, spiced with a special blend of Christmas spices and drizzled with orange-infused chocolate ganache. And Baci di Dama (Ladies Kisses), tender, flavorful almond and hazelnut cookies sandwiched together with the same luscious chocolate ganache. Of all the Christmas’s I’ve loved the best, Italian Christmas’ in Milan were my absolute favorite. The night air was always thick with mist, which gave the season a frosty, angelic, romantic look and feel. We would stroll through town and stop at ramshackle street corner stands selling hot-off-the-coals roasted chestnuts, scooped up and poured into newspaper cones, warming our hands and tickling our noses with the fabulous, earthy scent of roasted chestnuts. The city was always gloriously decorated, pastry shops and bakeries filled with holiday Panettone and Pandoro, and the season always lasted joyously through the day of La Befana on January 6 with more gifts, chocolates and fun. So I offer you, my friends, these two Italian delicacies and wish each and every one of you a joyous, festive holiday season!

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS BISCOTTI
Adapted from a recipe found on The Joy of Baking

2/3 cup (135 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (245 grams) flour
1 teaspoon Christmas Spice Blend*
3/4 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries (can be replaced with dried cherries)

* I used a mixed Christmas Spice from Germany called Pflaumenmus Gewürz (Plum Jam Spices), a gift from Meeta, a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg, star anise, ginger and cloves, a dash of lemon and orange zest. Feel free to use up to one teaspoon of ground cinnamon or a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. Not more than one teaspoon combined, half a teaspoon for just a delicate hint. You could also add the zest of half or one whole orange. These biscotti are delicious even without added spices.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. I find lining the baking sheets with parchment paper makes life soooo much easier.

Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until thick, pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Blend together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground spices. Add to the egg mixture and blend or beat until combined. Fold in the pistachios and the cranberries.

Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Form into on loaf or log, about 12 inches long, or two smaller loaves. I prefer two smaller loaves as the biscotti turn out shorter and easier to handle and eat – and the one larger loaf tends not to always cook through. Keep your hands lightly floured as the dough is quite sticky. If making two loaves, leave enough space around each for them to expand.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until firm to the tough and lightly golden. Remove from the oven to a rack and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Now for what makes them biscotti – twice baked – transfer to a cutting board and slice the loaves on the diagonal – after slicing off the ends and eating them – making 3/4-inch (2 cm) slices. Line these slices up on your parchment-lined baking sheet and pop back into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes them flip all the cookies and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on racks, continuing the process if you couldn’t fit all the biscotti in the oven at once.

Drizzle the cooled biscotti with Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows) and allow to cool completely – even sticking the trays in the refrigerator – before storing or serving so the ganache doesn’t stick.

Biscotti stored in metal cookie tins last forever!

BACI DI DAMA (Ladies’ Kisses)
Adapted from a recipe in Patisserie of Italy by Jeni Wright

10 ½ Tbs (5 oz/150 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup (100 g) sugar
1 egg yolk (large egg)
2 oz (50 g) ground blanched almonds
2 oz (50 g) ground hazelnuts
1 2/5 cup (6 oz/175 g) flour
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate Ganache

Cream the softened butter together with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and then both ground nuts. Beat in the flour and the vanilla until everything is well incorporated. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, working very quickly, knead the dough just until you have a smooth, homogenous ball of dough. This dough contains a high quantity of butter so the more it is worked (with warm hands) the softer and stickier it becomes. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight.

When the dough has been chilled and you are ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C).

Remove the chilled, firm dough from the refrigerator and from the plastic and place on a lightly floured work surface. Cut into 4 pieces (which are easier to work with) and, working one piece at a time and as quickly as possible to keep the buttery dough from softening too much, press and roll out the dough into a ¾-inch (2 cm) thick snake, ends squared. Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, slice the long log or snake into even ½-inch (1 cm) wide pieces or slightly larger. Again working very quickly, roll each piece into a ball, pressing together if the dough splits, and place on a cookie sheet, leaving a little space between each ball for rising.

Bake the trays of balls in the preheated oven for no longer than 20 minutes or until cooked through and slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before sandwiching the cookie domes together with the ganache.

Fill a pastry bag with a tip (about ¼ to ½ -inch wide hole). Pair up matching (in size) cookie halves then pipe a dot of ganache on the bottom halves of all the pairs. Gently press the other cookie half onto the ganache. Place all the Baci di Dama on a tray or rack to allow the ganache to firm up.

These cookies get even better when stored in a metal tin overnight as the cookie goes from crumbly to perfectly tender.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Chop ¾ cup (100 g) dark chocolate ** and place in a medium-sized heatproof pyrex bowl.

Bring ½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream to a boil. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and allow to sit, stirring, until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is perfectly smooth.

** I usually use Lindt dessert 70% or Lindt Excellence 70%. I prefer making this ganache for these holiday cookies with one of the Lindt Excellence dark chocolates flavored with either orange, grilled almonds or mint which give them a truly holiday flavor.

Allow to sit at room temperature until it reaches the desired consistency: to drizzle over the biscotti, it should retain its pouring consistency yet be just thick enough that it doesn’t all run off of the cookies and puddle around them on the plate or tray.

For the Baci di Dama, the ganache needs to be quite thick and firm so it pipes out without running and you can sandwich the two domes of cookies halves together without making a runny mess. You can even store the cookie pieces in a tin while the ganache chills overnight in the fridge, simply taking the ganache out of the cold a bit before piping and sandwiching the two halves of the cookies together.

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We’d like to thank Jamie of Life’s A Feast for joining us at the table! ~Chris Ann & Kristin