Ham and Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday 24 December

We brought out the mighty Schad's ham we had obtained from Bender's in Findlay Market, and baked it for the multitudes (except Garrett, who got the side dishes of sweet potatoes, roasted and then whipped with stem ginger, and a separate dish of chopped pineapple - we are not such barbarians as to stud a Schad's ham with pineapple).

Dessert was the multitude of sweets the extended Parker clan prepares whenever they see one another, laid out on the buffet.  You might as well not wash the knives, because somebody is going to slice themselves a little more of something, at any time of the day or night.

Posole

Monday 23 December

When New Mexicans and their various offspring gather for Christmastime, they serve posole. 

As there would be 18 of us, we made it in our most gigantic pot, eking out Barbara's home-grown poblanos (frozen) with the canned variety, and setting aside some non-porked stew for Garrett, who has gone vegan on us.  

And lo, it was hot and comforting and (more important) ready when everyone arrived.

Crabcakes and Beet Salads

Sunday 22 December

We had pre-roasted some Farmers' Market beets, sautéed their greens with some pine nuts, and dressed them simply with Cretan olive oil and white balsamic.  

So what to have with them?  The can of crabmeat in the refrigerator answered the need nicely. 

We had the chance to refrigerate the resultant crabcakes for 30 minutes to see if they held together better; and they did.  But it's hard to wait 30 minutes for Holt's crabcakes.

Dinner at Kathy and Russel's

Saturday 21 December

Kathy and Russel have a new kitchen!  (Which they only had to wait more than twice the amount of time the contractors promised to get.)  They kindly invited us, Julie, and Holt's dad Harold over to inaugurate it with a pre-Christmas feast. 

While drinking wine and snacking on pickled okra and veggie chips, we got the full tour of the well-arranged and colorful premises, followed by the bounty thereof: tiny potatoes topped with scallions, golden whitefish caviar, and crème fraîche; a sweet and surprising purée of carrot and rutabaga; roasted brussels sprouts with pine nuts;  and this hearty, savory main course.

Lamb Stew

(Mark Bittman, adapted by KW)

3 pounds of lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes

oil

1 large shallot, chopped

3 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 cup white wine

2 -3 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper

Brown lamb in a little oil in the bottom of a large pot in which the stew will be cooked.  Remove browned lamb and cook garlic and shallots in the pot until soft.  Return lamb to pot and add remaining ingredients, with enough chicken stock to cover the meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat, covered for about 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or until lamb is soft.  Can thicken sauce, if needed, by removing cover for the last part of the cooking time.

And as always, if you're cooking for children, don't mention the anchovies.

To top it off, Kathy served a hot crumble of apple and cranberry, with brown sugar streusel and vanilla ice cream.  Her food is always delicious, but the new kitchen seems to inspire her yet more.  Long may it do so!

Swordfish with Moroccan-style Relish

Friday 20 December

We're trying to clear the freezer before we leave, so we rummaged out a couple of swordfish steaks to defrost and fry on the grill pan, with caramelized onions on the side.  

Topped the fish with a Moroccan-inspired relish, featuring green and black chopped olives, capers, fresh parsley and our own preserved lemon peel.  A salty smack in the face to winter.