Okay, maybe it’s not the most wonderful time of the year.
It’s probably because Andy Williams always seemed so cheerful and merry that we
got swayed with the lyrics. Or maybe it’s because of all of those Hallmark series
Christmas specials on the cable network. You know, the poor housekeeping girl
meets the billionaire owner of the company who falls in love with her or the
secretary who meets the crown prince of some mystical country with the same end
result. Maybe it’s simply because I’m a Grinch by nature… or just a pessimist
but this time of year usually seems a lot more stressful. No parking at Ala
Moana Shopping Center even on an early Sunday morning. Everyone asking for last
minute time off from work so you’re now swamped with the extra workload. Or
maybe just because Christmas seems to have leap-frogged Thanksgiving for the
past 3 decades. But it’s that time again and we have to make the most of it.
Cooking Time Saver
Because we invariably get invited to hordes of parties
during the season, the last thing we want to do is toil over a hot stove or
oven perhaps to create that perfect roasted bird or ham. Skip the oven and the
stovetop and simply reach for your pressure cooker. I’ve mentioned it several
years ago but one of my favored cooking devices is my Fagor combination slow
cooker, rice cooker and pressure cooker. Forget the perfectly baked and glazed
ham. Simply purchase a ham butt – the opposing end of the ham shank which is
usually baked then spiral sliced – which includes part of the animal’s hip
bone. Because of this aitch bone, the butt end isn’t conducive for perfect
slices. However when cooked at lower temperatures over an extended period of
time, the meat literally falls off of the bone like proper barbecued pork. And
it remains juicy and succulent. But why even wait those fuss free 8 hours with
a Crock pot when a pressure cooker does the same in 1/3 of the time?
Pressured Cooked
Pulled Ham
5 to7 lb ham butt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup pack brown sugar
¼ cup brown mustard
¼ cup honey
About 20 grinds course black pepper
Place the ham in the pot of your pressure cooker – if the
ham goes above the top of the cooking vessel, cut off chunks so that the whole
ham butt remains totally within the cooking vessel. Mix the next 5 ingredients
and pour over the ham. Cook under pressure for 2 & ½ hours – I usually let
it slow cook for another 30 minutes on the slow cook setting just to gradually
reduce the pressure. Use two forks to shred the ham which should easily slide
off of the aitch bone. Serve as you would pulled pork or in sweet buns with
mustard sauce.
Baked Leftovers?
Okay, I’m not asking you to take leftovers to your next
holiday party but because the base of this dish is stale bread, it’s almost like
using leftover bread. But when seasoned properly, a strata is not just
delicious but also can function as either a starch side dish or a main course.
And because this version has flecks of red and green, it does look like you
created it just for Christmas.
Strata Italiano
About 4 to 6 cups of ½ cubed stale bread
One package of fresh Italian sausage, 4 to 5 links with
casing removed then cooked until brown
1 lb package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
6 to 8 ounce bottle of roasted red peppers, chopped
4 cups milk
5 eggs, beaten
About 1 cup shredded white melting cheeses (mozzarella,
fontina, and/or provolone)
About ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Toss the cubed bread with sausage, spinach, red peppers,
cheeses and herbs/seasonings. Mix the eggs with the milk then pour over the
bread mixture and let sit for at least 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed
into the bread. Sprinkle a little bit of grated Parmesan over the top then bake
at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes until the custard mixture (liquids) are
set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Liquid “Food”
Finally, the holidays aren’t the same without a special
libation and this cocktail also contains the licorice qualities found in fennel
seeds. In fact, it also contains fennel syrup and that licorice flavored
liqueur, Ouzo. I mean, which culture is more festive than Greek culture? They
smash dinner plates just for the heck of it and often break into spontaneous
song and dance on a whim. So here’s my festive tributary cocktail.
Yasou-Good-Lookin’
Fennel Syrup
Heat equal parts of water and sugar (1 cup water, 1 cup
sugar) just before the boiling point (just as small bubbles appear) then add ½
cup of chopped fresh fennel and remove from the heat to “steep” for 30 minutes.
Strain out the fennel for a clear fennel syrup.
1 ounce fennel syrup
½ ounce Ouzo (if you can’t find Ouzo, Sambuca works just
as well)
1 & ½ ounce Metaxa (sweetened Greek brandy)
3 ounce Q Tonic water.
Pour over the rock in a tall highball glass and garnish
with a fennel frond.
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