Christmas 2005 Dinner

On this sweetest of cooking holidays, here's what I whipped up:

Prime Rib with Gorgonzola Sauce
Christmas Grits (stone ground grits with sun-dried tomatoes)
Duck with Turnips
Mac & Cheese (part Martha, part me)
Green Beans with Bacon (Paula Deen recipe)
Holiday Wreath Salad (a Jello Mold with fresh cranberries, pineapple, nuts and a long family tradition)
Jamie's Coconut Cake (Paula Deen recipe - delicious by the way)
Cookies (2 varieties - would have made more but got lazy)
Cranberry Wassail (spiked of course!)

What did you cook?

Too Late for 2005 (yes 05) Diet Resolution?

Darn it, 2006 is just around the corner and I've waited until the 12th hour to get on with 2005's resolution to lose those extra pounds. Oh well, better late than never! Look at this way, I've gotten a head start on my 2006 diet resolution.

Tonight I fixed Poached Tilapia. Poaching as a fish cooking method is really under-rated (or maybe I was just starving from that little salad I had at lunch). But honestly it was delicious. Here's my recipe. Try it.

POACHED FISH

Prepare the poaching liquid first and let simmer for 15 minutes before adding fish.

Small sliced white onion
Green stems of 3 scallions
1 carrot sliced thin
1 stalk celery sliced thin
1/2 Lemon thinly sliced
Thyme (used dried) to taste
1 Bay leaf
10 whole black peppercorns
Salt to taste
Two whole Tilapia (or other firm fish such as salmon)

Cook about 20-30 minutes on low flame.

Cooked any great meals lately? Tell me about it!

Bread Pudding Blues

I don't know why people don't cook more Bread Puddings. They're easy and delicious. You must make the Whisky Sauce that accompanies sophisicated Bread Puddings as opposed to the block of bread with raisins dry version you see in deli window cases.

Recently, a lot of people are using donuts, cake and other sweet confections to make Bread Puddings . While good (in fact these variations are great), they tend to be very sweet, overly sweet in some cases and the sugary sauce on top is "over the top".

Here's an Old Fashioned Bread Pudding Recipe:

2 Beaten Eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teasp salt
1 teasp vanilla
4 cups scalded milk
1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
2 cups bread cubes

Combine wet ingredients and add bread. Pour into buttered dish. Bake 350 degrees. 45 mins.

Whisky Sauce (pour directly on warm pudding or pass around)
Stick melted butter
Box Confectioners Sugar
Bourbon to taste