I've already told ya'll a bunch, I'm not a cook.  Of course, if you follow my blog, you know that I'm referring to me, Elaine Parny, and not Chef Roland.  :)

Well, I thought I would at least try to produce something for the wonderful holiday meal our family had, hosted by my brother Scott Jones & his wife, Chrity Calhoun-Miller-Jones.  It was a great time had by all and we each contributed, in our own way, to the fine dinner that we had to celebrate the occasion. 

Even though I'm not in the kitchen much doesn't mean I don't like to be there.  I just wait until no one is around to watch me struggle.  I always love to sit down and go through cookbooks and I'm hoping to learn enough someday to do some "food writing".  I did select two recipes to attempt for the holiday.  One not so healthy but a fun experiment and very flavorful:  It was Blackberry Jellies, a very sugary candy made by cooking down blackberries.  I'm being very selective as to how much and when I have a little of that!  The other recipe is a curried butternut squash soup, and it was a hit!  We don't have a food processor at our house, so I simply mashed the heck out of the cooked down squash with a potatoe masher and then whisked the devil out of it until I achieved the consistency I wanted.  (I have my own techniques).

Hope your holidays were blessed and memorable.  

Now, it's time to look at seed catalogs and dream of that garden we want to get in this year!  Remember, heirloom seeds reproduce and are not genetically modified.



 

I've already admitted to you all that I'm the food/cooking novice in the family.  Maybe that's a good thing?  You know, they say that "too many cooks spoil the broth" and I know that for sure, I don't want to have to compete with Chef Roland in the kitchen.  But, I decided that this year, I'm going to put it on my "list" to start trying my hand at various dishes, with the intention of cooking Christmas Dinner for my family (if any are brave enough to come) next year.  I've been reading over some recipes, seeing which ones I'll try first and have found one for my soup and one for my first course that I'm not going to reveal until I know I can succeed.  I'll keep you posted as to my progress!

One of the recipes calls for sultanas and when I come across a food word that is new to me, I like to pass that information on to those of you who are Gourmet Beginners, like me.  The new word is "sultanas" and even if you know what they are, I think you will find the link I'm using to be informational and entertaining.

I did manage to make a couple of different kinds of cookies for the holiday that I am gifting to others (if I can manage not to eat them all up) and think they are a bit different than the usual fare I see others preparing.  I made chocolate shortbread and thumpprint cookies with apricot preserve centers.  They are delicious, if I may say so without bragging.  They're simple enough and I found the recipes in a magazine.

If you would like to share stories or comments about your christmas cookie experiences this season, please submit them via our blog comment box and I'll be happy to post them.  Sometimes the stories are just as good as the cookies, if not better!

Definition of Sultanas:  http://www.ochef.com/676.htm

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & Bon Appetit!

What a wonderful time of the year to pick up some new receipes to share with family and friends!  Looking around I found some fun projects that are a little different than the usual fare and bring that French flair to the party!  Some of these would make great gifts, as well.

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/orangette.htm?nl=1

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/cranberrypound.htm


http://frenchfood.about.com/od/cookies/r/cinespresso.htm

http://www.aftouch-cuisine.com/recipe/walnut-cake-295.htm

http://www.traditionalfrenchfood.com/french-desserts.html

Bon Apetit!