Al Dente

Holiday Entertaining: Tips for Keeping It Simple

My idea of cooking is simplicity! When it gets right down to it, that’s the way I like to cook, eat and entertain! After all, I have book and magazine deadlines, a cooking class to teach, a television show to produce! But more than anything, it’s simply my philosophy! It’s probably a holdover from my years of cooking at Chez Panisse and what that means to me is that I prefer to eat delicious, healthy, fresh and very flavorful food and take the easy road doing it.

But here’s the dilemma…  It’s coming up to the holidays and what can I have around the house that will be healthy, fresh and make holiday entertaining a breeze?  Wine is no problem, I have a big wine cellar and I can always grab some great bottles from there.  But I want to make sure I have a few things in the pantry so that if friends stop by over the holidays, I’m prepared. 

I was looking for inspiration for holiday entertaining and what I always seem to do is to go to my latest cookbook, in this case, Wine Country Cooking. As I looked through my book, it occurred to me that simplicity is where it’s at for me.  Let’s admit it, who has the time to shop in multiple stores, to run from here to there for hard-to-find ingredients.  Nor do I want to spend hours in the kitchen cooking!  If I don’t have the time, why should I think that anyone one else would be any different? 

I know everyone thinks that just because I’m a chef that I spend all day in the kitchen making squab stock and homemade puff pastry. Every once in a while I like to do that but for the most part, I’m the one opting for ease as opposed to anything complicated. In these busy, hectic times it just makes sense to me. 

So it got me thinking…How can I do a little holiday entertaining, really “wow” my guests and not spend much time doing it!  Now that’s a challenge I like and here’s what I came up with…

For more recipes and holiday tips, go to my website www.joanneweir.com

Menu:

Warm Olives
Place assorted olives in a saucepan with a good drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of crushed red pepper, a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, a bay leaf and a couple strips of lemon zest.  Heat them just until warm and serve.

Roasted California Almonds
Place a few handfuls of almonds on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a couple tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and bake in a 400 ̊F oven for 10 to 12 minutes until crunchy and dark golden. Remove from the oven and toss with Maldon salt or Fleur de Sel.

Manchego and Membrillo
Buy a nice big chunk of Manchego Cheese, a flavorful sheep’s milk cheese from Spain. Place it on a plate with a cheese knife and some sliced membrillo or quince paste. The sweet membrillo versus the salty, earthy Manchego is a fantastic compliment.

Crostini with Fennel Sausage
Adapted from Wine Country Cooking

1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, either bulk or the casings removed
5 ounces grated fontina or crumbled robiola or taleggio cheese
1 teaspoon fennel seed, coarsely ground
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
Salt
12 slices rustic, coarse-textured bread, cut into 2 to 3-inch serving pieces

Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

Crumble the sausage in a bowl. Add the crumbled cheese, fennel seeds, parsley and salt to taste. Spread onto the bread, distributing evenly. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until golden and crispy, 15 minutes.

Serves 6

--Joanne Weir

A Fall Menu from Joanne Weir

I have been going absolutely non-stop, teaching all over the country with the launch of my newest cookbook, Wine Country Cooking.  It has been a whirlwind tour and now I'm thrilled to be back home in my own kitchen. 

This is my favorite time of the year!  I love the fall harvest of fruits, vegetables, and of course, grapes!  This is the time of year for all those comforting flavors!  I always order lots of firewood for the fireplace and make sure I have plenty of wine on hand for holiday entertaining. I stock my refrigerator with cheeses, olives, various crackers, and almonds for toasting. 

So now as I thumb through my book, the first dish I'm dying to make is the Sugar Pumpkin Soup with Honey Pecan Butter.  I bought a beautiful big pumpkin yesterday at a local farm stand which I will roast in the oven to bring out the sweetness.  I also went to the farmer's market and got a few different kinds of grapes to make my Wine Country Flatbread with Grapes and Walnuts.  The flatbread will be a perfect accompaniment to the soup!  I thought I'd serve a dry Riesling with a little spiciness to really bring out the sweetness of the grapes and roasted pumpkin.      

This is the time of year I love to braise meats.  The smells of braising perfumes the whole house and the meat that just seems to fall from the bone!  Plus it makes its own sauce all in one pot!  I love easy clean-up, don't you?  So the decision is made, Beef Braised in Zinfandel.  I'll serve the same red wine for a perfect match.

This time of years begs for my Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables.  Honestly this has to be one of the best recipes I've ever written! These vegetables are also a must at my Thanksgiving table! 

Finally, for dessert, I will make another of my seasonal favorites--Panna Cotta with Stewed Grapes. The panna cotta is a cinch to make, the flavors are fantastic, and it literally melts in your mouth!  That's a must.  With the panna cotta, I thought a fruity Moscato from the Piedmont in northern Italy would be a match made in heaven!

Well the doorbell is ringing.  Thank God, I already set the table!  I'd better go and let my friends in!  Wish you could be here!   

For more recipes, go to my website www.joanneweir.com.

Panna Cotta with Stewed Grapes

2 tablespoons cold water
1 3/4 teaspoons granulated unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt

Sauce:
1 pound sweet harvest grapes
1/4 cup sugar
Halved grapes as a garnish
Mint sprigs as a garnish

Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside until the gelatin is softened, 5 minutes. Place the cream, milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Watch closely so it doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Pour into 6 5-ounce ramekins and chill in the refrigerator 3 hours.

In the meantime, place the grapes and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the grapes fall apart, 40 minutes. Pass the grapes and their liquid through a food mill and strain out the seeds and skin. Taste and add more sugar if needed. If you do add additional sugar, make sure that you stir until the sugar is dissolved. If the sauce is too thin, reduce further until it begins to thicken and coat the back of a spoon.

Just before serving, run a small knife around the edges of the ramekins. Dip the panna cotta molds in boiling water just until loosened. Turn the molds onto serving plates and spoon the sauce around the edges. Garnish with halved grapes and mint.

Serves 6

Suggested wine: Moscato

--Joanne Weir