Preserving Family Food Traditions- A Priceless Gift

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that the initial inspiration for starting a blog was to preserve family recipes and traditions for my 6 children. When I think back to my own childhood, many recipes that I would consider heirlooms from my family and friends have been lost. To the extent I can I do try to pass on the stories that go with the food traditions of my family, even if I don't have the recipes like how my Grandmother Knighting cracked scores of black walnuts for her famous applesauce cakes that she made as gifts. Even though money was very tight for her she would not compromise- English walnuts would not substitute. And despite her arthritis, she used cast iron bundt pans that gave her cakes a deep color, richness, and moistness that I have not been able to recreate with any recipe. Or how my Grandfather McKinney, who had been a cook in the National Guard, always made us breakfast when we were at my grandparents' home (we always requested SOS (shit on the shingle) because it was the only time we could say that word!). And how my Grandmother McKinney was an incredible bread and pie baker, and she would take the pie crust scraps and let me and my brothers spread them with jam or peanut butter and roll them up to make pinwheel cookies.Or how our neighbor in Hilton Village, Mrs "D", made me an apple pie (the best I have ever had) when I returned from the hospital after Andrew was born that was so good it made me want to get pregnant again.How about how my dad's favorite expression when something was really good was "It will make your tongue slap your brains out!"

This year for Christmas, my oldest daughter Colleen(Left, the blonde with her sister, NOT eating my food!) took this to the next level. Before Christmas, she sent us all a questionnaire with questions about food memories, favorite recipes and the like. We became more and more curious about how the information was going to be used and the answer was truly impressive. We all had to open our gift from Colleen at the same time under the tree so that the surprise would not be spoiled. She presented each of us with a binder that was covered with a version of the Dowd Family crest with some of the crossed swords and maces supplanted by mixing bowls and wooden spoons. Inside was a special introduction that choked me (and some of the siblings) up about how special our family is and how much she hopes that we hold to the traditions we have established over the years.Inside the book are recipes and stories she pulled from each family member's responses to the survey. She pulled from my blog and threw in some of her own recipes and stories as well. And to make sure the book is a living document, she established an email group with all of us as members where we can share new recipes or stories that we remember so that they are not lost and everyone can share. It was a very special and thoughtful gift, for everyone who received one, but particularly touching for me. To hear how important those memories are to my children and how much they treasured them and wanted to share and preserve them really touched my heart.

I guess I am sharing this since it has to do with food and family, two very important topics on this blog but also to encourage you to think about doing something similar as well. Whether it is a binder or a website, take the time and effort to save those special traditions for your family, it is a priceless gift that they will treasure forever. And a special thanks to Colleen for pulling it all together and to all those who provided their input to make the Dowd Family Recipes unique and special!

Merry Christmas

The hustle and bustle is over. No more shopping or Amazon, or UPS trucks bearing packages. Thousands are at their holiday destination-home. One this day when the focus is on the Holy Family welcoming a new addition that has impacted millions throughout generations, may you enjoy all the blessings of family, no matter what that looks like. A very Merry Christmas, and a safe and Happy New Year to all of you and yours. And to those families who cannot be together because their mothers, brother, fathers, and sons are deployed, a very special wish for a successful mission and a safe return home.

Now, I am going to surround myself with family and enjoy my time with those I love! Now that is the magic of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!

Let them eat steak!- An Omaholiday Giveaway!

This is the time of year when thoughts go to Christmas cookies, and glistening hams and roasted turkeys or maybe even a goose the shade of one of the Real Housewives of Orange County. But here is something designed to help you escape the monotony of leftovers during the holidays- a $50 giveaway from Omaha Steaks. If you are not familiar with Omaha Steaks, they are a large company specializing in the processing and delivery of prime steaks, meats and other gourmet foods. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska (imagine that) Omaha Steaks has many retail outlets as well as shipping their high-quality meats all over the world. Their mail-order business has soared with the interest in food as a gift, perfect for those people that you have no idea what to buy for. Like many I have heard of the company, they have been around since 1917, so when they contacted me to see if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate, I jumped at the chance. As a bonus they sent me a box of filet mignons, so that I could write about their product.

Good meat needs very little in the way of seasoning, the meat should be the star, yet there are ways to complement a good steak, bringing out its flavor. When my filets from Omaha came packed with dry ice, we were looking forward to a great dinner. My steaks benefitted from my recent Julie and Julia experience- I learned that to sear meat you must dry the surface first. I used only some fresh ground pepper and kosher salt and then seared the steaks and cooked them until rare (for me) and medium rare (for my husband). I decided to make tow complementary condiments for my beautiful steaks - one, sauteed mushrooms with port wine and the other, avocado butter. Both of these added a different dimension to the delicious, tender beef.

Mixed Mushrooms with Port - Slice 2 cups assorted mushrooms into fairly uniform pieces (I used hen and chicks and button mushrooms). Melt 2tbsp butter, and saute the mushrooms until just tender, then add a tablespoon each of soy sauce and worcestershire sauce, and then 1-2 tablespoons of port wine. Stir until liquid is reduced by about half. Serve with steak.

Avocado Butter - Mash 1/2 a ripe avocado with 1/2 cup softened butter (since my husband is a diabetic, I use Smart Balance, and it works just as well). Form into a roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Cut slices and serve with your steak- this is amazing- adding a richness that complements the beef perfectly.

So you want to win some steaks of your own to complement with these or other condiments? From now until December 31, do the following to win a $50 gift certificate from Omaha Steaks to create your own memorable meal:
1) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite complement to a great steak
2)Sign up to follow Omaha Steaks on Twitter @Omaha_steaks and ReTweet the contest details using the hashtag #OmahaHoliday.

The winner will be selected at random, and can start the new year with some fabulous beef!

Julie and Julia... Newport News Style (Part 1- The Preparation)

Okay,okay, I know that every food blogger in the world has already posted on Julie and Julia and I am probably the last foodie to post on this movie.Originally, like the rest of the foodblogging world, I had plans to do a dinner and go with my daughters to see the movie, but time and other responsibilities interfered and there was such a dearth of posts, that it seemed superfluous. So last week when Julie and Julia came out on video, Bridget and I wanted to make our own try at mastering the art of french cooking and watching the DVD in the comfort of our own home.

First of all I have to tell you that my copy of MTAoFC came from a garage sale at our church. While I had plenty of cookbooks, I did not have this one and it seemed almost sacrilegious for any self-respecting foodblogger not to have a copy, and so for $4, the two volumes came home with me.I have to admit thought that they have been on my bakers rack since then, in a place of honor, seeming a bit daunting for me to even open up. However, the release of Julie and Julia and my promise to my daughter that we would cook from MTAoFC was my inspiration to pull these volumes off the shelf to do exactly what Julia had hoped- educate the average American on French cooking. The first challenge was to find a recipe to make - I wanted something that would be challenging but not so hard that I had little chance of success. I also wanted to not have to go out and buy a lot of ingredients. I had some lobster tails in the freezer, so I decided on lobster quenelles au gratin, a light, French dumpling with white sauce and cheese. Bridget decided to make crepes with a beef, mushroom and spinach filling and bearnaise sauce.Frankly,I thought we were both reaching but we were excited and our plan was to have dinner ready by the time the Redskins finished losing so we could start the movie and enjoy our own French masterpieces.

First, the quenelles. Quenelles begin life as pate a choux, the same pastry that is used for cream puffs . With the simplest ingredients- butter (of course), eggs, flour- and a lot of elbow grease can transform a bland paste into a light as a cloud dumpling that is just amazing. I added three pureed lobster tails, but you could use salmon, or other fish. After the pate a choux is made , it had to chill, and then cream was beat in half-tablespoon by half-tablespoon (not as easy as it sounds). Then the fun part. Julia said to poach the quenelles in water that is just barely simmering, another thing that is not really as easy as it sounds. When they we done a laid them in a bed of white wine white sauce and sprinkled them with swiss cheese. Then they were baked in the oven until the top was brown and bubbly.

Now Bridget's crepes. I have made crepes before, but honestly they have been so much trouble and either they are too thick, to thin, fall apart, etc. so I was a bit skeptical when Bridge said she was going to make them . The truth - I was blown out of the water! She was a crepe-making machine. See what I mean?

Part two: the food and movie....

Cooking Gifts for the Thrifty- $25 and Under

This is a tough year for so many people with the economy doing poorly, and everyone is looking for ways to get gifts on a budget. So whether you are a young couple doing Christmas on a budget, a child trying to find something that you can buy with babysitting or paper route money,or  just trying to stuff a stocking, here are my suggestions for some great cooking and kitchen-related gifts that won't break the bank.

Kitchen Aid Sheartoku - $9.99 at Target (I actually bought some tonight on clearance at $4.98 a pair) - My daughter bought me a pair of these last year for Christmas and they are the most-used utensil in my drawer. They are equally comfortable cutting boneless chicken thighs into tenders or cutting through joints of chicken wings or cutting up herbs.The bonus? The two pieces come apart and yield a Santoku knife that can hold its own in the kitchen! You will wonder how you got along without it!

Flexible Cutting Boards - $9.95 for set of five at Amazon.com. With these cutting boards you never have to worry about cross-contamination since you can use a different cutting board for every job and they can store about anywhere. These are dishwasher-safe, and you will use these every day! Actually now that I think about it I could use some more (hint, hint!)

Utensil Crock - $9.95 at Bed Bath and Beyond - One of these sits beside my stove full of whisks, slotted spoons, spatulas and the like. I saw this used at one of the beach houses we visited, and it was so convenient to have those tools right at my fingertips that as soon as we got back, I went out and got one. It will help undo the clutter in your utensil drawer, and make grabbing that ladle or whisk an easy task!

Pot Clip Spoon Rest - $6.95 at Amazon.com - I don't have these yet but they are on my Christmas list,because they hold your spoon on the side of a pot and since they are made with silicon,there is no heat transfer or grabbing a hot utensil...and the drips fall right into the pot!

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman- $17.96 at Barnes and Noble -  This is a great book, particularly for new cooks but there are new recipes for even experienced cooks, Bittman is a real master.  He even has a Quick and Easy Recipe book that is about $15.00 at B&N as well. Everything I have made from this book has been amazing.

Rubbermaid 2-Step Folding Step Stool - $25.94 at Amazon.com - This is another thing that is on my list this year. I saw one at a store that sells things for campers,and was really impressed, and at 5'1" this would be a helpful tool in my kitchen to reach things without straining.  This stool can hold up to 300 lbs and has skid resistant feet and steps for safety.



Do you have some suggestions for inexpensive gifts you would like to share? Let me know if there are products you know have in your own kitchen that would make an economical gift for those out there trying to stir up a great Christmas with a side of economy!!!

And the Whoogas go to.....

Jeanne of Simple Math Bakery will be warming her soles with her choice of ugg bots courtesy of Whooga Boots!!!  Thanks to all of you who left a comment. And if you didn't win and have a blog, you can still enter the giveaway at Whooga Boots by displaying their badge on your own blog.And a special thanks to our friends across the pond at Whooga Boots.

Stay tuned because another giveaway is coming  that will answer the age old question....Where's the beef!!

Ugg Boots Giveaway in time for Christmas for Play with Food Readers!

I have been very fortunate as a blogger to have companies contact me and provide me with samples and new products to try. It is fun to get a surprise package with a new type of vodka or a new pizza crust, or other new food or kitchen tool and have the opportunity to try it and share that with my readers.  But this time, I have an even bigger thrill. Whoogaboots, a site that sells the popular (and extremely comfortable) ugg boots contacted me to let me know that their site was offering a giveaway for bloggers and offered to supply a pair of Ugg Boots as a giveaway for Play with Food readers. And you will even get them in time for Christmas!

Whoogaboots is a UK company that specializes in supplying high quality ugg boots.  It features styles and colors you have seen on your favorite celebrities, and prides itself on excellent customer service and fast shipping. Their ThermoFleece technology makes their boots particularly warm, while still allowing feet to breathe. And you actually have two chances to win- you can enter on their site, and leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Whooga Boots are and a week from now I will pick a random winner from those who have left comments...so comment away and enjoy a gift from WhoogaBoots and Play with Food!!