Chocolate in the house!

Holiday goodness from personal chef Charity

I spent the day in the kitchen… cleaning, then cooking, then cleaning, then cooking, then recooking, then cleaning! I made a pie for a friends’ Christmas dinner and some cookies for the neighbor. OK, yes, I had a few, too.  I really cannot resist chocolate and the cookies I made are a wonderful recipe from The Seasons of the Italian Kitchen by Diane Darrow and Tom Maresca.

Spiced Honey Nut Balls

1 oz raisins ( I used currants

2 oz each shelled walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts

1 oz citron, finely chopped ( I used homemade candied lemon peel after discovering that the storebought citron is full of high fructose corn syrup!)

1 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

4 T honey

1/2c. plus 2 T flour ( I used whole wheat)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Put the raisins in a small bowl and add hot water to soften ( I used Marsala wine. why not?) Put the nuts on a baking sheet, keeping the hazelnuts to one side. Toast in the oven 5 minutes ( mine needed more, just watch them). Remove and rub the hazelnuts in a clean rough towel to remove as much of the skin as possible. Chop all the nuts together finely ( or pulse in the food processor).Put them in a large bowl. Drain the raisins and squeeze them lightly, and add to the bowl along with the ingredients through the nutmeg. Mix well. Mix the honey with 1 T hot water to loosen its consistency, and add to the fruit nut mixture. Sift on the flour and mix well. Oil or butter a cookie sheet. Break off bits of dough, roll them between buttered palms into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Set the balls on the baking sheet, put in the oven, and immediately turn the temperature down to 350º. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until they are golden brown. Cool on a rack. When they are completely cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks. ( yeah, good luck with that!!)

My other culinary adventure today was French Silk Pie as blogged beautifully by my friend Amy Casey here. If you are not familiar with her, please become so. She consistently posts great recipes and photographs. The photo here is before topping with Grand Marnier flavored whipped cream. mmmm.

Chocolate is the food of love and today was about giving my friends and neighbors some chocolate love, as well as myself.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite barred chocolate, though I didn’t use it today. Please go to http://www.shamanchocolates.com and read about this wonderful company. If your local store does not carry it, you can order on line.

Happy Holidays!

Greeting from your personal chef

I am not in the kitchen today.  This is a joyful, hopeful time of year!

We just passed the Winter Solstice, bringing the Sun’s light back to the Earth. Jews have celebrated Hanukkah with all that means and Christians and non Christians alike are getting ready to have Christmas. Whether you are waiting for Santa Claus or the honoring of the birth of Jesus, excitement is in the air!  Take this time to hold tight your loved ones and hope for a brighter future. If it is hard to find that hope or feel that love, pray or reach out until you do.

PA8 MX9MU7UKS

Mushroom Pate

Here is a wonderful last minute but quick and easy appetizer ( gluten free and vegetarian) to take to a holiday party or to have on hand for company. I don’t know where the recipe came from originally but perhaps someone will recognize it and credit the author.

Curried Mushroom and Cashew Pate

4 T butter ( could use vegan substitute)

1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1/2 minced onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tsp curry powder ( I used a bit more)

1/2 to 1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 c roasted cashews

2 T oil ( I used olive)

chopped fresh parsley

crackers or bread for spreading, or veggies for dipping

In the butter, saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic, curry powder, salt, coriander, and cumin. Cook until the mixture is fairly dry. While cooling, chop the cashews finely in a food processor and slowly add the oil to make a paste. Add the mushroom mixture and continue processing until smooth. Taste and add more salt if necessary ( I did). Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley. Serve at room temperature with crackers, bread, or veggies.

No fuss, a bit of muss. Enjoy the holidays.