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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Holiday Recipes



Holy moly. I have books to recommend, and games, and oh, we had the best fondue! But what I really need to do, I know, is link to holiday recipes. Because that's what you're thinking about right now. I understand. I do. I have moved a bunch of stuff over here:

Holiday Crudités with the best-ever Green Dip
Parmesan-Rosemary Butternut Gratin
Cranberry Upside-Down cake
Cranberry-Orange Bread
Sparkling Cranberry Centerpiece
My Mom's Cranberry Sauce
Baked Pancake (this is by request--but it makes a great holiday breakfast!)
DIY Vanilla Extract (get a jump on your holiday gift-making)

Edited to add: Latkes! And there are lots of other good holiday meal and gift recipes in the index, including the most amazing-ever potato-fennel gratin, and roasted cabbage. I'm only mentioning the newly added ones above. . . 

More soon! Happy Thanksgiving, my darlings. And Hanukkah too.
xo

25 comments:

  1. I love your book SOOOOO much. I don't have children yet,but seriously, I've read your book twice now. You have the greatest sense of humor, and I love your writing style. Please write more books!!!!

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  2. JoeMama12:59 AM

    Yes, Catherine. You nailed it. The Thanksgiving angst is building. Thank you for thinking of us and posting the links (the green dip is my favorite! and BTW, we had your maple lemon tofu tonight for dinner). But what is up with the crazy photo? Did you stage a thanksgiving meal, including cut outs from magazines of the turkey? Maybe I should try that for our Thanksgiving table--make it look just like a Rockwell family meal...Love you!

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    1. Ha ha, isn't that the dumbest? It was the year I wanted to post cranberry sauce *before* Thanksgiving, but without making the whole meal. . .

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    2. Anonymous4:53 AM

      I didn't even notice, do I win a prize for being exceptionally unobservant?!?
      Angela :)

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  3. That IS the best dip. We call it Awesome Sauce and make it all the time. I forgot about the cranberry upside down cake! Mmm.

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  4. Allyson9:08 AM

    I'm bringing your dip this Thanksgiving, by request. Speaking of requests, may I request a repost of your latke recipe? I can't be the only one planning to serve latkes with the turkey this Thanksgivukah (or however the hell you spell it).

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    1. Your wish is my etc. (Latkes added.) Thanks, Allyson!

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    2. Allyson2:52 AM

      Yay! Thanks, Catherine!

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  5. Anonymous10:21 AM

    The cranberry centerpiece is a requested item at the holidays, we LOVE that sweet-sharp bite to it. And the leftover sugar solution makes a great mixer with some whiskey.

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  6. Erin K.1:28 PM

    Ever since the first time I tried it - I am no longer allowed to attend family Thanksgiving unless I promise to bring the crudites plate with green dip.

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  7. Anonymous11:48 PM

    I just ordered vanillas beans and bottles yesterday to make my first batch of extract - yay! and will finally try the sparkling cranberry thingamajig, I think, this year - we'll see how it goes over with a bunch of Punjabis.

    Also-also (as my big kid would say), I am SO tempted to try making a felt throw; I've read the instructions now at least five times (if only because you can make even instructions a delight to read). I've instructed my thrift-shop-volunteer mother to start gathering sweaters. And various friends have offered me the use of their sewing machines. Now I just have to, uh, learn how to sew. How terrible is the idea of learning to do that while making a felted throw?

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    1. I think it's a perfect "learn to sew" project! There are no raw edges to finish, no difficult seaming, and the blanket doesn't even have to be bound around the edges. Good luck!

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  8. What is your take on using disposable plates for Thanksgiving? I know it's awful, right? I need perspective...I'm doing all that cooking then I can't bear the thought of the dishes, when I want to retire to the couch after the meal with a glass of wine like everyone else. We'll be having 4 adults and 5 children. Is it so wrong to not want to spend the holiday cleaning up?

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    1. Erin, my darling, 12 or 20 paper plates will not melt the polar ice caps. You enjoy your wine on the couch. Or get someone else to do the farking dishes! Because the truth is, loading plates into the dishwasher is going to be the least of your worries, dishes-wise. xo

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    2. Ah, thank you Catherine. I suppose I am stupidly more worried about what our friends will think of me for using paper. The husband is, how can I say this delicately, particular? Why should I care at this point though, when I will be serving a brined organic turkey and homemade pie? You're right though, as always...I think I will have a glass of wine right now, just for good measure.

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  9. The more I look at that picture, the weirder it looks to me. And, based on the comments, I will be bringing green dip to Thanksgiving. Thanks!

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  10. I'm excited to bring your Boursin-Style Cheese Spread! It's not listed, but I found it quickly enough thanks to your recipe index. Of course the last time I made it, I kind of hid it and ate it all myself. We'll see how adult I can be this holiday.

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  11. Hi Catherine - I need urgent help with the sparkling cranberry centerpiece! I already have berries soaking and then realized I don't need them till Thursday. Can I let them soak that long in the syrup? Or should I drain them after 1 day and keep in fridge until I am ready to sugar them? Or will I be needing to serve them tomorrow because I failed to read the recipe?
    Danielle in Nor Cal

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    1. Danielle! I think it's totally fine to leave them soaking until Thursday. Report back!

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    2. Hi again Catherine - the cranberries came out great even after soaking since Monday. I also sugared the orange rind and I have to say that was my favorite - would make extra next time. The berries and rind looked beautiful in three small glass bowls that I served with dessert. Also a big hit (with grownups) was the best ever green dip. We loved that little bit of funky! Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes, sentiments and humor all these years. I hope your Thanksgivinukkah was lovely. We will wait till Saturday to do our latkes.

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  12. Anonymous4:39 PM

    What about blanched green (string) beans as well? Yum! As for the paper-plates, well, I'm all for a paper table cloth, paper napkins, paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic forks and knives! Olé! One can only do so much, and go so far. If the food is good/great, no one cares about eating off a plastic/paper plates ;) and they'll go for seconds, with the same plate!!! Then, you dump it all in a trash bag, and pour yourself a glass of wine!! Yeah!

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  13. Due to the fact that we live in a country where Thanksgiving is not celebrated, we did our dinner last weekend. My son (10) commented that he loooooves Thanksgiving because of that wonderful dip I make--Catherine's green dip recipe, of course! So we were already half-full of veggies before the meal even began. That's something to be thankful for! (Not so much the series of movies featuring talking animals that he discovered on our new Hulu subscription.)

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  14. Anonymous6:01 PM

    Your Cranberry Upside Down Cake was a huge hit! (I made it and my girlfriend made it also - she said her people loved it as well.) Thanks for sharing it (again.) Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Hanukkah to you & yours, Catherine!
    ~Kathy A. in Michigan
    (since I'm about to post as Anonymous. It's so Ominous.)

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  15. Made cranberry upside down cake to bring 3 hours north to Thanksgiving in VT. Thirty minutes into the drive, I realized it was still at home. So I bought a pie. And now I have the whole cake to myself. MWAHAHAHA!

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  16. I made your Mom's cranberry sauce this weekend and it is fabulous! I had never tried to make this before and I was worried that there was no liquid in it, but then I just waited and watched and I knew you wouldn't let me down. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipies with us<3

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