Beer-Braised Beef and Mini Yorkshire Puddings

We found this beer-braised beef recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". She says beer is typical for a Belgian braise, and the recipe is called "Carbonnades a la Flamande". The beef is cut into small cutlets, quickly browned, then braised with onions and beer until it is falling-apart tender. The beer, brown sugar, and vinegar give it a wonderful sweet-and-sour flavor.

Joe and I didn't know for sure the difference between braising and stewing, but Julia tells us that to braise food, you cook it in oil first, then finish it with some liquid. Stewing is nearly the same, with or without the browning step, but the food is cooked with a large amount of liquid, and the end result is much more soupy.

We decided to tackle Yorkshire pudding, something we've never made before, because we're making it as an accompaniment to my mom's standing rib roast for Christmas dinner. Joe's English side of the family, the Finchams, come from Yorkshire, so it seemed a nice tie-in. And as I've read so much Victorian literature, I've been curious about Yorkshire pudding.

Actually, the British concept of pudding is rather puzzling to Americans in general. Yorkshire pudding is a light batter that bakes up like a popover, but their black pudding is essentially a sausage, and plum pudding is similar to a fruitcake, and often people say pudding to mean any kind of dessert at all.

Yorkshire pudding is easy to make and a traditional accompaniment to a Sunday roast. Joe found that the first mention of it was in a cookbook in the early 1700s. Cooks would place a pan of the batter underneath a roast and let the juices drip down to flavor the pudding. Nowadays cooks spoon a bit of the roast's drippings over the batter as it bakes, and the result is a fluffy, savory muffin whose crown rises then collapses when it cools.

These puddings are not burnt - they are brown from the rich beef juices we poured over them.

While bakers often make Yorkshire pudding in on pan and cut slices for diners, we made these in mini muffin tins so that people at dinner could try just a little bit without taking too much if they happened to not enjoy it. I don't think there will be any left, though!

Ingredients

Yorkshire Pudding

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons beef drippings and fat

Beer-Braised Beef

1 3-lb top round roast or tenderloin
2 tbsp oil
6 cups onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef stock
3 cups Pilsner-style beer
2 tbsp light brown sugar
6 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp fresh marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

To make the Yorkshire Pudding batter, stir together the flour and salt. in a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and milk. Gradually add to the flour to the egg mixture, beating it into a thin, smooth batter, but being careful not to over-mix it. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Cut the beef into 2 x 4 inch cutlets, about 1/2 inch thick. Place between layers of paper towels and allow it to dry so that it will saute properly. Heat a large skillet, then add the oil and heat at medium-high until nearly smoking. Add the beef strips a few at a time, and quickly brown them on both sides. Set them aside, then pour the oil and beef drippings into a bowl to be used with the pudding.

Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 more tbsp oil. Add the onions and brown them for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Set them aside, then saute the garlic until tender. Pour the stock into the pan and bring it to a boil, scraping up the browned bits of food from the pan. Stir in the brown sugar and beer and remove from the heat.

Tie the herbs together in a double layer of cheesecloth or a coffee filter to make a "bouquet garni". That way, the herbs will impart their flavor to the meal without overpowering it or causing the diners to pick stems and leaves from their food.

A bouquet garni - an herb bouquet for cooking

In a casserole dish, arrange half the beef strips and season with salt and pepper. Spread half the onions over the beef, place the herb bouquet in the center, then repeat with the rest of the beef and onions. Pour the beef broth mixture over the casserole.

Cover the casserole and place it in the bottom third of the oven. Cook at a slow simmer for 2 hours, or until fork-tender.

Remove the herb bouquet and drain the cooking liquid into a saucepan. Whisk the cornstarch and vinegar mixture into the liquid and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Pour the sauce over the meat and keep warm.

Turn the oven to 450 degrees.

Spray two mini muffin pans or a 9 x 11 casserole dish with oil. Pour the pudding batter into the pan or dish about 2/3 full. Measure the beef drippings - you should have 3 tablespoons. If not, add melted butter to make the right amount. Pour this mixture over the batter.

Bake the pudding, without opening the oven door, until risen and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with the meat.

Serves 6.

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Candy Cane Lollipops

On Thursday, I was going to my friend's holiday cookie exchange, and I really wanted to do something different this year. Twenty or thirty ladies get together for this party, all wonderful cooks and creative women, so these cute little lollipops were the perfect thing to bring.

I didn't know that if you put mini candy canes into a warm oven for a few minutes, they soften enough to mold around lolly sticks. It turns out there is about a ten-second window between "softened enough to mold" and "melted into a flat red-and-white blob".

It took us quite a while to figure out the correct moment to pull them out of the oven. What I can tell you is that candy canes vary in softness so that temperatures and times are just suggestions. Try testing one or two first so that you don't ruin an entire pan (or two) and have to run back to the store for replacement candy canes. Yes, we had to do that the other day.

Don't let this intimidate you, though. These are super easy to make and I got SO many compliments at the cookie party.

Ingredients

32 mini candy canes
16 6-inch lollipop sticks
12 oz almond bark or white chocolate chips
3-4 drops peppermint oil
Christmas-colored candy sprinkles

Directions

Heat the oven to 235 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange pairs of candy canes into a heart shape, leaving room underneath each one to insert the stick after they come out of the oven.

Heat the candy canes for 4-7 minutes, until just soft enough to press a stick into each heart. We noticed that our canes developed little candy bubbles along the surface at just the right moment.

Slide the parchment and candy onto a counter and quickly press the lollipop sticks upward into the curved center of the two canes, then pinch the two bottom edges around the stick. If they don't stick securely, don't worry - the chocolate will hold the whole heart together. Let cool for a few minutes.

On the stove over low heat, or in the microwave, heat the almond bark or white chocolate until melted smooth, stirring frequently. If you heat it too long, it will become grainy with sugar crystals; just stir in a bit of coconut oil or shortening and beat it until smooth. Stir in the peppermint oil. Spoon a little chocolate into the center of each heart, then decorate with the candy sprinkles. Let the chocolate harden before serving.

Makes 16 lollipops.

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Creamy Baked Leeks

This baked leek casserole reminds me of the creamed onions that were always on my grandma's table at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Joe is sensitive to large amounts of onions, so he enjoys the milder onion-asparagus taste of leeks much better. This is a quick and easy side dish, that comes together in about half an hour.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
Dash hot sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 medium leeks, tough green leaves removed and halved lengthwise

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with oil.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then whisk in the flour. Gradually stir in the milk and then the cheese until melted. Season with garlic powder, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the leeks in a single layer on the pan. Pour the cheese sauce over the leeks. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until leeks are tender and sauce is bubbly.

Serves 4.

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Pork Tenderloin with Date and Cilantro Relish

Joe found a luscious loin rib roast for $1.49 a pound, and we cut it into several pieces to last a few meals. I don't know about you, but we don't find deals like this very often. The sweet/savory fruit relish was perfect; lush and flavorful and special enough for Christmas dinner. If you use a tenderloin, it's also quick to make, since the meat only needs to roast a short time to keep it tender and juicy.

Ingredients

2/3 cup dates, finely chopped
3 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp sage
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, plus whole leaves for serving
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

Whisk together dates, orange juice, sage, cilantro, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.

If you're cooking a tenderloin, heat the oven to 425 degrees. If you have a bigger, thicker rib roast, you'll want to cook it at 350 for a longer time.

Heat the last tbsp of oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic all over the roast, then brown it on all sides - about 6 to 8 minutes. 

Place the skillet in the oven and roast the tenderloin at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or the pork roast at 350 for about an hour. The meat is done when a meat thermometer stuck in the center reads 140 degrees. Remove from oven and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.

Drain the oil from the pan drippings, then stir the drippings into the fruit relish mixture. Slice the pork, then spoon the date mixture over the top before serving.

Serves 4.

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Guinness Irish Beef Stew

A few years ago I took an Humanities tour of Ireland and Scotland during winter break at my college, studying art, literature, and Celtic culture. We left Chicago on Boxing Day (December 26 to us Yankees) and spent two weeks falling in love with the countryside, the very friendly people, and the rich tradition of art and literature around us.

The exuberant colors of Irish buildings. 

I know I fall in love easily when I'm traveling, but there are just so many things to love.

Glendalough Monastery, founded around 600  A.D.

Dublin Museum of Natural History

During my trip, I tried authentic Irish stew a couple of times. On a chilly day, is there anything better than beef and vegetables slowly simmered in a dark savory gravy? Yes there is! The Irish say, why not add a couple cups of stout beer to the broth?

Guinness DOES taste better at the source: the Dublin brewery's tasting room.

This beef stew is best if it cooks low and slow for a long time, so you can put it in a Dutch oven or a slow cooker and let it melt into delicious stew all day. That's perfect if you want to go to an Irish celebration like the Chicago parades or a local party. By the time you come home, chilled and ravenous, it will be ready for you to devour.

If you visit Ireland, there are at least two things you should know. Between Christmas and New Year's Day, nearly everything shuts down - the entire country is closed. I wanted a friendly Irish family to adopt me for the holiday week as their aunt from America. I would have loved to snuggle into one of those old farm cottages with the peat fires burning on each end of the house, and get in touch with my Irish pride.

The other thing that you should know is that, if you should buy a package of Guinness to sip while you're dressing to go out to the pub with your friends, there is not a single item in the Republic of Ireland that will open the bottles except for a bottle opener. Not a doorjamb, a faucet, your teeth, the sharp corner of a table, a ring, or certainly not your poor tender palms.

Kara is battling a Guinness bottle with the faucet. The bottle won. You can feel her desperation, can't you?

Instead, just go to the local pub, which is a sort of extension of the Irish living room. You'll get to sing along with the band and maybe even play, if you brought your pipes, bodhrán, or fiddle. You'll definitely enjoy plenty of craic ("crack"), which means good times with good friends, music, and gossip.

Pub in Kilkenny; I'm pretty sure it was called Tynan's Bridge House.

Ingredients

Note: use any combination of veggies you like; this stew is adaptable!

2 pounds beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups onions, sliced
1 cup parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/4" coins (about 2 medium-sized parsnips)
1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" coins (about 2 medium-sized carrots)
1 cup celery, sliced (about 2 celery ribs)
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1 1/2 bottles Guinness or other stout-style beer
4 cups beef broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Toss the beef with the flour until the pieces are well coated on all sides. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meat on all sides.

Stir together the broth, beer, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves.

If using a crock pot, place half the beef in the pot then half the vegetables, then layer the other half of meat and vegetables on top. Pour the broth mixture over the top and cook, covered, for 8-10 hours on low heat or 4-6 hours on high heat (depending on your crock pot's temperature). When finished, the meat and vegetables should be falling-apart tender.

If using a pot on the stove, place the beef, onions, garlic, and other vegetables in the pot. Pour the broth mixture over the top and stir it together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Again, you know the stew is ready when the meat and vegetables are falling-apart tender.

Before serving, remove the bay leaves. Blend together the cornstarch and water and stir it into the sauce. Let it thicken the sauce for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.

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Almond-Coconut Macaroons with Dried Cherries

Every spring a group of friends from my church gets together for a Seder meal, to honor our Jewish neighbors' tradition and experience the kind of celebration Jesus would have had every year. After many years of celebrating between ourselves, we're hosting a church-wide Seder ceremony this year.

Joe's braised leg of lamb is always a big hit, but last year he did a beef brisket and I decided to try a new dessert. These coconut-almond-cherry macaroons are light and tasty and perfect!

If you like quick and easy baking, these are just about the easiest cookies you can make. Stir together a couple of ingredients, bake 20 minutes, and that's it! I wish I had made a double batch, because people couldn't get enough. I was blushing from the compliments.

If you want to go over the top with these, press half a maraschino cherry into the top of each cookie, and then dip the bottoms into melted semi-sweet chocolate.

Ingredients

1 8-oz can unsweetened almond paste

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg whites, well beaten

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cover a baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper.

Break up almond paste into a mixer or food processor bowl. Add the sugar and egg whites and blend well. Scrape down the sides. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the sheet. Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes, until a little golden and puffy. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Makes 15 macaroons.

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Turkey / Chicken Croquettes with Aioli Sauce

Croquettes are traditionally served as tapas in Spain. My Spanish teachers have told me that in many places in Spain, the large meal of the day is around noon and people sometimes take off a couple of hours for lunch. After work, people often go to the bar/restaurants for a drink and a few little bites to eat - tapas. If you live in a small town, you might have to make the rounds of the two or three pubs around you, for fear of insulting one of the innkeepers.

Like many places in Europe, bars are not intended as adults-only spots, but as an extension of a family's living room. Kids play on the floor, people take turns singing with the band, teens giggle in the corner, and everyone catches up with their neighbors before going home for a light meal and bed. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

The original recipe comes from Kim and Ellory's Kitchen, a fantastic personal chef and catering service in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago. They gave fun tapas cooking demonstrations for Joe's business clients and friends each year. Sadly, Ellory has passed away and Kim is cooking in New Orleans, but they left behind wonderful memories with us.

Ingredients

Aioli Sauce (Garlic Mayonnaise)

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg, at room temperature
1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp chili powder

In a blender, mix the egg and garlic for 15 seconds. Gradually add the olive oil while continuing to blend, then slowly add the lemon juice and chili powder while blending. Chill before serving.

Croquettes

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg
6 oz cooked turkey, chicken, ham, or fish, finely minced
2 oz cooked pancetta or lean bacon, finely minced
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp red or green pepper, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup fine bread crumbs

Directions

Follow the aioli directions above, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

In a small sauce pan melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until well mixed. Slowly pour in the milk and keep cooking until thickened and creamy. Stir in the nutmeg.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the turkey, parsley, red pepper, salt, and pepper. Add to the white sauce. Put it in the refrigerator and allow it to cool at least 2 hours.

Divide the mixture into 20 balls and dip into the beaten eggs, then roll in the bread crumbs. Return to the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes more.

Deep fry the croquettes until golden brown, or bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until golden and crunchy.

Serve with aioli sauce for dipping.

Makes 20 croquettes.

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Replay: Apple-Cranberry-Currant relish

We're delighted every time the family asks us to bring cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. While the can of cranberry sauce is part of our tradition - and my brother-in-law's father once carved one into the shape of a turkey - this recipe from my friend Becky is the best I've ever tasted. I know it sounds weird to add an onion and curry powder, but trust me, it is amazing once it's cooked!

We're headed to the Toledo area to spend Thanksgiving with my parents, and this aromatic relish of cranberries, apples, and dried currants is going with us.

Check out the best cranberry sauce ever: Apple-Cranberry-Currant relish

Hint: if you're looking for currants and don't find them with the other dried fruits, look for a store with a Polish/Ukrainian/Russian food section. Or a Scandinavian section. Look for an aisle for people who live in cold places, basically.

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Replay: Pumpkin Patch Cheese Bites

This is one of my favorite appetizers ever - and they're not all that difficult to make! Once I made these during a cooking demonstration, and the whole group loved them. They taste a little bit like Merkt's cheese spread...did you eat that as a kid like we did in our family?

These are perfect for a Halloween party, or any occasion in the fall. Yum!

Get the recipe here: Pumpkin Patch Cheese Bites

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Loaded Smashed Potato Casserole

If you're asked to bring a dish to the potluck or an Independence Day cookout, you couldn't do any better than these unbelievably decadent smashed potatoes. They've got everything you'd love on a baked potato. If I'm missing anything you like, just throw it in there. This is especially good if you top it with the french fried onions before cooking, but this is optional if you want to save your heart.

If you're feeling guilty afterward, take a long walk, watch the fireworks, and then come home and eat the leftovers. Repeat as often as necessary.

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs russet or red-skinned potatoes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 stalks green onions, chopped
6 strips of bacon, cooked, chopped, and divided in half

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half
2/3 cup french-fried onions (optional)

Directions

Scrub the potatoes and prick them with a fork. Boil or microwave the potatoes until tender. Drain (if boiled), then put in a large bowl. Add the butter and sour cream and mash until smooth. If you like, you can also mix them in a food processor or with a mixer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9x12 casserole dish.

Stir the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and green onions into the potato mixture. Then add half of the bacon and cheese. Mix well. Spoon it into the casserole pan. 

Bake for 20 minutes, then pull it out and top with the remaining bacon, cheese, and french-fried onions. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until it is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

Serves 8-10.

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Garlic and Fennel-seed Studded Pork Roast

Jenn and Jessie, one of these days you'll probably want to make a pork roast for a special dinner or a holiday. In fact, you could invite your parents over for Mother's Day (second Sunday in May) and serve them this wonderful roast with gravy, and of course, plenty of mashed potatoes.

Fennel seed is the fragrant seasoning in many sausages. It seems to naturally pair up with pork. Adding ground ginger and mustard gives the meat a bit of tang.

Ingredients

1 3-4 pound pork roast
2 garlic cloves, slivered
2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups beef broth, divided
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp cold water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

With a sharp knife, deeply pierce the fat layer in one or two inch rows all over the pork roast. Insert a sliver of garlic and one or two fennel seeds into each piercing. Stir together the mustard and ginger and sprinkle it all over the meat.

In an oven proof pan, brown the meat on all sides. Pour one cup of hot beef broth over the roast, cover, and put it in the oven. Roast it for 30 minutes per pound, basting occasionally. Add more liquid if it boils away. The roast is done when it is no longer pink deep in the middle, or when a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meat reads 160-170 degrees. You do have a meat thermometer, don't you? If you do, make sure you don't roast the plastic meat thermometer sleeve, like I did the first time I used one.

Remove the meat from the pan, place it on a cutting board, and cover with foil. Put the roasting pan on the stove and turn on medium heat. Pour the rest of the beef broth into the pan and bring it to a boil, scraping off the rich crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir together the corn starch and water, then slowly pour it into the sauce while stirring constantly. Allow it to simmer until thickened into gravy.

Carve the roast and pour any juices from the cutting board back into the gravy. Serve with the gravy on the side.

Serves 6-8, depending on the size of the roast.

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Marshall Field's Cinnamon Toast Hot Cocktail

This drink is too good to not share again. Put something warm in your belly, and let the warmth of the season fill you up, in whatever way you celebrate.

Generations of Chicagoans have traveled to the Walnut Room in Chicago's downtown Marshall Field's shopping emporium for Christmas gifts and a very special meal. Even though Macy's took over the Marshall Field's property some years ago, if you go down to State Street and Randolph today you'll still find the luxurious service, Frango mints, and the stunning two-story Christmas tree in the walnut-paneled dining room.

I'm a relative newcomer to the Walnut Room; my first trip there I was interested in the handsome and elusive Joseph Duea who eventually asked me to marry him a few blocks away at the Art Institute. That year, the first Harry Potter book had blasted away all sales records, Marshall Fields' was still Marshall Fields', and the Walnut Room tree was decorated with hundreds of snowy owls from the novel.

This year I went for lunch with a few of my friends, and the menu has retained some classics while updating for today's tastes. The restaurant still serves a dish called "Mrs. Hering's 1890 chicken pot pie". It also offers "Field's special salad" which is similar to a club sandwich in a bowl, and is all that my friend Robin really remembers from holiday trips downtown with her Grandma.

I'm guessing a more recent touch is the "fairy princesses" who travel the dining room offering you sparkling magic dust to help you when you close your eyes and make a wish. Their satin tip bags, with dollars dangling suggestively from the openings, were the only tacky touch of the entire experience, and I assure you my tack-o-meter has been finely honed over time.

Still, we all made our quiet wishes. My friends and I spent the rest of the day distracted by the glitter on our noses and eyelids, rather joyful from warming up with a signature cocktail they called "Cinnamon Toast".

Ingredients

48 ounces apple cider
2 cups Amaretto
1 cup whipped cream
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
4 cinnamon sticks, to garnish

Instructions

Heat the cider until near boiling, then stir in the amaretto. 
Stir together the cinnamon and sugar on a plate. Wet the rim of a large mug, then swirl the rim in the cinnamon mixture. Pour the cider mixture into the mug, stir in the whipped cream, then garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Makes 4 cocktails.

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Cranberry-Bourbon Glazed Ham

This recipe came about accidentally, when an afternoon of cooking with friends turned a little boozy and silly. What was left was a jar of bourbon-soaked cranberries and some tamales that went terribly wrong.

Luckily we found a way to use both the tamales and the leftover cranberries, which had become little red booze bombs. If you want a more authentic moonshiner taste, use some kind of real moonshine and make sure you add dark molasses to the glaze. It magnifies the sweet smokiness of the ham like you wouldn't believe.

Note: start your cranberries marinating in bourbon a week ahead if you can. If not, just whip it all up together and let the oven sort it out.

Ingredients

1 cup of your favorite bourbon

2/3 cup fresh cranberries
1 – 12-16 lb. bone-in ham

¼ cup honey

¼ cup molasses (or dark brown sugar dissolved in a little very hot water)

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp dry mustard

Instructions

Soak the cranberries in the bourbon in a jar in the refrigerator for several days to one week.

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a blender puree the cranberries with a little of the bourbon until they are all pureed. Whisk together the bourbon, pureed cranberries, honey, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and black pepper.

Remove any skin from the ham and score the fat with ½” deep cuts about 1” apart. Put the ham, cut side down, in a large roasting pan with 2 cups of water in the bottom. I like to put it on a low rack in the roaster. Baste about ¼ of the glaze on the ham and bake with no lid.

About every 30 minutes baste the ham with the liquid and drippings in the pan, and then baste with more of the glaze. Make a foil tent over the ham if it begins to brown too quickly.

Bake for about 2 to 2 ½ hours until it reaches a temperature of 155° with a meat thermometer in the meaty part of the ham, not near the bone. Remove and let rest 15 minutes before carving and serving. Save the pan drippings and mix with the ham bone and vegetable scraps to make a delicious ham stock for soups or other recipes.

Serves about 8 hungry people.

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Favorite Easter Recipes

I don't know who made this, but would gladly give credit if I did!

Whew! With my new job as a librarian, working with a new art gallery, getting involved in social justice as a ministry, and writing some new fiction, I can hardly believe Easter is in just a few days. I miss the Easters when I was young; waking up to find a huge basket of candy, and wearing a corsage, a pretty new outfit my mom made, and white gloves to church that morning.

Once we had an Easter egg hunt at my Grandpa Williams' house in Royal Oak, Michigan, and he forgot to count the eggs he hid. He found one a couple of months later when he ran over it with the lawnmower. Yuck.

Easter Sunday in Royal Oak. L-R: Grandma, me, older sister Sheryl, and my Mom.

Wellllll...I love any celebration that involves lots of food, don't you? Here are some of our favorite recipes, from a luscious lamb brisket to a lemony Easter basket bread, as well as the best devilled eggs ever.

Lemony Easter Basket Bread: my mom always made this every Easter, and tucked dyed eggs into the folds before baking.

Seder Braised Lamb: Our church group enjoys an authentic Jewish Seder dinner each year, which is a wonderful chance to learn more about the Jewish religion that Jesus lived in. Joe developed this lamb recipe a year ago.

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs: Devilled eggs taken to the max, from Real Housemoms.

Homemade Reese’s-Style Peanut Butter Eggs: how we love anything chocolate and peanut-buttery. From Natalie of Good Girl Style.

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Turkey-Cranberry-Brie Grilled Cheese

Christmas is our second-favorite occasion for a good turkey dinner, and this decadent grilled sandwich oozing with melted brie is just about the best way to finish off the holiday leftovers.

This year we were doing a whirlwind Midwestern family tour, starting in Iowa, then celebrating with the Dueas in Minnesota. We were home for a day and a half and are now packing to spend Christmas with my family in Ohio.

Since everyone else planned something different for holiday meals, I got my turkey fix when Joe roasted a turkey breast and made his light garlic mashed potatoes. Since we'll be on the road all afternoon, I grilled up a few of these sandwiches to keep us company on the drive. Yum!

Ingredients

4 slices Italian bread
2 tbsp butter
4 oz brie
4 oz thinly sliced turkey
1/4 cup cranberry relish

Instructions

Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Slice the brie (you can peel off the white outer covering if you want - Joe likes the way it tastes, but I take it off of my slices). Arrange the brie on the bread and then spread the relish over it. Top with the turkey slices and the other slice of bread.

Grill or toast the sandwiches on a hot skillet until browned and heated through.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

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Kathleen's Light Fruitcake with Grand Marnier Icing

I like to scoop up the moist little crumbles at the bottom of the pan and eat them like a bit of butterscotch brownies.

I've heard all the jokes about fruitcake, but could never really understand them. My mom's fruitcake was always so buttery, crumbly, and nutty, full of all the fruits I loved and none of that bitter fruit rind I've heard some people put into theirs. I looked forward to it every year.

This year, my mom made it especially for me. Yeah, other people got to eat it too, but I'm certain she made it just for me. Try this, and you might become a fruitcake evangelist, too.

Ingredients

4 cups pecan halves
2 cups walnut halves
2 cups candied cherries (we use both green and red)
2 cups candied pineapple
1 cup golden raisins
1 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp Grand Marnier or 2 tsp orange extract and 2 tsp milk
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine, add top 6 ingredients, toss. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar with mixer. Add eggs, orange juice, and lemon, mix. Add flour and baking powder in thirds and mix after each third. Add batter to fruit bowl and coat well. Put in well-greased tube pan. Cover top in foil. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hrs. Uncover top for last 5 minutes.

Place on a rack until nearly cool. Stir together the Grand Marnier and powdered sugar, and drizzle over the cake.

Makes 1 large fruit cake.

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Norwegian Potato-Ham Dumplings (Kumla, Kumle)

Joe's Norwegian ancestors came from the Bergen area of Norway in the 1800s. As they moved across the U.S. to establish the town of Roland, Iowa, they kept their heritage fairly intact. Today that whole area is settled with very tall fair complected people, and the name "Duea" is often seen in the town records.

My first Christmas with the family, I was introduced to these hearty, dense potato dumplings in ham broth. I think you might remember that ham and potatoes are two of my most favorite foods ever. The next day my future sister-in-law Chris sliced them and fried them in butter for breakfast. Yes, I love butter so much. It was love at first bite with kumla, obviously.

Thankfully, his family is not big on lutefisk, a powerfully-flavored dish of cod preserved in lye. I understand this is a meal for the strong-hearted and the brave, and I'm glad they didn't want to test my courage before allowing me into the family.

So back to kumla (KOOM-lah). I have since learned that people also call these potato balls klimpor, klubb, kompe, kumpe, potetball and raspeball - I guess these must be regional differences. Clearly this is not lean and light food, but it's a big satisfying meal in your belly during a midwestern winter, when the wind can tear across an entire state without hitting much that would slow it down.

On old farms, here and in snowy Scandinavia, settlers would often tie ropes from the house to the barn so that they wouldn't get lost in a blizzard while tending the animals a couple times a day. For weather like that, you need food that will fortify you.

If you make this for a holiday meal, I'd suggest a good snowball fight or a long walk in the woods to work it off afterwards. For me, food like this makes me appreciate the exuberance of a people who find winter life-affirming with the joy of an ample meal and a warm home filled with family and friends. I truly felt this warmth a few Christmases ago when Joe's brother Alan and sister Carolyn finally shared their family recipe with me. It's their wonderfully talented hands that are cooking in these photos.

P.S. I forgot to mention that I hardly ever cook without listening to music. When I was making this recipe last time, and writing it yesterday, I was listening to the movie soundtrack "We Bought a Zoo" on Spotify. The music is from Scandinavian singer Jonsi, frontman for the group Sigur Ros. It's wonderfully upbeat.

Ingredients

1 4-5 pound ham
10-12 cups water
5 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
About 4 cups white flour (some people use a mix of white, whole wheat, ground oatmeal, and/or rye flour)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

Place the ham in a large stock pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer into a rich broth, about 1 1/2- 2 hours. Remove the meat, slice it, cover it, and refrigerate until just about to serve.

Shred the raw potatoes by hand, or grind them in a food processor until crumbly. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the potatoes, flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. The dough should be thick like bread dough, but still sticky.

Bring the remaining ham stock to a boil. Scoop out dough about the size of an egg or a plum, form it into a 2-inch ball, and drop it into the boiling stock. If you'd like, you can press a bit of the ham into the center of each dumpling.  Stir the broth often while dropping in the dumplings, so that they don't stick to each other or the bottom of the pot.

When all the dumplings are in the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 1 hour, then remove from the broth. Pile them on a platter, drizzle them with the melted butter, and serve with the hot ham on the side.

Makes 25-35 dumplings.

Hungry for more? Find more of these great recipes at Sons of Norway. 

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