A Merrie Little Christmas

Last year, my Mom came across this tiny little hardcover volume entitled, The Merrie Little Christmas Cook Book, no author is cited. It was published in 1955 by Peter Pauper Press.

Peter Pauper continues to produce a line of mini-books on various popular topics with light content, journals bound in pretty prints, and a line of stationery.

In 1955, when it turned out this slim volume, Peter Pauper was equally as attentive to the beauty of the folksy print on the cover as it is to its journal work today. I would love to have the cover print copied onto wrapping paper for the gifts under the tree; decked out in this this innocent, youthful, scratchy piece of Americana.

A look inside speaks volumes about what we knew then and is, if you allow yourself some holiday- indulgent nibbles at cocktail hour, full of long-forgotten gems of the age as well as a few suggestions which gratefully fell out of favor:

Mock Caviar

1 medium eggplant
2 green peppers
1 Bermuda onion
3 eggs, hard-boiled
1 sour apple
1 slice pumpernickel bread
Black olives
Salad oil
Salt and pepper

Cut eggplant into slices and bake until tender in a buttered casserole. Remove peel, and add to other ingredients in a wooden chopping bowl. Chop until fine and shape into a mound.

Clam Puffs

2 packages cream cheese
1 can minced clams, chopped
1 tablespoon sherry
Tabasco sauce

Blend ingredients and pile on rounds of bread. Broil till brown and puffy. Serve piping hot. These may also be covered with pieces of uncooked bacon, and broiled until bacon is crisp.

Chutney and Bacon

8 strips bacon
2 tablespoons chutney

Fry bacon until crisp, chop and mix with the chutney which has been mashed with a fork. Spread on toast rounds. Makes 1 dozen. Peanut butter may be added to the mixture, if desired.

Hot Sardine Canapes

1 can sardines mashed
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon chili sauce
2 tablespoons catsup
Toast, cut into fancy shapes

Blend all ingredients, and spread on toast. Broil lightly. Or wrap a teaspoon of the sardine mixture in a slice of bacon, roll, fasten with a toothpick and bake in 350 oven until bacon is crisp.

Pate de Foie Gras

1 can liver pate
1 can mushrooms
4 ounces butter, melted
2 tablespoons brandy

Saute mushrooms in a little butter until slightly brown. Do not dry out. Blend mushrooms, liver, and butter, then add brandy. Chill in refrigerator overnight. Butter will rise to the top and for a thin covering.

Horseradish and Shrimp

1/2 pound cooked shrimp
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cream
Dash of mustard

Chop shrimp which have been cleaned, cooked and shelled, and mix with other ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spread on crackers.

Roast Goose

Singe, remove pin feathers, then wash goose in cold water and wipe dry. Season to taste. Stuff with bread stuffing. Place breast side up on rack in roasting pan. Pour 2 cups boiling water over and cover. Roast 25 to 30 minutes per pound in a moderately low oven (325 to 350), basting with fat every 15 minutes. Pour off fat if too much accumulates. When goose is done, garnish with cranberries and watercress and serve with apple sauce. Gravy may be made from drippings in the pan, flour, and stock.

Prune Stuffing

For a 14 pound goose, prepare 1o cups fine bread crumbs made from stale bread. Mix with 3/4 cup chopped onion, 2 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped tart apples, 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons poultry seasonings and 3/4 pound tenderized prunes, pitted and cut into small pieces. Moisten with 6 tablespoons melted butter and mix well.

Fish Souffle

4 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups fish
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon onion, grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 egg whites

Mix mayonnaise, flour, salt and pepper. Add milk slowly. Stir in fish, parsley, onion, lemon juice. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold in mayonnaise mixture until thoroughly blended. Pour into a greased 7-inch casserole and bake in a slow oven 40 to 45 minutes. Serve at once. 4 servings.

Cooked or canned fish may be used. Or use finely chopped cooked meats, minced chicken or vegetables. Or grated cheese, omitting parsley, onion, and lemon juice.



What historic recipe is your holiday indulgence this year?

Christmas in Middleburg

We made a quick trip back from New York to be in Virginia for Christmas in Middleburg. The hunt parade braved the cold, ice, and six inches of snow - as evident on shoulders and brims - to greet the community on Washington Street. We hosted some old friends with mulled cider, coffee, hot chocolate, and scones fresh from the oven before leaving for town (which I had prepped early that morning and refridgerated on the baking sheet until I baked them off just before the guests arrival).

Treacherous, especially with bundled babies, but well worth it.

Etiquette Challenge: A Christmas card for his parents

Dear Catherine,

First let me say that I love your blog! What a wealth of information and heartwarming entertainment!

I would like to ask your advice... I want to send my boyfriend's parents, with whom I've never had a conversation, a Christmas card. I know that they regularly hear about me from my boyfriend. Do I need to introduce myself in the first paragraph of the letter? If so, should I introduce myself as "X's girlfriend?" Or is that too obvious and formal? I would appreciate your advice on how to approach this correspondence.

Best,

Ashley


Ashley,

Thank you for your kind note and allowing us to take a stab at it with you.

As far as sending a card: Yes, if you are a couple and you and he have discussed your doing this, you can send a card.

In your opening paragraph you might write, "John has told me so much about you and I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy holiday." Maintain your identity but tip your hat to your relationship gently.

As far as what you call yourself, you need not call yourself anything: You are not X-'s girlfriend and in all situations in life I am no fan of labeling oneself nor allowing oneself to be labeled. You are Ashley: Gorgeous, fabulous, independent - with or without the person you date.

His parents are either are or are not aware of the nature of your commitment but that is your boyfriend's point to clarify for them; you can move on happily to the pleasant reason for which you are writing.

Just write a few short, light sentences because you have not met and therefore, you should not fill his parents in on your resume, family history, or even your plans for the weekend.

Here is one set of suggestions, with luck the readers will have additional thoughts:

- I am really looking forward to the holidays with my family, we expect a large turnout this year...
- John has shared so many great memories with me of childhood Christmases and I am hoping this year will be as perfect for your family as those he cherishes.
- With luck, we will meet one another in the new year.
- Best wishes for a Merry Christmas (what have you) and a happy new year, you are in my thoughts.

Sign off warmly but not overly familiar: "Warmly," "Best regards," and "Fondly," are pleasant and well-mannered.

Good luck, Ashley, and happy holidays to you both!

Photo credit: Psychology Today

Holiday inspiration, identity crisis a la carte

So far, we have the wreaths and tree erection under our belts but we were struck motionless by six inches of snow on Saturday and have just been wandering about in awe while building (and eating) snowmen.

During this same time, an identity crisis became apparent and I mention it only to bring you to some level of cognizance before something wicked happens on these pages following suit. But surely, you have noted the signs.

In truth, I thought we would look at some pretty pictures to lull you into passivity as I relate this to you.

In many places I go, I am notorious for my dealings with large vehicles. Over the years, I have taken a can't-win-em-all attitude in the outcome of some situations which I felt were the unavoidable outcome of encounters with huge motorized things. Perhaps others felt these pockets of activity (as I like to think of them) could have been avoided with foresight, although I only assume this from their expressions.



There was the spanking new billion-dollar semi-truck which was a custom built six horse carrier whose interior was highly varnished mahogany in which some very important horses were to be shuttled to heady venues. Into that new trailer I loaded a young horse who was known to make multiple daily suicide attempts in the front paddocks closest the road: He would get a galloping start and jump out of his field and into the roadway while playing chicken with passing cars. Then, as fast as he could, he would make for the deli a half mile away.

Once loaded in the new truck and left to his own devices while the other horses were loaded, he bucked, reared, flailed, and squealed until he broke free of his cross-tie and kicked five huge holes in the mahogany. He was fine. He was always fine. The custom semi, not so much.

His name was Temptation. But I digress.



Before back-up alarms and cameras were installed on farm trucks, I had a persistent disagreement with the stable manager regarding where the actual wall of the barn was under the hayloft which inevitably ended with my leaving the truck right where it was and snapping at him, "Then move the wall!"

When the farm was painted one spring, he insisted the distressed dents to the left of the door remain unpainted as a reminder that I should ride, not drive.

Once, my friend Debbie and I were out after a deluge and got ourselves stuck in the mud. When the second truck arrived to push us out, somehow (?) the bumper of the second truck became attached to the first and both trucks sank deeply into the muck. When the wreckers arrived to pull the trucks out, both drivers lept from the cabs shaking their heads. Yes, we had met before.



Those are only a few of my exploits. I am leaving several out which people are still hot about. Look, everything works out fine/ gets fixed, including the car I backed over twice. In one week.

The other day, while my Husband and several others were pushing my truck out of a slick, muddy spot during the storm, it occurred to me I needed a change.

When I mentioned to him later that I wanted to drive the Suburban (over the identity-crisis on wheels, my Volvo SUV), one eyebrow rose. Knowing full well my vast talents with enormous vehicles, or at least what I will own up to or he witnessed himself, Josh gives my car decisions a wide-berth.

"But, I'll need new wheels."

"For the Suburban?"

"Yes." I said. Then he kind of nodded at me. But, he was rubbing his forehead like he all of a sudden had a brutal headache.

"You mean tires." I roll on Michelin, everyone knows that.




"No. Wheels." I said.

Then he knew. And he was kind of shaking his head and rubbing his temples with both hands.

"22's. Yah. Dubs." I explained patiently.

"Dubs!" He said as he got up and began to fix something that was both not broken and not actually there. "How do you even know what those are?... You are going roll on dubs with chrome mags in Middleburg. In your Barbour?"

"Right. Kind of a cross between a security detail vehicle and a Colombian drug dealer's ride. That's where I'm at right now."



"Between security and drugs?"

"Aesthetically."

"Got it."

He wandered off and I did not see him for a while. Since then he has muttered things about alerting the insurance company and the police. As if either of those organizations need a head's up.



Photo credits: Country Living 1,2,3. Southern Accents 4, 7. Southern Living, 5. Chevrolet USA, 6.

Tables of Joy

The holiday season will never be long enough. Arrives on a quick, cold breeze and seems to be gone before I can even consider being entirely pleased with the decorating, inviting, entertaining, and correspondence. Today I told myself I would start in October next year instead of early November. I am anticipate that too will not been soon enough; there are good reasons the magazine and apparel industries work a year ahead: But oh, all the greatness that could be conceived if there were nothing but a perpetual Christmas season for me. I could reach a whole new level of compulsiveness if I never had to stop for another holiday. But I fear guests at the summer solstice party will be put out by Christmas wreaths. In this quirky little corner of the world, however, if you do these odd things for may years in a row while wearing pants with embroidered hounds on corduroy, you become "eccentric" which is far better than, "weird" and a good deal more esteemable than, "cooky." Not, that anyone here in eccentric North Salem misses the party if you are weird or cooky, they just spend a good deal more time remarking on your nuttiness at the post office, Kingsley's, and church.

Alright. But anyhow, Pals of mine. You're here for the goods and while I was largely not cooking this holiday, I made careful notes...

Christmas Eve at my Mother's lovely home was lovely. We do not keep a feast of Seven Fishes but we have traditionally dined on seafood regardless. This was the menu:

Before dinner cocktails in the kitchen:
Egg Nog with Dark Rum
Champagne and Chambord Cocktails
Truffled Mousse with Cornichon
Sopresseta, Cheeses, Crackers, and Breadsticks

Christmas Eve Dinner:
Potted Crab
Steamed Lobster with Drawn Butter
Clams and Mussels in White Whine Broth
Baked Haddock
Panzanella (Tomato Bread Salad)
Triple Chocolate Mousse


Fresh flowers and crackers for the place settings are important to our family tables.
Had we remained in the South on this evening, we would have overflowing bowls of camellia.

The potted crab was only okay, I took this suggestion from another blogger. While it was easy and full of wonderful lump crabmeat, it was not the prettiest or the most time-forgiving when it takes the guests a few minutes to get to the table.

The dishes selected for the drawn butter await await being filled in the kitchen before dinner.

The triple-chocolate mousse is my favorite nostalgic dessert from celebratory and birthday dinners with my family at Crabtree's Kittle House in nearby Mt. Kisco, New York. I will discuss the recipe at Blushing Hostess tomorrow but be advised, when using this method one needs to account for at least a solid hour of time for the dessert to come to room temperature. The dark chocolate layer at the bottom was still a bit harder and colder than I would have liked.

But on the whole, served with melba sauce, it was a delicious, rich, and a stunner.

And this is the Christmas Day dinner table at me sister-in-law Kelly's home last night. Such a grand evening. While I want to recount all of the food to you very accurately, I know I was able to make limited strides in trying all the hors d'oeuvres but they looked fabulous.

Hors d'oeuvres
Sauteed chorizo and mini-crostini
Bread boule with spinach dip
An extensive cheese selection
Cherry Tomatoes with Crab

Dinner:
Prime Rib au Jus
Fresh Pork Roast
Braised Carrots and Green Beans
Pan roasted New Potatoes and Glazed Onions
Chocolate Chip Cake and Whipped Cream
Assorted Pastries