Wow, what a crazy two weeks since thanksgiving. Everyone wants there event first so they
can capture all their friends. Every night has been serving wine or cooking food. I must
admit I have never done two deep fried turkeys in two weeks. But after getting back from
Cory an JJ’s everyone wanted to know what dinner was all about in Texas . Well
thanksgiving dinner was ” by request” my deep fried turkey. The folks here around the lake
got so excited that they asked me to do one Tuesday nite for Jim and Carol’s b-day party. I
never realized just how easy the turkey was to do if that was all you were responsible for,
they were really happy, they all said they have never had a turkey so moist. I think Bruce is
going to hire me for holidays. So this is going to lead us to Xmas dinner after I tell you
about tonight.
Yup its Friday nite, no commitments for tastings, amazing. Time to spend a nite at home
getting gifts ready to ship to Texas and Paso for the G-Kids. Its been rainy, cold and snowy
for days. Spent most of the day out in the “snitzing” a mix of snow and raining here in the
mountains. Had a great grilled pastrami sandwich about 1:30 s0 was pretty convinced
dinner wasn’t going to be much. But it never fails once I got the fire going drug out the
wrapping paper and boxes and realized that “hey its winter” time for a manhattan and some
comfort food.
My favorite manhattan is really simple, just the basic my Dad and my uncles used to drink.
4 oz whiskey or bourbon, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 4 to 6 dashes of bitters, 2 cocktail spoons
of cherry juice and 2 cocktail cherries. Mix it all together and pour over a glass of ice. It
takes at least one to make dinner.
Yes, like I said a big lunch so maybe a simple winter dinner. just happened to have a 1/2
bag of supreme seafood mix in the freezer. What goes with that, what else but penne and
vodka sauce. The best vodka sauce I ever had was the one Giovanni taught me.
1 lb penne pasta - cooked al dente, with olive oil in the water
SAUCE
1/2 bag frozen mixed seafood soaked in cold water for about 15 Min’s
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small chopped onion
1 cup vodka
3 1/2 cups marinara sauce
salt and white pepper to taste
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
In a large skillet – I really only like to use Le creuset – heat oil over medium heat, add
onions and saute until transparent. Add vodka, don’t flame, reduce by half over medium
heat. add marinara and seafood simmer to reduce about 10 min’s. Season with salt and
pepper to taste. Add cream and simmer while pasta is finishing. Drain pasta toss together
with sauce, garnish with fresh basil and grated romano. Serve with an Irish vineyards pinot
grigio and eat in front of the fireplace or wood burning stove. OK back to wrapping and
boxing.
next we’ll look at some Christmas dinner ideas, How about Deep fried Prime Rib YUP DEEP
FRIED, cheesy scalloped potatoes, chorizo cornbread stuffing a couple of fun holiday
veggies like baked acorn squash with fresh cranberries, grandmas rolls and Ruth’s Indian
pudding and bread pudding. OH yes lets not forget x-mas eve with a main focus of whole
roasted dungeness crab, west coast fresh this time of year.
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