Fort Worth, Texas. We have much for which to be thankful.
Don't eat too much.
Scratch that, today is guilt-free food and beverage of choice day.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thanks for reading and for your comments and suggestions.
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(Oh, and I am surprised by the Christmas tree poll. Artificial trees are used in more homes than real trees. Of the 29 that have a tree 17 chose artificial, 12 real. I would have guessed the other way around. But . . . and I hate to admit it, for the first Christmas in 32 years, we have one. Yes, we have a plastic Christmas tree. The prophetic line from "The Graduate" continues to be true.)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A Favorite Christmas Dessert.
Is it possible to remember a piece of pie eaten 45 years ago? I think so, I can still remember my grandmother's cheesecake, made and served at Christmas dinner that many years ago.
This was no cream-cheese-with-a-crust pie mind you. This was pie perfection.
My grandmother's ricotta cheese pie was a thing of beauty. Before a knife dented its tender surface it displayed a warm brown-white-yellow patina. The light brown flour pie crust on the side stopped at the cheese top. There was no lip of crust. It was unadorned, otherwise; no fruit or other superfluous decoration. Its place was always at the end of the table, grand-dessert that it was, a kind of diva greeting the diner at the very end as if to say, "I follow no other." There was only one pie. You had better get a slice early.
When you bit into into it you sensed two textures, a thin pie crust with a little crunch and then the ricotta cheese filling which is like the cheese itself but mellowed and sweetened somehow by the cooking. It was firm, not at all runny, and not overly gelatinous. You could see the distinct ricotta texture.
The taste was barely sweet, like the first taste of some beers just hinting at sweetness, with a tiny taste of vanilla, a little more of egg, and the almost nutty flavor of ricotta cheese. Simple and perfect. It was served at room temperature, somehow appropriately.
I look forward to it at this time of year, even knowing that the cheese cake is no longer at the head of the dessert table, but the memory is there, saying maybe that some good things, especially during the Christmas season, can be enjoyed a long time in their remembrance and are better left that way.
This was no cream-cheese-with-a-crust pie mind you. This was pie perfection.
My grandmother's ricotta cheese pie was a thing of beauty. Before a knife dented its tender surface it displayed a warm brown-white-yellow patina. The light brown flour pie crust on the side stopped at the cheese top. There was no lip of crust. It was unadorned, otherwise; no fruit or other superfluous decoration. Its place was always at the end of the table, grand-dessert that it was, a kind of diva greeting the diner at the very end as if to say, "I follow no other." There was only one pie. You had better get a slice early.
When you bit into into it you sensed two textures, a thin pie crust with a little crunch and then the ricotta cheese filling which is like the cheese itself but mellowed and sweetened somehow by the cooking. It was firm, not at all runny, and not overly gelatinous. You could see the distinct ricotta texture.
The taste was barely sweet, like the first taste of some beers just hinting at sweetness, with a tiny taste of vanilla, a little more of egg, and the almost nutty flavor of ricotta cheese. Simple and perfect. It was served at room temperature, somehow appropriately.
I look forward to it at this time of year, even knowing that the cheese cake is no longer at the head of the dessert table, but the memory is there, saying maybe that some good things, especially during the Christmas season, can be enjoyed a long time in their remembrance and are better left that way.
Friday, December 21, 2007
101 Simple and Good Appetizers
Like Christmas appetizers? NYTimes, Food and Wine section has some beauties.
My favorite: Sliced goat cheese with salt, pepper and bread crumbs sprinkled on top. (Andrew, I know what you're thinking).
See all 101 at: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html
My favorite: Sliced goat cheese with salt, pepper and bread crumbs sprinkled on top. (Andrew, I know what you're thinking).
See all 101 at: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html
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