So we hosted the Feast of the N Fishes for Christmas Eve, and yours truly was responsible for two of them (both smoked, of course): a salmon, and a catfish. The salmon is pretty simple. So simple that the original only takes two paragraphs in the 1969 printing of the Sunset Barbecue Cookbook. Place your […]
Christmas Traditions 2: Cuduridi and Ali...
Like a lot of other Italian-Americans, and like a lot of Italians, it’s traditional in our family to serve a special fish dinner on Christmas Eve. My family has never used the term “Feast of the Seven Fishes” for the Christmas Eve dinner, but that seems to be the common phrase for it. I actually […]
Christmas Traditions 1: Potiça for the
Several years ago, when my mother-in-law told me that she rarely got potiça for the holidays, and no one made it any more, I vowed to find out what this mysterious substance was and make some for her as a surprise. Only I didn’t know how to spell it. It took a while for me […]
French Vanilla Pickles
I found this recipe on the ‘net a while back while I was looking for pickle recipes. During the summer, I had lemon cucumbers coming out my ears. And Uncle Pasto’s ears. And anyone who stepped in the house’s ears. For future reference: you only need one lemon cucumber plant for a family of two. […]
Infinite Fudge Variations
Well, maybe not infinite … I haven’t figured out how to make pumpkin fudge with this recipe yet. And Alton Brown will tell you that technically, this is not a fudge, but a different kind of candy. He’s right. But it’s got the same consistency and creaminess with a lot less work and fuss, so that’s good enough for me. Especially because it is delicious. I make batches and batches and give it as gifts for the holidays.
December Nights
Every year, Balboa Park hosts a terrific holiday event. December Nights is the first Friday and Saturday of December, from 5-9pm. All of the Balboa Park museums are open and free. There’s music at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion and elsewhere throughout the park. There are vendors of all types. The Spanish Village has all kinds of art for sale. It’s really cool.
My favorite part has always been the International Houses, though.
Got cranberry sauce? Make muffins!
I love cranberry sauce, but Uncle Pasto, who is a supertaster, basically can’t eat more than a bite of it before declaring it “too sour”. He likes cranberry bread, though. So when I brought home two cups of the family cranberry sauce, I knew I’d have to do something with it, rather than just serve […]