Monthly Cooking Thread - Christmas Edition 2019

[Liz]

This artichoke-potato au gratin is a wonderful meatless meal w/ sides of broccolini and an arugula salad
with balsamic glaze drizzle.......its creamy, rich, flavorful and perfectly baked with lovely browned areas.

Artichoke and Potato au Gratin

CHEESES 2 cups grated Parm / 3 cups grated Gruyere

POTATOES 3 pounds thin-sliced (about 1/8-inch), Yukon Gold

ASSEMBLY Layer in greased oblong baker 1/2 sliced potatoes rows overlapping; s/p; 2 minced gar/cl.
Add single layer 6 c drained marinated arti/hearts; 1/3 cheeses; drizzle w/ 1/2 QT h/cream; rest potatoes overlapping; s/p.

Drizzle w/ 1/2 qt h/cream; then rest cheese. Cover w/ buttered foil. Bake almost done 350 deg 45-60 min
(potatoes easily pierced w/ knife). Uncover; bake/melt cheese golden, 15-20 min. Cool slightly on rack before serving.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks! :)

[Jamestown1630]

It seems to be compared with 'Like Water for Chocolate', which is designated as 'magical realism'. That may be an acquired taste...(no pun intended :-)

We saw the trailer today on YouTube, and husband laughed; so we'll probably watch it. (My husband considers 'Die Hard' a Christmas movie, so I'm always grateful for something a little more 'chick' that might amuse him :-)

[lizma2]

“My husband considers ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie”.

So do I!!

Although ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ is the best.

[Jamestown1630]

I prefer ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.

(But, ‘live and let live’ is a good policy when it comes to positively navigating a marriage :-)

I was always intrigued by this very strange movie, but my husband wasn’t interested at all (Warning: NOT a ‘Christmas Movie’):

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091647/

[leaning conservative]

Ha! Saw “Die Hard” for the 1st time a few months ago & I agree with your husband. Great Christmas movie!

Fantastical & magical is why GG Marquez leaves me lost & cold. My mother cannot understand that as she loves him. Different strokes & all that.

[Jamestown1630]

There are lots of different ways of thinking, and different ways of seeing ‘the world’.

We believe that we’re all here in the same ‘reality’; but every one of us observes and experiences a slightly different ‘world’.

[leaning conservative]

Excellently stated.

[Hiskid]

You have obviously never tasted lutefisk and lefse made by an older Norwegian cook! It was very mild. With mashed potatoes spread on lefse, melted butter POURED ALLL OVER and lutefisk wrapped in the warm, homemade lefse , it was marvelous!! Everybody loved it. Since then, I have prepared any white fish the same way. Spread the lefse with the mashed potatoes, place the fish on top and roll it up. Dip the carb heavy creation in melted butter and commence moaning as the butter drips down your hands. In the local churches, they have lutefisk, lefse and meatball dinners all season long. Big fund raiser.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I have had lefse. It was a rolled pastry as I remember it. It was good. I would try the lutefisk now that I’m older but I will reserve judgment until then.

[MayflowerMadam]

I was a regular at the Sons Of Norway Viking Hall in Anchorage when I was married to a Norwegian. My husband’s aunt made amazing potato lefse and it’s one of my favorite things in the world — smothered with butter. Krumkake, too. Never could do the lutefisk, though.

[bgill]

Remembering back in the 70s, there was a Lobster Bisque dry soup mix (Lipton’s?) that was pretty good. They didn’t make it very long. Guess we were the only ones who bought it.

Kassem’s copy cat recipes:

https://www.villagevoice.com/2010/11/01/make-the-original-soupmans-seafood-bisque-sort-of/

https://www.google.com/search?q=kassem+the+soup+man+lobster+bisque+recipe&oq=kassem+the+soup+man+lobster+bisque+recipe&aqs=chrome..69i57.17589j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[leaning conservative]

Excellently stated.

[leaning conservative]

This looks wonderful & delicious! Could it be frozen, go on a 10 hour road trip & the refrigerated? Probably would be baked the next day.

[leaning conservative]

Then

[Liz]

Never tried it frozen.....so I cant speak with authority.

This is just a guess.

One possibility.......maybe freeze it unbaked well-wrapped.

Transport it....fridge....then bake next day.

[V K Lee]

Something for those who need respite from the Christmas rush.
A site to browse for cooking blogs:
https://blog.feedspot.com/home_cooking_blogs/

[Jamestown1630]

Great; Thanks!

(I’m almost certain that tarragon is part of the ‘more or less’ not divulged :-)

[Jamestown1630]

Speaking of ‘Christmas Rush’, I’ve been shopping today, and tonight I’m wrapping.

If you’re at a loss for a gift for your Freeper or like-minded Friend, here’s an idea - (I see now that this has been posted before, but today on OAN I saw it for the first time) -

Trumpy Bear!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qv8RSreIM

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

It is about the triumph of a marriage over the forces that would pull them apart.

It is about the victory of the family over the forces of greed.

It is about a man who made a mistake learning to forgive himself.

It is about a small child getting her Christmas wish.

It is about a media personality getting socked in the face.

You really can not get more Christmasy then the warm glow that spreads through you when you see a journalist getting popped in the nose.