Friday, January 1, 2010

Any special New Year's Eve or Day foods to share?

We'd love to hear them............thanks! You have something traditional to eat with the Parade or the Games?

35 comments:

namaste said...

i have different ways of making mac and cheese. i look forward to seeing how you like it done.

yumm!

JINGOIST said...

It's only 8am and already the good looking women are gravitating to Z's new blog!

All right Z, I'm going to the Gator Bowl today with my best buddy and they will be tailgaiting EVERYWHERE in downtown Jacksonville. Whole hogs will be turning and tenderizing over fires. Gator tail will be served fried, baked with Cajun spices, and old Florida style--breaded and deep fried with salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne. Ribs will be a constant torment too...because I'm not making them. OMG I LOVE good ribs! Maybe someone will do me the favor of whipping up a good mess of greens so Steve and I can have our veggies for the month?

I'll report back after the game between 5:30-7 and tell you what culinary delights were whipped up by the Florida State Seminole and West Virginia Mountainqueer fans.

This looks like it could be a fun blog!

Faith said...

Congratulations on your new blog. I look forward to finding some fun food ideas here.

Right now I'm intrigued by hearing from Jingoist that people in Florida actually EAT gators???? Well, why not I guess, but it's news to me.

JINGOIST said...

YES we eat gators Faith! They're actually very tasty when properly prepared. They're harder than he!! to properly clean after shooting because of the tough hide. And getting them into the boat's always fun. :-) We enjoy a good gator hunting season because there are over a million of them here, and you can always sell the meat to any local restaurant. There was a 14 footer in the lake across the highway this summer and he mysteriously "disappeared." He was a MONSTER. At that size they're a real menace.

As a side bonus the hide makes GREAT boots and purses. It doesn't "taste like chicken" at all. If you've ever had frog legs or rattle snake, the taste is similar.

Faith said...

Well I already learned something, thanks Jingoist. I'm glad to hear they're edible. They seem so kind of useless and just plain nasty otherwise you know. Except for those boots and purses of course.

I like frog legs, though it's been years since I had them, so I guess I might like gator too.

Brooke said...

I'll have to think one up and come back.

Cool new site.

JINGOIST said...

Anytime Faith. They're not really "useless" because they're alpha predators and Florida has many big lakes fed by springs. They ARE a menace in populated areas becase they like dogs and the occassional drunken night swimmer. You're right in calling them "nasty." They hiss like snakes as a warning and grunt like bullfrogs during mating season.
That sounds like me after 4 beers, LOL!

WomanHonorThyself said...

I would love a recipe for mac n cheese girl!!

FairWitness said...

Congrats on the new food blog, Z.

I'm making Pork Roast Adobo.

4 lb Pork Roast

Adobo sauce:
1 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Vinegar (Rice, Wine, Apple Cider or Balsamic)
1/2 cup Wine (preferably some type of Red)
10 Peppercorns
4 tablespoons Minced Garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
1 Bay Leaf
Fresh Cracked Pepper to Taste

Mix Adobo sauce and set aside

Pat roast dry & dredge in light dusting of flour. Sear all surfaces of Pork Loin (or Tenderloin) in vegetable oil in a very hot skillet. Place in covered baking dish, pour Adobo sauce over the roast and bake in 300 - 325 degree oven until tender (about 3 hours for a 4 lb roast).

Serve with rice & steamed vegetables. Today, I'm steaming fresh Brussel Sprouts.

Of course you're asking where are the Black Eyed Peas, after all it's New Years Day. I can't them! :-D

sue said...

z - I'm looking forward to checking this one out. First, I have to admit that I never eat mac 'n cheese, in spite of the fact that I always have it for the grandchildren.

I made a couple of great hors d'ouvres last night which I will post on my recipe blog.

I think the name of your food blog is great! Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

My wife made a wonderful new chili from scratch New Years Eve, included lamb, beef, shiitake mushrooms, kidney and white beans, chili powder of course, some chicken broth, various additional spices, and small white and red potatoes. FAB!

BZ

Z said...

Fair Witness, thanks for the recipe! Atta girl!

Thanks to ALL of you who came by, I hope it becomes a habit!

Jingo....please let us know what you ATE!
BZ...recipe, please!!!

I'll be asking for your favorite mac 'n cheese recipes soon.....and, maybe, I'll be able to write mine down; it's kind of 'a handful of this and a handful of that' right now.......but it DOES involve slightly OVERcooking the mac!! Hint hint...xxx

Faith said...

OK I'll give you some recipes, nothing gourmet though -- maybe more in the mac n cheese category. Since I don't do holidays any more I don't have any New Year's recipes of my own to share, but I do remember fondly the little sandwiches my Mom always made for the occasion, a homely little tradition in our family:

Sardines mashed with mustard and a little onion
Cheddar cheese with pimentos
Ham with sweet pickle relish and maybe a hint of onion (not sure I'm remembering that part right)

The last two she ground through a meat grinder so they make a spread. These all go on crustless bread spread with mayo and then you cut them in quarters.

We munched these within the last hour or so of the year, just my parents and whichever of us four siblings happened to be there, and I remember them as exquisitely delicious, as one's Mom's food always is I guess. No party, no guests but we watched whatever was on the telly for the occasion in those days -- the fifties and sixties and even into the seventies when any of us were home.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Black eyed peas with turnip greens. A blessed traditional New Years Day meal :)

Peas for the coins, greens for the dollars.

Good fortune to you in 2010, Z :)

Brooke said...

I've got one:

Get yourself a couple of hoagie buns, put a very light coating of butter on the insides, sprinkle with garlic powder and toast.

Next, get a pound of sliced mushrooms (whatever kind you like) and simmer in a pan with olive oil until tender. Drain. Put the mushrooms on the hoagie, top with a couple slices of Swiss cheese, close ans enjoy.

This goes great with a mess of fried potatoes. You can find that recipe at Sensible Folks blog, linked in my profile.

Z said...

Jingo...there are always great women on my blogs because they're Conservative (smile!)
Please tell us what you ate today and I hope you had a wonderful time!

Namaste....I'll give after everybody else gives...Will do a BEST MAC 'n CHEESE post soon! Get ready! Trouble is, if we cooked everybody's to see, we'd be elephants. Ah, well.

FAITH...thanks for those recipes...I'm going to try the sardine one especially as I LOVe them....sounds fabulous. Someone at Church makes the ham/relish spread for fellowship and I always look forward to her turn to bring. Thanks...

Brooke....that sounds fabulous...for vegeterians, too. Nice! There are some good recipes at Sensible Folks, you're right...everyone should check them out.
Then come back HERE :)

Beamish...thanks. I have never had a turnip green. grrr Got to rectify that. Same to you, by the way...

Sue, I'll look forward to seeing those hors d'ouvres on your blog..thanks. Let me know when they're there, will you? That salad one you have now there looks so good...everybody ought to go check it out. And, you're right; I don't eat mac and cheese often AT ALL (If any, I eat AMY'S no cholesterol frozen, I have to admit it's not bad!)...But I could NOT make it for anybody and not eat it...you're better disciplined than I am, that's for sure.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Z,

Turnip greens are like spinach, only a bit more bittersweet. Good boiled (or right out of a can) with a bit of salt and bacon.

Black eye peas and turnip greens are "simple food" nothing extravagant about the meal at all. It's humble and thrifty, and the tradition / symbolism goes back hundreds of years.

I gotta get out to my parent's before Dad eats it all :)

Z said...

Jingo, when I left the pub tonight after enjoying yet another Philly Cheese steak, the Gators were up about 30...so, I'm going to stick my neck out here and say CONGRATULATIONS! They DID pull it off, right?
WHAT DID YOU EAT!?

Susannah said...

Our every New Year's Day meal is pork roast, collard greens (fresh, not canned) & pinto beans (can't go for black eyed peas). This was our meal growing up, & it has been in our little family every year, too! My children now really look forward to the collard greens!

However, this year I decided to buck tradition, & made a fabulous new recipe "Black Eyed Pea Soup," which is actually much better than is sounds. It has the peas (which I supplemented w/ pintos), but it also has Polish sausage (pork), hamburger, green chiles, jalepenos, etc.

I did do greens, too (yes, canned), & cornbread.

Loved the soup, but it wasn't the same as having our traditional meal. Don't regret it, but I do like the other on NYDay!

Love this conversation!

Anonymous said...

Black eyed peas are tradition on New Year's Day in the South.

I met a West Virginian (a patient of mine) who said that cornbread and cabbage was their tradition.

This year for Christmas I made:
beef brisket (marinated in liquid smoke for 24 hours)...mom actually did the brisket

baked beans

homemade potato salad (red potatoes with the skins, garlic, butter, black pepper, boiled eggs, bacon, mayonaise, mustard, and chopped bread and butter pickles)

salad


warm banana bread with pecans (NOT peeecahns) with butter for dessert


It was SO nice to have something different on Christmas. I'm tired of turkey and ham. Stuffing makes me feel...stuffed. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I just got this recipe from Jane, a net friend who was raised in Massachusetts. She's of Italian heritage. Her father's a virulent liberal, but Jane's as conservative as they come. I like them both.

Jane's family had this dish on Christmas Eve. My own family cooked great fish dishes every New Year's day for years. Here's her recipe for Cioppino in her own words. Enjoy!

JANES' CIOPPINO

This may be enjoyed as soup with crusty bread or served over linguine with grated Romano cheese. You can add two or three bottles of clam juice to the soup. Use only one, if it is to be served over linguini.

I am not much for measurements, so use your judgment.

You will need

2 lbs fresh, squid
1 lb. cherrystone clams
1 lb. mussels
1 lb. large shrimp
2 lbs. flounder, cod, or any good firm-fleshed white fish



To make the sauce, I simply cover the bottom of a large pan with virgin olive oil, then sauté a mixture that I grind up finely in the food processor:

3 medium-sized carrots
bunch of flat parsley tops
bunch of giant basil leaves
a few bay leaves
cloves of garlic (no less than 5 but more if you like it)
one large sweet onion coarsely chopped, or several shallots
some hot pepper flakes
ground pepper
one can of plum tomatoes
one can tomato paste


Cook this up til it's mush... then add a good amount (2 lbs) well-cleaned and de-beaked and de-cuttled squid bodies and tentacles (fresh is best) sliced into little rings (this makes a lot of juice)

Let this cook until the squid is just tender.

Add shrimp, scrubbed mussels, cherystone clams (1 pound each), then a few filets of firm white fish over the top with the clam juice. Then just cover and turn off the heat to let that steam. Don't stir, the fish falls apart anyway.

For added flavors you can use a pinch of tarragon or some sliced up fennel. The Portuguese slice up linguica (a Portuguese sausage) to put in, but I prefer just the fish. You can also add white wine.

This recipe is very flexible about the amounts and types of fish you use and how much juice you add.

~ FreeThinke

Anonymous said...

PS:

WHOOPS!

Please do not grind up the bay leaves in the food processor. Instead strain them out.

~ FreeThinke

JINGOIST said...

Okay, not like this a good excuse, BUT my buddy Steve and I were trapped, TRAPPED I tell you in a great sports bar after the game down by the stadium! So the food was limited to some wonderful Italian sausages smothered in grilled onions, garlic, and peppers. The wonderful tailgating before the game was limited due to the freezing rain, so no gator tail.

Thanks for all the great recipes, I'm already getting dressed to go to the Winn Dixie for groceries and GOOOOOD food!

Z, yesterday was a fantastic day for football in our family. Tim Tebow--the hometown boy here in Jacksonville had an incredible game (he went to Carmen's high school) and we sent Bobby Bowden into retirement here in the Gator Bowl with a rousing and emotional farewell. What a crowd and atmosphere with 86,000 people...

Z said...

Susannah, a soup like that sounds DEElicious...good that your kids will try the jalapenos. Mr. Z, tho German, couldn't get food hot enough. he'd tell me how good dinner'd been and I'd say "How can you tell with all the serranos chopped up on top?" (which HE'd do!) Ah, well..........

Jen, I just have to try collard greens...maybe my local grocery has them but I doubt it. I love the sound of bacon in potato salad (not that it makes noise, but you know what I mean!?)

Jingo...I thought of you as I watched the Gators at the pub I was in last night eating my Philly Cheese steak! The Italian sausages sound GREAT! I'm so glad you had such a good time!

Z said...

FT..that Ciopinno sounds wonderful. I like that she grinds all those veggies together and then sautees them...talk about getting lots of flavor into a broth! My stepson adores that kind of dish but the stepdaughter's not a fish eater......maybe I"ll try it, anyway and she can have Susannah's black eyed peas/hamburger soup!
Thanks for the recipe. By the way, in my humble opinion, the fennel's a MUST in Cioppino....adds so much! xxx

The Born Again American said...

I watched the "Gator Bowl", but being a University of Florida Gator, I was only interested in the "Sugar Bowl" We always have chicken wings for all Gator games, been doing it for years and it's produced two national championships and a severe can of whoop ass that we opened up on the Bearcats last night... Sorry, I got carried away...

"My Chicken Wings"
24 wings cut with the tips removed (48) pieces

maranade in A-1 Jamaican Jerk maranade over night (2) one gallon zip lock bags... one bottle split for the week at heart, one bottle each zip lock bag for a good kick...
pre-heat oven to 350 and in two medium baking pans, cook for one hour... optional, remove and place on sheet pan... put under broiler for a couple minutes to crisp them up...

Doesn't get much easier than that...
ENJOY!

Z said...

Born Again..that sounds good!
WOW! Well, being one 'weak of heart' (unlike Mr Z who loved anything REALLY spicy), this still sounds great and so easy! Thanks!
Maybe Jingoist will share his wings recipe here again......
I like anything you just have to marinate and bake!

Anonymous said...

Haven't tried this yet, but my friend, Kathleen, sways it's good -- and very easy to prepare. Not a company dish, but good for an economical family dinner when you don't want to work hard in the kitchen.

Kathleen’s Microwave Salmon Loaf


1 large can salmon drained
2 eggs  
1/2 cup each - bread crumbs & milk
1/4 cup onion - finely chopped
3 Tbsps sripe olives, chopped
1/2 Tsp each - Worchestershire, lemon juice
1 Tsp dried parsley
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
A dash or two of pepper
 
Mix all together; put into greased 10" ring mold or 8 1/2 x4 1/2 x 2 1/2 loaf dish. (I've used small glass baking dish)  Cover w/ wax paper.                        

Micro. 7-9 minutes on high or until set. 
Stand 5 minutes.  (I just check till the center is almost set.)

May also divide into 6 greased custard cups. Cover w/ wax paper,
Cook 6 to 8 min at 100%: let stand 3 min.
 
Might also try cooking at 75% where I do fish.



~ FreeThinke

Z said...

What kind of olives...pimento/green or black olives? Ever used fresh parsley? Sounds like a fish meatloaf...I've never met a meatloaf I didn't like.!!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Z,

I'm pretty sure she meant black olives, because black ones are ripe, and green ones are not -- or so I've always been told. I would use the canned black olives -- the "good" ones (Greek, oil-cured, etc.) have too strong a flavor for this particular dish.

Fresh parsley is always better but it's not always available in the markets.

Kathleen said this was not a gourmet recipe, just a practical, easy thing to make for an off night family dinner.

~ FT

Anonymous said...

By the way, a side dish of sauteed mushroom pieces and creamed peas goes very well with the salmon loaf.

You can also make a dressing of chopped seeded cucumber and sour cream sprinkled with dill. Serve the salmon loaf cold with this dressing and a green salad.

~ FreeThinke

Anonymous said...

Peel-A-Pound Soup

1 head green cabbage coarsely chopped
1 bunch celery cleaned, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 green peppers, cored, seeded, cut into bite-sized chunks
3 medium onions peeled, cut into bite sized chunks
1 can unseasoned Italian plum tomatoes with liquid.
3-5 beef or chicken bouillon cubes

Place all ingredients into large stockpot. Pour in enough water to cover. Simmer till vegetables are tender -- about 20 minutes to one half hour.

Sever with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

This soup is a great help in losing weight, and may be eaten in large quantities any time you feel hungry. A diet rich in vegetables, raw, unprocessed fruit, fish, and white meat of chicken, poached or hard-boiled eggs and cottage cheese will greatly enhance your chances of losing weight as long as you eat no white starch, no root vegetables and no sweets whatsoever.

~ Dora Temple Pierce (Food editor of The Sandpiper)

Z said...

I remember that cabbage soup recipe, and you do lose weight with it, but BOY you get REAl sick of eating it after a while.
I tried doing things like adding curry...and the next day, cilantro, etc. It helped but...

And I LOVE those ingredients (except I'm not crazy for cooked celery unless it's in beef stew)
Thanks, Ms Pierce

Anonymous said...

Report on a Luncheon served Chez Moi earlier today:

We started with cranberry juice cocktail mixed with orange sherbet, then went on to Cobb Salad -- a specialty of the house -- made with diced stir-fried beef, diced chicken, crumbled Stilton cheese, crumbed bacon and sliced hard-boiled eggs over Romaine, radicchio, Belgian endive, minced red onion, and sliced mushrooms with homemade horseradish and sour cream dressing.

Cornbread baked with shredded cheddar cheese, and a serviceable-if-undistinguished Chardonnay accompanied the meal.

One of the guests made wonderful homemade brownies for dessert and brought coffee ice cream to go with them.

It's a cinch no one lost any weight here today.

This happened to be the very first meal prepared in my newly renovated kitchen. What a great way to start a new chapter in life!

~ FreeThinke

Anonymous said...

Microwave Scalloped Potatoes

4-6 red potatoes skins on sliced thin
1 medium onion chopped coarsely
A quantity of butter (i stick should be plenty)
1/2 to 3/4 C grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 C milk (skim will work fine)

Arrange a layer of potato slices in a microwaveable baking dish. Sprinkle with a thin layer of onions, S&P, grated cheese, dots of butter.

Repeat process till you run out of potatoes or the baking dish is full. Be sure to top with potatoes not onions and plenty of butter and cheese.

Pour in 1 C milk -- a little more, if you have filled the dish to the brim with potatoes. NOTE: Do NOT add milk to cover -- that's too much. Milk should reach the halfway point no more.

Microwave open dish on high for 6 or 7 minutes. Test potatoes for doneness. You don't want them undercooked, but not too soft either. If still too firm by your definition, put dish back in microwave and cook for another minute or two.

This makes a great side dish with any grilled or roasted meat. Works well with fish too.

Add a green salad dressed with lemon juice, 1 clove pureed garlic, 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard, S&P with olive oil, and you have a very pleasant meal easy to prepare.

~ FreeThinke