My Grandma’s Antipasto
This is a rerun from Day 16 of this blog. Day 16! I can hardly remember it being a demanding newborn. But really, this is a recipe I’ve been making since I was about 16, and before that my mom made it, and my grandma, and great aunts, and regular aunts, and I’m pretty sure it was/is in the Art Gallery of Windsor Cookbook, circa 1970something. (My relatives on that side were/are from Windsor, and so a handful of our family recipes can be found in or came from that book.)
Everyone has a few things that taste like Christmas to them – or Hannukah, or Festivus – and this is one of those edibles that can’t not be made in December. It’s so ingrained in our holiday psyches that I can’t really tell if it’s something I’d eat or not if I was introduced to it now (the ingredient list may make me shudder), but every year we make an enormous potful.
And I took a few photos of the process, but really it was just a mess of chopping, like the produce department exploded all over our countertop. I used to say don’t cheat and use the food processor, but this time we totally did – for everything but the cauliflower, which sort of bangs around and turns to little teeny bits with a bunch of tree trunks banging around. (Which reminds me – last time I was on the plane I watched Jamie Oliver make cauliflower “rice” in the food processor – have you seen it? Brilliant!) Anyway, I decided we needed to make a pot of this at five after three, and it was done by the time W got off school at 3:30. Like, enough for many, many jars and containers for keeping for ourselves and spreading around – it’s a good sort of thing to keep in the fridge and grab a jar of to take to a party, or to replenish the buffet table without having to reheat/assemble anything. And we’ve been known to eat it for dinner (see day 16) with crackers.
It’s Friday! That means festive free stuff! London Drugs has provided $100 gift cards to go shop for fun new kitchen toys – like a KitchenAid stand mixer or food processor – two of my personal favourites, two small appliances I’d have a hard time living without, and I say this as not a particularly gadgety person. Also? I think there’s a misconception that girls don’t like getting kitchen appliances for Christmas. I disagree. There are many many ladies out there (men, too) who’d prefer a KitchenAid stand mixer to some old diamond. Myself being one of them. Just sayin’.
Hey! All these recipes I’ve been posting here? The folks at London Drugs compiled them into a 12 Days of Recipes digital cookbook! You can download it here.
AND of course enter to win a $100 gift card to spend at London Drugs. To enter, comment here – remember when I used to ask what you had for dinner last night? I still want to know – but I also love hearing peoples’ holiday baking plans. Or what it is that Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without.
Antipasto
AuthorJulieIn a very large pot, combine the oil, cauliflower, onions and olives and bring it all to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. (This is how it’s worded in the original book – it sounds as if the veg are boiling in oil, but really the ratio is so great that it’s a lot of cauliflower, onions and olives sort of glistening in the oil – it’s hard to tell if it’s actually “boiling”, so just make sure it’s cooking to the point where any juices you see are bubbling.)
Add the remaining ingredients and heat just until it boils. (Don't let it go on cooking too long, or the veggies will start to break down and release their liquid.) If you're using jars, pour the hot antipasto into hot, sterilized jars; seal and cool. Otherwise, remove the pot from the heat and let the antipasto cool, then transfer to containers to store in the fridge or freeze.
Ingredients
Directions
In a very large pot, combine the oil, cauliflower, onions and olives and bring it all to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. (This is how it’s worded in the original book – it sounds as if the veg are boiling in oil, but really the ratio is so great that it’s a lot of cauliflower, onions and olives sort of glistening in the oil – it’s hard to tell if it’s actually “boiling”, so just make sure it’s cooking to the point where any juices you see are bubbling.)
Add the remaining ingredients and heat just until it boils. (Don't let it go on cooking too long, or the veggies will start to break down and release their liquid.) If you're using jars, pour the hot antipasto into hot, sterilized jars; seal and cool. Otherwise, remove the pot from the heat and let the antipasto cool, then transfer to containers to store in the fridge or freeze.
* This post was generously sponsored by London Drugs as part of their #LDHoliday campaign, but the words and thoughts are my own. Thanks, London Drugs!
I bake for neighbours and family during the holidays. Palmiers for my parents, cookies for neighbours, spiced candied nuts for party gifts. Something lemony for my boss.
One word YUM!!
I will for sure be making, devouring and sharing this..
I’m loving your recipes.
Thanks!!
Angi
You cooked dinner for me last night! Better than the bacon sandwich I had tonight
I tried to make cheese puffs this evening using a new recipe and I should have looked at a few other instructions regarding pâte à choux because they turned out flat. (They still tasted pretty good, but…) I may try them again using a different recipe.
Last night I had some of my grandmother’s homemade soup. It was so good! During the holidays, I normally bake three types of cookies; Tollhouse, hermits and pumpkin spice. I bake a huge amount, yet with my family coming over for the holidays, they always seem to go. 🙂
Last night’s dinner my 9yo made lasagna. (with a little bit of help from his momma.
As for holiday cooking, there shall be snack mix and loafs and almond shortbread.
And I agree 100% on the kitchen appliances for Xmas. Last year I got Henkel’s knives, year before that a Stand mixer. Best.Gifts.Ever.
Pizza last night, but brought home from the store. Love antipasto, will have to try this recipe sometime!
I made honey Dijon curry chicken with rice and peas. Yum!
Thanks for the new recipe to try.
Last nights supper was a stir fry…yellow zucchini, red peppers,mushrooms, onions, carrot, celery and cabbage (didn’t have bok choy) with gingered beef tips…Yum!
As for the Christmas baking, for the first time I made 4 loaves of White Fruit Cake and 4 loaves of regular fruit cake as well as traditional Figgy Pudding! Still have the shortbread, sugar cookies and almond bark to make…and add your antipasto to the list! 🙂
Shortbread. There must be shortbread. And those little divine tarts my auntie Marie makes: a shortbread crust, a cream cheese filling topped with cherry pie filling.
What did I have for dinner? Last night it was perogies filled with Grizzly gouda and caramelized onions with sausages. Tonight: chips and dip. Salsa counts as a vegetable, right? Especially if it’s homemade. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
Last night we had chicken, roast potatoes, and a salad.
Cheers.
Thanks for your Antipasto recipe – yumm!
Just looking at those pictures – I can just taste it! Been way too long since I’ve had antipasto!
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without my mom’s baking – butter tarts, nanaimo bars, some kind of peanut butter/cornflake/chocolate square (LOVE)… I’m the poppycock maker. And I do admit I add an extra 1/2 cup of butter to the recipe 😉
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without thimble cookies. I still use my grandpa’s recipe from his bakery in New Brunswick in the ’40s. Classic
Last night was fried chicken wings at my mother-in-law’s (a treat!) Tonight I’m making homemade soup.
The top of the baking list around here is shortbread, scottish and whipped … Toblerone fudge, speculaas, and mince tarts. Then there are all the savory nummies. Better get busy!
OMG, we all used to make this in the late 1970”s and feel VERY Gourmet! Tells you how old I am. And the reason for this ungodly hour post is the cold that is keeping me awake! That is the reason for the Chinese take out for dinner! All I was wanted was Won Ton soup.
Sorry, that posted before I finished…..
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without my Mom’s shortbread cherry balls.
Christmas would not be the same without chocolate fondue or some Oka cheese from Quebec with my tourtiere.
For dinner last night I had a good old fashioned small roasting chicken- with a fresh sage/butter rub. Sides were roasted garlic smashed potatos and frozen baby green peas. A delicious but easy end of a long week- family dinner. For dessert we had modified peanut butter balls. Too tired to roll them into balls so just plopped spoonfuls of the batter on parchment paper, chilled a bit then dunked in melted chocolate to chill until you just couldn’t wait any longer!
My holiday baking plans will include peanut butter balls- nicely rolled into the proper shape!
Just corrected my email address for you. Yes I certainly could use a new food processor. Mine lasted 12 years and just recently ” died”. May it rest in peace. It WAS definitely my fav.
We had spinach lasagna (back of the box recipe) for dinner last night. It turned out incredible. Plus the kids are it well.
For Christmas I’m going to make the 12 days of Christmas for sure. Also butter tarts, JV homemade vanilla, and a family jellied green salad (so weird but it wouldn’t be a turkey dinner without it).
Christmas means butter tarts, whipped shortbread, and toffee blobs (speaking of London Drugs – I just bought a package of Mack toffee bars there, which haven’t been around for years. And I was just getting used to the individually wrapped pieces.)
And I love kitchen stuff as gifts!
Thanks for this. I’m always struggling with keeping it ‘fresh’ on the appetizer front; I’ll definitely try this. It looks so easy. Every Christmas morning I make a cheese soufflè. It’s the only time in the year that I make soufflè, and we follow Julia Child’s trusty recipe.
For me, it’s my mom’s cranberry orange loaf. The recipe is from the 1973 cookbook “The Big Book of Breads”, and involves whizzing an entire orange, peel and all, in a food processor. Oranges and cranberries smell like the holidays even more than Christmas trees.
For me, it’s squash pie – like pumpkin pie, but BETTER. It was my grandfather’s favorite, and the only sweet thing my dad loves, and now my husband is addicted to it. If they had their way, they’d each have their own pies to devour!
Gingerbread cookies are a tradition I started when my daughter was born. She’s 3 1/2 now and I’m hoping for a little less dough eating this year 🙂
It wouldn’t be Christmas without sugar cookies. Or my mom’s Christmas bread (which at Easter..is called Easter bread.).
MmmmmMmmmmmmMmm! We love antipasto!! We use the Best of Bridge recipe, which is amazing, but has a lot longer prep time than this recipe. I’m going to give this one a try!
For dinner last night we had wholewheat spaghetti with home-made tomato sauce and chicken sausage meatballs made using your trick of squeezing little blobs of meat from the casing into the skillet..browning, then adding the sauce to it. Works great. Thanks Julie, you have taught me so many great tips. To me shortbread means Christmas, along with truffles and yes, antipasto is a hit at any gathering.
Mmm – dinner last night was a household staple in the winter. It’s pasta and sausage with ratatouille from your recipe. I made a big batch in the fall and freeze it to use in the summer. So yummy!
In my mind, Christmas means my mom’s yummy Christmas bread. It’s a braided yeast bread topped with sliced almonds and a glaze. It’s delicious in all of its white floured goodness 😉
When I was a kid I hated antipasto but now I love it. I will try your recipe!
I’d prefer a diamond, but maybe that’s because I have most of the kitchen gadgets I need.
Shortbread and gingerbread cookies are a must have at Christmas!
Last night was all about comfort food dahl. My MIL is a fantastic cook and the best part is seeing her cook since everything is memorized and all her ingredients are tossed in the pot by eyeing the spices in her palm.
Would love to win $100 at London drugs!
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without mincemeat, I make a recipe handed down from my grandmother ( and a few before her I am sure). It actually has meat in it to many people’s surprise , and lots of my friends say it is the best they have ever eaten.
We ate pasta, pesto, with mushrooms and broccoli – late quick dinner after hockey practice. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Pepparkakken (spice cookie from Sweden and I probably butchered the spelling)
Baking means the annual family gingerbread challenge. about 24 people, slabs of gingerbread and gobs of icing. Wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
Dinner last night was salmon with a chive cream sauce, fresh sour dough bread and peas because that is one of the few vegetables that everyone around here likes! We have a rather lengthy list of must haves including Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve, mince pies, fudge, krumkake, Christmas pudding…..
My Mom and her sisters made this one year, I fell in love and they never made it again, only bought it. Tricksters!
I bake for my family, the teachers and the bus drivers. Most of my friends are excellent bakers so we give each other wine instead! 🙂
chinese food…hardweek
Hi Julie, love your antipasto recipe, I used to make one similar (best of bridge) years ago, sure a lot of chopping, but you can’t beat the taste.
For dinner last night (we were out) so I ordered liver and onions….yummy. But today I have a pot of homemade chicken soup on the go.
Seasons Greetings to you and yours
Best regards,
Cathie
Thanks for sharing some traditional recipes. Used to make a very similar antipasto every Christmas from the original Best of Bridge – that cookbook was the entertaining go-to book years ago.
Every second summer or so my parents and I make a big batch of antipasto (Best of Bridge). It’s alot of fun. Dinner last night was a winter vegetable soup. Breakfast this morning is waffles with yogurt and blueberries.
I always used to make shortbread for my grandpa for Christmas. Grandparents always got homemade gifts.
This year, my kids are making gifts for me. I asked my 12 year old son if he would make me fudge. He said “don’t you need a fudge machine for that?”
Dinner last night, left over fridge mishmash! Rice, veggies, spolumbos sausage altogether in the frypan nummy!
My family has always made empire biscuits for christmas. thry were like gold growing up in our house. I think for the first time this year I’m ready to try to carry on the tradition and make them myself:)
Thanks for the chance to win!!!
We are making holiday biscotti , raincoast crisp crackers, cranberry white chocolate scones and tourtière! Can’t wait! Yum!
We had crepes for dinner last night….one of my favourites!!
Love these posts. What I had for dinner last night. Hmmm…Friday is pizza night but took the lazy way since I didn’t have all the ingredients. Used pita shells and havarti cheese. Surprisingly good without mozzarella and extremely creamy!
Christmas would not be the same without smoked salmon spread. It’s an old family recipe and we make it every year – canned salmon, liquid smoke (a little goes a long way) cream cheese, onion, lemon… So delish. Can’t wait to make it 🙂 Happy holidays!
I always make Chocolate Moose Cookies. Friends and family look for them starting early in November.
Cranberry shortbread and candy cane ice cream.
Last night we had homemade chicken pot pie and salad. Also started my camas baking with sugar cookies and popped them in the freezer.
For me, Christmas is Auntie Myra’s shortbread and my fruitcake. I’ve even converted my husband into a fruitcake lover! 🙂
I’ll be making a roasted beet/walnut/goat cheese dip for Christmas gatherings. It’s delicious and a very festive pink.
Christmas just isn’t the same without my moms shortbread cookies – nothing fancy but oh so good!
The antipasto looks so good! Maybe it just added itself into my Christmas baking plans. Other than that, I just picked up Anna Olson’s back to baking book (I think you mentioned it the other day). There’s so much in there I’d like to make! The cookies I make are pretty classic; shortbread, gingerbread – one year I made fruitcake cookies from *your* book for my husband who loves fruitcake, and the rum-raisin variation of sour cream sugar cookies was pretty spiffy for the holidays too. My Mom’s peanut brittle usually gets made every year. Basically I am really excited to start Christmas baking!
Time to pass the torch. Making a recipe collection for my kids. It will include all their faves and some of mine.
Lasagna last night. My grandma’s Butter Tarts always a must at Christmas.
Looking forward to making a bunch of recipes from the Company’s Coming books – mushroom rolls are a family fav!
Dinner last night was black and brown rice, steamed broccoli and golden cauliflower from the nearby farm and grilled chicken breasts done on my cast iron stove top grill.
My parents and I fight every year about which holiday baking to take on at Christmas. I argue for all the classics– phyllo pastry stuffed with salmon, wild rice, egg, mushrooms and green onions are my favourite! My mom usually wants to try something new, but I’m a sucker for tradition during the holidays!
It wouldn’t be Christmas without old-school Nanaimo bars (or what I like to call church-lady Nanaimo bars–definitely homemade, and not the lacklustre grocery store versions).
For dinner last night I made your sausage and shrimp soup with chorizo and veggies. It was wonderful. Desert was homemade oatmeal and raisin cookies. Christmas at my house is the usual turkey dinner, but never with any cranberry sauce, as my immediate family hates it, except me. But I still buy a bag of fresh cranberries and make a cranberry loaf to eat sometime after Christmas. That’s the recipe with real mayo in the ingredients. Yum. Oh, and mincemeat tarts!
We had homemade pizza on homemade sourdough. Toppings were pear, carmelized onions, olive oil with roasted garlic and toasted pine nuts. Yum. I am definitely going to try this recipe, thanks (again)
You reminded me that I have to set the date of our family’s antipasta making evening! We do it every year too. Similar ingredients but also a store bought chile sauce for a little zing. Thanks!
Pretty simple, I need to have egg nog at Christmas.
By the time we got all the spring rolls prepared…….. it ended up being a one dish meal. 😛
Christmas oranges. Can’t go without. I sure wish they still imported those cute little wooden boxes. My Barbie collection forever stayed in those wooden crates. 🙂
Good memories.
Always Nanaimo bars and white chocolate peppermint bark at Christmas. As to the antipasto – won’t the veggies be chopped too finely if I try the food processor? Don’t want to ruin a good family recipe for convenience’ sake.
Last night was an asian chicken peanut dish that even the toddler enjoyed. Christmas baking this year will be simple recipes we can do together
Having the girls over for an antipasto canning bee today!
Is the tuna with oil or just with water? Some recipes call for tuna in oil. I like making different things for Christmas baking
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without my grandma’s pecan crescents. Super buttery and good! Favourite christmas present ever was my stand mixer!
Definitely trying the antipasto recipe. Was looking for one. Had meat and egg turnovers (Arabian style)and homemade vegetable soup. Christmas is shortbread and gingerbread cookies.
We had venison chili with cheese biscuits. Harvested and butchered the deer myself. My mom has made the same antipasti for Christmas forever. Your right, the ingredients are a tad off putting. It also wouldnt be christmas without Grandma Dorothy’s shortbread cookies. They are so good I can’t eat anyone else’s.
Last night for dinner I made Black Bean Soup, Page 112 from your “Spilling the Beans” cookbook. It was a huge hit, and tasted fabulous. My husband kept saying how good it tasted – he couldn’t stop eating it! And he ate more today!
Tonight for dinner, I’m ‘making’ Chinese food. I’ve spent all day organizing my newly re-shelved laundry room and storage locker so I don’t really feel like making anything. The other night though, I did make the most fabulous baked dinner of chicken, potatoes and veggies. It screamed winter time and was fabulous. Thanks for the chance to win something like this!
Dinner was lasagna, and carrot soup. For Christmas, I will probably make a dozen of your recipes: muhamara, chocolate crinkles, ginger cake. You are my go to gal, and I constantly reference you like we’re old friends.
Essential Christmas food items: tapioca pudding, jam-jam cookies, butterhorn cookies and cinnamon twists.
Nanaimo bars – always Nanaimo bars.
We always make the Merry Christmas Cutouts from the old Betty Crocker cookbook, and decorate them with an icing sugar-water glaze and lots of sprinkles.
I had rotated butternut squash for dinner last night.
Last night we had bratwurst from Rose Creek Ranch, a local place that sells a line of sausage and prepared food available at our local Pincher Creek Co-op. Served with saurkraut and perogies.
We used to make antipasto at Christmas once upon a time as well! It was good! and made lots like you say. I made a butternut squash and orange salad with raisins, nuts and celery. It had a cream cheese/oj dressing that was really nice. I found the recipe in a cook book of the “south” that I borrowed from the library. It was called Stay for Supper and had some super sounding meals in it.
Shortbread is what I am waiting for. I may flavor some with lemon and some with coffee or not. Any kind will work for me!
Last night was chicken soup and tonight we had Asian pork chops – a Canadian Living recipe. I’m baking cookies like crazy for now and planning gifts.
Dinner for me was homemade pizza and an arugula salad. Served with a glass or two of champagne. Perfect way to start the weekend.
I had a huge piece of apple pie for dinner last night. Delicious, homemade apple pie. Why pie for dinner? Because having dessert for dinner is the BEST reason for being a grown up.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without fondue (oil, cheese, chocolate). Or at least that’s what I used to say growing up. But now I have 4 little people of my own, and they’re really too little to manage fondue safely, so I haven’t done it in years. All those hot, bubbling liquids and really sharp forks! But soon, soon, soon, it will become a tradition for them too. 🙂
Tonight I made Shepherds pie…love making big batches and freezing a few for another night. I have been baking my butt off getting ready for Christmas..gingerbread is in the fridge waiting to be turned into little men, butter tarts using your recipe are made, ginger snaps, peppermint chocolate cookies, almond shortbread thumbprint cookies…many more to come in the next few weeks. Love this time of year.I am also trying your bacon jam recipe tmrw:-)
Sounds delicious, love the food that comes out during the holidays.
Hey! This stuff can FREEZE?!? How long for do you think? I love this stuff, but haven’t made as didn’t want to fuss with bottling.
Oh, and Christmas wouldn’t be christmas without proper mince pies, warm served with brandy butter. Mmmmmm.
I made Korean BBQ ribs for dinner last night. That is my family’s favorite meal any time of the year.
Hi Julie
Had to laugh at Ericas note! My daughter says “you know mom, julie’s not really your friend” because I reference you so often!
About twenty years ago my hubby gave me an Osker blender and it is still one of my favorite gifts!! I’m making shortbread, nuts and bolts and cranberry scones…..
Last night we had hamburgers and fries – tonight we’ll have tacos or meatloaf
Last night was a pork and veggie stir fry with rice. Got great compliments!
Christmas is tourtiere, butter tarts, mincemeat tarts, etc etc etc…
Christmas is one of the few times in the year we eat bacon at home! I love bacon so much I would marry it.
Great blog, Julie.
We had fried ham steak, mac and cheese and caulifower. And for dessert nutella choc cookies. So yummy!
Thanks for all the great recipes.
Last night was our dinner club’s N’awlins night. Luckily we were on dessert duty so we went out and bought a deep fryer and made your Beignets. They were a hit. Sooo good. Thanks Julie!
Christmas would not be the same without butter tarts. After living in the UK a couple years ago, I realized that butter tarts are very uniquely Canadian.
tonight spinach pie…Christmas baking, I like some of the new recipes in the TOMATO that I want to try.
I’m always on dessert duty, so this year I’ve got some Apple Cider Bars, a molasses cake with cream cheese frosting, and a pumpkin pie with gingerbread crust all lined up and ready to be made. The Hannukkah/Thanksgiving overlap has me busy this year!
Last night — sushi; tonight my 13 year old son is making a chinese beef soup….
My mom used to make a similar antipasto recipe — but the recipe was lost. Can’t wait to try yours!
Tonight is chili to enjoy with the football game.
Wouldn’t be Christmas without Christmas morning mimosas and warmed pistachios!
Last night my husband cooked ‘Bal’s no butter butter-chicken’ from ‘Everyday Indian’ cookbook! I am sure he would love a food processor for Christmas!!! Christmas baking always involves nanaimo bars and Dutch boeter koek, though to be honest my mom has done the bulk of our holiday baking the last few years!
Dinner was eggs with toast and beans seeing as how we returned home from my knee surgery. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without our flatbread crackers and cheese ball.
Mmmm…yesterday was a succulent pork roast…just a plain old shoulder…not loin or anything…but so good, with homemade applesauce and purple roast potatoes and roast parsnips and carrots…a totally classic Sunday dinner!
Looking forward to making the broccoli casserole that gets requested at all family gatherings.
While we cut, split and piled wood yesterday afternoon, a pot of beans baked in the oven. We had them with ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner.
For the holidays, we bake soft ginger cookies, shortbread, lemon squares, some different barks (almond, candy cane, etc), caramel/pecan bars, and so on. Best get started!
It wouldn’t be Christmas without soft & chewy gingersnaps, pecan toffee shortbread, and Christmas cake!
We had spinach salad with sage butter ravioli and Dilly Bars for dessert.
Oh and a bottle of Brunello…
Added to my list of things to bring for my daughter’s Christmas dinner – dessert. I’m going with Chocolate Pecan Pie.
I had a craft show all day yesterday, so last night’s dinner was the pizza that my boyfriend very considerately ordered before I got home.
For me, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the traditional next-day leftover sandwich: turkey or ham, stuffing, cranberries, and gravy on a cold biscuit! Leftovers are what makes a holiday at home so stellar.
I made boneless leg of lamb lat night. I was happily surprised to have both my 2 and 4 year old ask for thirds.
Last night we had stuffed portobello mushrooms and a micro-green salad with goat cheese and avocado.
As for Christams – can’t survive without homemade cranberry sauce and apple cider.
Tonight’s dinner? A big chunk of salmon that I brought home from Alaska at Thanksgiving and threw in the freezer. With that some rice and a kale salad – your yummy recipe of course- minus the brussel sprouts this time 🙂
Last night’s dinner was leftover homemade beef barley soup with my dad’s secret ingredient: a spiceball full of pickling spice. Amazing! That being said, I think I should win a gift card because (1) I’m in rural Saskatchewan and we’re in a winning mood today and (2) a head of cauliflower at my local co-op was $9.78 last week! Needless to say, I didn’t buy it. It was worth the drive to Regina to stock up at Costco for two bucks a head. And to get fresh herbs at SuperStore.
Last night while the boys watched the football game-GO Riders!-my mom and I made a huge pot of wonton soup with copious amounts of fat tasty wontons and so many veggies the delicious homemade broth was just a puddle at the bottom! My mom also made a football version of her favorite Christmas cookie almond crescents(ends dipped in green icing-they are all gone) I always make ginger cookies, and a linzer torte kind of a shortbread cookie which is in various shapes cut by my daughter and stuck together with raspberry jam. This year I am going to bring poppycock to my cookie exchange.
Last night’s dinner was BBQ steak, with mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts with onion and bacon. Yum!
My mom’s shortbread angels with silver ball decorations on them!
We are heading to Tanzania for 3 weeks leading up to Christmas, so have had to pare down Christmas baking this year (sniff, sniff). It was cutthroat, but we were able to cut down the list. On the weekend we made gingersnaps (dipped in white chocolate with candied ginger), almond chocolate sandwich cookies, cranberry pistachio biscotti, and my grandma’s Tom Thumb cookies.
At Christmas time…near Ottawa on a farm….my Mom made Christmas cake ( dark and light ), fudge, Christmas pudding and sauce, and the best turkey !
Supper– bacon, banana pancakes and syrup, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, sausages, milk, and pumpkin loaf.
Love your website .
I’m in Ottawa so last night was the 100 metre diet! Lamb from my cousin’s own farm!
My sister always made antipasto – I think the recipe came from one of the Best of Bridge cookbooks or maybe Jean Pare. Now that I’m vegetarian – i.e. for the last 15 years – I don’t eat it since it contains fish. However, I recently found a recipe for a vegetarian version in the Planet Organic cookbook. It doesn’t contain the ketchup that is ubiquitous in these recipes though. I’ll cross my fingers and give it a try.
I feel like a bit of a kindred spirit with you, being a long-time cookbook junkie and having two small children. Thank goodness they have mostly adventurous palates. I always read your blogs and articles. We are often exploring the same food territory.
In any case, I will be baking this year for ourselves: usually a completely new set of cookies each year with the exception of gingerbread people – because there are so many recipes and so little time! Yum. We also always make “poppycock”. This year, my aim is to make cookies to serve for a group of seniors in Hillhurst who have Christmas dinner together because they have nowhere else to go. I am also baking for the seniors Christmas tea in Dalhousie.
I sure could use that kitchen aid food processor. My old hand-me-down Braun is on it’s last legs.
p.s. tonight for dinner vegetable strudel with balsamic reduction based on the one in the Whitewater cookbook – but with yams instead of eggplant, quinoa fruit and nut salad, bbq baby garlic potatoes, and grilled dijon herbed pork chops for the carnivores.
Last night I spent the evening with my almost 2 month old granddaughter (awwwwww!!!!!) and ate a delicious dinner of chicken souvlaki in pita bread, and greek salad. My daughter is a fabulous cook, and eating it with one hand while holding that precious baby made it taste even better 🙂
I was lucky enough that my Dad made dinner for our family last night. We had ham and scalloped potatoes.
My cookie plans for christmas is a cookie exchange with friends.
Mmmmm…my mom used to make this every year.
I always make my Great Grandmother’s Shortbread recipe that she brought with her from Scotland (that I have been making since I was about 16!) Also a wicked Plum Chutney recipe that came over with her too.
Christmas Eve our family delves into a hot, cheesy, bacon dip fresh out of the oven in a bread bowl. Oh my it is so good I could marry it.
Embarrassed to say, sandwich using leftover pizza ingredients with lots of arugula and horse radish instead of pizza sauce. Pretty yummy actually. The antipasto recipe sounds pretty good! Only ever used the Best of Bridge version. Seems pretty popular.
Thanks!
Last night I ate left over roast beef on raisin bread with some cheddar cheese 😀
I’m making Alice Water’s Bolognese sauce – the best thing to have with pasta. Like your bison short ribs (that look delectable!) it’s one of those long-cook, make-the-house-smell-fantastic, really-feels-like-cooking recipes that is perfect for this rainy day in Vancouver.