(Editor’s Note: We’re delighted to introduce a new feature to the Practicing Presence blog – the Culinary Trove. This is the holiday edition. We invite you to submit your recipes for future Culinary Trove editions; details are on our Submissions page, here.)
Blending Cultures with Curried Brussels Sprouts
Birjis Adeni Rashed’s neighbors in Steiner Ranch gather annually for a neighborhood potluck. Rashed, originally from “the land of spice,” Hyderabad, India, has lived in the U.S. for years and has a foodie website, Hot Sweet Spicy Recipes.
“In our neighborhood, we do a potluck Thanksgiving of friends, irrespective of family Thanksgivings which happen in some families. Some of our friends are old-school traditionalists with limited palates, so we make an East/West fusion of some dishes to blend the cultures and keep everyone happy.
“I also introduced Brussels Sprouts (which is a new vegetable to the Indian population, since we didn’t grown up with it) to our Indian/ Pakistani Asian social circle with this Curried Brussels Sprouts version to go with fusion Tandoori Turkey and it was a total success!”
The recipe, detailed with beautiful photos, is on Rashed’s website, here.
Chanukah Nosh: Corned Beef and Noodle Kugle
In addition to latkes, the centerpiece of her annual Hanukkah “LatkeFest,” Stephanie Reich makes a corned beef brisket and noodle kugle. “The latkes are fried in oil because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of a small amount of oil that survived the destruction of the temple and then lasted for eight nights,” she said. “For LatkeFest, we make all our own food and invite friends and family to share our annual tradition. The serving plates are always empty before the end of the party, so that must be why people come–or it’s the humiliating, themed family videos for which we have become notorious!”
As for the recipes, she said, “All of of the “women of a certain age” in our family (i.e. older than us) claim to have given us the recipes, but there are no names included in the instructions, so we feign ignorance. But I love using the hand-written recipes, especially the ones with food stains reflecting years of use.”
Corned Beef Brisket
Ingredients:
1 Corned Beef Brisket (from grocery store meat department)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp chili sauce
2 Tbsp honey
½ jar Red Currant Jelly (8-ish ounces?)
½ can crushed pineapple (or one small can)
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Boil the brisket per the directions on the package. Drain and cut off excess fat while it is still warm. Slice the brisket and set aside in 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
Mix Dijon, chili sauce, jelly, and pineapple in a saucepan and boil to melt jelly. Pour sauce over brisket and bake for 30 minutes.
Noodle Kugle
Ingredients:
1 lb egg noodles, cooked per package directions
16 oz. sour cream
16 oz. small curd cottage cheese
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups milk
¼ pound melted butter
Kellog’s Corn Flakes
Cinnamon (there’s no such thing as too much!)
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350
In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, mix all ingredients except butter. Pour melted butter on top and sprinkle with Corn Flakes and cinnamon.
Bake for 1 hour
Rebecca’s Umami Vegetarian Gravy
Rebecca Hall adapted a gravy recipe from one of her favorite vegan food blogs, Rainbow Plant Life. Hall grew up in Vermont and said that since she moved to Texas years ago, she’s not been able to find a gravy recipe that “doesn’t have a bunch of fat in it.”
“I learned how to make gravy in Vermont where we put all the turkey drippings in the snow for ten minutes and then skimmed the fat off,” she said. “I never figured out how to make gravy in Texas with no snow.” She adapted the recipe for Thanksgiving this year and it was a winner.
Mushroom Umami Gravy
Adapted from Rainbow Plant Life
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup diced shallots (3-4 medium shallots)
Salt + freshly cracked black pepper
16 oz. (454g) cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms*, sliced
5 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
1/2 cup dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir, Malbec, or Merlot)
2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbsps soy sauce or tamari (use tamari for GF)
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
Directions:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter or olive oil. Once melted or hot, add the diced shallots with a pinch of salt. Sauté until translucent and golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter or oil and the mushrooms. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring only occasionally so they get some color, until the mushrooms release their liquid and are nicely browned.
- While mushrooms are cooking, whisk together the nutritional yeast, cornstarch and plant-based milk.
- Add the minced garlic, thyme, rosemary and season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and several cracks of black pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, or until very fragrant.
- Add the red wine, vegetable broth, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Whisk frequently and allow to boil for 3 to 4 minutes to cook off the wine. Add the corn starch (mixed with some water first), whisking constantly to make sure it dissolves and thickens, about 2 minutes. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking very frequently, until the flavors have melded together.
- If you want a smoother and creamier consistency, scoop out 1 cup of gravy (about 2 ladles) into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the blended gravy back to the pan and mix together.
- Add the vinegar, stir to combine, and taste. Add salt or pepper to taste. Finish with chopped parsley, if using.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country “Good Luck” Meal for New Year’s Day
Angie Balmer grew up in Lititz, PA, where her family ate pork and sauerkraut for good luck to start the new year.
“We had this every New Year’s Day,” she said. “I can’t remember a time when we did not have it as the first meal of the New Year for good luck! Both sides of my family grandparents were farmers, as were many aunts/uncles, so our pork always came from someone’s farm. My Grandma Balmer made her own sauerkraut and I think my mom may have a few times. I have never tried–it takes a long time to ferment–but it is on my “to do” list in retirement!
“Since moving to Texas in 1998, I have almost always made this meal on New Years Day or have been at my parents’ house to eat it. I think I only missed this one or two times in my 53 years of life and I guess those weren’t lucky years! On top of tradition, this is probably my very favorite meal. Likely because it is a once a year thing, but also because I find it comforting, delicious and full of memories. My own family (none from PA) have fallen in love with it, I shared it with friends last year and I think people were surprised and liked it too!
“People do it in different ways, but this recipe is the way my family has always done it.”
New Year’s Pork and Sauerkraut
Ingredients:
Boneless pork loin, butt or shoulder
Sauerkraut (I try to buy fresh if possible but jarred is just fine too)
Black pepper
Instructions:
Place pork loin, fatty side down, in bottom of crock pot
Pour sauerkraut atop pork and around sides to lightly cover
Sprinkle a good amount of black pepper on top of everything
Cook in crock pot on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours)
Serve with mashed potatoes and lima beans or green peas
To learn more about this Pennsylvania tradition, here are two links with more information about the dish and its history:
A feature story from Lancaster County, where Balmer grew up
A post with more about the origin of the tradition
We enjoyed putting this issue together and hope you enjoyed reading it, and trying the recipes!
If I may take a point of editorial privilege, I’ll share that I make my mom’s sour cream pound cake every year during the holidays. Here is a link to “Under the Lemon Glaze,” a story about the cake, with the recipe at the end.