Category Archives: Holidays

January 23, 2012 · 9:32 AM

Xiao Long Bao for Chinese New Year

chinaHappy New Year! Monday, Jan 23rd marks the start of the Lunar year – and the Chinese year of the Dragon. In Salvador, there actually are a few Chinese restaurants, so maybe we will be able to partake (we even saw a Macanese restaurant – cool!). One Chinese food we are craving in honor of the new year is Xiao Long Bao (XLB). XLB are dumplings from Eastern China, which are filled with gelatin (which then melts to liquid through steaming), earning them the English nickname of soup dumplings. While we are admitted XLB novices, XLB have quite a cult following among foodies, and there are countless blog posts reviewing and critiquing dumpling offerings in America and abroad. Eating XLB is also an art unto itself, since the liquid filling of the XLB has the potential for explosion!

Soup Dumplings at Bund Shanghai in San Francisco

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January 1, 2012 · 12:01 AM

Happy New Year!

[Soviet New Years card via Mazaika]

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December 24, 2011 · 10:56 PM

Merry Christmas Bacalhau!

If there is one constant in Portuguese food it is the mighty, iconic Bacalhau. This Portuguese salted cod is found nearly on every traditionl Portuguese menu – often in dozens of preparations. It is in fact rumored that over 500 canonized Balcahu recipes exist in Portuguese cuisine. Some of the most popular Bacalhau dishes are Bacalhau com Natas and Bacalhoada, but there is a Bacalhau recipe to suit nearly every taste.

Christmastime is an especially important time for the Bacalhau – as it is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve by Portuguese families. Bacalhau can be found in many forms – filleted and dried, in cans, and even frozen is gaining popularity. We were also amused to find specal  “Christmas Bacalhau” for sale. Basically these are the normal splayed, dried and salted bacalhau, but wrapped in cellophane and topped with a red bow. We thought this was a one-off, but we actually saw this festive gift-ready presentation in several Lisbon stores leading up to Christmas.

This calls to mind the Italian tradition of the feast of the seven fishes, which we have written about previously. In Italian, Bacalhau is called Baccala, and sorry to say we do not much care for that either, perhaps betraying our Italian heritage a bit. But, bacalhau is the real heart of Portuguese cuisine, and if you don’t at least try it – you are missing out! You never know when you will need that 7th fish dish for the Feast of Seven Fishes.

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December 22, 2011 · 6:06 AM

Holiday Snacks Cheat Sheet

Saturday Evening Post Cover Holidays

Saturday Evening Post Cover Feast, 1960

The holiday party season is in full swing, and has been for a while. This means you might be called upon to bring some appetizers of your own. But it is now easier than ever: Check out New York Times Holiday Finger-Food Combination Generator and Serious Eats’ Holiday Snacks in 20 Minutes Or Less. if you are feeling more retro, check out these scans of mid-century holiday recipes (use at your own risk!) [Image:”Snow Buffet Party,” Saturday Evening Post Cover, February 20, 1960]

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December 21, 2011 · 6:17 AM

Christmas in Paris: Bûche de Noël

Buche de Noel Paris

A Bûche de Noël in Paris

In our continuing coverage of holiday-related cakes and desserts (yum!) we move on to France. As much of a fixture as holiday lights and trees, the arrival of the Bûche de Noël cake in pastry shop windows signals Christmas. Known in the US as a Yule Log, the Bûche de Noël consists of rolled sponge cake, typically with chocolate frosting, that resembles a log (even topped with meringue mushrooms). However, the modern varieties available are almost limitless, including this bitter orange-flower flavored Bûche we saw in a shop window.

As for history, The earliest known recipe of the cake is from 1898, though the tradition of the cake is much older than that. The origins of the Bûche de Noël are with the Yule log traditionally burned by the Celts and other cultures around the Winter Solstice. The form of the Bûche de Noël is then based off of those logs. But when did the cake itself originate? The blog Why’d you Eat That has a pretty awesome explanation – and it includes Napoleon (go figure):

During his reign as Supreme Ruler of the Universe, Napoleon realized there was a lot of disease in Paris. His solution was to mandate that all chimneys must remain closed during the winter months because the cold, drafty air was causing all this inconvenient illness. With chimneys closed, there was no way for the air to get in. Now people were in a pickle. They had no way to burn their traditional Bûche de Noël. So a Parisian baker got creative and invented the cake as a symbolic alternative of the actual piece of wood.

For those intrepid bakers, Saveur has a traditional recipe and Canelle et Vanille has an amazing looking version with lemon creme brulee filling and dark chocolate glaze. According to Serious Eats, Floriole in Chicago has a pretty awesome Bûche de Noël.

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December 20, 2011 · 6:08 AM

Christmas in Portugal: Bolo Rei

Bolo Rei on display in Lisbon

In Portugal, one of the signals that the Christmas season has arrived is the arrival of the Bolo Rei (King Cake), a yeast-baked cake flavored with nuts and fruit and topped with a heaping helping of crystallized fruit. Eaten in Portugal until Kings Day (Jan 6), the Bolo Rei is nearly identical to the King Cake that is popular for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Like a King Cake, the Bolo Rei has a small trinket inside (traditionally a fava bean, but in more modern times, a charm), a practice which has now actually been outlawed (boo!).

The Confeiteria Nacional in Lisbon credits itself with introducing the Bolo Rei to Portugal in the 1800s. Throughout Portugal there are Bolo Rei being sold by every corner bakery, in all sizes. However, if you are not currently in Lusitania, there are many recipes available for Bolo Rei. Another Variation on the Bolo Rei is the Bolo Rainha – without crystallized fruit.

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November 1, 2011 · 6:01 AM

Pepitas for Dia de Los Muertos

Petaluma Dia de los Muertos by Fred Davis

Happy Halloween & Dia de los muertos! Having a crazy busy weekend M & I did not begin to prepare anything until yesterday afternoon in terms of festive decorations, but within the span of hour we managed to construct an ofrenda, carve a pumpkin and make pepitas – pumpkin seeds! We were pretty proud of our accomplishments, and our pepita recipe turned out pretty well – but word of warning – if you are going to substitute chili powder for anything spicier – these can actually be surprisingly spicy (we used ancho powder). This is probably an obvious point, but our pepitas came out really spicy!

Adapted from A Recipe from Food.com
Ingredients
2 cups pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg white, beaten until frothy
1 tablespoon chili powder (or 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder for the spice inclined)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Mix all ingredients and spread in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake until pepitas are golden and dry, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and separate pepitas with fork while still warm; cool completely.

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February 3, 2011 · 8:35 PM

Happy New Year!

It’s Lunar New Year – and we are welcoming in the year of the rabbit. To celebrate the occasion several Chicago restaurants are rolling out special New Year’s menus. If you are feeling emboldened by the blizzard you can even head down to Chinatown for a parade on Sunday.

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January 1, 2011 · 12:17 AM

Happy 2011!

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December 24, 2010 · 12:09 PM

Happy Holidays from the Past

Thought everyone might get a kick out of this crazy 19th-century British postcard entitled “A dead heat for the plate,” found through the Liverpool National Museums Blog. Happy Eating!

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December 13, 2010 · 8:30 PM

Sweden: Lussekatter for St. Lucia’s Day

Little known fact: One of the Eaters is partially Swedish – and though we are not particularly keen on Swedish food – there is no denying the appeal of the delicious cookies and pastries served on St. Lucia’s Day. One of the most traditional are the Lussekatter – saffron sweet rolls. The name means “Lucy’s Cats” – but these leavened yeast rolls are figure-8 shaped. And here are even some Gluten-free versions of traditional St. Lucia items – something for everyone.

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December 4, 2010 · 4:41 PM

Advent Calendars on the Cheap

IKEA has chocolate-filled calendars for $2.49 – it’s not too late!

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November 2, 2010 · 4:06 PM

Dia de los Muertos and Sugar Skulls

sugarskulls

Sugar Skulls for Sale in San Francisco by Digiyesica

Today is the 2nd day of the colorful, delicious holiday of  Dia De Los Muertos! One of our favorite parts of Dia de los Muertos are the colorful sugar skulls. While in previous years we have bought our pre-made there are also many ways you can make your own – with the help of a special sugar skull mold. If pure sugar’s not your thing, you can go the ultra-edible route with chocolate skulls. Another typical treat made for this holiday is Pan de Muerto an anise-flavored bread traditionally placed on ofrendas.

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April 4, 2010 · 6:49 AM

Celebrate Easter with Pysanky – intricate Ukrainian Easter eggs!

Ukrainian Easter Eggs by Vanberto

Ukraine FlagHappy Easter – enjoy these beautiful Pysanky eggs from the Ukraine! These types of eggs are made using a wax-resist method where the designs are drawn on with a wax stylus and then dye is applied. These Pysanky definitely make American-style food-colored eggs jealous. Though it may be a little late, Instructables and Design*Sponge have guides on how to make your own Pysanky.

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March 19, 2010 · 8:23 PM

Annual St. Joseph’s Day Post

Zeppole by Caleb Lost

We here at ETW do a St. Joseph’s Day post every year, mainly as a reason to feature zeppole, a delicious custard-filled doughnut. Currently I (L) am in a location where the zeppole landscape is unknown to me, so I’ll be up bright an early to see if I can find any at the local bakeries. But in the meantime here’s a recipe from Giada.

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March 17, 2010 · 2:05 PM

Historic Irish Soda Bread Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day

IrelandJust in time for St. Patrick’s Day, have a look at the oldest published Irish Soda Bread recipe [Via Sodabread.us]. It comes from a November 1836 Farmer’s Magazine (London) p.328 referencing an Irish newspaper in County Down.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread by Claire Brosman

A correspondent of the Newry Telegraph gives the following recipe for making “soda bread,” memorablystating that:

“There is no bread to be had equal to it for invigorating the body, promoting digestion, strengthening the stomach, and improving the state of the bowels.”

The recipe follows:

“Put a pound and a half of good wheaten meal into a large bowl, mix with it two teaspoonfuls of finely powdered salt, then take a large teaspoonful of super-carbonate of soda, dissolve it in half a teacupful of cold water, and add it to the meal; rub up all intimately together, then pour into the bowl as much very sour buttermilk as will make the whole into soft dough (it should be as soft as could possibly be handled, and the softer the better,) form it into a cake of about an inch thickness, and put it into a flat Dutch oven or frying-pan, with some metallic cover, such as an oven-lid or griddle, apply a moderate heat underneath for twenty minutes, then lay some clear live coals upon the lid, and keep it so for half an hour longer (the under heat being allowed to fall off gradually for the last fifteen minutes) taking off the cover occasionally to see that it does not burn.”

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December 31, 2009 · 11:29 AM

Ringing in the New Year with a drink for every time zone

2010 is almost here. If you’re looking for a celebratory idea – Chow has an interesting article that gives a different drink for every time zone. Start out slow with water in Kiribati on the International Date Line and finish up with a Lychee-infused Cheehu cocktail in Hawaii

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December 29, 2009 · 1:20 AM

Boule de Noël Holiday Macaron Boutique in Chicago

Boule de Noël

Offerings at Boule de Noël

Finally – after 2 years we made it to the macaron boutique at NoMi – Boule de Noël. There wasn’t actually a storefront, just a display case of desserts with a chef standing by to take any orders – it was $9 for three macarons – they couldn’t be bought individually, which was a bit of a bummer. The three flavors on offer were banana, chocolate Grand Marnier and lime mint. We opted for 2 chocolate (of course) and one mint. The presentation, of course was beautiful, and each macaron was picture-perfect and vibrantly colored. The macarons were delicious, too, and practically melted in your mouth, though the chocolate variety was the clear winner. Though a bit pricey, we enjoyed the macarons and are looking forward to next year’s macaron boutique incarnation.

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December 24, 2009 · 9:10 AM

Feast of the 7 Fishes

Feast of the Seven Fishes by Austin Kleon

Have a Merry Christmas this year – and especially a Merry Feast of the Seven Fishes.

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December 22, 2009 · 5:51 PM

Tiny Gingerbread House

Christmas is right around the corner and that means gingerbread houses. Who could resist these Not Martha mini gingerbread houses made to perch on your mug [of hot cocoa].

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