Key West Seafood Gratin

In case you are sitting around on this drizzly afternoon wondering what to serve for New Year's Eve or Day, I have a great recipe for you! For Christmas Day, I made a gratin with local seafood....delicious, kinda fancy, and very easy. I started with 1 pound of yellowtail snapper and 1 pound of shrimp. In a saucepan over medium heat, I warmed 1 cup chicken stock with 1 pint heavy cream. I cut the fish into chunks and peeled the shrimp. I cut them in half horizontally when I removed the vein, a trick I learned from Ina Garten. When the stock and cream are just at the simmer, add the seafood, stirring to distribute. Remove it after only a minute or so, using a slotted spoon to place in a casserole dish. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste, a few threads saffron, and salt and pepper to the pot, and adjust heat to bring to a boil. Simmer until it reduces slightly and taste for seasoning. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoon flour with the same amount of water, whisking to remove lumps. Bring liquid back to a boil and stir in the flour mixture, whisking to combine. Remove from heat after it thickens....only takes a few minutes. Pour over seafood. Top with a generous amount of panko, and dot with butter. Heat at 375 until bubbly, then increase heat to 425 for a few minutes to brown. Serve with rice. You can use any combo of seafood. Next time I want to try it with lobster.

Holiday Party Food, Pt 2

Well, the big day has come and gone, but there is still much to celebrate! I love the days between Christmas and New Year's. And that week is the perfect time to have friends over for a cocktail and some snacks. In fact, as soon as I get this post-Christmas morning mess cleaned up, we have several friends that we can't wait to have over. And depending on everyone's schedules, the visiting may last into the days after New Year's. Here are some things I will have on hand. You can't go wrong with a Christmas Margarita. We do 2 cups tequila, 1 cup triple sec, and 1/2 cup each of cranberry juice and orange juice. Make in a pitcher and keep in the refrigerator. A glazed ham can be sliced and served at room temperature, and made into sandwiches with small rolls or biscuits. I bought a Boar's Head Sweet Slice ham and glazed it with 1 cup Dijon mustard mixed with 1 cup apricot-pineapple preserves. Bake at 325 for an hour or so, depending on weight, until heated through. And finally for today, here is the easiest recipe for artichoke dip. Ever. Thaw one box frozen artichoke hearts, then coarsely chop them. Mix with 1 cup mayo, 1 cup grated parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake in a small casserole dish at 375 until puffed and bubbly. It takes minutes to make, and everyone always loves it! :)

Christmas Eve in Key West

We are still having unseasonably warm temps for this time of year....80 degrees last time I checked. But it is sunny and breezy and the island was sure bustling as I ran my final errands today. I have come down with a cold, so I scaled back  my cooking plans and purchased goodies from some favorite Key West vendors. First I hit Imagination Station toy store for a final gift for under the tree. This shop is our locally-owned alternative to Kmart, and thank goodness they have been able to make it through the road construction that I'm sure has greatly affected business. Next, I hit Key West Cakes on White Street. I loaded up with 2 pounds of their delicious Christmas cookies, date-nut bread, and a little cherry cheesecake, one of John's favorites. Eaton Street Seafood was packed! I got a pound of KW pinks, two fillets of yellowtail snapper, and two crab cakes. I will saute the cakes when we get home this evening, and I will do a seafood gratin with the shrimp and fish for tomorrow. Finally, I went to Publix. Good grief.....it took me 10 minutes of driving around to find one empty parking space! I managed to gather my list without getting run over (or running over anyone myself). I've got lots of good stuff on hand for some great holiday cooking and eating. And John just got back from the liquor store, so now we are really set. Merry Christmas Eve!

Holiday Party Food, Pt 1

I haven't been very good about blogging...we have been busy doing all of those things I wrote about in my last post. It's certainly been festive here on Duncan Street, for sure. The girls only have a few days of school left before the long holiday break, which means I only have a few days to do the projects that are best done 'kid free.' I've got presents to wrap and hide! And lots of favorite holiday foods to prepare. We will be inviting friends over for several small get togethers, starting this evening. And we are attending two parties tomorrow evening. So I need something to serve and something to take. My Cheddar & Blue Cheese Pinecone is perfect. It's my favorite holiday appetizer, and it couldn't be easier. In a mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar, 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese, 3 tablespoons dry white wine, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons sour cream, and an 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Use an electric mixer to combine. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a teardrop shape, like a pine cone. Arrange sliced almonds, inserting some into the cheese mixture so that they stand up and pressing some onto the sides, to complete the pine cone picture. (see photo) Or, just form the mixture into a ball and roll it in chopped nuts and skip the whole pine cone thing......it's ok. Plate with some water crackers and grapes. Serve to your guests, or wrap and take to your hostess. I just made two from this recipe, and they only get better with age. Another easy and delicious cheese appetizer is Baked Brie with Spiced Winter Fruits. Combine a chopped apple, chopped pear, a handful of cranberries, and some orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Add cinnamon to taste, and a pinch of salt. Let cool in the saucepan....it will thicken slightly. Slice a small wheel of Brie in half horizontally. Place one slice on a nonstick baking sheet (or spray a baking sheet with oil) and top with half the fruit mixture. Place the second round on top and cover with the remaining fruit. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, and serve with assorted crackers. Both recipes are holiday classics at my house, and both recipes are in my cookbook. I actually dust it off this time of year and use it.

Christmastime in Key West

This island is a pretty festive place year-round, but I think Key West really shines during the holidays. The Christmas trees arrive at MARC House two days before Thanksgiving and go on sale the day after. Lights and decorations go up on shops and homes as soon as the turkey is finished. We decorate early here, extending the season of joy. And there is honestly a festive feeling in the air. Key Westers are extremely nice, but even nicer during the month of December. There are TONS of holiday events.....tons! A quick search on Facebook just found 65 in the next two weeks, and that doesn't include the major festivity of a Key West New Year's Eve. It's fun, especially if you have kids. I was invited to my first Parade Viewing party this year, with front row chairs and catering on Truman Avenue this past Saturday evening....no more sitting on the sidewalk for me! The joy on the girls faces was truly wonderful. Such a small town event....waving to people you know on the floats and scooping up the candy they toss. And in true Key West fashion, this event was also a fundraiser, as friends and clients of Poco Pelo Chic salon raised $12,000 for charity. This weekend we will be having lunch with Santa at Turtle Kraals on Saturday and making gingerbread houses at the Oldest House Museum on Sunday. I can't wait! :)

Turkey Posole

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that all those brined turkeys turned out juicy and flavorful. Our holiday was lovely. There were ten of us for dinner, and we really ate! After the big day, we enjoyed quite a few turkey sandwiches, but I only had enough leftovers for one replay of the entire meal. I used up my last Thanksgiving leftover yesterday, turning the remaining turkey broth and bits of dark meat into a delicious soup. Posole is a traditional Mexican soup, originally made with the head of a pig, but now generally made with pork. Posole always contains hominy. It's available in the canned vegetable section. Hominy is corn soaked in lye. The kernels become larger and have a richer, denser texture...very nice in a soup. So, to my pot of about four cups of turkey broth, I added chopped turkey, a can of diced tomatoes, one can of white hominy, a can of black beans, some chicken stock, and two packets of Goya Sazon seasoning, which is a mix of Latin spices including annato seed, which adds a nice color to soups. I chopped onion and red and yellow bell pepper and sauteed them in oil until softened and just beginning to brown, and added those to my soup pot. After simmering for a half hour, I tasted it and added a bit more salt and pepper. To serve, I crushed up some corn tortilla chips for the top. It was delicious....the best soup I have made in a long time. Glad we have enough for one more meal! :)