Christmas Eve 2015

 


* Christmas Eve has been a long tradition in our household. The Eve was always the celebration night. Whether in Philadelphia having cocktail dinner at the Streibigs, followed by late night presents in front of the fire, or in Spokane having ribeye and creamed corn in anticipation of the gift choas and utimate Pictionary contest at Grandmas (yes, Tonya and I still hold the championship cup!!), this was the night that made us all feel special. Christmas Day is the day for football, parades, hangovers from food and alcohol, and genuine pajama time with the fam. Thus, dinner is planned at our house for 7PM.  On the menu:

For the prep time:
Champs!
Rosemary roasted cashews
Salami & cheese rollups

For the Dinner:
Glazed ham
Corn w/butter sauce
Mashed potatoes & gravy for the boyz
Mrs. Kerr's Delmonico potatoes for the chef
Black Olives
Grands Biscuits

For the dessert:
Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Pumpkin Creme Pie


I haven't made Mrs. Kerr's potatoes in ages, but it is traditional McCann fare, attributable to the mother-in-law of Mr. Quill of Chesnut Hill, Pennsylvania. Anyway, it's a version of Delmonico Potatoes, so you preboil the potatoes to just done, let them cool overnight, then shred them.  You mix heavy cream, white pepper, and I'm going to throw in some sour cream this time, then pour 2 pints of this mix over 5# shredded potatoes and top with fresh grated parmesan (yes, the real thing) and then sprinkle with buttered panko and dot with butter, then bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until brown.  They are decadent and delicious, and a once a year thing only!  I believe that Mrs. Kerr, who was from New England, adapted this from the Providence, RI restaurant version. These are not my pictures, but this does show you what they look like:

I also am doing two new appetizers this year.  The roast cashews are an Ina Garten recipe: ROSEMARY ROASTED CASHEWS , and they are yummy!  They have just a little kick, and I
dig it!

The TODAY show actually introduced me to the salami rollups.  I had to take the pepperoncinis out, because they are too hot for my son, but I used Dietz & Watson Genoa Salami slices and whipped cream cheese and they are SO good! The original recipe was:

1. Salami Bundles with Cream Cheese and Pepperoncini

These salami-wrapped cones make an irresistible party snack.

Ingredients

• Thinly-sliced salami

• Cream cheese

• Pepperoncini

Directions: Just spread softened cream cheese on thinly sliced salami and sprinkle with thinly sliced pepperoncini (yes, those cheap pickled peppers often used on sandwiches). Roll up the salami and transfer to a platter.