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This year, my father and my friends Lola and Iggy came over for Christmas Eve dinner.\u00a0 It was a simpler affair than in other years, with only eight courses.\u00a0 I decided early on that I wanted to make a cheesecake for dessert – a favorite of my friend Lola.\u00a0 Alas, that means displacing the cheese course to the start of the meal.\u00a0 No matter, the meal flowed perfectly and everything was great.<\/p>\n
I was able to make most of the dishes in advance, which made for a much less stressful Christmas Eve.\u00a0 This is what we had:<\/p>\n
First course: <\/i>Cheeses
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I served a manchego, le Pommier Camembert<\/a> and D\u00e9lice de Bourgogne<\/a> with sliced baguette, crackers, green apple slices, grapes, caramelized walnuts<\/a> and orange marmalade.\u00a0\u00a0 The cheeses were from La Fromagerie<\/a> in San Francisco.\u00a0 Most of us preferred the d\u00e9lice, though my dad liked the camembert the most.\u00a0 Still, these weren’t the best cheeses we’ve had.<\/p>\n Second course<\/em>: Amuse Bouche of Polenta with Mushroom Ragout<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n I spent a lot of time looking for recipes of amuse bouches that I could serve in a spoon, but wasn’t satisfied with any. Finally, I decided to wing it and placed a tiny bit of store-bought polenta on each spoon and topped it with a quick, recipe-less mushroom ragout. Wow, was it delicious.\u00a0 Everyone wanted more!<\/p>\n Third course<\/em>: Mixed Green Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette <\/a><\/b><\/p>\n This is an old favorite and was requested by my youngest daughter – who had forgotten it had blue cheese in it and didn’t like it.\u00a0 This time I used Point Reyes blue instead of a milder Gorgonzola, so perhaps that was the problem.\u00a0 Most of us were happy with it.<\/p>\n Fourth course<\/em>: Coconut Butternut Squash Soup<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n My oldest daughter requested I make this soup.\u00a0 I wanted to try a new recipe, as none of the ones I tried before were that great, and I was intrigued by using one with coconut milk.\u00a0 This one proved to be a huge hit. It was absolutely delicious.\u00a0 I had meant to add some pumpkin seeds for color\/texture (instead of the red onions and kale the original recipe called for) but I forgot.\u00a0 Nobody missed them.\u00a0 Do serve this with sour cream.\u00a0 It needs the added acidity to be truly great. And great it is.\u00a0 I made this in advance and then added some water to reheat it.<\/p>\n Fifth Course<\/em>: Flamishe<\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n This leek tart is another old favorite requested by my oldest daughter.\u00a0 It’s one of the simplest things you could ever made but also the most delicious. Once again, I made individual tarts to make it more elegant and served the cream in a creamer, so everyone could pour themselves some.\u00a0 I made the filling in advance but prepared the leek tarts the day I served them.<\/p>\n Six Course<\/em>: Lemon Sorbet<\/b><\/p>\n Store bought Haagen-Dazs, I’m afraid.<\/p>\n Seventh Course:<\/em> Five Spice Short Ribs<\/a>, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes<\/a> and Roasted Asparagus<\/b><\/p>\n We finally get to the main dish! My vegetarian daughters forewent the ribs, but the rest of us were very happy with them.\u00a0 I made them in advance, of course.\u00a0 The buttermilk mashed potatoes are my usually recipe, which I multiplied a few times.\u00a0 The asparagus were simply roasted with olive oil and salt.<\/p>\n Eighth Course<\/em>: Dulce de Leche Cheesecake<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Being an Argentinian, dulce de leche cheesecake might seem like an obvious idea.\u00a0 And yet it did not occur to me to make it until I finally decided that my choice of peanut butter cheesecake did not fit with the menu above.\u00a0 It’s a good thing I listened to those voices, as this was probably the most delicious dessert I’ve made in a long time.\u00a0 I used San Ignacio Dulce de Leche, which is a great brand, but I’m sure any other would do.\u00a0 Don’t miss the glace, as the cheesecake is not nearly as good without it.<\/p>\n I served an expensive California sparkling wine with the first part of the meal and Clos Pegase Atlas Peak 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/a>, which we’d bought at the winery, with the main dish.\u00a0 They were both delicious.<\/p>\n Mixed Green Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette <\/a><\/b><\/p>\n <\/a>Polenta with Mushroom Ragout<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/em>:<\/p>\n Directions<\/em>:<\/p>\n Slice about half the tube of polenta. Bake or saute it until heated through.\u00a0 Place in serving plates.<\/p>\n Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a medium saute pan.\u00a0 Once the butter is melted add the shallot and cook until soft, stirring as necessary.\u00a0 Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until they are soft and all the liquid evaporates.\u00a0 Add the whipping cream and madeira and cook, stirring, until it reduces to a thick glace.\u00a0 Sprinkle with salt and paper to taste.<\/p>\n Place the mushroom ragout on top of the polenta and serve.<\/p>\n Coconut Butternut Squash Soup<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients:<\/em><\/p>\n Directions:<\/em><\/p>\n Preheat oven to 375\u00b0.\u00a0 Line a baking sheet with aluminum oil.\u00a0 Cut the butternut quash in half (or quarters, if easier).\u00a0 Place cut side up on the baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil.\u00a0 Cook until the flesh is soft, 30 to 50 minutes.\u00a0 Cool until you can handle it, then peel or scoop out the flesh onto a plate or bowl and set aside.<\/p>\n Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat.\u00a0 Add the onion and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.\u00a0 Add the squash, apple, broth, ginger, curry powder and nutmeg.\u00a0 Bring to a boil, then reduce temperature to low, cover and simmer until the apples are soft, about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n Remove pot from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.\u00a0 Alternatively, transfer solids to a food processor or blender in batches and process until pureed, then transfer back to the soup pot and mix well.<\/p>\n Add the coconut milk, stir and cook on low for about ten minutes.\u00a0 Season with salt and pepper to taste.\u00a0 Serve with sour cream.<\/p>\n Based on a recipe<\/a> from the New York Times.<\/p>\n Flamishe<\/strong><\/a> (Leek Tart)<\/p>\n <\/a>Five Spice Short Ribs<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients:<\/em><\/p>\n Directions<\/em>:<\/p>\n Sprinkle salt and pepper on short ribs. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.\u00a0 Dust in flour.<\/p>\n Preheat oven to 350F.\u00a0 Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven.\u00a0 Working in batches, add short ribs and brown on all sides, removing to a plate as they brown.\u00a0 Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the Dutch oven and set on medium heat.\u00a0 Add tomato paste and give-spice powder and cook, stirring, for one minute.\u00a0 Add wine and deglace pan.\u00a0 Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is almost completely reduced, about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n Add the short ribs, carrot, parsnip, garlic, cilantro stems and bay leaves.\u00a0 Cover with the broth.\u00a0 Bring the braise to a boil over high heat.\u00a0 Then cover and transfer to the oven.\u00a0 Cook for 2 hours. Remove from oven, let cool, and refrigerate overnight.<\/p>\n The next day, preheat oven to 350F.\u00a0 Remove pot from the refrigerator and remove and discard the congealed fat.\u00a0 Return pot to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 40 to 60 minutes, until the meat is falling off the bone.\u00a0 Gently remove the short ribs from the cooking liquid and keep warm.\u00a0 Strain cooking liquid into a large bowl and discard the solids.\u00a0 Return strained liquid to the cooking pot, set on the stove over medium-high heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.\u00a0 Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.\u00a0 Return the short ribs to the liquid, and cook until the ribs are warmed through.<\/p>\n Based on a recipe<\/a> at Epicurious.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes<\/a><\/b> Ingredients:<\/em><\/p>\n For the Crust<\/p>\nThe Recipes<\/h3>\n
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\nDulce de Leche Cheesecake<\/strong><\/p>\n