I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend. I’m assuming everyone enjoyed the turkey and all the trimmings.
Now everyone will switch into Christmas mode, decorations, and shopping will be on everyone’s list of things to do.
We are skipping the December Book club and will resume in January. I will be hosting the event on January 8, 2024. We will be chatting about The Blooding by Joseph Wambaugh.
This is a true story about the first case which was solved using DNA. Let me know if you plan to join the group.
Traveling neighbors
- Myrna has recently returned from a month-long visit with family in New Mexico.
- Carole is going to CA for Christmas with family.
- Edy had a short trip to Boston for work
Recipe du Jour
Shortcut Baked Rigatoni with Meatballs
Ingredients:
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground beef
½ plain dry breadcrumbs. (I make my own with unused bread) just a couple of minutes in the food processor and you have breadcrumbs)
½ C Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more for garnish freshly grated)
1 cup torn basil.
2 eggs (large slightly beaten)
Fresh ground pepper
1 pound rigatoni (uncooked)
1-pound fresh mozzarella (torn into 1-inch pieces)
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought is ok) I like Rao’s or Muir Glen
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, combine the pork, beef, breadcrumbs, basil, cheese, eggs, and 1 tsp each of salt and ground pepper. Mix well. Roll a tablespoonful of the mixture between wet palms to form 30 meatballs.
- In a 9 X 13-inch ceramic baking dish spread half of the pasta in an even layer. Arrange half of the meatballs over the pasta. Spoon half of the marina sauce on top, and season with ½ tsp of salt. Repeat with the remaining pasta, meatballs, mozzarella, sauce and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add 2 ½ cups of water to the dish and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes. Turn on the broiler, and broil 8 inches from the heat until the top is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes and then garnish the baked pasta with basil and cheese and serve.
Recipe from Food and Wine
Cooking Tips
Useful During the Holiday Season
Whip cream
1 cup of heavy whip cream
2 T instant vanilla pudding
1 T powder sugar
Vanilla to taste.
Whip cream until frothy, then add the rest of the ingredients and whip to soft or stiff peaks, your choice. This cream will stay in the fridge for a couple of days without deflating.
A Second Whip Cream tip
It is always a good idea to chill the bowl and beaters or whisk you plan to use when whipping cream, but full refrigerators and freezers may not accommodate bulky bowls. If you find yourself in this situation, try the following method. Fill a zipper-lock bag with ice cubes and place it in the bowl. A bag filled with 20 ice cubes will chill a 12-inch stainless steel bowl in about 5 minutes. Another way to chill stainless bowl is to toss a couple of frozen freezer packs. They will turn the bowl icy cold in about 10 minutes.
Smoothing of lumpy gravy
Trying to thicken gravy by sprinkling in flour often results in unsightly lumps and if the gravy is still too thin because the starch is not dispersed. Solve the problem by using the following steps. (this technique does not work with mushroom or giblet gravy).
- Pour gravy in a blender no more than half full with the lumpy gravy and process until smooth about 30 seconds
- To thicken the gravy, pour it back into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Any remaining small lumps can be strained out with a fine mesh strainer.
Toasted Nuts
Toasted nuts are often used in recipes such as pesto or cookies but can be annoying to have to toast small amounts for each dish. Here’s a solution. Toast several cups of nuts on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for 3-5 minutes. When the nuts are cool, transfer to a zipper lock bag and freeze them. Do not use pre-toasted frozen nuts for recipes in which a crisp texture is desired, such as salads.
Community Activities
Edmonds has a Winter Market happening now. It is located at 5th & Bell, basically the same place as the summer market. The remaining dates are Dec. 2nd, 9th and 16th. There are about 100 vendors offering holiday gifts, specialty items, including produce, food, wines, flowers, and treats. The Holiday trolly will be operating during the Dec. dates. For more information go to megan.luttrell@edmondswa.gov.
Lake Forest Park Holiday Farmers Market and Craft Fair, the last of the season date is on Dec 17th 10:00 AM-2 PM. This is an indoor/outdoor event held at the Town Center at Lake Forest Park, 19171 Bothell Way NE.
Cascade Symphony Orchestra is giving two concerts on Dec. 10th & 11th. Both at 7:30 PM with Rick Steves, giving a pre-concert lecture each evening at 6:30 PM. Music director Michael Mipopolsky will be directing. There will be a selection of 19th century anthems, a music journey of seven different European countries. The music is accompanied by a montage of evocative video images from each country. For tickets and more information go to www.cascadesymphony.org.
Holiday Bazaar
The Bazaar will be held on Sunday December 3rd 10:00-3:00 at the Edmonds Waterfront Center at 220 Railroad Ave, Edmonds. Call 425-774-5555 for information. There will be over 40 vendors.
RMC Christmas
Don’t forget our annual Christmas party is scheduled for Sunday Dec. 3rd. We have had several already signed up with their contribution to the event. We hope to see one and all on Sunday from 5:00— to 7:00 PM—- in the 2nd floor community space (Book Nook) BYOB We hope we have a good turnout, it is a fun event, a fun way to kick off the Christmas season.
