Tag Archives: Christmas

Simple Pleasures

08 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in Christmas, Epicurean, Festivals, Holidays, New Jersey, Travel, Weekend

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Woefully behind in posting, I thought I’d do a write up on the various winter carnivals taking place throughout the NE. Disappointingly, however, my list was becoming more and more lame with each search. I’ve previously written about maple sugaring festivals; perhaps I should have updated that post for tonight.

My Not So Simple Salad

It’s been difficult getting back into the swing of things after the holidays, but I’m reveling in simple pleasures, one being my lunchtime salad. Definitely not a simple salad as that walnut commercial boasts about, but rather one that includes everything and the kitchen sink. Definitely refreshing, and needed, after the over-indulging of the holidays.

#Delicious

We celebrated little Christmas this past Sunday. Usually we host a brunch, but this year opted to go out to eat. The place we went, The Twisted Elm in Elmwood Park, NJ has a cozy atmosphere that includes a fire place — a definite bonus — and a menu that’s a combination of quasi-fancy fare and comfort food (literally, there’s a section on the menu entitled ‘Comfort Food’). Well, the Twisted Elm has a fantastic cheese board and its accompaniments — from fig preserves to relished cranberry to mapled walnuts — are simply scrumptious.

I’m restarting my Sunday epicurean sojourns this weekend. These are culinary pursuits I embark upon for our afternoon dinner (sometimes it’s evening, depending on the meal’s intricacy level). There’s little method behind my madness with these meals; sometimes I pick a country and do a traditional feast from the locale while other times I embark upon the season and create a meal based off the holiday du jour. Ultimately, there’s no formula that I follow.

This Sunday, I’m making a Shakshuka. I first had the dish in Montreal and assumed it was Canadian, it was so warming considering the chill in the air that weekend. Little did I know the dish hails from North Africa and the Mid-East. I’m excited, it’s made me dig out my Mediterranean Hot cookbook and has given a reason for me to create a spicy repast for the weekend. Details to follow; I’m assuming I’ll make it out of the kitchen unscathed and we’ll wind down the weekend with bellies’ full of this wonderful…err, soup, sauce, dish?

Thanks for stopping by. I wish you all safe travels, smooth sailings and, of course, bon appetite.

Peter & Tom Sitting in a Tree

02 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by in Christmas, Epicurean, Holidays

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Growing up, there was a Thanksgiving song we would sing, “The Turkey Ran Away.” Well, I think Tom the Turkey and Peter the Rabbit ran away; and, now they’re sitting in a tree laughing at the woes of one Paula Rivera.

Goffle Road Pultry

I called my poultry guy (true confession, I don’t yet have enough of a relationship with them to refer to them as my ‘guys’), Goffle Road Poultry Farm, to order a rabbit for Christmas. I could hear the guy smirking as he kindly explained, ‘we’re sold out of rabbit.’ Sigh. What to do for Christmas, get a turkey; order a hen; chicken for my friends? All dismal thoughts (only dismal as we eat these things regularly). So I went for the duck. Yes, daffy duck was the menu for Christmas.

In finding a recipe, I went to all my standard books, Fannie Farmer, two Gourmet cookbooks, and even my Spanish and French books. But, alas, it was Burt, good ol’ Burt Wolf, who came to my rescue.

Taiwanese Duck #Yummy

My husband was lobbying for a crispy duck and that, ultimately, what I would have liked to have made. The goddess of time was not swayed to favor me this Christmas season. The one recipe I found for ‘crispy duck’ was in the Gourmet Cookbook. It was a two day recipe that involved a fan and the duck’s cavity. Burt’s recipe on the other hand only involved four hours of simmering. Yes, simmering. I thought I was cooking the effing thing in the oven and discovered my faux pas early Christmas morning providing enough angst to throw my entire day off.

All worked out well the day’s menu started with stuff clams, shrimp cocktail, cheese, olives and bread, and some Greek apps; duck, turnip and mushrooms, and acorn squash with spinach (again, thanks Burt and #Yummy), followed for the main meal. Dessert consisted of an assortment of chocolates and a selection of cordials to top off the evening.

I’m beginning to plan our winter and spring travels and have determined that I need a winter ‘things to do’ list which I plan to put together over the coming week(s). I’ll keep you updated as the days progress — which are getting longer. Until then, I wish you safe travels, smooth sailings and, of course, bon appetite.

Lights Out!

18 Tuesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Christmas, Connecticut, Festivals, Friday Night, Holidays, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New England, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Travel, Vermont

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve been to Lights in the Parkway in Allentown, PA and the Christmas Light Show and Village at Skylands Stadium in Augusta, NJ. Both were pretty fantastic (albeit, I enjoyed the Allentown lights better as you literally drove through a park). I almost went to Bright Nights Springfield (MA) over Thanksgiving, but, unfortunately, time was not on our side.

Waiting to be Lit Up in Hershey, PA

With the days winding down, I am hoping that you’re able to take some time to enjoy the season. And, if that happens to be in the evening consider taking a road trip to your local “light shows.” The roster of displays I’m most familiar with is limited, so I did some legwork and gathered some favorite picks up and down the east coast as culled by people more intimately knowledgeable on the subject than myself:

Eastern PA – The folks over at The Patch identify their Top 5 light displays in the easterly part of the state. While Mommy Poppins (I love Mommy Poppins; even if you don’t have kids, she does a fabulous job curating what’s going on — for young and old alike — in the NJ area and often includes neighboring states!) details out more than 15 shows in the greater Philly area, including the burbs

Hudson Valley, NY – Our friends at Hudson Valley Magazine have gathered 12 light shows ranging from a tree lighting in Nyack to a show in Newburgh that has dancing arches.

Maryland – Chesapeake Family lists out tree lighting ceremonies and on-going displays throughout the month. Most of the ceremonies have taken place, but the static displays are still going on.

New England – Yankee Magazine details out some of the best light shows in New England. For state-specific shows, visit: Kicks 1055 for CT (good ol’ Mommy Poppins also has a list); our friends at Visit Maine present 20 sites throughout the state; in NH, the writers at NH Magazine give their selections for the best; the folks at The Globe have chosen 10 displays from MA, including Bright Nights; and WPRI Channel 12 in RI serves up their choices for the best shows in the state. I’ve left Vermont off as that turned into an expedition of hunting and pecking and, like the writers at Yankee Magazine, I’m left scratching my head.

New York – Of course the City is all all aglow this time of year (more so than usual) and has some fantastic displays as described in Time Out NY (again, Ms. Poppins also has a listing for NYC). For those North of the city, New York Upstate details list out some offerings.

This list is by no means exhaustive, just some thought starters for those of you looking to fill time between now and the new year. If you can’t find what you’re looking for or are traveling outside the Northeast, Travel + Leisure has a list of Christmas light shows in every state.

It’s time for to start thinking about turning out the lights here at Casa Rivera; and, with that, I’m wishing you all safe travels, smooth sailings and, of course, bon appetite.

Breaking Bread

13 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Christmas, Epicurean, Holidays, Yeast

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Tonight’s Artisan Bread

Oh, I love bread…especially fresh baked bread.  I’m fortunate to live in an area with at least 5 bakeries within a two square mile radius — and they’re all good in their own right.  One is open 24/7/365.  If it appears ‘closed’ there’s a side door you can go in where you’ll find yourself in a flour-gritty building that resembles a garage where bread, pretty much right out of the oven, is for sale.  I’ve learned the hard way, when stopping by outside of normal hours or on an actual holiday — like Easter — is that you need to go in with close to exact change as the workers tend not to have a boat load of money on them to make change of a $10 or $20.  To be fair, it wasn’t that hard, the guy just gave me the bread. 

As I’ve mentioned, my husband’s adopted a Paleo lifestyle.  He’s quick to correct me, “it’s a modified Paleo diet.”  He’s been working with a nutritionist for more than a year now and has lost immense amounts of weight.  He plateaued for about 6 months and Mary Van Something Dutch, the nutritionist, put him on a Paleo diet.   

#Yummy

I haven’t figured out the Paleo rules (all these diets are kind of the same with a few tweaks here and there), but believe that bread is prohibited.  One day, Tony was Kvetching to Something Dutch about his periodic bread cravings; two days later a cookbook arrived in the mail, ‘Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.’ 

The book sat for more than a few days while Tony feverishly did his research, checking out every website offering ‘Gluten Free Bread that Doesn’t Suck.’  The one consistent he found, was indeed this book.  It’s a bit pricey to get all the ingredients, however when you break down the cost per loaf it’s no more than what one would spend at Whole Pay…err Foods.  More importantly,  after following their ‘master recipe’ and making a few batches of dough, it really isn’t that complicated.  And the bread is good; really good.  

So tonight we made Bread, and enjoyed it; so much.  

For the foodies out there looking for some chili ideas, my good friend Donna Chang (it’s a spoof) has started a Vlog series on IGTV (that’s Instagram TV).  The Vlog can be found at @Stellar_rad and one of her first episodes is about Chili.  Her heritage is South American (albeit, she’s now a citizen, #Welcome, and may be more American than myself), so you know her recipe is al cante! 

Here Comes Santa Claus 

That’s it for now, I did half my decorating this evening, will finish this weekend, and am loosing steam.  Some may feel it too late to be decorating, but we celebrate Little Christmas and, inevitably, keep our tree up through the end of January (if not later). 

With that, I bid you safe travels, smooth sailings and, of course, bon appetite. 

And We Sang…

13 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Christmas, Holidays, New Jersey

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Nothing says Christmas like caroling; and few things are more inspiring than caroling at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in beautiful downtown Newark, NJ. “Newark,” you say.  Yes, Newark. 

The Cathedral Basilica

This is the second year I’ve been to the Candlelight Carol Sing at the Basilica and it was as magical this go around as the first time.  The conductor, John J. Miller, judiciously picked 20 carols for the evening, half of which were song by the choir, the other half with audience participants joining in.  It’s a fantastic program with traditional and religious carols and the manner in which Mr. Miller has the choir and audience playing off one another is delightful.  

Caroling Song Book

The evening began with the choir strategically placed throughout the Cathedral singing “E’en so Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” and ended with a tribute to the 200th Anniversary of “Silent Night” and, of course, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” In honor of Silent Night’s anniversary, the first two verses were sung in traditional German, accompanied by the harp, and the remaining verses were sung by an audience draped in candlelight. 

Do You See What I See?

The Basilica’s Carol Sing started 48 years ago.  Then director of music, John Rose, had a concert planned for mid-December.  As fortune would have it, the area was assaulted with a storm and the organist was unable to traverse to Newark.  Not wanting to disappoint the 50 or so concert goers in attendance,  Mr. Rose treated the audience to a preview of the Cathedral’s Christmas mass music and lead a round of carols creating, unbeknownst to him at the time, a long-standing and much loved holiday tradition.  This year, there had to be close to 500 people in attendance, if not more. 

On that musical note, I’m signing off with the sweat melody of “Carol of the Bells” in my head.  And, to you, I wish safe travels, smooth sailings and bon appetite.