As the saying goes…….Eat, drink and be merry!

So there we were Friday, late afternoon. Sandy had whipped up two of her cheesecakes, a small one for us and one to take to a neighborhood Christmas party on Saturday, when our oven died. This was serious business. Not only did we have the cheesecakes to bake, but Sunday we had to make Christmas cookies, Monday there were almond cookies to make for a dinner party we were invited to later that evening and a pound cake for a celebration with friends Christmas night. There was also the Christmas dinner of roast beef, yorkshire pudding….etc.
We called our neighbor and was assured her oven would be available to us on Saturday to finish the cheesecakes. But what would we do about our other cooking and baking commitments?
Saturday morning, after my yoga class at Dragonfly Yoga Studio, we drove over to Bill Vandegrifts Appliances, where we’ve always bought all of our appliances, whatever they might be. We found a range that hadn’t been unpacked yet and bought it. Then we engaged in a mild act of begging. We asked him if there was any way we could get the range that day. He suggested it could happen.
Around 2:30 Saturday afternoon, I got a phone call: “It’s on the back of the truck, can I come now”?
In ten minutes he was at our house, installed the new range with a new gas line and drove away with our old range on the truck.
He saved us! Bill Vandegrift Appliances saved our holiday!
This is the service you get with a family owned, highly reputable business. It really is all about making the customer happy. You might pay a few dollars more than you would at a big box store, but it’s not even an issue for us. Their knowledge, service and dependability are what makes them so special, not to mention their great selection of appliances.
It pays to shop locally for everything. Getting to know the people you do business with and getting to know the people at Vandegrifts was one of the best moves we made all those years ago.

Makes 2 sandwiches. (we cut each sandwich into thirds)
We were invited to a vegan dinner last night where we knew there would be a pot of soup, so we made these sandwiches. You could expand the flavor with a layer of carmelized onions and if you are a vegetarian you can add a layer of cheese.

1 loaf large oval Italian bread (cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices)
3/4 cup chickpeas
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tsp. capers
2 Tsp. olive oil (use for cooking garlic and chard)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups swiss chard, torn
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/8 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 large plum tomatoes, sliced (layer slices between paper towels to remove juices)

1. Put chickpeas, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and capers in a processor and blend until smooth.
2. Heat 2 Tsp. olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Do not let burn. Add chard and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper and toss.
3. Spread a thin layer of the chickpea spread on both inside pieces of bread. Top with swiss chard and garlic and tomato slices.
4. Put sandwich together and brush oil on outside of bread.
5. Put in panini press and cook until golden brown.
Let cool slightly before cutting.

Adapted from La Cucina Italiana magazine
serves 4-6

Fine sea salt
2/3 cup pitted Calamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinsed again and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups (about 13 ounces) fresh ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 pound bucatini
1 plum tomato, chopped for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a bowl, stir together olives, oil, capers, garlic and chives; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine cheese, milk and 1/2 Tsp. salt; heat over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture is just warmed through; about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Cook pasta in the boiling water unti al dente; drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add cheese mixture and 2/3 of the olive mixture to the hot pasta; toss to combine well. Let stand 1-2 minutes to allow pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining olive mixture, chives and chopped tomatoes.

Wine served: 2008 Castello di Bossi, Chianti Classico

One of our followers sent this message and recipe to us. I haven’t made this dish yet, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying it! She said her mother sent her this NY Times recipe in 1990. She also said she cuts alot of the fat off the duck and that it feeds 10 easily. Great for the holidays!

For the recipe go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/5618/Shrimp-and-Duck-Gumbo.html

The herb crusted pork tenderloin recipe is 1/2 of a Paula Deen recipe.
I’m proud to say that the Doylestown Raisin Sauce is my very own creation!
I served this dish with spaetzle surrounding it on the serving platter, and a romaine and blue cheese salad on the side.

Doylestown Raisin Sauce (make first and set aside; reheat before serving)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup raisins
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 cups water
4 Tbsp. Port
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. pepper
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until ingredients are soft and the liquids have reduced by about 1/2. This should take about 25-30 minutes.

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

1 (2Lb. boneless pork loin, fat left on)
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tsp. minced fresh thyme
1/2 Tsp. dried basil or 1 Tsp. fresh basil leaves, minced.
1/2 Tsp. dried rosemarey or 1 Tsp. minced fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 475
Place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all the meat and fat.
Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 and roast for an additional hour. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests.
Carve into 3/4 inch pieces and drizzle Doylestown Raisin Sauce over.

Wine Served: Louis Latour, Pinot Noir