Good morning! Today we have for you:
I have six holiday feasts for you
Hello, and happy Sunday. This past week, I took an early-morning walk to Rockefeller Center while in New York to soak up the tree’s magnificence. Before the crowds arrive, it’s a shiny wonder of unadulterated holiday joy. So is this gorgeous pernil. This version comes from Toni Chapman’s cookbook, “Everything’s Good,” which is also an apt way to describe the glistening crackle of pork skin sheathing fall-apart meat. A common centerpiece of holiday tables in Puerto Rico and its diaspora, it’s as much a celebration in good times as it is an antidote to hard ones. This time of year may bring sorrow to the surface. And so: to the kitchen to find peace and fill your home with warmth and beautiful scents. With Toni’s pernil, you start with the grassy aroma of her abuela’s green sofrito and end with the garlicky depth of caramelized pork. It’s important to use a shoulder roast with both the bone and skin for the most tender meat and, of course, that crunchy top. Latino or Asian markets often carry this cut, or you can order it from a butcher store. Featured Recipe PernilYou’ll want to make a side of arroz con gandules to let those meaty juices run into the rice and pigeon peas. Pernil takes time, but ultimately is pretty hands-off — what it needs more than anything is hours in the oven. If you’re looking for a hands-on project, you can wrap masa around pork in pasteles. For dessert or brunch, bake some pastelillos and then savor the pastries warm, while the guava and cream cheese filling is still melty, with a cup of coffee or coquito. That’s just one holiday menu that will bring you warmth and happiness. Here are others that can do the same this week: Miso-marinated pork roast: Another pork roast? Why, yes. It makes for such a stunning main dish (and costs much less than beef). And there’s no risk of overcooking a shoulder roast. If you can find only boneless ones, try this recipe, which highlights the pine scent of rosemary in its miso marinade. I’m not sure why I said the cranberry sauce is optional — technically it is, but you’ll want it. It brings a tangy pop and the hug of ginger. Spoon the meat all over mushroom and tofu sticky rice or tuck it into milk bread rolls, and blend up this creamy sesame-ginger dressing to toss with greens or shaved cabbage to balance all that richness. Stephen and Evie Colbert’s beef Wellington: When this dish was cleared from the set of our photo shoot, the team devoured it, declaring it among the best they’d had. And — being food stylists and photographers — they’ve had a lot of Wellingtons, so you know this one is actually exceptional. To complement the savory (and meat-protecting) layer of prosciutto and butter-sautéed mushrooms, it includes a port wine sauce, naturally sweet with apple and fragrant with thyme. A bonus to this dish: It’s a reminder of the joy Stephen Colbert brings through his show. Serve this Wellington with a side of duchess potatoes or mashed ones, a platter of roasted vegetables and a crisp green salad. Prime rib roast: It’s a once-a-year splurge in every sense of the word, so you don’t want to mess it up. That’s why you should rely on Sam Sifton’s expertise to roast the meat to rosy perfection. It’s so good, it doesn’t even need embellishment, but horseradish sauce never hurts; neither does chimichurri. (Now that I live in sunny Los Angeles, I’m going to do my rib roast in the smoker, following this foolproof formula from our photo editor Gabriel H. Sanchez and his father, Dennis, a third generation Texan pitmaster.) On the side, you may want the puff of Yorkshire pudding or the softness of Parker House rolls and, to balance all that richness, simple boiled greens or a warm kale salad. Lemon butter salmon with dill: If you don’t eat beef or pork — or don’t have time to cook it — you’ll want this quick, stunning salmon. It works especially well with a whole side of lean wild salmon, which ends up rich from the glossy lemon-butter sauce. To give this meal even more richness, you can go all out with crunchy-edged potato pavé or a creamy potato casserole of Jansson’s Temptation. Brussels sprouts, buried in cream, roasted or sliced for salad, would be lovely, too. Party wreath: Puff pastry always feels like a celebration, all the more so when it’s stuffed with this spiced potato-pea mix from Tejal Rao. She combined the concept of a sausage roll with the filling of samosas for this stunner. To make it vegan, buy vegan puff pastry and brush the top with a nondairy milk. This wreath is lovely with mint chutney, green chile chutney and tamarind ketchup; to blow out this party, fill the table with a big bowl of crunchy bhel puri, vegetable biryani, saag paneer and cauliflower sabzi. Have a most wonderful week, filled with good times in the kitchen and even better times sharing all the food.
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