Whisk Witchery: Holiday Special Edition!

This week we are going along with the spirit of the holidays, whether you decorate a Christmas tree and roast a ham, light the candles on a menorah during Hanukkah, or eat sweet tangerines and light the seven candles of a Kinara for Kwanzaa. All these holidays may seem different, but they still have many similarities. For example, many people make special dishes and drinks to celebrate. The following is a small sampling of the more “well known” holiday dishes, so if you feel like trying something new over the long winter break, take one of these for a spin!

Christmas



Is there any food product anywhere that is more ridiculed and parodied during the holiday season than the poor old fruitcake? Probably not. Just the name alone brings to mind images of a rock hard inedible monstrosity. This cake usually contains candied fruit, citron (made from the thick peel of the citrus fruit of the same name), dried fruit, fruit rind, nuts, spices and some sort of liquor or brandy. The ratio of fruit and nuts to batter is fairly high, with just enough cake batter to hold it all together. This results in a very dense, heavy cake. Even so, (believe it or not) many people love this holiday treat, so if you are feeling adventurous, give this recipe a try!

Fruitcake



Prep Time: 20 minutes

Inactive Time: 5 hours

Cook Time: 3 hours

Yield: 8 to 10 servings



Ingredients:



1 cup golden raisins

1 cup red raisins

1 small orange rind, finely chopped

1 cup brandy

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups light brown sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped dried pineapple

2 cup chopped raw pecans



Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Combine raisins and orange rind in a microwaveable bowl and pour over the brandy.

Microwave for 2 minutes then let it sit while you prepare the batter.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Whisk together the wet ingredients until homogenous, then fold in the dry ingredients.

Strain the brandy from the raisins and reserve.

Stir the raisins, pineapple, and pecans into the batter.

Grease two 8” x 4” loaf pans and line the bottom with a piece of waxed paper. Spoon the batter into the pan. Bake for three hours.

Let cool and remove from pan. Poke holes with a large skewer all over the cake.

Soak a large piece of cheese cloth in the reserved brandy. Wrap cooled cake in cheesecloth, place in large plastic bag and store in a cool, dry place.

Hanukkah



Traditional Hanukkah food is oil-rich in commemoration of the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. Latkes are shallow-fried cakes of grated potato and egg, often flavored with grated onion. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, from savory to sweet, but traditionalists prefer them un-garnished. While they are traditionally eaten during the Jewish Hanukkah festival, Latkes play no fundamental part in the Hanukkah ritual, but they are yummy enough to eat anytime.

Latkes



Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 12 servings



Ingredients:



8 medium potatoes, peeled

1 medium onion

Lemon juice

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 cup melted butter

Freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste



Optional Garnishes:



Watercress

Caviar

Applesauce

Creme fraiche, (heavy cream of French origin)



Grate potatoes and onions on a large-hole grater. Splash with lemon juice and squeeze out excess water.

Mix flour, milk, egg, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add to the potatoes and then add the melted butter.

Heat some peanut oil in a skillet and fry until golden on one side. Flip, and cook the same way on the other.

Serve with watercress, caviar, applesauce, and creme fraiche.



Kwanzaa



Jollof rice is a Nigerian dish; often made by - you guessed it - Nigerians. However, it has its origins among the Wolof people of Senegal and Gambia who make a rice and fish dish they call Ceebu Jën. There are many variations of Jollof Rice. The most common basic ingredients are: rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onion, salt, and red pepper. Beyond that, nearly any kind of meat, fish, vegetable, or spice can be added. You may have heard of its close southern cousin “Spanish rice” which is just a westernized version of the original, so if you like rice, this is a great recipe for you to try!

Jollof Rice



Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 to 8 cups



Ingredients:



1 pound parboiled rice

1 can tomato puree (400 grams)

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic

4 teaspoons olive oil

6 small or 3 large red bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1 bunch thyme, leaves picked

1 teaspoon white pepper

8 chicken bouillon cubes (recommended: Maggi or Goya)



With blender, blend tomatoes, onions, red pepper, and garlic until smooth. Add bouillon cubes, thyme and white pepper.

Add olive oil to the blended paste, and set the mixture aside. Add 4 cups of water into a pot.

Wash the rice in hot water until the water is clear. Drain through a fine sieve.

Pour the rice and blended mixture into the pot of water and stir with wooden spoon.

Set the stove to medium heat and place pot on stove, then let it cook for 45 minutes while stirring every 15 minutes.