Those sound delicious, Sibyl. My mother was Dutch on her mother's side, French on her father's (Father was all French), so we had a lot of potatoes. I love potatoes. I agree, the best Dutch food is winter food. Same with German food.

I made hutspot yesterday, a Dutch winter classic. Somehow the best Dutch food can only be eaten in the winter.

1,5 kg potatoes (use a floury, mealy kind)
1 kg carrots
1/2 kg onions
2 bouillon cubes

Skin/slice/dice all of the above. Put it all in one pan, with sufficient water, the cubes, extra salt and some sugar for the carrots. Boil for about 25 minutes. Drain the extra water. Mash everything together, when it gets too dry add some of the drained water and mash some more, but not so much that there are no chunks of carrot left. Add extra salt, mustard, honey, butter etc. to taste. Serve with gravy (optional, I don't) and a Dutch smoked sausage (can be boiled with everything else), meatball or bratwurst. Serves 4.

Al,

Your recipe sounds wonderful and I've just made a copy of it for my file.

I'm serving Honey Bake Ham for Christmas. My son requested it and offered to pay for it. I'm planning to split the ham cost with him. I'll be serving 9 people Christmas Eve which isn't a lot compared to some of my friends, but it's the most my dining area will accomodate.

Jean K.

I've always done popovers in a muffin pan. I just googled "yorkship pudding individual" and came up with a whole bunch of recipes. I'm sure one of them would work for you.

I would think a good, heavy muffin pan would be best, but I'm sure I made popovers when I still had the cheapos from the dime store.

R

Would a muffin pan be an acceptable substitute?

I've done prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, Beej. I love Yorkshire pudding. I've just never done it for our xmas mob because of the $$$ for the roast.

It's the same as popovers, Sarah. You could probably pour some of the roast drippings into your popover pan and have it work.

When wheat flour began to come into common use for making cakes and puddings, cooks in the north of England devised a means of making use of the fat that dropped into the dripping pan to cook a batter pudding while the meat roasted. In 1737 a recipe for 'A dripping pudding' was published in "The Whole Duty of a Woman": Check out the magazine title.

Ruth, I make a prime rib for Easter and it is worth every single penny. I use Julia Child's recipe. I've even made yorkshire pudding to go with it.
Sarah and Ruth, go for it!

I LOVE Yorkshire pudding, but have never been brave enough to try making it. I was considering its poor relation, popovers, for Friday's dinner. I'm scared. Can I do it? It feels like a souffle--easy to mess up.

That sounds delicious, Al. I've copied it over to my recipe file.

And speaking of prime rib, which we were a couple of notes ago. I just got my Series Eats Weekly Newsletter featuring an article on how to get the perfect prime rib. Interesting
Here's the research: http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/12/the-f...

and here's the recipe: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/...

Here's my brisket recipe. Because I cook the meat for so long (up to 10 hours total) it shrinks up a lot so I figure on a 1 lb. of meat per person when I buy it.

Sear the meat well-seasoned on both sides with salt and pepper in a few tablespoons of veg oil. Then place the meat uncovered in casserole/baking dish in a 375 degree oven.

Using the same pan you seared the meat in, place a ton of thinly sliced onions (I usually use at least half of the pounds of meat in onions, for instance for a 10lb. brisket I use at least a 5lb. bag of onions). cook the onions low and slow in the pan - until they get really soft - at least 20-30 minutes. There should be plenty of residual oil/fat in the pan from the meat, but add more if you need to - season the onions with some salt and paprika, then add a bottle of red wine and bring to a boil. Now take the meat out of the oven, scoop the onion/wine mixture over it and in the pan, add roughly 4 cups of chicken stock to the pan so that there is plenty of liquid in there with the meat and onions, cover with foil and continue in the oven for about 6 hours - checking every so often to make sure there is enough liquid. Remove from the oven and cool - then scrape all the onions off the meat, cover the meat in foil and refrigerate at least 24 hrs. before slicing. Put the onions and liquid into a container in the fridge and also leave for 24 hours. After everything has chilled enough, slice the meat against the grain, place in a baking dish, take the liquid and onions, remove any fat on top and blend together, then pour over the meat. If this is the day you plan to serve it too, add some cut carrots, parsnips and potatoes into the dish, cover and bake for a few hours. The meat is so tender and tasty and the sauce is good enough to bathe with - enjoy!

I love brisket. It's a really tasty cut. I never make it the same way twice, but always slow-cooked. Shoot the recipe over, please.

Ruth:

I don't know if you ever make beef brisket - but that is a much cheaper option for a crowd and you need to cook a lot of it in advance so it's not too labor intensive the day of - plus you can throw potatoes, parsnips and carrots right in with the sliced brisket when you cook it just before serving.

Let me know if you want my recipe - it is always a big crowd pleaser.

Ruth wrote: "I've often thought prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, fresh horseradish, etc., with trifle for dessert would be a great xmas dinner. But I've never wanted to foot the bill for a good prime rib for a cr..."

The bill would be a big deterrent for me, too.

I'd add in mashed parsnips and celeriac or a green salad. (I've gotta have my potatoes or parsnips. LOL)

I would do a stuffed turkey if we were staying home and cooking, but the three of us (me, husband, my older brother) are going to a restaurant. They always have turkey and beef roast and the dreaded crab that I don't even go close to.

I've often thought prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, fresh horseradish, etc., with trifle for dessert would be a great xmas dinner. But I've never wanted to foot the bill for a good prime rib for a crowd.

I was thinking to make some kind of roast for the holidays. It will only be three of us.

I haven't used my Julia Child cookbook in a long time, either, Ruth, but the Boeuf Bourgignon is calling to me. :)

My JC cookbook is well-worn, Gabrielle, but I hadn't been using it much lately.

Everyone loved the beef b.

Sounds delicious. I'm so glad to read that someone made one of Julia's recipes!

Excellent menu.

We had the first of our family xmas festivities last night. I made Julia Child's Bouef Bourguignon two days before the feast, so all I had to do was warm it up last night. Served it with steamed tiny red potatoes and a green salad.

For dessert we had warm gingerbread with whipped cream. This was Trader Joe's gingerbread mix. It's excellent. Very spicy and gingery. I loved it.

Luckily, we've found a superb restaurant here, Kenneth. The 94th Aero Squadron. The restaurant is decorated to look like a WWI French farmhouse, with fireplaces and Christmas trees. They have just about anything anyone would want for Christmas dinner - traditional and not-so-traditional. And the tables are well separated from one another so it's private enough. It's terribly expensive, though, but it's only one day of the year. (They hike the prices for Christmas and New Year's Eve, of course.)

We rely on ourselves and our DVD collection for movies. I want to see SHERLOCK HOLMES and I think it's coming out on Christmas Day (could be wrong about that, though), but I'm afraid the theatre will be too crowded then. We like to wait and go to a weekday matinee. That's almost like having the theatre to ourselves. Sometimes it is.

The ultimate challenge, to find a good restaurant meal and movie for Christmas Day. We're in Phoenix, but in any city. Thanksgiving isn't much better, or Easter. Holidays should come complete with catered menu and entertainment.

I eat dinner at 3:00 or 3:30 in the afternoon and don't eat after that, Dvora. I only have two meals a day - breakfast and lunch/dinner.

I've never been that big an eater either, so my stomach must also be small. I have never liked how I feel when I overeat. But lately it has become much more noticeable, especially if I eat at in the evening. My main meal is usually lunch. But if we go out for supper, I tend to get sick at night. Also if I drink much than about one glass of wine I don't feel well. What a funny way to get older. But at least it helps keep the weight down.

Gabrielle wrote: "I know. If something is delicious, one bite does lead to another. Fortunately for me, I can't eat much. My stomach must be very small because I can only eat very small meals. And if I overeat, ..."

I love cassoulet in the winter. I've made it several times, based on Julia Child's recipe, but not following it exactly. Actually I leave out a lot, but it still comes out great. I do buy good quality large white beans and soak them. I don't roast a lamb, but combine different cuts of pork and maybe a little lamb, just cooked in a pan. It's one of my favorite dishes and a good company dish because you can get it ready ahead of time and then bake it in the oven just before your guests arrive. Casserole dishes are good that way. Takes a lot of the stress (and worrying about your timing) out of entertaining.

Sherry wrote: "That turkey recipe looks scrumptious, Gabrielle! I'm going to print it out. Ever since the movie J&J, I've been dipping into Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I've vowed to make something from i..."

BIG NIGHT sounds wonderful. I'll make it a point to rent it. Thanks!

Dottie, my husband loves films like JULIE AND JULIA. Of course, he's a chef and he's French, so that's a factor as well. I like Amy Adams, so I think she brought something good to the role of Julie and Meryl was perfect as Julia Child. I never knew she wanted children so much, though. That was a surprise.

I haven't read the books, but I read it was her nephew who helped ready My Life in France for publication.

Nope. Never been near a timpano. Funny, right after we saw Tucci in the Julia Child movie, Leif and I decided we wanted to watch Big Night again, too.

My husband and I rewatched the movie Big Night about two brothers trying to save their Italian restaurant. One of the amazing dishes they prepare on their big night is Timpano. Have any of you ever eaten this or tried to make it? I found a blog article about it at the following link:
http://www.austin360.com/restaurants/con...

chestnuts can be a pain but hunting down chestnut puree for our Christmas in Austin with our girls was well worth the effort -- the younger one made a chestmut cheescake that was the most heavenly dessert I think I ever had -- SO good. Well -- wait -- then there was the Guiness Choclate Cake with the mile high Frosting. Hmmm. Maybe it's a tie? I don't know if I'll ever be brave enough to attempt either one of them myself though. I'm going to have to pull out my Julia child and start browsing again.

Also I believe a lot of the time, Julie would have guests over so that it wasn't just she and her husband consuming some of those meals. Yes, she whined. Yes, she was sometimes profane but nothing out of what I percieve as the norm among many of a younger set in recent times. I thought the movie downplayed the more negative points in reading the book but I also think reading the two books in tandem gives a better picture of what the movie had to draw from in both sides of the story. Just a two cents from the other direction.

I read Julie's book when it first appeared and the Julia Child one as soon as it appeared. Really enjoyed them both and loved the film -- evn Jim enjoyed it though he was less than impressed when I insisted I wanted to see it in the theater -- we rarely go to a theater and often I drag him to what he terms "weird" films but he enjoyed this one in spite of misgivings.

That sounds good. I usually make a cucumber ,tomato,onion salad topped with fresh cilantro and lime with salt and pepper. I wanted something different tonight.

Carol, how about avocado/tomato/romaine salad with lime and cumin dressing? I make this to serve with curries, I don't really have a recipe I just play it by ear.

Theresa

That's what I thought, Ruth, but I wanted to make sure. I ADORED Julia Child. I can't imagine her whining about anything in the world.

I'm glad you enjoyed her book. I put it on my Christmas list I gave to my brother. If I don't give him ideas, he has no clue as to what to get me.

Julie. Julia never whined. I enjoyed her book.

carol (akittykat) wrote: "You know you are not the first person to say the book was a bit whiny. I don't think I will be reading it. I much prefer the real person ."

Is this the Julie book or Julia Child's book, My Life in France?

Susanna wrote: "I think in the book Julie and Julia, she said she ate the leftovers for lunch?

The movie sounds better than the book, btw, which overall was more than a bit whiny."

Oh, my! All those onions would make me sick. I like them, but only in moderation.

You know you are not the first person to say the book was a bit whiny. I don't think I will be reading it. I much prefer the real person .

I think in the book Julie and Julia, she said she ate the leftovers for lunch?

The movie sounds better than the book, btw, which overall was more than a bit whiny.

Changing subject for a second , I need a salad to go with lentils & spinach over saffron basmati rice. Any suggestions?

Good question.

One thing I wondered about the Julia and Julia movie. What did Julie do with all the leftovers? There are a lot of those when you're cooking for only two. Since she was making a recipe or two from Julia every single night, who ate up the rest of what they had the night before?

Julia Child's recipes are often not a cheap way to cook, either. It didn't look like Julie and the hub were rolling in dough. Who bankrolled this effort?

I love chestnuts. My mother makes a superb chestnut soup.

My doctor said as we get older we become more sensitive to certain foods and chemicals. We can get contact allergies(hives or dermatitis),which tend to be environmental, or we get the Anaphylactic shock type, which stems from a sensitivity that has culminated into a full blown life threatening allergy.

That is my doctor's opinion. Yours might not agree.

I would have no idea, Theresa. I just know I developed an allergy to earrings for my pierced ears, too, and now I no longer have pierced ears. I also developed an allergy to crab. About the same time, too. Something in the body chemistry changes, no doubt about that, but I can't put the pieces together in my case.

It's strange to me you can eat dried mango, but not fresh. But a lot of things are strange to me, so pay it no mind at all.

If I am wearing my contacs onions are no problem at all. Problem is that after years of wearing them, I've developed a problem wearing mine more than a few hours at a stretch. I've tried several different types and different cleaning solution, to no avail.

Come to think of it, at about the same time I developed an allergy to cantaloupe, mango, and earrings for my pierced ears. Cantaloupe just makes me queasy, but fresh mango makes my neck swell and itch. Dried mango is fine though, happy to say I can still eat TJ's chili spice dried mango (spicy yumminess).

I wonder what the trigger was?

Theresa

carol (akittykat) wrote: "What in the world did she do with them. Freeze them maybe. "

The movie never went into that. Her poor husband had to retreat from the apartment, though, but the onions didn't seem to be bothering Julia at all, and when they had to chop in Le Cordon Bleu class next, Julia outdid all the men. It was a great scene. Meryl Streep did a wonderful job of bringing Julia's joie de vivre to the screen.

The ending of the movie was a little strange in that Julia did not like Julie's blog or "approve" of it or something. Anyway, she did not want her at her 90th birthday celebration. Sebastien and I were a little puzzled at that, and the movie never explains, but then we read that Julie filled her blog with "intimate details" of her life and profanity. No wonder Julia didn't want to meet her. I would not have, either. I'm not a prude or anything, but I don't think that has any place in a blog and I don't think profanity is ever needed. Not the REALLY bad stuff and apparently Julie did think it "added" to her blog. She should know Julia Child would not approve of that.

I just loved the "Julia" parts so much more than the other. They were joyous.

What in the world did she do with them. Freeze them maybe.

Oh, I have to use the food processor for onions. Those things sting my eyes terribly even if I peel them under water.

I loved the part in JULIE AND JULIA when Paul Child came home and Julia was practicing chopping onions and had a veritable mountain of them.

Can opener remember. Only machine I operate. Well maybe the Cuisinart, for onions .