The Seven Days of Christmas Cooking

I will be sharing recipes to help you build an easy-to-prepare Christmas dinner. Over the next seven days, I'll share recipes and tips for your twelve days of Christmas preparation, cooking and feasting--a few things that you can prepare days ahead or the morning of your dinner, a few recipes and tips for staying calm and having a no-fuss dinner.

You table centerpiece can be as simple as a big bunch of seasonal greens
poached (with permission) from a neighbor's bushes and trees.

Planning. I'll say this up front. Don't skip this step. Write it all down--what gets done when, a grocery list, prep list and a time for you to chill and have a glass of wine before everyone arrives. This is crucial for success.

The day of your dinner (or the night before), set the table and the buffet area. Pull out and stage your serving dishes, forks and spoons. Use Post-it notes to identify what goes into which dish. Use real dishes. Borrow them if you need to, but make the effort, and encourage your guests to dress cocktail-style instead of jeans and sneakers and such. Make it once-a-year special.

How to dress rant. We live in a casual and disposable society. Okay, keeping things laid back and easy is good, but save a few dates throughout the year for making things a bit special. Wear the bling you own. Do your hair like it's prom season. Guys don't have to wear ties, but a nice long-sleeved shirt is a must, and if you don't have dress pants, gentlemen, wear your best jeans or khaki pants. If you own a jacket, consider wearing that. Ladies, nothing with holes or plaid. You can wear all of that every day or at a Taylor Swift concert. This is not a lecture or a true rant. It's an encouragement to celebrate your life and friends once in a while.

Now, on to the recipes. This is what I'll be sharing over the next few days.

1. Cocktail Hour.
2. Prosciutto with Sweet Tomato Preserve.
3. Ricotta meatballs.
4. Pickled Beets, Walnut & Goat Cheese Salad (or Condiment).
5. My Greens & Radicchio Salad.
6. Baked Potatoes.
7. Roasted Pork Loin with Mustard & Herb Rub.
8. Lamb Shanks in the Oven.
9. Apple Pie Clafoutis.
10. Cheese & Fruit Board.

COCKTAIL HOUR

This is your warm-up to the main event. Make it special by offering a special cocktail. The easiest way to do this is to prepare a pitcher or carafe ready to pour. And if a friend wants to help, let them bring the cocktail and help you serve. That is perfectly fine!

If you have my Alexander the Great, have martini glasses ready and a bit of grated nutmeg ready to dust each drink with. This is my take on the classic Brandy Alexander, and it's rather potent, so go easy on the pours. If you don't have martini glasses, serve it in shot glasses but warn people to sip instead of chug. Ahem! You can also serve in a wine glass with one big round ice ball or cube to make it all last longer. If you want classic but not creamy, how about my Manhattan. Make it up to one week ahead, strain into a pitcher, seal and keep refrigerated. Have a sparkling rose available as an option for those who prefer wine.

Despina's Manhattan

2 parts Bulleit Rye

1 part sweet vermouth

1 sploosh of Aperol (instead of the traditional orange bitters)

Stir 30 times with ice. Strain into a martini glass and serve with one or two Luxardo cherries.

If you can't find these cherries, don't use any.
Certainly, do not use maraschino cherries.

Prosciutto with Sweet Tomato Preserve. What to serve with the cocktail? How about my Sweet Tomato Preserve on prosciutto slices? Surprisingly tasty, easier than easy to prepare and you get to lick your fingers. Any questions? Here's the  recipe for the preserve.

Open a packet of prosciutto. Take one slice and scrunch it so that it lies on itself accordion-style. Set it on a charcuterie board. Top it with a small spoonful of the tomato jam, and you're done! Prepare this 30 minutes before anyone else arrives. Add a small bowl of mixed nuts, and you are ready to entertain.

Ricotta Meatballs to the rescue. If you'd like to have more, or if you'd prefer to have something else, try my ricotta meatballs. Combine all of the ingredients, shape into golf-sized meatballs and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze until the day of your dinner.

Make two weeks ahead and freeze. Thaw and cook just before guests arrive.

Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef

3 hot Italian sausages removed from their casing

¾ cup whole milk ricotta

½ cup finely chopped sweet onion

3 to 4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup breadcrumbs 

¼ cup grated Parmesan (or Romano or a mix)

½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Extra olive oil for cooking

On he day of your dinner, remove the meatballs from the freezer. Remove the plastic wrap and leave on your counter to thaw. About 45 minutes before you expect your guests to arrive, heat up a seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into the pan--2 to 4 tablespoons--and set the meatballs gently in the oil. Do not crowd them. Shake the pan after a couple of minutes, and use a fork to turn the meatballs. When browned and cooked through, move them to a serving dish. Cocktail napkins on the side. This is pick up food, so you won't need plates.

Dress the meatballs with the following once they are fully cooked:

The juice of half a lemon and a chiffonade of fresh basil. About two tablespoons.

MORE RECIPES TO FOLLOW...FOR SEVEN DAYS.