The Healthy Hedonist Holidays
by Myra Kornfeld
Simon & Schuster, 2007
$19.95, paper
274 pages
Holiday dishes are the ones we most fear. For dieters, they are a donnybrook of calories. For culinary adventurers, their traditions are stodgy. For traditionalists, any variation brings severe disappointment. Most of all, for the hostess they are a time sink that a busy cook can't escape.
These recipes strike a happy balance between tradition and adventure, between indulgence and restraint. No need to make excuses for any of these dishes and no need to make resolutions the day after. Kornfeld healthy approach is not denial or substitution, but offering a vegetarian entree along with a meat, served with a balance of vegetables and starches that are prepared to be bright and flavorful without being heavy. Kornfeld wants you to enjoy preparing, eating, and feel good after the meal.
Her multicultural array includes Christmas and Easter, as well as Ramadan and Kwanzaa, Cinco de Mayo and Fourth of July. And what happier way to learn another culture's traditions than through food.
Turkish Red Lentil Soup is part of a menu to break the Ramadan fast and shares the menu with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, Harissa Spinach, and Semolina Walnut Cake with Macerated Oranges. But it would be a shame to limit this soup's bright color and flavor to a holiday. The red lentils soften quickly, making this a good choice for a weeknight dinner, and the stew-like soup is flavored with a base of sautéed onions, carrots, and garlic spiced with cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and pepper flakes.
Each holiday gets a chapter that begins with a description of its symbols and traditions, including traditional foods. The long Sesame Noodles with Wilted Napa Cabbage served at Chinese New Year symbolize long life. They're flavored with a dressing of peanut butter, sesame oil, and rice vinegar, and made fresh with shreds of napa cabbage and cilantro.
Kornfeld includes Five-Spice Roast Chicken with Chinese Black Beans in the menu for Chinese New Year. Garlic and Sesame oil are rubbed under the skin and the chicken is roasted along with turnips and daikon, their flavors blending and mellowing as they cook.
For St. Patrick's Day, a holiday not usually associated with food, Kornfeld has folded traditional Irish ingredients into a sophisticated menu that includes Colcannon Potpie and Kale and Chard with Browned Butter and Balsamic Vinegar. Cheddar-Oat Biscuit Tarts with Caramelized Apples are a homey dessert that hit a high note served with vanilla ice cream, but with a strong cup of tea, make a nice breakfast.
Once you're confident of the menu, Kornfeld offers preparation tips in the Cook's Notes section of each chapter. Up to two weeks in advance you can make and freeze pies, stocks, and sauces. Two days before, make salad dressing and side dishes. With her simple checklists that run up to the very day, the hysteria melts away and you can enjoy the day along with your guests.
These days, holidays are often the only occasion we have to cook. Why not focus on the table, and enjoy preparing as well as eating.
© 2007 Claudia Kousoulas
