This post is written by guest contributor, Ari, who also happens to be my sister.
No she doesn’t do tamales, a stuffed Butterball, or a slimy honey baked ham. Our mom, ChaCha, the ever resourceful, creative homemaker, interior designer, fashionista, entrepreneur, and gourmand does her her own thing.
A holiday or any day spent undisturbed and in her Spanish tiled kitchen is a chance to experiment and perfect her recipes inspired by her travels and current epicurean obsessions, with the hopes of winning rave reviews from the foodies she’s raised.
This Christmas Eve was no exception. “Best Dinner Ever!” was proclaimed in between grateful bites at the rustic Tuscan dinner table she designed (and my dad built). At our Christmas the best presents are the leftovers that come in tupperware and ziploc bags.
Some of her tasty highlights:
Tapa
My mom deconstructed a tapa she had in Barcelona. On top of some crusty bread she layered serrano ham, manchego cheese, roasted red bell pepper, Spanish tortilla (potato omelet), topped with a saffron aoli.
Italian Style Upside Down Fish Pie
ChaCha tweaked this Jamie Oliver recipe and substituted lobster and scallops for fish. Roma tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, scallops and lobster dusted with parmesan top a healthy layer of polenta.
Herb Crusted Lamb topped with gremolata.
Gremolata is finely chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.
Asparagus bundles with proscuitto cracklings, breadcrumbs, and parmesan
Caramelized fennel and arugula salad
Pine Nut Torta with Marsala Poached Autumn Fruit
My mom got this recipe from Epicurious.com. My mom’s cooking has expanded exponentially since she got the internet.
