December 2010

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living in the west December 2010 peaceful winter getaways | Unforgettable Christmas feast | Unique artisan gifts | Ski Town awards

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LIVING IN THE WEST

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DECEMBER 2010

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Dig in!

Quick & light appetizer dips

Unforgettable Christmas Feast Spice-crusted prime rib, cheesy gratin & chocolate mousse

This December 25th, let loose. Indulge in the trinity of decadence: beef, chocolate, potatoes. Add cream, butter, cheese.

Exercise? Later. Guilt? Never.

Stories by Diana Abu-Jaber, Isabel Allende, and Joel Stein

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An embarrassment of richness

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IT’S A

meaty feast, but

COUSIN ANN’S A VEGAN ...

Spice-crusted prime rib SERVES 10 to 12 | 2 HOURS, PLUS 11/2 HOURS RESTING TIME Coated in a spicy, sugary mixture, this prime rib roast is simple to make but indulgent in every other way.

1 four-rib beef rib roast (about 7 lbs.)

1 tbsp. each green, pink, white, and black peppercorns 1 tbsp. each whole allspice and coarse salt 2 tbsp. each flour and olive oil 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 3 tbsp. packed light or dark brown sugar

1. Let beef come to room temperature, 1 hour. Preheat oven to 500°. Set beef in a large roasting pan, rib side down, and roast 30 minutes to render some fat.

2. Transfer beef to a platter and reduce oven temperature to 350°. Drain fat from pan, then return beef to pan, rib side down. Set aside.

3. Grind peppercorns, allspice, and salt in a spice grinder until coarsely ground. Put in a small bowl and mix with remaining ingredients to make a thick paste. Use a small spatula to spread paste evenly over top and sides of beef.

4. Cook beef until well browned and a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 115°, about 11/2 hours for medium rare (temperature will rise to at least 135° as it stands). Cover beef loosely with foil and let stand about 30 minutes before slicing.

We like vegans. Really, we do. But this meal wasn’t created with them in mind. So what do you do if you’ve got special eaters coming? Here are a few suggestions to round out the table fast.

Mixed greens with bottled vinaigrette Microwaved cubed squash, served with nuts Sautéed spinach with chopped lemon and currants

Cannellini beans tossed with olive oil and chopped rosemary Fresh lemon sorbet with citrus segments and thyme leaves

recipes By Amy Machnak | photographs by annabelle breakey | food styling by robyn valarik

30 hearty no-meat dishes: To change background color To change mouse color, (fill) sunset.com/ (fill), with direct selection tool with direct selection tool use (hollow arrow) vegetarian in layer palette to “compound shape” layer and select “background shape” layer, then choose color from swatc

then choose color from swatch palette.

To change mouse tail (stroke) “mousetail” layer, then choos

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A Chrisman feast Root vegetable gratin SERVES 10 to 12 | 2 HOURS We love the earthy, sweet flavor of the root vegetable combination in this cheesy gratin, but you could also go with the classic all-potato version (use 5 large potatoes, about 31/2 lbs. total, in place of the celery root and parsnips).

2 cups heavy cream 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg 3 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.), peeled and thinly sliced 2 medium parsnips (about 10 oz.), peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 1 medium celery root (about 15 oz.), peeled, halved, and thinly sliced 8 oz. Italian-style fontina cheese, coarsely shredded

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, bring cream, salt, and nutmeg to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Lay half the potatoes evenly in a shallow 2 1/2-qt. baking dish, followed by half the parsnips and all the shallot and celery root. Top with half the cheese. Add remaining parsnips, then remaining potatoes. Pour warm cream over vegetables.

Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.

3. Bake until bubbling, golden brown, and tender when pierced, about 11/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Make ahead: Up to 2 days; reheat at 325° until center is warm, about 30 minutes.

START

with the BEST

Beef Ideally, use beef that is graded USDA Prime; preorder it from a butcher shop.

Choice grade, more widely available, is also fine if it has lots of marbling. Have the butcher cut it to size and slightly trim outside fat.

Don’t even think of removing the fat cap or cutting the

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meat off the bones before roasting (they add flavor and juiciness).

Chocolate One of the most satisfying foods in the world, and also one of the most complex.

High-quality dark chocolate has a cacao percentage of at least 35 percent. Using a high-quality bittersweet

chocolate (with a cacao percentage closer to 70) guarantees that the simplest of recipes will produce spectacular desserts.

Cream and cheese Potatoes are great, but really, in a gratin they’re just a vehicle for cream and cheese. Ultra-pasteurized

cream is virtually indestructible by heat, making it the perfect base for long-baked dishes. Don’t “lighten” these recipes with milk, or you’ll end up with a watery mess.

For cheese, you want something flavorful that melts well. Good choices include fontina, gruyère, havarti, and Monterey jack.

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Christmas, Chilean American–style

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NUTRITIONAL

info?

DON’T BOTHER

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We want you to enjoy every last morsel of the extravagant foods we’ve created for you. Why ruin it with numbers, especially when they’d make a dietician’s head explode? As long as you don’t have medical issues, it’s okay to give in to temptation now and then, especially when the best Christmas

Decadent chocolate mousse SERVES 10 to 12 | 30 MINUTES Deep, rich, and luxurious, this mousse, inspired by a recipe from Isabel Allende, is a grand finale to a great meal. Use goodquality chocolate for the best flavor.

18 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup strong coffee 1/3 cup sugar 6 large eggs, separated 11/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

1. Put chocolate, coffee, and sugar in a large metal mixing bowl. Set bowl over a large pot filled with 1 in. simmering water. Melt chocolate, stirring often, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl with a mixer until they hold stiff peaks.

Whisk cream in another bowl until soft ribbons form.

3. Stir yolks into warm chocolate mixture.

Mix in liqueur. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in whites until almost blended, then gently fold in whipped cream until no streaks remain.

4. Pour chocolate mixture into a large (8-cup) glass serving bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Serve with sweetened whipped cream if you like.

Make ahead: Up to 3 days, covered and chilled.

dinner ever is on your table.

Looking for the calories or sodium levels for these recipes? You won’t find them here.

If you really must know, then go to sunset.com/holiday-feast and take a peek—but don’t say we didn’t warn you. N

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