Good morning! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday!
So now we are in that limbo week, between Christmas and New Year's Day. Perhaps you still have family and friends happily gathered around, and perhaps you are still spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Wondering what to do with those last sad leftovers, and starting to lust after something different to eat, maybe unable to face once again that sweet potato casserole that has been cycled through the microwave one too many times.
So today, a solution to both problems.
Let’s begin with finishing off those leftovers. I went to a divine Christmas tea at my dear friend Sandi’s house, and the most popular of all the lovely little nibbles on offer was one that you can whip up out of those leftovers! They looked pretty and holiday-ish, too. Let’s call them Spicy Turkey Cranberry Rounds.
No recipe needed, just do this: Take a round cookie cutter and make some circles out of soft white or wheat bread. Top them with your leftover cranberry sauce (you do make your own, don’t you? It takes 5 minutes! I've used this recipe for years). But first spike the sauce with a little chopped jalapeno, to give it some kick. Spread it on the bread, top with a turkey slice, a tiny dollop more of sauce, and a green leafy thing (arugula, parsley, cilantro, or microgreens). Voila! Surprise your crowd with these at happy hour, or make them a light lunch.
Now it’s time to make dinner, and we are ready to take a path far from the leftover turkey and ham, without wallowing in the kitchen. For this I recommend one of my very favorite dishes. It’s indulgent, simple, and tastes of the sea.
I always order this when we visit Nice, as it’s a specialty there. Which means they probably nicked it from the (nearby) Italians, who call it Spaghetti con Cozze e Gamberetti. No matter what you call it, it’s delicious!
RECIPE: Pâtes aux Fruits de Mer
Use a hot or mild chili of your choice here. In France we would use piment from a jar; or you could use dried red pepper flakes to add heat. You can throw in any shellfish you like to the mix, but the briny taste of mussels is pretty essential. If you add some baby clams, that would make it even better. (photo above, a home-cooked version, and at left, from a fancy restaurant in Nice).
Serves 4
1 pound (500g) grams spaghetti
1 pound (500g) mussels
1/2 pound (250g) shrimp
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a small red chili, seeded and diced (or piment, or red pepper flakes to taste)
1/4 cup (50 ml) white wine
juice of a lemon
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
freshly grated parmesan
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, clean mussels (tap any that remain open; if they don’t close up, pitch them). Peel shrimp. Leave tails on as the French would or off like the Americans, up to you.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and sautée the garlic and chili for about 2 minutes. Add mussels and wine and cover. Cook just a few minutes, until mussels are open, checking frequently. Discard any unopened mussels.
Add shrimp, cook 3 to 5 minutes more, turning them, until fully pink. Add the lemon juice. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in parsley. Add hot, drained pasta to the pan, toss well and serve. Pass the parmesan cheese, and toast the new year.
The basic recipe is by Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo.
In the COMMENTS: Well, several southerners checked in on the muscadine wine post, bless your hearts. Vicky is encouraging y'all to embrace muscadines. As I said, love 'em or hate 'em. Suzanne, we grew up thinking just like your Tennessee daddy! (and I had a Tennessee daddy too, by the way).
A very happy new year to all!
14 thoughts on “Between “Joyeux Noel” & “Bonne Année”: What to Cook”
Happy New Year Lynn! Love the turkey and cranberry rounds. Brilliant!
We enjoyed Christmas Eve with friends in Provence which was wonderful…so no left over turkey however.
Wishing you a truly special New Year and many more fun adventures in the months ahead.
Wishing you both a wonderful and happy new year 2017!
Happy New Year Lynn,
We had something similar when we went to a pre Christmas lunch with the farmer who uses our field. It started with smoked salmon and foie gras on little bread rounds, separately of course. We then had salmon stuffed with herbed cheese and baked on rice with seafood. Next was roast lamb, from another farmer, of course, with haricots. Then the cheese followed by profiteroles filled with ice cream and then the buche de noel, or chocolate log. We were liberally supplied with aperitifs, made by various relatives, wine and digestifs.
Happy New Year,Lynn! Thanks for a year of great recipes and inspiration. We look forward to many more. This spaghetti con Cozze looks like the perfect meal at this point. We’ll have it tonight with friends. I look forward to next years tantalizing delights.
Even though it’s breakfast time, you’ve made me very hungry for a seafood dish. I’ll hold off until later in the day but now I know what I’m cooking for dinner. Thank you for all your wonderful blog posts & thank you for your friendship. Happy New Year Lynn!
I don’t get it. When we take vacations (in both the US and France) with our friends from the Poitou and it’s my husband turn to cook, he usually makes a scrumptious “pâtes aux fruits de mer”. Each time they are surprised by the dish and claim they’ve never seen nor eaten it before. The less gastronomically adventurous among them sort of pick at it. Others chow down with gusto. I can’t explain it. Also, we always use a small bottle of clam juice when preparing this dish–unless we are in France where it’s impossible to find!
Hi Lynn.
We didn’t do turkey for Christmas this year. We did salmon, and nary a shred of it remained at the end of the meal. But there are always other leftovers. And with these ideas, who even need leftovers? The seafood pasta recipe is a must.
I wish you and yours a safe and healthy 2017. I’m thinking positively about what lies ahead for us. It’ll be a ride to remember, I’m sure. I hope for a return across the water this next year. And who knows? Maybe I’ll send an email one morning asking if you’d like to join us for lunch or coffee in your neck of the woods.
Stay well.
Chris
Happy New Year,dear Lynn!
Blessings of health and joy to you and yours!
Thank you for your always wonderful posts(and recipes!)
You make our Fridays special!
We got sick of the same old, same old for Christmas dinner and decided to spluge on something different–Lobster Thermador.No leftovers for Santa,of course(figured Mrs C could ditch the milk and cookies and come up with a wonderful meal on her own!) It really was lovely.
Whnever we do have leftovers,though,I started making a gratin out of them.(Thank you to both you and Emily Dilling for reminding me of the versatility of these!)
Do you know of a mail-order source for muscadine products? Used to pick my own in the Georgia woods but now live in California’s Mojave Desert!
Happy New Year from Down Under (Australia) Thank you for all your insperations in the kitchen and especially on your artical on the
elections.
May we all open our hearts and pray for peace in our troubled world.
Happy New Year Lynn from Southern California. I have so enjoyed your blog and have referred back to them during the year. Thanks for, not only great information, but stunning photos as well.
This “limbo” week in Austin (or “the ATX” as we’re now supposed to call it) is my favorite. Half the city or more is away and there’s almost no traffic. For me it’s a time to visit with friends and even eat out with no crazy lines – I love it!
A very happy and healthy new year to all!
Try googling Calloway Gardens Country Store. I’ve not done that because I’m within driving distance but I’ll bet you can order from them. Good luck!
I do make my own cranberry sauce! A recipe that I was able to get from a restaurant in Glacier National Park several years ago. It’s delicious and makes enough for my family and a few friends! Yours sounds a little sweeter then mine – I plan to give yours a try … everyone loves a homemade gift!