Light Up the Nights

I've thoroughly enjoyed this week of Chanukah celebration.  The kids were thrilled to bring home their personally crafted Menorahs, each with their own individual flare.  We've lit them each night with pride and celebration of the miracles we commemorate on Chanukah and appreciate in our daily lives.


Of course any celebration wouldn't be complete without a festive meal, for which I tried a few new, and some very successful, recipes. 



Chef Todd Aarons of Tiera Sur at Herzog Wine Cellars, Oxnard, California published a holiday menu on Epicurious some of which I am sure to include henceforth in my yearly repertoire.  His Yukon Gold Potato and Jerusalem Artichoke Latkes were spectacular and a big hit for those who are bored of the traditional deep fried latke of old.  The Jerusalem artichokes, though not easy to find in stores (I found mine at Whole Foods) added a savory flavor to the potato pancakes that was easily recognizable and delicious.  The latkes were perfectly complemented by Aarons' Apple-Horseradish Mayonnaise, a really unique dipping sauce with a great mix of flavors that can easily be used year round to complement roasted meats or fish dishes.  

I was somewhat less successful with my attempt at the Pavlova with Cranberry Orange Compote as seen on ABC's daytime cooking show, The Chew.  Carla Hall made it seem easy to whip up the meringue and bake it to perfection, when my actual trials (yes plural), failed miserably when I tried transferring the beautiful whipped confection from the baking sheet to the wire cooling rack.  Nonetheless, the cranberry orange compote was perfectly tangy and tart with the complement of fresh mint garnish.  Served in individual bowls with the meringue base, nobody ever would have suspected it was supposed to be otherwise.

It's been a fantastic holiday- despite the endless array of new trinkets that made their way into our home- those who know me well know that our toys fear for their lives when I enter the playroom with my giveaway bags--- ready or not, here I come! 

It's Party Time

This past weekend, I had the great fortune to jointly host a post wedding celebration for our good friends Ian and Sharona.  Apart from the obvious nostalgia I shared with my husband for being a newly married, young couple in love -- for those in need of clarification, we are still very much in love, still young, and most definitely a couple, but somehow not quite the same -- it was such a fun opportunity to plan a great party at our home from soup to nuts.  We jointly hosted our evening soiree with friends Miriam and Ari and shared the responsibilities for party planning and execution, making it both more manageable and a great shared accomplishment.

Though it would be hard to determine which aspect of the party experience was most enjoyable, perhaps the greatest satisfaction came from seeing our home transformed from its regular living layout to an open space filled with the sounds of celebration.

The food wasn't bad either. We went with a dairy inspired menu: Hors d'oeuvres of bruschetta, polenta and crudite; Appetizer of french onion soup; Main dishes of almond and herb crusted salmon, caprese, quinoa salad and portobello parmesan lasagna; And a finale of caramel chocolate torte and white chocolate cheesecake... No doubt a food enthusiast's delight!

For more photos of our evening and at-home party planning inspiration check out the full album slideshow after the jump...