Holiday Newsletters from Years Gone By

2006:

Lesley Simpson's Unrecipe

Here's my 'unrecipe' recipe. I call it an 'unrecipe' because I don't
like measuring. I like improvising, forgiving food. So, without further
ado let me introduce my latest. A drumroll please for:

Apple pear sauce.

Thinly slice lots of apples and pears. Heat on low heat with a touch of
lemon juice and cook until nice and mushy. You can cook on very low heat
for 45 minutes. Mash with wooden spoon and unleash your inner five year
old. You can add small amount of water, and use different kinds of
apples in the mix. A dash of cinnamon or cardamom optional as is sugar.
A bit of lemon zest adds that citrus perk that helps you feel fresh and
invigorated in the winter.

Serve with potato latkes for Chanukah, as a topping for plain yogurt, or
as simple dessert, warmed up. Makes you wonder why you would ever
considered buying applesauce in jar.

P.S. You know when fruit starts to turn mushy in the crisper? Here's a
chance to use it rather than feed it to the composter.

Rachna Gilmore's Tandoori Salmon

In a fine sieve, or a sieve lined with cheesecloth, put in about 3/4
carton of low fat yogurt and let drain for an hour or more, until the
liquid has drained and the yogurt is very thick. (The sieve can be
placed over a large bowl, covered and refrigerated for several hours. I
use 1% fat yogurt. Do not use yogurt with gelatin.)

Discard liquid.

Add to the thick yogurt:
approx 6-8 cloves of garlic very finely crushed or chopped, or more
1 to2 inches or more piece of peeled ginger, grated finely
(slightly less in volume than garlic)
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
3/4 teaspoon Garam Masala (available in Indian grocery stores)
salt to taste
pinch cayenne pepper or to taste
juice of ½ 1 lemon
small amount of cooking oil

Note: The sauce should taste very tangy and very garlicky almost too
strong. If the above quantities of ginger/garlic aren't enough, add
more. The flavours mellow with cooking.

Coat salmon fillets with sauce, making slashes in salmon and press sauce
into slashes. Marinate, covered, several hours. Don't cover with tin
foil as the tin foil reacts to sauce.

Bake in oven, 370-385 until salmon is just cooked. Approx 12 - 20
minutes, depending on thickness of salmon.

Serve with lemon wedges.


From Robin Baird Lewis -- Scottish Shortbread
(followed for 6 generations & counting)

1/2 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
1 cup (500ml) butter, softened (lightly salted okay)
2 cups (1000ml) sifted all purpose flour
4 heaping "dessert spoons" (50 ml) of rice flour
(double or triple above as required)
Cream all above together and chill before molding out (slicing and
pressing with wooden cookie pattern press). Tossing in some caraway
seeds makes this shortbread more unique and gives it a hint of
flavouring I discovered was used in old Fort York, Upper Canada.
The RICE flour is the secret factor...makes all the world of difference too.
Bake in moderate oven (325 F degrees...not metric on that yet) until
lightly brown. Watch!
Let cool for 10 minutes before removing due to their crumbly tendancy.
As usual...all broken ones lose their calories and must be consumed by
bakers right away.


Valerie Sherrard's favourite homemade gift:

Super Fast and Easy Peanut Brittle

In a microwave safe bowl combine:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
Nuke on high for 4 minutes

Add 1 cup of salted peanuts.
Nuke for another 4 minutes on high.

Add 1 tsp vanilla and
1 tsp butter
Nuke for 1 - 2 minutes

Stir in 1 tsp baking soda and pour immediately on a greased cookie sheet.
When cool break into pieces and store in air tight container.

One batch fills a medium sized cookie tin.
Add a bow and card for a super fast and easy gift!



Jo Ellen Bogart's Creamy Pralines

Stovetop long boil: This recipe calls for long boiling of sugar. Kid cooks will need adult supervision.

3 cups white sugar
1 cup buttermilk with 1 teaspoon of baking soda added
½ pound (this is one cup) butter
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of corn syrup, dark or light
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups pecans (halves are best)

Melt the butter gently in a very large heavy saucepan. Add the buttermilk
with the baking soda, the sugar, and the corn syrup and stir to combine.
Cook at medium high heat stirring constantly with a long handled wooden
spoon. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches the hard ball stage at
250 degrees F. (Do use a candy thermometer- it's so much easier.) At this
point, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Then beat
the mixture until it turns glossy and thick and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed
paper or a very lightly greased cookie sheet. Work quickly to get the
mixture spooned out before it cools. Remove from the waxed paper as soon as
the pralines cool and store in an airtight container.


Marsha Skrypuch's Sviat Vecher Kolach
(Ukrainian Christmas Eve braided egg bread)
makes one Kolach

1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp dry granulated yeast
1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup butter
1 cup scalded milk
4 eggs, whisked (reserve one tablespoon for later)
1/2 cup sugar
a dash of either vanilla or lemon extract
1 1/2 tsp salt

4 to 5 cups Robin Hood "Best for Bread" unbleached white flour

canola or other oil

Stir the tsp of sugar into the lukewarm water and then add the yeast.
Let it soften for about 5 minutes (it should bubble up).

Meanwhile, in a big bowl, put in the butter, scalded milk, sugar,
extract and salt. While the yeast is softening, stir this mixture to
melt the butter. Once it's melted, the milk will be cool enough to add
the eggs. Then stir the softened yeast and add it to the liquid mixture.

Add in the flour a bit at a time, stirring as you go. When the mixture
is too stiff to stir, knead it in. Once the dough pulls away from the
side of the bowl, work in enough flour so that the dough is smooth.
Don't try to work in all the flour if it won't go and don't over-knead
the dough. Dump out the excess flour and then drizzle the dough and bowl
with about a tablespoon of oil and then pat the dough so the whole thing
is lightly covered in oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place
(a cold oven with the light turned on is ideal) until it has doubled in
size -- about an hour.

Punch down the dough and then divide into three pieces. Oil your hands
lightly and roll each piece out into a foot long rope.

Braid the three ropes together. Coil into a greased round cake pan (a bundt pan is ideal, as is a spring-form pan) and let rest again until doubled.

Mix a tsp of water into the tablespoon of reserved egg.

Baste the top of the bread ring with the egg mixture, then bake at 375
for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325 or so and bake for
another 30 or 40 minutes. Check the kolach frequently because it puffs
up fairly high and can easily scorch. When it's ready, it is darker than
most white breads. You can tell that it's down by flipping it out of the
pan and tapping on the bottom -- if it sounds hollow, it's ready. Cool
on a wire rack and enjoy!

From L.M. Falcone's recipe shoebox: Vegan Fat-Free Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup sugar (or a little more if you like sweet cornbread)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ENERG egg replacers
1 cup fat-free soy milk
Almost ½ cup applesauce, unsweetened

Mix it all together just until it's completely mixed. Put it in a
non-preheated 450 degree oven. Bake for 20 -- 25 minutes.


2007:

Sheryl McFarlane's Dog Biscuits

Here is the perfect holiday present for dog lovers of all ages. Make a
batch of these scrumptious dog biscuits. Gift wrap them along with a
copy of Sheryl McFarlane's picture book, This is the Dog. Your
friends and their canines will love you forever.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 ° F (180 ° C).

In a bowl, add 2 tsp. of dry yeast to 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Let rise.

Add the following and mix in with the above
1 1/2 cups cooled chicken broth (can be purchased, home-made, or made by
dissolving 2 bouillon cubes in boiling water)
2 tablespoons dry parsley
3 tablespoons honey
1 egg.

Gradually mix in 5-6 cups whole wheat flour until a stiff dough is formed.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 3-5 minutes). Shape the dough into a ball, and roll to 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Using small bone-shaped cookie cutters, make biscuits!

Transfer to ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1/4 inch (6 mm)
apart. Gather up the scraps, roll out again, and cut additional biscuits.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn over. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides. Let cool overnight.

Makes several dozen small bones that keep and freeze well.

Note: if you want to hang some on your Xmas tree, poke a hole in one end
of each biscuit before baking. (hole will shrink while baking). Let it
cool, and then thread it with a narrow ribbon.

Happy Holidays. Sheryl McFarlane


For the kids (to play with, not to eat!) Helaine Becker's Whey Cool
From: Science on the Loose

It's for making plastic out of milk. You can use the resulting glob of moldable matter to make holiday ornaments! Mooove over, petroleum by-products! Did you know you can make your own plastic -- from milk? You will need:

1 cup/250 ml milk (full fat milk works best)

1 tablespoons/15 ml white vinegar

Eye dropper or small spoon

Saucepan

Measuring cup

Mixing spoon

Measuring spoon

Pour the milk into the saucepan.

Have an adult help you with this step. Gently warm up the milk,
without letting it boil.

When steam is rising from the milk (about 5 minutes) add a few drops
of vinegar. Stir.

Keep adding vinegar, a few drops at a time, while you stir.

When you have added about 2 teaspoons of vinegar/10 ml, you should
start to see lumps forming in the milk. These are called curds.

Keep adding vinegar drop by drop until the liquid turns clear (this
is called whey) and the curds form a lump on the bottom of the pot.

Have an adult carefully pour off the liquid, leaving only the blob of
curds behind.

Allow the blob to cool so that you can handle it. When it is just
warm to the touch, not hot, remove it from the pot and wash it off with
cool water. Knead the blob until it has the consistency of dough.

Mold or model the plastic dough into any shape you like. You can poke
a hole in it and use it as a pendant. Let it dry and harden overnight or
for a few days. Then you can decorate it any way you like.



Marina Cohen's Crème Caramel French Toast

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. Corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 lbs. cinnamon raisin bread
6 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups light cream (or more milk)
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbls. Vanilla
sour cream

Preparation:

In a saucepan combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter, melt until
smooth and bubbly. Spread on 11 x 17 glass baking dish. Overlap bread
like dominoes on the syrup. In large bowl combine eggs, milk, cream,
sugar, vanilla. Pour over bread. Cover with foil.

Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees, covered, 50-55 minutes uncovering last 10 minutes. Toast should be puffy and golden. Cut into 8 or 10 pieces and invert to serve. Top with sour cream and fresh fruit! Enjoy!



Robin Baird Lewis' Singing Hinnies

The Singing Hinnies scone recipe has stood our family in excellent stead over the years. It was a staple of my popular Devon Cream Teas here in Guelph when I could boast a dining room table. My brother Christopher swore it helped him when he shamelessly laid on a Scottish High Tea for his Doctoral Defense. They were as putty in his hands once they had sunk their teeth into the Singing Hinnies, he always claimed. Today at the outrageous price of $2.50 A SCONE!!!! at the local eco-bakers I am returning to this recipe with alacrity and delight...it's the sour cream that cinches it. Enjoy!

2 ½ cup sifted flour
½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar (short)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1 egg beaten
1cup sour cream
optional
½ cup currants
rind of ½ lemon/orange
water

Dredge currants in about 2 tbs of flour.
Re-sift the remaining flour with dry ingredients.
Cut in butter until mixture resemble a coarse meal.
Mix egg with 1 tbs water and add to flour along with the sour cream,
currants and rind.
After blended well, divide dough into 10-12 portions and flatten into ½"
thick scones, although you can make them virtually any size you desire
but watch the baking time.
(I always prefer to shape them into triangles for some reason.)
Bake on greased cookie sheet in a preheated 400 to 425 F degree oven for
12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield: about 12 (3") scones.



Jennifer Lanthier's /Martello Tower/ Tea Biscuits

Ingredients:
two cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
one stick of butter
four teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
some milk - perhaps a half-cup or so

Cut the butter into the flour/baking powder/salt mixture;
Work it into tiny bits with your fingers;
Stirring with a fork (never a spoon!) add milk until the dough can be
formed into a ball.
When it is a good working texture - not too sticky, not too dry - break
off pieces and form into biscuit shapes

Bake at 450 degree oven about ten minutes - until tops are golden or
tinged or with brown and
Serve warm, with jam and butter, or fresh fruit and lightly whipped cream.

N.B. These biscuits are so easy to make and foolproof that you will soon
discard the recipe and prepare from memory. You will do other things
while baking - like read - because they are so very easy.
This ensures that one day, when distracted by a great book, you will
inadvertently substitute baking SODA for powder. The biscuits will look
stunning - smooth and golden brown. One bite and the memory will linger
forever. Do not feed to the dog. Discard and make a new batch properly.
Soda-based biscuits appear every couple of years in our house, often
coinciding with a new Ian Rankin or Jonathon Coe novel. We call them:
Librarian's Laments.



Gail Sobat's Brandied Cranberry Sauce:

1 lb fresh cranberries
2 c sugar
1 T grated orange rind (optional)
1 handful of candied ginger (optional)
dried apricots (soften in orange juice in microwave and slice)

Combine all ingredients in a large flat ovenproof dish. Set aside for
20-30 minutes. Cover dish with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40
minutes. Cool slightly and pour into glass containers. Refrigerate.

Can be made with orange juice instead of brandy. Add some or all of the
optional ingredients. The candied ginger is particularly good in this!



Rachna Gilmore's One-Pot Bhaji

FROM: A Group of One by Rachna Gilmore

All measurements are approximate. To enjoy cooking something like this it is best to be flexible about the quantities and to be willing to experiment.

Pour small amount of cooking oil in a large pot. Non-stick is best as it can minimize the oil needed. When the oil is heated (medium heat) add approximately: 1 tablespoon
grated ginger, 1 tablespoon minced or pressed garlic, 1 hot green chili finely diced. (The ginger and garlic and chili can be whizzed together in a food processor).

Stir a minute or so, and add 1 ½ teaspoons whole cumin seed, 2-3 whole cloves, 2-3 cardamoms, about ½ inch whole cinnamon. Stir about half a minute or until the cumin seeds brown slightly.

Add approximately 3-4 baby turnips peeled and cubed, 3-4 new potatoes cubed, 1-2 onions cut in chunks. Stir for several minutes and then add: 1-3 teaspoons ground coriander, 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon turmeric, crushed red chilies to taste, 1-2 bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste. (At this point you can add some more ginger/garlic puree if you like).

Stir for a minute or so until the spices darken slightly and are fragrant.

Add 5-8 chopped or pureed tomatoes, and 1-2 cans rinsed chick peas.

Cover and simmer on low until the potatoes and turnips are nearly cooked, stirring occasionally.

Add in order of time taken to cook: ½ - 1 cauliflower, broken into florets, 1-2 cups okra (tops cut off and cut into half or quarter). Cook until the vegetables are all tender. Add, if you like, a handful of fresh green coriander leaves, chopped. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Note: if you don't like okra, you can replace it with something like spinach or rapini or green beans. Any of the vegetables can be changed around to taste. Add more tomatoes or hot water if the bhaji seems too dry.

Serve with whole wheat pita and mango pickle and plain yoghurt. ENJOY!



Don Aker's wife's Make-Ahead Potatoes (Serves 12)

This dish may not be holiday-related, but it's perfect for any large gathering because it can be made a day ahead (hence the name). The real attraction for me, though, is the taste---eating Make-Ahead Potatoes is like having dessert with your main course. And don't worry about cooking a dish intended for 12---the leftovers taste even better!
Ingredients:
9 large potatoes
1 large pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. salt
1 dash pepper
2 Tsp. butter
1 egg (beaten)

Directions:
Cook potatoes.
Mash well.
Add remainder of ingredients.
Beat (with beater) until fluffy.
Put into a large greased casserole dish.
Put into fridge until an hour before meal.
Daub with butter.
Bake at 350º for one hour (until heated through).
Serve.



Gail Nyoka's Decadent Sweet Potato Pudding

Sweet potatoes (5-7 med size)
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut (or fresh coconut)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup pecans, chopped

Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Then peel and whip the sweet potatoes
with a mixer or food processor.
Add cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, eggs, milk and vanilla.
Whip all ingredients together and spoon our pour into a casserole dish.
Mix the topping ingredients together so it's all crumbly and sprinkle it
over the top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.



Marsha Skrypuch's cheddar cheese pyrohy (perogies)

This recipe is such a favourite that it has been served in three of my books: Silver Threads, Hope's War and Prisoners in the Promised Land (Dear Canada). Pyrohy are a meal all by themselves or you can have them instead of potatoes. Pyrohy are traditionally served as one of the twelve meatless courses for Ukrainian Christmas Eve (January 6th).

The dough:
2 ½ to 3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 egg
a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil
a teaspoon or so of salt
water

The filling:
three medium potatoes (Yukon Gold are the best but any will do)
a cup or so of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
garlic

Making the dough:

In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour and salt, then crack in the egg and dump in some oil. Mix that up and then add about half a cup of water. Keep adding water until you have a soft firm dough. It shouldn't be too sticky but should be firm enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and you should be able to knead it gently right in the bowl without getting your hands too gunked up. Add more flour if it's too gunky.

Knead it just a bit and then let cover it with a plate or waxed paper and let it rest for an hour. It is important to let the dough rest before rolling it out because otherwise it gets a funny texture.

Making the stuffing:

Boil the potatoes and then drain and mash them. While they're still hot, add a cup or so of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and then season with salt, pepper and garlic. You can add some parmesan cheese as well to zing it up. The texture of the filling should be like whipped potatoes. Don't put in so much cheese that it's gooey. Use the best cheddar that
you can find, like extra old from the farmers' market. If you must get grocery store cheese, Balderson's Extra Old isn't bad.

Rolling out dough:

After the dough has rested for at least an hour, divide it in half and roll out the first half on a floured board until it is about eighteen inches round and relatively thin. You can liberally dust the top of the dough with flour as you're rolling and flip it over frequently so it doesn't stick. You'll notice that it snaps back to the size that it wants to be, so keep on working in the flour and rolling it until it gets to be about eighteen inches round without snapping.

Stuffing:

Once the dough is rolled out, use a 2 ½ to 3 inch diameter round cookie cutter to press out circles of dough. A mayonnaise lid works well if you don't have a cookie cutter. Some peanut butter jar lids are the right size as well.

The circles should be easy to pick up because they've got flour on both sides. Once you've cut all the circles, put a big pot of salted water on to boil. As you're waiting for it to boil, you can stuff your dough.

Take a dough round and shake off any excess flour, then place it on the counter. Take a rounded teaspoon of potato-cheese mixture and place it in the centre of the dough round. Fold the dough over top of it so that it looks like a half circle and press the edges firmly to seal them. If it doesn't stick, you can use a bit of water on the edges, but the edges
should stick without having to resort to extraordinary measures. Repeat this process for all of the dough rounds, then roll out the second portion of dough and do it all over again.

A good place to put the raw pyrohy is on a greased cookie sheet. Don't let them touch each other though, because they'll stick.

Boiling:

Once the pyrohy are all formed and your water is at a rolling boil, drop all of them into the water four or five at a time. Gently stir with a wooden spoon so they don't stick. Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to do them in more than one batch.

They are almost ready when they begin to bob up and float on top of the boiling water. Once most of them are doing this, wait another minute and then strain them.

Serving:

Pyrohy are delicious drizzled with melted butter. You can serve sour cream on the side. If you want to be really decadent, garnish with minced fried bacon or onions.



Jo Ellen Bogart's Buttermilk Coconut Pie

1 1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup butter melted
3 eggs beaten
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (3 1/2 ounces) flaked coconut, divided
1 9 inch pie crust, unbaked

Combine sugar and flour. Add butter, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and 2/3 of the coconut. Mix well and pour into crust. Sprinkle with the rest of the coconut. Bake for an hour at 325 degrees, or until set. Keep refrigerated. Note: I cut the butter by 2 tablespoons and the sugar down to a cup and it was still delicious.



Valerie Sherrard's Super Easy Christmas Balls

Combine:

1 regular package mini marshmallows (either white or coloured)
2 cups graham crumbs
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries (red or green or both)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix well, then chill overnight.
Form into small balls and roll in coconut.

Store in the fridge or freezer.



Laura Langston's Tiger Butter

Cupid, from Laura Langston's upcoming release The Trouble with Cupid is a bulldog who prefers people food over dog food. He favors doughnuts and chow mein, pizza and croissants. And, of course, chocolate with peanut butter. . . which, as a dog, he absolutely should not have. Fortunately, most humans don't have that problem. And it's a good thing, because once a person starts eating tiger butter, they cannot stop. Lock up the dogs.

1/2 lb white chocolate, chopped 250 g
1/2 lb semisweet chocolate, chopped 250 g
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 125 ml

Line the bottom of a 9-inch (1.5 L) round or a 10 inch (3 L) square cake pan with wax paper. In a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, melt white chocolate. (or use a glass measuring cup and melt in the microwave) Scrape melted chocolate into a bowl, and stir in peanut butter. Clean and thoroughly dry the top of the double boiler, then melt
semi-sweet chocolate over hot water. Pour the white chocolate/peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Pour semi-sweet chocolate over top, and spread evenly. Draw a table knife through the chocolate to create a marbled effect. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until solid. Cut into wedges or squares. Makes about 16 candies.



2008:



Frieda Wishinsky: Mom's Traditional Latkes - Still the Best

My mom made the best potato latkes (pancakes). They were light, not too oily and would melt in your mouth.
You need to move quickly when you make latkes. You need to grate the potatoes before they turn brown, mix it all together quickly, fry them in just enough (but not too much oil), flip them at the perfect moment and then pop them off the pan before they burn to a crisp. My mom orchestrated it all until she was 90.
Mom died last year at 91 on November 16th.
Last Chanukah three of us (My friend, Shari Siamon, her husband Jeff and I) made the latkes. It wasn't easy for the three of us to orchestrate what one aging Jewish Grandmother (with my daughter's help, but not that much help!) was able to do with finesse. I was awed remembering how mom, despite crippling arthritis in her hands and a heart condition, had been able to do it all-- almost alone.
We all missed her latkes, her presence and her joy at all the compliments we showered on her as we devoured each, unbelievably fattening morsel.



Valerie Sherrard: Holiday Shortbread

Cream:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 beaten egg

1 tsp almond extract

Add:

2 cups flour with 1 tsp baking powder mixed in

Press into glass pie plate. Glaze with the other ½ of the beaten egg.

Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes. Remove from oven and press down gently with spoon to remove excess air. Cut into wedges.



Christmas at the Bissell Centre by Gail Sidonie Sobat

8:30 a.m. patrons arrive
doors are open
clientele spills in
business day begins
business as usual
the business of staying alive
another day
then another cold night

smiling clerks
hand out complimentary coffee
Christmas cheer
greet the regular customers
ragman, hawker, huckster
knights of the road
ladies of the night
this morning they flood the market
clerks smiling hope there is enough
food in the larders for turkey dinner

Noon: the Christmas luncheon
the line forms on the street
moving slowly, incessantly
people of the inner city
with no purchasing power
wait patiently for a plate

listen to the shrill voices of the youth choir
brought in from suburban privilege
to sing a carol or two
for the urban market
applaud politely
request "Silent Night"

in two hours
the very young
the very old
those lost somewhere in between
are a little less hungry
they go out into the Christmas air
with a gift of toiletries from Santa
as we run off to last-minute shopping

tonight on Christmas Eve
where will they be
these patrons of the street
come-on men
personnel of urban squalor?
canvassing or soliciting
cooped-up in one-room solitude
roaming the sidewalks for the highest bidder
singing a song of the season to an empty bottle
against a backdrop of impervious skyscrapers
consumers of the inner city
are slouching towards Bethlehem



Season's Greetings and this tidbit from John Wilson:

Okay, we all know what Christmas Day is, but it is also:

Humphrey Bogart's birthday, the day it was announced that Vivien Leigh was to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, the day Goldfinger premiered in the US, and the 190th anniversary of the first performance of a Christmas Carol (Silent Night).



Marsha Skrypuch's Fruit Squares

(for when you just found out company is coming and you can't get to the grocery store)

Fruit Squares

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease an oblong pyrex baking dish

2/3 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange juice (or substitute ginger ale or another fruit juice)
2 1/2 cups general purpose flour (mix 2 teaspoons of baking powder into the flour)
any kind of fruit, dried or canned or fresh -- prunes, raisins, apples, cranberries, peaches, pears etc

Beat margarine with the sugar and gradually beat in the eggs, making a fluffy consistency. Add in the vanilla and orange juice. Add the baking powder/flour mixture a bit at a time.

Spoon batter into the pyrex dish and then place the fruit on top, making sure that once you cut it, you'll have a fruit piece in the middle of each square. You can poke the fruit into the batter so it's partially covered. Dried fruit works especially well, but any fruit will do.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, depending on your oven. It's done when you can stick a toothpick into the middle and it comes out dry. It should be a light golden colour.

You can sprinkle a light coating of white sugar on top. Cut into squares and let cool while still in dish.



Christmas Snow by Nate Hendley

When I think of winter, I think of snow. That might seem obvious but it isn't. I live in Toronto, and we typically don't get a lot of snow. Not the kind of snow that sticks around anyway. It snows then it rains and the snow goes away. Or the snow stays and gets dirty from all the pollution in the air. Our lack of snow has something to do with the "lake effect" and the heat emitted by millions of people and thousands of cars.

Better to think of snow in other places I've lived in, like Waterloo, ON where my parents still reside. There, snow was a serious affair and a lot more of it fell than in Toronto. At Christmastime in Waterloo you were always presented with that most Canadian of landscapes: pure white, snow-draped streets. Snow that would crackle underfoot as you tromped along in thick winter boots.

The abundance of snow in Waterloo is another reason to look forward to seeing my parents for Christmas. I get to visit my family, share in the holiday spirit and be surrounded by very white snow of the kind that just seems so right for Christmas.



Holiday greetings from Karen Krossing



David Poulsen: Chocolate Peaks

(A Christmas favourite at the Poulsen House. My wife barb and I co-host a television show-Cowboy Country-and this recipe came to us from a talented young country singer-remember this name--Brett Kissel)

1/2 - 3/4 cup butter (not margarine)
2 cups icing sugar (or enough to make stiff mixture)
1/4 cup light cream
3 cups medium coconut
(1 cup dark chocolate chips used later for topping)

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. When butter is golden brown, slowly stir in icing sugar, cream, and coconut. (Add coconut & icing sugar until mixture quite stiff). Mix well and remove from heat. Drop coconut mixture by spoonful onto wax paper (the smaller the better) & very gently shape into a mountain/peak shape. Chill.

Topping: melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips and drizzle by spoon over coconut mixture.

Note: If cookie mixture does not seem stiff enough, add more icing sugar. Keep chilled or frozen. Yummmmm!!



Lesley Simpson: One a year we have a family Chanukah party. It is now called The Family Schmooze where we get together with our cousins, and our cousins' kids and sometimes there are friends thrown in for good measure. Our tradition is the communal story. We sit in a circle, and someone begins a story, often about either a dreidel or a potato latke. The next person in the circle adds a line. The age range in this circle ranges from 5 years old to 75. By the time you wind your way around the room, there's no telling what kind of story might unfold. Happy Chanukah, and may your latkes always be crisp, hot and addictive!



Larry Verstraete: Cheesy Brussels Sprouts
(The Canadian Living Christmas Book)

Ten years ago, my family discovered this recipe and since then it has become a holiday favourite. Even those who don't normally enjoy brussels sprouts seem to relish them this way. (Bonus! Even a novice cook like me can look like an award-winning chef).

2 lb/1 kg brussels sprouts

3 tbsp/50 ml butter

3 tbsp/50 ml all-purpose flour

2 cups/500 ml milk

1 tsp/5 ml Dijon mustard

3/4 tsp/4 ml salt

1/2 tsp/2 ml pepper

1/4 tsp/1 ml nutmeg

1 cup/250 ml shredded Cheddar cheese

Cut X in bases of brussels sprouts. Boil for 7 to 9 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain and refresh under cold water; remove excess water with towel. Let cool; cut in half and set aside.

In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add milk; cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and thickened. Stir in mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat; stir in half of the cheese until melted. Gently stir in brussels sprouts.

Spoon into greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish. (can be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day). Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake in 375 F (190 C) oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Brown under broiler for 2 minutes. 8 servings.

Bon appetit!



From A Path through the Trees, by Peggy Dymond Leavey.

The red van with the Christmas tree tied on top pulled up at the front of the Stoppard house shortly after noon on Christmas Eve. Great Aunt Caroline watched from her doorway this latest horde of visitors.

The three children were immediately enlisted to help unload the van, making numerous trips back and forth, arms loaded with bags and boxes, tracking in snow.

"I hope you were ready for this invasion," Uncle Richard teased in his loud, cheery voice. He didn't give Caroline time to respond before he set a long package into her hands. "Smoked salmon," he said, with a wink. "A real treat. You'll love it."

The front hall quickly filled with people shedding winter coats and boots, pieces of luggage, boxes of ornaments and yards of garland. Once released from its sheath of mesh, the Christmas tree opened out to such an amazing size that the only place for it was right there in the entrance hall, to the left of the curved staircase.



Robin Baird Lewis: Last Christmas my resourceful, Waldorf trained niece visited from France with her family and made the most exquisite layered circles of tissue paper window decorations as presents. Based on the cut snowflake design we all know, her talents created a remarkably impressive splash of welcome colour in our windows for the holidays and indeed for the duller season afterwards.

Start simply. Choose only two or three analogous colours in tissue cut the same circle size. Fold them into the finest triangular-like segment you can and carefully slice out slivers of tissue with very sharp scissors. Open and place on top of each other. Keep centre points registered with a pin and shift circles around into the best kaleidoscope of colour. To finish, dot with white glue and paste layers together. Optional: apply coloured tape around circumference and fix a loop to hang. Now try one with three different sized circles! Switch layers for different effects.

These are delicate, beautiful but ephemeral...not lasting but fun to make: A meditative invention exercise for the whole family to enjoy and delightful window decorations for all!



Janet Wilson: When my two boys were young, rather than having Christmas dinner with family, we invited friends we knew or knew of who didn't have family to spend Christmas dinner with, either because they were new to this country or were experiencing family problems. We called it the 'Waifs and Strays' Christmas. We cooked the turkey and the rest was potluck. Instead of exchanging gifts we fostered a child through Plan. Now, thirty years later, we still celebrate with the original core group of people and welcome newcomers each year. The average number of guests is 22 and the turkey weighs slightly more. When the brandy is lit on the figgy pudding, we begin a rousing "We'll all have some figgy pudding" and sing carols for the rest of the evening. Now that our boys are grown, we agreed to eliminate the buying of gifts. I bake Scottish shortbread and pies-mincemeat and tortiere, and make the best maple syrup fudge in the world. Our 'doggy' Christmas cards were much anticipated but, sadly, last year they were depicted as angels. Happily, we had our first grandson to dress-up and carry on the tradition.



Best wishes for a warm, cozy and safe holiday season! - Mahtab Narsimhan



Hadley Dyer: (Her mom, Rosalee Dyer's recipe)

When I was a little girl in the north end of Halifax, nothing was more fun than joining my sisters and mother at the stove to make candy. We'd boil sugar and water, then drip bits into a glass of cold water to see if it had reached the "soft ball" stage or "hard ball stage," depending on the recipe. Oh, it was divine!

Barley Sugar Twists

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. peppermint extract

Red and green food colouring

In a 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, water, and vinegar. Cook covered for a few minutes to let steam wash down sugar crystals.

Cook uncovered, without stirring, until it reaches 300° on candy thermometer or drops of syrup tested in cold water form hard, brittle threads. Add peppermint extract.

Turn half into another pot. Add a few drops of green colouring to one pot, red to the other.

Pour onto two lightly greased cookie sheets. Cut into 6 inch long stripes that are approximately 3/4 inch wide.

Place in warm 250° oven. Remove one strip at a time and twist into spirals. Cool on a tray.



Jocelyn Shipley: Cinnamon Butterflies

Glue 3 cinnamon sticks together one on top of another so it looks like butterfly wings.

Let dry completely.

Tie with pretty ribbon in a festive bow.

Use to decorate your house, tree or gifts.

Happy Holidays!