Christmas Eve

This year I decided to go for the totally unconventional. In fact, I didn't even try to make a proper menu. I opted to try 2 dishes that I've been wanting to make. The first, I found through Epicurious as I was poking around one day. The other I searched for. I had a craving for something that I haven't had in years. The restaurant is now closed. The only way to get what I want is to make it. So I did.

I grew up in Southern California next to the epic mall, South Coast Plaza. For anyone reading this who is unfamiliar with the area or the mall itself, let me suffice it to say that you have to cross a busy city street in order to get to the annex part of the mall. This annex, called Crystal Court, is as large as a "normal" mall; three stories, 2 major department stores, restaurants, hair salons, and retail stores a-plenty.

Coming of age in this area made finding a job rather easy...if you wanted to work in retail. I wasn't opposed to the idea. So, I found myself ironing linen skirts, selling Egyptian cotton sheets, and wearing battenburg lace collars at Westminster Lace. Across the "hall" was the compelling force behind this post: The Magic Pan. If you do a search for this place online, you will find that I am not alone in lamenting its loss. So, if you look, you can find recipes for their old favorites like the Chicken Divan crepe. My favorite was their cheese fritters. Imagine a savory beignet topped with finely shredded Parmesan and served with a sweet mustard sauce, and you will have see what is in my mind's eye.

I found the following recipe via the websites with recipes posted. I checked several and everyone had the same recipe posted for The Magic Pan Cheese Fritters. I gave it a go tonight. Though they were good, they weren't as good as I remember them. Even as I tasted these, which were good, I started tweaking the recipe in my mind for future use. I may never make them to compare with the memory of those beloved little morsels, but I will try.


Here's the recipe.

Magic Pan Cheese Fritters

1/2 cup milk
1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1 1/4 all purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
dash cayenne
3 med. eggs
6 oz. of grated cheddar cheese
vegetable oil
grated Parmesan cheese

In small saucepan heat the milk and bleu cheese over medium heat until the cheese melts.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne in a mixing bowl.
Add the milk and bleu cheese and mix thoroughly.
Add eggs one at a time and mix until blended.
Add cheddar cheese and blend for a couple of minutes.
Drop the mixture into fritter shapes into hot oil until light brown.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Dipping Sauce
1 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip?)
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup sugar
dash of lemon juice

Mix all ingredients.

In the future, I will increase the blue cheese by 1/4 cup. I will use sharp instead of mild cheddar. I will cut the dipping sauce recipe in half. Even if I cut it to 1/4 I'd have enough.

It's Christmas Eve-Eve.

It just occurred to me that I could blog about what I cook. I was doing that for a bit, but I haven't posted anything food related in quite a long time. As I have started to read Homesick Texan's blog, I realized that I too could write about what I eat and why.

Now that I am beyond the initial frenzy and fatigue that being a new mom entails, I have begun to really cook again. For me, food isn't just a source of nutrients. Food is a language. In fact, the only conversations that my parents and I can engage in without fear of conflict revolve around food.

My mom tells me what she bought on sale and where, how much she paid, how she prepared it, and what she did with the left overs. (There are always left overs.) When she comes to my house, I hand her my newest cook book for her to peruse. She'll call out recipe titles that she finds "interesting."

My father also tells me about the food he's been having lately. He's more of a restaurant patron these days. So he'll tell me about the Chinese "joint" that just opened up, the microbrewery that he wants to take my husband to, the only decent Mexican food they can find, etc. Everything has to be pretty cheap for my dad to even consider it.

I guess that's another family tie. We're all bargain shoppers. So, if we can get a bargain on food. Damn! We're all over that. And then we tell each other because there is a certain level of respect earned for finding an exceptional deal.

Lately, I've become more grounded in my roots in this way. In the recent past I'd gotten used to buying what I wanted, regardless of cost. If I wanted smoked salmon, I might not buy a ton of it, but the price per pound wouldn't put me off. These days, everyone is more cost conscious. In these leaner times, I am grateful to my parents for giving me the chops to buy and use what's on sale.

I'll start with my first recipe post tomorrow.

Happy Holidays!