Ta da!! Here it is …. the last of the food ornaments for 2017 – Day 25! Another season comes to a close. And for the occasion, may I present a big ole bowl of steamin’ ramen?!? It seems only fitting because it was the go-to meal of 2017. It might be my new favorite ornament! Have you been following my 25 days of ornaments posted on Facebook? This is the last one for this, the fifth, year. Every round someone says, “I remember that one!” But, au contraire. There are no repeats. Themes? Yes, absolutely. But repeats, NEVER!!
Picking the Tree
The Christmas tree, starting with the tribe’s outing to make a selection, was kind of a big deal in the Keck family. Despite numerous offers to be the DD and fetch the tree in my Pinto with Firestones, it was the ole man who maneuvered the troops to his dealership to get a truck for this annual pilgrimage. And, yes of course, we all piled in and rattled around in the back with the tree. You could hear us coming “We are going to pick up the pickup to pick up the Christmas tree.” It’s no wonder that Christmas trees and ornaments have become such a big part of my holiday traditions.
Back in the day, we always got our tree from the Boy Scout lot. Something super flimsy and likely cut in September, but short-needled to accommodate the over-sized ornaments. Yes, I descend from big ornament people. Fraser firs were not a thing – at least in the Midwest when I was younger. But today that is what I need to support the weighty and robust supply of lovelies I parade out this time of year. When I recently found this card in my stash, I had to wonder if it could possibly have been inspired by our yearly expedition.
You Always Remember Your First
I got my first ornament when just six months old and it was always set aside for my arrival at the holidays, waiting for me to add it to the tree. HashtagTradition!!!! But, when my Dad remarried and the combined ornaments were “too much”, I was told that that angel was set aside with my personal stash to relocate to my place. As it turns out, “personal stash” equals one angel and one half of a broken soldier. Sad trombone. Really?? You couldn’t fit THAT on the tree??? Ultimately, I was thrilled she was all mine. And, bonus, I think she has a burrito under that wing, so technically she was my first food ornament.
Top 25 Favorite Food Ornaments
It wasn’t long ‘til I started collecting food ornaments in earnest. They date back to graduate school, years before my transition to a culinary career. And for five years now, I have been sharing them with you via social media. In keeping with the theme of 25 days, here are my 25 best-loved food ornaments, spanning my entire collection. Not that a mother can really chose. I love them all. And I love each for very different reasons. I hope you find them as special as I do. Let me know which are your favorites.
I’m grateful to you for your support and enthusiasm for this blog, its stories, and recipes. Thank you for being a fan and for always letting me know what you think. No, really!! Let me know what you think!!!! Comments make me so happy.
Wishing you and your friends and family the Merriest Christmas and Happy Holidays, and a year filled with peace and joy. See you in 2018!
My very proper Grandfather was once dragged to a party by my very social Grandmother. He acquiesced on attending, but refused to concede it all. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’m not wearing my good hat!” I say…Wear your Good Hat!! Wishing you a joyful holiday and a year filled with good hats!
Nothing screams holidays like cranberries, citrus and spice. Mulled wine, orange pomanders (that’s fancy talk for oranges poked full of cloves), and cranberry garlands. So imagine my delight when the good people from the healthy living site Mambo Sprouts shot me a box of the finest spices to review. Squealing! I like to make edible gifts for the holidays – are you with me? We really don’t need one more thing to dust or store. But devour? Hells yeah! Last year I made cheese wafers and put them in a nice little cracker dish (okay, one more thing to store).
This year I have on my radar some spice blends and chutney. What’s that you say? Chutney is weird? No, no. Ain’t so. Yes. You are right. But only if you are referring to the more traditional, pungent (read: medicinal tasting) versions that are fortified with mustard oil and strong vinegar. This Anglo spin balances its tarts with equal measure sweets (sugar, dried cranberries and candied ginger), and the acid from kumquats (unlike strong vinegar) borders on sweet. It’s practically dessert, wink wink. It can be the perfect foil to too-rich-double-crème brie or the right amount of sweetness to tangy goat cheese. One chutney can do both! Spicy (think turmeric, allspice and cinnamon), zippy (crystallized ginger), tart (kumquats and crans) and sweet (yeah, there’s some sugar – but not as much, by half, of what you would normally see.)
Palate. Passion. Purpose.
You already know I’m all about this, right? But I have met my match in partnering with Frontier Co-op. A purpose-driven company, Frontier’s theme is Cook with Purpose. Every bottle contains products with a story and the label tells that story. Frontier, as one of the earliest to advocate organics, firmly believes that social responsibility is the foundation for great products and that sustainable agriculture and ethical sourcing yield quality. Since their 1976 Iowa founding (in a river cabin!), they have worked with growers worldwide to build a safe food supply. A large part of that is education and they have created charitable funds (three to be exact) that train farmers and co-ops on how to protect themselves and the environment. The turmeric, sourced in Sri Lanka, was produced by a co-op that benefited from a Frontier grant which enabled an organic training center for the farmers. The cinnamon is Vietnamese. Frontier provided its producers with educational supplies, beds, room & board so the children in these remote communities can be educated. Worldwide, producers are blessed by the generosity of Frontier providing so many basics, ranging from clean water to roads to medical care. Frontier is on a mission – responsibility to people and planet. And btw interesting timing…our paths crossing now. I’m a month away from joining the board of CWS, a global agency with key initiatives in sustainability, hunger, development, and advocacy, among other important work. #fullcircle Frontier had me at Purpose!
Spicing It Up!
Armed with my box of Frontier Co-op goodies, and knowing it’s the time of year when warm spices soothe the soul, I decided to dose this chutney with Vietnamese cinnamon, turmeric, and allspice. The great thing about warm spices is they can flow from sweet to savory, and in fact this chutney does a bit of both. I spent some time a few years ago in southern India and learned more about Ayurvedic cooking. (I also learned a thing or two – first hand – about Ayurvedic massage. Ever have a massage by two people with a whole lotta oil and choreographed moves? Inner-resting! But, that’s for another post.)
A word…or two…about the star ingredients – the spices!
Quality cinnamon is different from supermarket cinnamon (generally cassia) due to its super high oil content, a result of specific harvesting techniques. This Vietnamese (fka Saigon) cinnamon has at least a 5% oil content, which makes it more than double the regular stuff. That results in an abundance of flavor, but especially the pungent, sweet and spicy notes. It also means a little bit goes a long way. The difference in color compared with supermarket brands is remarkable.
You may remember that Buddha Bowl post with fresh turmeric from the winter. While it’s lovely to source fresh ingredients, chances are that rhizome has been on the road a while. If you want real flavor, reach for a quality dried spice. Often called Indian saffron, turmeric – a member of the ginger family – not only gives curry its bright golden color, but it also adds a pepperiness that makes it a regular in Asian cuisine.
And our old friend allspice – I just used it in that yummy pumpkin chia pudding recipe. While it seemingly combines cinnamon + clove + nutmeg and has a very big name, it’s just a single spice and it hails from Jamaica. No doubt you have seen it as an essential ingredient in jerk chicken. It is in fact the unripe berry of a small evergreen. How very Christmasy!
Spiced Cranberry Ginger Kumquat Chutney adds just the sass your Thanksgiving or other wintery meal needs. Jewel-like in color, this chutney not only delivers a sweet-tart-spicy contrast to turkey and mashed potatoes, but it also saves a very beige meal from being oh-so-brown.
In a medium non-reactive saucepan, combine the cranberries, kumquats, sugar, applesauce, and lemon juice. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the cranberries begin to pop, about 5 minutes.
Add the dried cranberries, crystallized ginger, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Continue simmering until the fruit is softened and the chutney is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more.
Remove from heat and let cool completely. Refrigerate, covered, and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Serving Suggestions: This is great with roast meats, slathered on a sammie, or served alongside or atop cheeses. If you warm it up, it will thin a bit and it makes the best glaze for your Christmas ham.
Substitutions: For kumquats: use the zest of one medium orange and chop the flesh coarsely, pith removed. For applesauce: chop one apple, any variety.
This post contains affiliate links.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Category:condiments
Method:stovetop
Cuisine:American
Keywords: cranberry chutney, ginger
Serving and Giving Notes
The chutney can be made up to 1 week in advance, and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. It will easily last several weeks, but I’m just not going to tell you to prepare it weeks ahead. Scraping the last bit out of the bottom of the jar 3 weeks in? Well, that’s a different story. By all means!
If you are making this to give as a gift, make sure to sterilize the jars (glass only, please), and let your giftee know this has not been canned, needs to be refrigerated, and is for current consumption.
Ta da!! Here it is …. the last of the food ornaments for 2017 – Day 25! Another season comes to a close. And for the occasion, may I present a big ole bowl of steamin’ ramen?!? It seems only fitting because it was the go-to meal of 2017. It might be my new favorite ornament! Have you been following my 25 days of ornaments posted on Facebook? This is the last one for this, the fifth, year. Every round someone says, “I remember that one!” But, au contraire. There are no repeats. Themes? Yes, absolutely. But repeats, NEVER!!
You Always Remember Your First
