The 5 Days of Decadence: Day 1

My husband and I come from two families who are very into their holiday traditions.  We each grew up knowing certain traditions this time of year.  When we married, we sort of mixed the traditions from each of us so that we could still, in small ways, have a bit of our childhood with us each holiday season.  We still lived close to family and still celebrated the holidays with at least 3 different groups each year.  Then we moved 3,000 miles away and had to spend our holidays with just the two of us.

That first year we decided that we wanted to come up with a unique tradition that would just be for our small family.  Since we are both food-lovers, we came up with the 5 Days of Decadence.  Basically, we spend the days leading up to and including Christmas eating and drinking and just enjoying a sort of bacchanalia of gastronomical festivities.  Some of the food is a little pricier that what we normally eat, but mostly it is just good cooking served with good drink and followed up by good desserts.  That was 5 years ago that we started this tradition and we look forward to it every year.

This year, Day 1 consisted of the one big-ticket item (besides the lamb we have on Christmas Day) that I purchased for the 5 Days.  A smoked duck.  I paid $35 for a teeny tiny smoked duck and was curious to see if it was worth my money.  My experience with duck is, unfortunately, very limited and mostly comes from a Chinese Buffet experience.

I also served roasted butternut squash, homemade Potatoes au Gratin, and cranberry sauce.

And yes, that cranberry sauce is the jellied stuff from a can.  Homemade cranberry sauce is on next year’s to-do.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.  We also have a pre-dinner cocktail.  I decided to make a cocktail that I haven’t had in years.  Since it is named after a candy and pretty much tastes like candy, I thought it only fitting to have around Christmas.  The Tootsie Pop!

Tootsie Pop

2 oz. Grenadine

5 oz. Amaretto

3 0z. lemon juice

2 drops chocolate syrup

Layer grenadine, amaretto and lemon juice.  Stir.  Add 2 drops chocolate syrup. Let sink and drink.

Ok, so this drink is a throw back to my younger days when I was more of an Appletini kind of girl instead of the “Waiter, the bartender skimped on the vodka in this.  Have it remade please!” kind of woman I’ve come to be.  It’s VERY sweet and I was surprised to see that it was hard for me to finish.  But if you’re not a big drinker and like those sweet cocktails with training wheels, this is perfect.

Now about the dinner!  There wasn’t much preparation needed for the duck as it was fully cooked (as smoked meats tend to be).  I just had to reheat it in my oven.  EASY!

As for the butternut squash, I could give you a recipe, but it’s really not necessary.  An oven at 350 degrees F, one butternut squash, two cups carrots cut on the bias and two medium onions diced.  Put them on a sheet pan covered in foil, coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar and roast for 45 minutes to an hour.  Again, EASY.  The only thing not easy about it is peeling and chopping the squash.  I think butternut squash is divine, but it is a royal pain in the ass to break down.  Tip:  Sharp knife and forearm strength come in handy here.

The Potatoes au Gratin was a little more involved, but still quite easy.

Potatoes au Gratin

Favorite Brand Name Old-Fashioned Holiday Recipes 2004

1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes

6 Tablespoons margarine of butter, divided

3 Tablespoons AP flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1-1/2 cups milk

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

4 green onions, thinly sliced 3/4 cup cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 1-quart round casserole with non-stick cooking spray.

Place potatoes in 2-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover potatoes.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until partially done.  Potatoes should still be firm in the center.  Drain and rinse in cold water until potatoes are cool.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 4 Tablespoons margarine in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring until smooth.  Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened.  Add cheese, stirring until melted.

Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.  Layer 1/2 of the potatoes in prepared dish.  Top with 1/3 of the onions and 1/3 of the cheese sauce.  Repeat layers twice, ending with cheese sauce.

Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons margarine.  Combine cracker crumbs and margarine in small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over top of casserole.

Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly and potatoes are tender.  YIELD:  4-6 servings

It was a good dinner.  A nice way to start off the 5 Days.  The duck…well it was good but I won’t be buying it again.  Next year I’ll see if I can get my hands on a goose.  And if not a goose, then just a regular duck so I can sauce it up and maybe make Duck L’orange.

The side dishes were great.  Warm in the tummy and good-tasting.  We were very satisfied and ready for a nap after this meal.

I hope you enjoy your own holiday traditions and have a wonderful week!

Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. Meatloaf: A Mom Dish
2. Potato Salad and a Picnic at Home
3. Using Dinner Leftovers for Breakfast