Introduction

We would like to wish all of our readers a happy holiday season and offer up some of our favorite dishes for your table! Enjoy!

Cacio e Pepe

I’m a terrible cook. Thank goodness little is expected from me by my family during the holidays. 

We don’t have much family in the US, and we tend to follow a very loosely adapted, quainter version of the all-American feasting holidays.

One food that I will be bringing to the table this season is cacio e pepe, which translates from Italian to cheese and pepper.  This is a pasta so simple yet so delicious and easy to prepare even I couldn’t mess it up. Prep time totals about twenty minutes.

Below, you’ll find a photo of one of my favorite cacio e pepe dishes that I had from a market by Temple’s Rome campus while I was abroad this summer. Also, I’ve attached an easy to follow recipe from The New York Times. The best part? It’s just three steps!

-Maha

INGREDIENTS

Salt

1 ½ cups finely grated pecorino Romano, plus more for dusting completed dish

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more for finishing the dish

¾ pound tonnarelli or other long pasta like linguine or spaghetti

Good olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Put a pot of salted water on to boil. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses and black pepper; mash with just enough cold water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste evenly in the bowl.
2. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. The second before it is perfectly cooked (taste it frequently once it begins to soften), use tongs to quickly transfer it to the bowl, reserving a cup or so of the cooking water. Stir vigorously to coat the pasta, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if necessary. The sauce should cling to the pasta and be creamy but not watery.
3. Plate and dust each dish with additional pecorino and pepper. Serve immediately.

Oshlag Family Applesauce

I really love to cook, but sometimes the easiest recipes are the best! This is my mother’s apple sauce recipe (so maybe it should be called the “Sherman Family Applesauce!”) It’s extremely simple to make, and as it cooks the entire house smells like warm apples and cinnamon – I make it every chance I get! I hope you enjoy it.

Happy holidays from my family to yours!

-Ruth

INGREDIENTS

9 large apples (Gala is preferred)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cinnamon stick or powdered cinnamon

1/4 cup water

PREPARATION

1. Peel and core apples. Cut into fourths.
2. Combine all ingredients into saucepan.
3. Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Turn down heat and simmer until soft (~30 minutes).
5. Remove cinnamon sticks if used.
6. Pulverize by hand/utensil (fork or spoon) or with an electric masher (set to “pulse”).
7. Leave chunky if preferred, or pulverize longer for a smoother consistency.
8. Let sit to cool.
9. Eat now or freeze for later (keeps for months!).

Cranberry Relish

Okay. This is my weakness. I have already consumed an entire jar of relish this semester alone! The recipe comes from one of my favorite restaurants as a kid, Country Cupboard of Lewisburg, PA. It’s incredibly easy to make, and it freezes well too if you want to pace yourself!

Happy holidays!

-Emma

INGREDIENTS

*Makes approx. 2 cups*

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 medium sized apple (pared and cored)

1 orange

½ cup of sugar

PREPARATION

1. Wash and remove bad cranberries in a sieve.
2. Cut the orange into quarters. Remove the center membrane.
3. Put oranges into blender and pulse on low until skins and fruit are in small pieces. Remove and place in a medium-sized bowl.
4. Put cranberries and apples in the blender and pulse on low until both have a relish consistency. Small bits of fruit are okay! Combine with the oranges.
5. Mix in the sugar.
6. Refrigerate or freeze! Or it eat it all now…

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Nothing celebrates the holiday season like a pumpkin spice latte! The perfect ending to your day, this homemade version from Food and Wine is easy to make and pairs perfectly with a slice of pumpkin pie! Happy holidays!

-Alexa

INGREDIENTS

1/4 pumpkin puree

1/4 cup (8 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot strong coffee

Whipped cream

Grated nutmeg, for garnish

PREPARATION

1. In a small saucepan combine pumpkin puree, condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract. Heat over medium heat for 4-5 minutes and stir occasionally.
2. Divide the pumpkin mixture in half and spoon into two mugs
3. Pour 1/4 cup coffee over the pumpkin mixture
4. Top with whipped cream and grated nutmeg!

Recipe from hungry-girl.com

Nana Jo’s Chocolate Pie

Looking to make a delicious dessert this holiday season? Look no further than Nana Jo’s Chocolate Pie! One of my personal favorites and a guaranteed hit at any table, this easy-to-make pie will satisfy all of your chocolatey cravings! My dad makes Nana Jo’s Chocolate Pie every year for our family Thanksgiving, and it never fails to please. In fact, it’s become somewhat of a tradition in my family!

The recipe is from the cookbook of the Red Lion Inn, a picturesque restaurant and hotel in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Stockbridge is also home to the Norman Rockwell Museum, where the famous American painter Norman Rockwell lived while painting some of his time-honored masterpieces. I definitely recommend visiting Stockbridge if you can– it’s a small, quaint New England town, and is beautiful in the fall and around the holidays! Plus, you can check out the delicious food at the Red Lion Inn, like Nana Jo’s Chocolate Pie! From my family’s table to yours!

-Alex

INGREDIENTS

2 cups milk

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 cup sugar

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 baked pie shell

Lightly sweetened whip cream

PREPARATION

1. In a double boiler, over simmering water, heat 1 ½ cups of the milk with the chocolate. Mix well until the chocolate is melted (it will remain suspended in tiny droplets in milk).
2. Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Add the remaining ½ cup milk, and stir to create a paste. Add this to the chocolate mixture in the pan, and heat over medium heat, stirring until thick, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
3. Whisk the egg yolks slightly in a small bowl, and mix in a spoonful or two of the chocolate mixture. When it is smooth, add the yolks to the chocolate mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Beat the egg whites to form soft peaks. Carefully fold into the chocolate mixture until they are completely blended. Allow them to cool, then add the vanilla. (The filling may be held for up to 24 hours at this point).
5. Pour the filling into the baked pie shell. Chill and serve with whipped cream!

An Alternative Celebration

You’re not a chef?  You don’t like cooking? Are you of age and enjoy drinking spirits? Here’s my holiday recipe: If you’re 21 or older gather some friends, go to a pub and order some huge cocktails. Happy holidays from Miami!

–J. D.