My Culinary Adventures This Past Holiday Season

Another year went by and, by now, I have become the official MC for my family holidays. The role has been handed down to me by my mother, who, at 72, looks and feels as great as ever, but has now tactfully decided to focus on her Neapolitan struffoli and leave me the honors of cooking in Guayaquil in December (in case you didn't know, the weather there in December is like that of a NYC subway stop in July). So, what did I do this year and how did I fare?

Christmas

For the Christmas entree, I went for Cuban-style whole roasted suckling pig. The darned thing looked adorable, as if masterfully slaughtered during its sleep. A day ahead, I rubbed it with salt and pepper and marinated it in a mix of white wine, olive oil, lime, grapefruit, thyme, bay leaves, cilantro, parsley, cumin, garlic, and onion. Instead of cooking it myself, I sent it to a bakery that had agreed to roast it in time for Christmas Eve (that's the main Christmas celebration down there).

How did it go? I give myself 3 stars out of 5. I should have roasted it myself. The pork was well done, but it should have yielded more fat and become crisper before being served. Next year, I will try following the method they use in Segovia, Spain (arguably, the capital of the suckling pig). 

But my culinary reputation was not totally damaged: the suckling pig was preceded by a langoustine risotto. Langoustines in Ecuador are not as big as the prawns we have in NYC supermarkets, but excel in flavor and freshness. The risotto was cooked in a broth I previously made (with the langoustine shells and spices) and finished off with Spanish saffron that my mother-in-law had brought over. I give this one 4 stars out of 5. 

The award for best Christmas dish, however, goes to my mother-in-law: she took some of the freshest passion fruit and mango and made a delicious mousse; perfectly suited to the weather.

New Year's 

For New Year's, I was already freezing my butt off in New York. We had a few friends over and made gnocchi. We used Idaho Russet potatoes and followed the proportions dictated by the Silver Spoon (to me, the foremost authority when it comes to getting Italian cooking right, without relying on incomprehensible phone instructions from your mother).


For the sauce, I chose a traditional Bolognese. I have done quite a bit of research and experimentation in Bolognese over the years and the more I read about it, the surer I am that there is no such thing as "traditional" Bolognese and when it comes down to it: no one can agree on anything. Tomatoes or no tomatoes? White or red wine? Milk or no milk? Pancetta, sausage, and/or lardo? Beef or veal? For mine, I used the usual onion, carrot and celery soffritto (in butter), lardo and pancetta (previously crisped), stew beef and pork shoulder (previously browned), some leftover red wine from Puglia, my own homemade beef broth, tomato paste (my wife made sure I added a bit more midway through), milk, and a touch of nutmeg. This was all simmered at impossibly low heat for about three hours. 

That, my friends, was a 5 star-dish and a memorable New Year's. Yet more proof that cooking does not come from a recipe; it comes from the heart. Happy 2014!