‘A Slice of Home’ by Simone Bates

A new year, indeed!

Happy New Year! I love the precipice of a new year. For just a moment, we find ourselves on the edge. From this position, in all directions, we can view the places and events we say goodbye to in 2022 and the fresh possibilities of 2023.

This last year has been brimming with thankfulness in our home. It was the year of reunions after the separations of 2020 and 2021. As you know, we had my parents stay with us for three months, and then Liam and I traveled their way and connected with other beloved family and friends. It was the year our baby turned one (and in one blink of an eye, we’re nearly at his second birthday!). It was filled with fun firsts for Liam, too: Plane rides and camping trips, beach vacations, and new cities. We have loved watching our boy grow in his abilities and personality, stretching himself and rising to many little challenges.

And so it’s easy to look towards 2023 with hope and optimism. If, however, 2022 is a chapter you’re happy to see closed, and 2023 is feeling more daunting than delightful, I understand that, too. And, I can pray your new year is better than the one you left behind.

No matter what is going on in our lives, the kitchen can always be a safe, happy retreat. I hope you can also look back at a year of fun in the kitchen: Of trying new recipes, and perfecting our old ones; of keeping family traditions alive and creating new ones; and of making a mess and learning from our mistakes!

Our tradition on Christmas Eve is to invite Derek’s parents and grandma for a meal. The quieter, more intimate evening is a precious contrast to the fun mayhem of Christmas Day. We set up a bountiful charcuterie board and chose one of our favorite meals - mayonnaise shrimp with coconut rice - and I tried out a new dessert. Everything was terrific, but as we surveyed the mountains of dishes at the end of the night and also faced the challenge of getting a nearly-two-year-old to bed on Christmas Eve after opening a dozen very exciting gifts … it has crossed our minds to switch to take-out next year!

But the food was delicious, the company was wonderful, and our blessings overflow.

And so let it be, day after day, for us all in this new year!  Guten Appetit!

 

Shrimp with Mayonnaise Sauce

Ingredients

24 oz. thawed, peeled, and deveined shrimp

1 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. salt

1 egg white

2 c. cornstarch

Oil for frying (I prefer peanut oil)

Sauce Ingredients

8 Tbsp. mayonnaise

4 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp. lime juice

Directions

Marinate the shrimp with lime juice and salt for 15 minutes. Heat oil for frying. Coat the shrimp with egg white followed by cornstarch, then deep fry until pink (around two minutes). Once cooked, remove and drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

For the mayonnaise sauce, mix sauce ingredients together and toss the fried shrimp with the sauce and serve immediately.

 

Coconut Rice

Ingredients

1 can coconut milk

2 c. white rice (I use Jasmine)

1-1/2 c. water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

Directions

In a medium cooking pot, add ingredients and bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

 

Chocolate Pear Pudding with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

28 oz. pear halves in juice (2 cans)

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

2/3 c. sugar

10 Tbsp. soft butter, plus extra for greasing

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Sauce

7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

1/2 c. strong, black coffee or 1 tsp. instant coffee mixed with 1/2 c. boiling water

7 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 390 degrees and grease an 8” baking dish with butter. Drain the pears and arrange them on the base of the dish. Put the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have a batter with a soft dropping consistency. Spread the brown batter over the pears and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let stand out of the oven for 5-10 minutes.

To make the chocolate sauce, place chocolate pieces in a saucepan with the coffee and sugar and melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Once it has nearly melted, stir in the cream until smooth. Remove from heat and drizzle over sliced pudding.