Christmas at the E's

Mr. E. and I have had a tradition for the last 5 years where he makes a spectacular dinner for the two of us for our own Christmas celebration. This is followed by the opening of presents and perhaps a holiday movie. When we lived closer to the ocean this meal usually involved scallops and bacon but now that we reside in the midwest, Mr. E is more taken with steaks and such so he whipped up filet mignon from our local organic farm with blue cheese and two sides from one of my new cookbooks--"Spain, A Culinary Road Trip" .


Spinach Catalan-style

2 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3 T pine nuts
3 T dried currants
1 large bunch spinach, washed and spun mostly dry (leave enough water to help cook the spinach)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat or over a hot grill fire. Add the nuts and the currants and stir for a minute or two, until the nuts start to brown. Add the spinach, in batches if necessary and stir and cook until the spinach is properly wilted, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.


Mushrooms with egg yolk

Serves 4
1/4 c. plus 1 T EVOO
1 pound porcini or mixed wild mushrooms, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 large eggs
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley or 2 tsp. dried
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are nicely browned and softened. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Fry the eggs sunny-side up in the remaining 1 T oil in a large nonstick skillet until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Transfer to a cutting board and cut away the whites from the yolks (discard the whites). Spoon the mushrooms onto four plates and sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper. Make a little space in the center of each portion of mushrooms and nestle the yolks in the mushrooms. As you eat, mix the yolk with the hot mushrooms to create a rich, silky sauce. Yum!

Recipe from " Spain, a Culinary Road Trip; Mario Batali with Gwyneth Paltrow" by Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow, 2008.