29 December 2013

It's my last post of 2013, and there is so much to talk about. The Christmas holiday was filled with the good, the bad and the ugly. For the most part, it was very good, but Jeff and I had the crud for most of this week. I am still recovering, but I should be a lot better just in time to go to work tomorrow. We closed Grant Design Collaborative for the week, so it's been a nice break. We've had something scheduled for every night, but I managed to squeeze in a few naps along the way. My wonderful family came down last weekend, and we celebrated Christmas with our annual Grant Holiday Hoedown. We laughed, did karaoke, cooked and ate ourselves through a great weekend. It was truly special, crud and all.

We had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas Eve with Jeff's family in Jasper. On Christmas day, Jeff and I spent most of the day home alone, and it was glorious. The day began with homemade buttermilk pancakes and bacon. After opening gifts, we settled in for an actual Home Alone marathon, one and two. It was great. mindless fun, and the only thing that got us out of our pajamas was an after dinner invitation to our dear neighbors and friends, Pat and Nugget Gold. We joined Pat, Nugget and their beautiful daughter, Megan, for a night cap. Michael was still working at Disney, but we visited with him via text messages. There's no greater gift than great neighbors and dear friends, so our celebration was complete.

Tonight's Sunday Supper included some special people as well. After a year of discussion, we finally had our friends Mark and Peggy Moore over for dinner. We were also honored to have their out of town visitors join us from San Antonio, Texas: Allen Fuller, Gary Robison and Sissie and Mickey Hengos. The company was divine, and the supper delivered as well. I decided to cook a rack of lamb, duchess potatoes and Peggy's favorite, brussel sprouts. I also made some garlic and rosemary cream biscuits on the side. For dessert, I baked individual orange and olive oil cakes with orange scented whipped cream. Mark supplied some delicious local wine from Frogtown Cellars, and a good time was had by all.

In addition to New Years day, next week holds a lot of adventure as well. On Thursday, January 2, I will be sworn in as the newest Canton City Councilman for Ward 2. While 2013 was filled with many surprises, I have no doubt 2014 will be a banner year. I look forward to every experience, and I feel truly blessed by the special moments and memorable meals over the past year. Wishing you all a recipe for success in the new year!

Cheers!

The Menu:

- Roasted Georgia Rack of Lamb Persillade

- Duchess Potatoes

- Brussel Sprouts with Local Smoke Bacon

- Rosemary and Garlic Cream Biscuits

- Orange and Olive Oil Cake with Orange Scented Whipped Cream

The Recipe – Rack of Lamb Persillade

Ingredients:

- 3 small racks of lamb, french style
- Good olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic cloves (3 cloves)
- 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the racks in a roasting pan, fat side up. Rub the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast the lamb for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the parsley and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until they're both finely minced. Add the bread crumbs and lemon zest and process for a second until combined.

Take the lamb out of the oven and quickly press the parsley mixture on top of the meat. Drizzle with the melted butter and return immediately to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.

Take the lamb out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes, cut in double chops, and serve.