Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Christmas Eve we are at our neighbor's and I volunteered dessert. I also need to bring one to a party on the 23rd. The 23rd I am bringing a cheese Danish ring that my husband insists I make every year anyway. The 24th I was thinking a raspberry mousse and cookies but am not convinced so any ideas would be appreciated.

Mary

Josh,

I wasn't thinking of them for Christmas, per se, but actually rolling (light weight doughs) is something I can do. It emulates what I do in therapy with a small ball.

Mary,

Do you know what the dinner is going to be?

Amy

Love my neighbor but she can't cook. Usually she makes something like a pork filet wrapped in dough from the butcher. Not a bad thing but the meat is covered with this stuff called brat which is like the inside of a bratwurst. Or some kind of meat with gravy. Mild tasting stuff. I need something fairly basic but festive. Chocolate is always good but I am not such a chocolate nut. They do like my apple pie. I was also thinking chocolate cream pie but I like the kind with a normal pie crust and not a sweet crust.

Mary

Going to friends for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and haven't been given my assignment...generally its desert. However, I am hosting my gourmet dinner club New Year's Eve dinner this year and still working on menu and assignments. I want it to be an elegant dinner so I am leaning toward a crown rib roast or pork rib roast as the main.
Ilene

Mary,

Do they have kalberwurst in Switzerland? Kalberwurst is a veal "bratwurst" that is served in New Glarus, Wisconsin. The flavor is close to bockwurst or weisswurst.

New Glarus is a lovely Swiss village of 2,000, about 30 miles of county roads south of Madison. The village was founded by settlers from Glarus. When I was a student, we used to go down to the New Glarus Hotel for polka dancing to the Roger Bright band. We used to dance with the wives of the village men who were drinking their Augsburger in the knotty pine barroom.

Tim

Yes, Kalbsbratwurst is the most popular and the Brat of which I speak is the filling. People use it in a lot of things, like hamburger or meatloaf. Not a fan.

I have heard of New Glarus. Actually my cheese guy worked there for a while and loved it. He is on my list of people to visit when we do a meet up in Switzerland!

Mary

Mary, a blackberry trifle?

I have a friend from Russia and on her first anniversary in the US she decided to have a "Thanksgiving Dinner." It was a roasted turkey and the stuffing was some kind of brat stuff. Nothing else, just the brat. Just like her mother always made. Dreadful! I was sitting right next to her so nothing to do but suffer through it. I'll never forget it. Some other lovely Russian things,none of which I can remember. Just the stuffing.
fitzie

Maybe like this. (Scroll about half way down.)
http://www.howshouse.com/2008/08/21/17-award-winning-innovations-for-your-home/

What about a chocolate meringue bread pudding with brandy creme anglaise? (And I mean with the meringue incorporated into the bread pudding, so it's more souffle-like.) It's easy, and feels very in keeping with the season.

Amy

Also needs to be kid friendly but that sounds really good Amy.

Mary