Palmetto Parent 2009 November Issue : Page 8
Nat Roers, morning anchor at WLTX TV, holds her son, Austin, while preparing a favorite recipe. TRADITIONS family 8 Palmetto Parent www.palmettoparent.com November 2009
Family Traditions
Chris Worthy
3 Columbia cooks share some not-so-traditional holiday recipes
For some families, home smells like fresh-baked pumpkin pie, roasted turkey with all the trimmings, spiced cider and gingerbread. Or maybe it smells like hand-tossed pizza, spicy wings or a bubbling pot of soup.
Each family’s holiday food traditions are as unique as the family itself, but those traditions are one part of makes the holidays — and the holiday gatherings — special. What are your family’s holiday traditions? What about others in the Midlands?
Here, we take a peek into the kitchens of three avid Columbia cooks, who share some of their favorite recipes.
Nat Roers
WLTX anchor
Nat Roers, morning anchor at WLTX, soothes winter’s chill with a hearty meal for her loved ones. Her family now includes baby Austin, who will celebrate his first Christmas this year.
“My family is from the Midwest,” Roers said. “Casserole is the key — whatever hot meal you can make to stay warm. We eat a lot of rich, warm foods. Even in the summer, we eat hot foods.”
Roers’ husband is also from the Midwest and the couple is looking forward to a holiday season with family. Roers said it is sure to be “loud, with lots of food.” She said some visitors may stay for a week, meaning that plenty of budget-friendly, hearty dishes are in order.
Roers said her Red Pepper Pasta is the kind of dish she would serve perhaps the night before a traditional holiday meal. She said it is perfect for guests.
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients:
* 8 oz. extra wide egg noodles
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 3 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning
* 1 7-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
* 1 link of turkey sausage, sliced
* 2 green onions, sliced
Preparation:
Cook and drain pasta. In a blender combine cream, seasoning and bell pepper. Blend on high until smooth. Pour mixture in skillet and add sausage slices. Heat on medium low, stirring occasionally until heated through. Do not allow mixture to boil. Serve over noodles and sprinkle onions on top. Serve with additional Creole or Cajun seasoning on the table, so guests can make it as spicy as they like. Makes four servings.
Patricia Moore-Pastides
Wife of USC president
Patricia Moore-Pastides, wife of University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides, is an avid cook on a mission to encourage healthy — and tasty — eating. Although her own children are grown, Moore-Pastides knows from experience how important it is to gather the family at meal time.
“It’s so important for families to sit down and eat together,” she said. “You are able to communicate and talk about your day. I know how hard it is when your children are going to lessons or games.”
Even where her children were running to after-school activities several days each week, Moore-Pastides always carved out time in the schedule for that family connection. Time she and her husband spent in Greece and Switzerland taught Moore-Pastides that a slower pace can enhance an already great meal.
“Sitting down and taking the time is part of what makes the meal satisfying,” she said.
Now, she is looking forward to sharing the holiday season when her children come to Columbia from around the country, reflecting a family togetherness she adores about the state.
“What I’ve observed about South Carolina is that a lot of extended families are still living close by each other,” she said. “When they have meals, it is often together. I think it’s a wonderful thing.”
Moore -Pastides said as a new bride she often tried out new recipes at the holidays, eventually settling on family favorites that she called “the winners.” Her Curried Buttercup Squash Soup is always on the holiday menu. The recipe, adapted from a recipe in the “Silver Palate Cookbook,” does have a downside: Moore-Pastides said her food processor’s plastic parts are now permanently yellow from the recipe’s curry.
Curried Buttercup Squash Soup
Ingredients:
* 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 2 cups onions, finely chopped
* 4 – 5 teaspoons curry powder
* 3 pounds buttercup squash
* 2 granny smith apples
* 3 cups vegetable broth
* 1 cup apple juice
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 2 cups of finely chopped onions and curry powder and cook, stirring to combine. Lower the heat, cover the pot and let it cook until the onions are soft, approximately 25 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, peel and chop the squash. If you prefer, you can clean off the seeds and roast them on a cookie sheet in the oven with salt and your choice of spices — a combination of ground cloves and cumin is nice. Chop the squash into large chunks.
Peel, core and roughly chop the apples.
When the onions are tender, add in 3 cups of vegetable broth, the squash and the apples. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer with the pot partly covered, until the squash and apples are very tender.
Remove the pan from the heat and separate the solids from the broth by straining the contents through a colander resting on a large bowl. Transfer the solids into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add 1 cup of the broth and process until the solids are pureed.
Return the pureed soup to the large pot and add 1 cup of apple juice and 1 –2 cups of broth until the soup is the desired consistency. Save leftover broth in a jar with a tight fitting lid. You can make this recipe a day ahead, keep it in the refrigerator and reheat it before serving. Adjust the consistency by adding broth or water.
Salt and pepper the soup to taste. Serve in individual bowls garnished with roasted squash seeds. Makes eight to 10 servings.
DaQuam Pinckney
Teacher, kids’ cooking class
His name isn’t famous yet, but don’t be surprised if he takes the reins of his own cooking show one day. DaQuam Pinckney, a 15-year-old freshman at Keenan High School in Columbia, gets his creative juices flowing in the kitchen and is beginning to share his love of cooking with others.
Pinckney will teach an upcoming holiday cooking class for children at the North Main Branch Library. He got his start by watching Food TV chef Emeril Lagasse.
“I’ve been cooking for five or six years now,” Pinckney said. “I liked watching Emeril cook and I learned different things. It’s fun to me.”
Pinckney said librarians approached him about teaching the cooking class when he checked out a stack of cookbooks and they learned of his love of creating in the kitchen.
Though the teen is likely to cook traditional fare such as string beans, rice and deep-fried turkey wings, he also cooks on the grill and throws together after-school snacks such as his red-link sausage and egg sandwich.
“I like baking cakes a lot, too,” he said.
Pinckney said his family is encouraging him to study culinary arts in college, something that may be in the cards. For now, he is learning and teaching — and enjoying the results of creating his own, unique flavors.
“I just think it’s enjoyable to cook,” he said. “It feels good to know you can mix different things that look and taste good.”
DaQuam’s Turkey Wings
Ingredients:
* Turkey wings
* Lemon pepper
A blend (to taste) of
* Accent seasoning
* Seasoned salt
* Nature’s Seasons seasoning blend
* Salt and pepper
* Cajun seasoning
Preparation:
Liberally season wings with seasoning blend. Heat vegetable or peanut oil to 375 degrees. Deep fry wings for four minutes or until fully cooked. Drain on paper towels. If desired, sprinkle with lemon pepper. Pinckney serves these with sides of string beans and rice and cake for dessert.
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