Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: The Road to Thanksgiving: Diversion Number One

Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Road to Thanksgiving: Diversion Number One

That's chocolate up there, not coffee. This is what happened:

My friend and neighbor Mirem suggested we do a swap on Thanksgiving. Twice the food, half the work, right? Plus, she's a couple days ahead of me in the planning department and already has some great ideas.

We're just swapping a couple of things: I'm bringing her a bowl of fennel salad, and a turkey, having volunteered to be the one to brave the crowds at the Food Coop for heirloom birds. In return, Mirem is making for us: a squash or sweet potato dish, plus little tiny pots de creme au chocolate, to be served with pumpkin spice cookies. (It might seem like this trade is skewed in my favor, and maybe it is, but I will say that the Food Coop is going to be an utter madhouse for the next 6 days.)

Shot glasses de creme for Thanksgiving! I love this idea. Little tiny glasses, not big gluttonous vats. I don't believe my children have ever had these, and I have a feeling it's going to be a memorable occasion. Between pumpkin pie and chocolate, I think I know which one we'll all go for first.

Here's the recipe Mirem uses. She swears it's absurdly easy:

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

1 egg
6 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon liqueur - rum, Cointreau, Grand Marnier -- or espresso
Alternate: 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream, scalded

Put chocolate in blender, add egg, blend. After a lot of noise and drama on the part of your blender, you will have a mixture of finely chopped chocolate and egg. Add the scalded cream in a slow stream, with the blender running. Add liqueur or vanilla. Pour into 8 demi-tasse cups or 12 shot glasses. Let set in fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Garnish with whipped cream, or a reference to the extra flavor (ie: candied orange peel if you used Cointreau, hazelnuts if you used Frangelico, etc.)

You can get creative, too: make it with Mexican chocolate, add ground almonds, black pepper, chili, cinnamon anything.

I am totally making this. Right now. Forget planning for Thanksgiving. I've got pots of cream to make.

4 comments:

naomi dagen bloom said...: everything about your turkey-day meal sounds wonderful. gives me hope that somewhere in younger-than-me-land, folks think creatively about sharing a meal with friends. and chocolate too!; November 18, 2007 at 5:11 AM
Larissa said...: thank you Naomi!
What are you making?; November 18, 2007 at 1:02 PM
naomi dagen bloom said...: we took a turkey, delicious that spouse made, used canola oil on outside for first time. i made old standby, cornbread with sesame seeds, wheat germ.

our son did green beans, cranberries; his wife a pie with canned organic pumpkin and organic crust. have to find that can!

no other starch--a first. really worked well with baby getting most of our attention, of course.; November 18, 2007 at 7:25 PM
Unknown said...: Mirem is a wonderful cook- I have had the pleasure of sampling her many delicious recipes. The pot de creme sounds heavenly.; November 26, 2007 at 7:11 PM

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)