Shaved Fennel Salad with Maple Smoked Salmon

Shaved Fennel Salad with Maple Smoked Salmon
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Welcome to the salad course of my 2021 Holiday Menu. Admittedly not my favorite course but a necessary course. As I’ve mentioned before, I am no great fan of salads. I do enjoy veggies but I find a bowlful of greens to be a daunting prospect. So generally, I like to distract myself with cheese, nuts, and hunks of bread. This approach works exceptionally well when you’re making a meal out of your salad. It’s not as successful when you’re putting together a salad for a multi-course experience. Consequently, today’s Shaved Fennel Salad is a little overwhelming. It could easily be a meal on its own. But hey, it’s Christmas, so going all out is kind of the name of the game even when it comes to salad.

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Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque

Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque
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We’ve arrived at the soup course of my 2021 holiday menu, and I’m going to be honest, this is my favorite dish. It may seem anti-climatic to serve a scene-stealer as a second course but that’s just how it goes sometimes. It’s not the bisque’s fault it’s flawless. So what kind of bisque are we talking about here? This is a Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque and it is exactly what it sounds like. This is definitely one of my more descriptive recipe titles. The dish is mussels and parsnips pureed into a creamy bisque finished with heavy cream. The surface of the bisque is accented with sesame oil, black sesame seeds, daikon microgreens, a mussel on a half shell, and yet more cream. And yes, it is as good as it sounds, so let’s get started.

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Fried Oyster Sliders with Saffron Aioli

Fried Oyster Sliders with Saffron Aioli
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Every year I put together a multi-course Christmas menu centered around a specific theme. Last year it was Chinese takeout meets traditional festive feast and it featured dishes like Char Sui Squash and Brussels Sprout Egg Rolls. This year I’m going back to my roots…well sort of. This year’s theme is seafood. In particular seafood from the East Coast of Canada. Every dish features jewels from the Atlantic with the exception of dessert because well, that sounds gross. I will be expanding the menu this year to include a couple of dishes that are ideal for ringing in 2022 as well, so if you’re not a seafood fan, this isn’t going to be a great month for you here. But if you’re a salty dog, like me, welcome to heaven. First up, Fried Oyster Sliders.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding – Overthinking Classics

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Overthinking Classics
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With Hanukkah in the rearview mirror, this dual holiday household is ready to turn its attention to the Christmas of it all. And what better place to start than on a sweet note? And it’s an Overthinking Classics episode, which is too perfect for a season full of food-related traditions. Although today’s subject, Sticky Toffee Pudding, pledges no allegiance to any particular holiday, to me it tastes like Christmas. Sure, I’ve had it at other times of the year. It’s particularly consoling in mid-February. But there’s something about this delightful sponge that just seems festive. Perhaps it’s the dates or the toffee or that fact that it pairs well with scotch, but Sticky Toffee Pudding is excellent at staving off the cold and cultivating an atmosphere of warmth and general coziness. What could be more Christmassy than that? So let’s dive right in.

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