Winter

This has been one of our Christmas favorites. Garlic permeates the goose, especially if you stuff it a day ahead and refrigerate the bird until shortly before roasting. The garlic is discarded before serving.

Instructions

This is a pretty winter antipasto requiring almost no work. 

A tricky dish to do in volume, and hence, I tend to forget to make it at the restaurant, but it is easy for the home cook. An obvious friend to bacon and eggs, these lacy cakes are also good with almost any roasted meat or bird. The sweet-salty flavor and crispy texture is irresistible and appeals to those not usually fond of sweet potatoes. These hash browns are also very pretty made with a combination of starchy, yellow sweet potatoes and a little bit of orange yam. (Don't use all yams; by themselves they form a wet, dense mass, not a lacy cake. They don't have enough starch to stick together and form a crust. They do, on the other hand, try to stick to the pan.)

This red wine jelly emphasizes both color and flavor. A grown-up dessert, it is tart and sophisticated due to the inclusion of red wine, nicely rounded out by brandy. The whipped cream is a good counterpoint to the austerity of the jelly.

Adapted from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider (Artisan, 2001). Copyright 2001, Sally Schneider.

With this stuffing you could skip the turkey. Yes, it's a long list of ingredients, but this is a winner. Our old friend Herman Merkin mastered this mix. He brought it to our first married Thanksgiving. We've been making it ever since.

This is taken from a letter Dickens wrote in 1847 where he gave his recipe for punch. This is a strong punch. Serve it in small quantities.

From The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider published October 2006..