HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
My birthday is in January and I always get the comment, "Awww, a birthday so close to Christmas is a gyp!" But actually, I really like rounding out the holiday season with a birthday because my Christmas gifts are always a little bit more special, especially from my sister. The dinner party menu and recipes for this January birthday include some of my favorites such as a Vodka Dill Sauce on Salmon and a Simple Roasted White Asparagus. You'll also find January Fun Facts for the trivia buffs to chat about during dinner.
Recipe from Jeanne Benedict's Sophisticated Entertaining. Couscous is made from semolina grain and semolina flour, which is rolled into tiny balls. Instant couscous is perhaps the easiest and quickest side dish to prepare as it is combined with boiling hot water or chicken stock and ready to eat in 5 minutes.
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 Cup dry vermouth
- 1 (10 oz.) box instant couscous
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 Roma tomatoes, seed, diced
- 1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 Cup Feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt & pepper
- Bring chicken broth and vermouth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn off heat and stir in couscous. Cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a spoon and stir in remaining ingredients until combined.
- Preheat broiler. Form 1/2-inch thick, 2-inch diameter cakes, using 2 tablespoons couscous mixture. Place cakes on a baking sheet and lightly brush top of cakes with olive oil. Broil cakes 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Place cakes on individual plates and serve hot.Makes about 18 cakes
Recipe from Jeanne Benedict's Sophisticated Entertaining. "Vodka Jeanne Sauce" is the official name of this sauce in our home. My husband John created this recipe specific to my favorite flavors. Overflowing with capers, dill, and a healthy dose of vodka, this silky masterpiece is my first choice for special occasions such as my birthday.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup premium vodka
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 4 (8 oz.) salmon fillets, boned
- 4 sprigs fresh dill
- Heat oil, butter, and garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vodka and dill and cook until vodka reduces to 1/3, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cream, salt and pepper. Add salmon, skin side down, and capers and cook for 5 minutes. Flip salmon over and cook about 8-10 minutes more until salmon is flaky.
- Place salmon on individual plates and spoon sauce over top. Garnish with fresh dill sprig.Makes 4 servings
White asparagus grows underground, as opposed to the better known green stalks. Since these ivory edibles never see the sun, the plant's chlorophyll doesn't photosynthesize in a traditional manner activating the green pigment. What I like most about white asparagus is the lack of woodiness that the green stalks have and therefore a more tender and velvety final product is possible.
- 2 lbs. white asparagus spears, washed
- 1/2 Teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/3 Cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim about 1 inch off bottom end of asparagus spears and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Whisk together garlic, oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Pour mixture over asparagus spears and turn spears to coat.
- Cook for about 8 minutes until spears are roasted. Remove from heat and arrange on a platter. Pour remaining juice from pan over asparagus and serve hot or at room temperature.Makes 4 to 6 servings
Recipe from Jeanne Benedict's Sophisticated Entertaining. This easy cheesecake can be made with any kind of cookie dough crust. Try different combinations such as a chocolaty cheese filling over a white chocolate chip cookie crust or any new variety that's on the market.
- 1 (18 oz.) package refrigerated chocolate cookie dough
- 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons canned chocolate frosting
- 3 tablespoons Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- 3/4 Cup Cool Whip topping
- Preheat oven 350 degrees. Press cookie dough in an even layer over the bottom of a 10-inch spring-form pan. Set pan on a baking sheet.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, frosting, and liqueur and beat until creamy. Pour batter into spring-form pan over cookie dough. Place baking sheet with pan in middle rack of oven. Bake 1 hour until cheesecake puffs up and knife inserted off-center comes out clean. Cheesecake center will continue to cook and become firm once removed from oven and cake will sink slightly as it cools. Place baking sheet with pan on wire rack and cool to room temperature.
- Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Release pan latch and remove pan collar. Spread an even layer of Cool Whip on top of cooled cake. Using a knife tip, swirl remaining 2 tablespoons frosting throughout Cool Whip creating a marbled appearance. Place cheesecake on a large dish and chill uncovered for 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve cold. Store covered in the refrigerator.Makes 12 servings
January Birthstone: Garnet
- Garnet is January's birthstone (pictured) and is typically a deep red color similar to a ruby. Garnet seems to get its name from the pomegranate as the Latin word for the fruit is "granatum malum." Evidence of this stone has been found as early as the Bronze Age (3000 BC) in burial sites, and it is thought that earlier civilizations offered the garnet as protection in the afterlife.
January Zodiac Signs: Capricorn and Aquarius
- All months have two Zodiac signs with Capricorn (@December 22 to January 20) and Aquarius (@January 20 to February 18) being January's signs.
- The symbol for Capricorn is a goat and it is the tenth astrological sign in the Zodiac. Capricorn is considered an earth sign and those born within its timeframe are supposed to be amibitious, creative, and headstrong.
- Aquarius is the eleventh astrological sign in the Zodiac and its symbol is a water bearer. Those born under this air sign are said to posses a sense of fairness, independence, and sometimes inlfexibility.
- Of course there are so many factors that contribute to one's personality that these breif descriptions are broadstrokes with one's true nature determined by much more than a Zodiac sign.
January Fun Facts:
- January is National Soup Month in the United States of America.
- In 1964, civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday is celebrated on January 15th and observed as a federal holiday, received the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent political and social activism.
- In 1870, a donkey, illustrated by Thomas Nast, was used to represent the Democratic Party in Harper's Weekly for the first time.
- In 1559, Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of hearty eater Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn, was crowned queen of England.
- In January, the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to July in the Southern Hemisphere. Hence, the party theme and phrase, "Christmas in July," is based on the fact that Christmas actually happens in July in places like Australia.
- On New Years day in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in the United States.
- On New Years Day 1892 Ellis Island was opened. This island in New York Harbor was the port where over 20 million immigrants first landed to start a new life in America until its closing in 1954.
Feel free to leave a January fact as a comment on this article!
January Birthday Menu
Tomato and Feta Couscous Cakes (recipe)
Vodka Dill Sauce on Salmon (recipe)
Roasted White Asparagus (recipe)
Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Birthday Dessert (recipe)
Birthday Gifts
18th Birthday Party
Birthday Ideas
