Flavors in Love

How was your 2011? I feel so blessed to be able to share my year with you.  I did a lot of flirting in 2011… with the places I visited (Capri, St. Barths, St Tropez, Paris, Provence, Miami and more), with the extraordinary people I met, and of course, with the meals I ate and the food I touched, tasted, smelled and cooked. Among the highlights were outrageous cooking parties for extraordinary groups of men and women, teaching a Sensual Cooking Class to a group of beautiful women in lingerie, planning events for several outstanding charities that make a real difference in people’s lives, instructing two 13-year-old-boys on how to properly use a Chef’s knife, partnering with Blend TV to make cooking videos and much more.  It was a creative and successful year.

I look forward to seeing what 2012 has in store for all of us! Here’s a little treat to help you plan your New Years menu. Be sure to watch this video on Amazing Hors d’oeuvres before you do your shopping. A couple of weeks ago, Fabulous at 60 host Andrea Warshaw-Wernick stopped by my home to chat about cocktail parties and fabulous hors d’oeuvres for any season. We had a great time together as you can see!!

Tomorrow night, as I will welcome in 2012, I will have this Holiday Flirtini Cocktail in my hand. It is delicious and festive at any time of year but perfect for New Years Eve.. Cheers!!

Holiday Flirtini:

Serves 6

2 cups Vodka

1 cup Triple Sec

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 cup white cranberry juice

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Fresh pomegranate seeds and lime for garnish

Holiday Flirtini

Combine the Vodka, Triple Sec, pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, and lime juice in a pitcher and refrigerate until ready to use. Pour into martini glasses and serve immediately. Garnish each glass with a few pomegranate seeds and a sliver of lime or lime zest.

I have a lot going on in 2012, so let’s keep in touch!! After the Holidays, you’ll need my recipes for a Healthy New Year class on Jan 17th and 18th. . As always, my upcoming cooking classes are posted on my website, Pamela Morgan’s Flavors.

Join my Facebook Page Flavors in Love, and follow me on Twitter @pamflavors.

Wishing you health, happiness, and deliciousness  in 2012!

Flavorfully Yours,

Pamela

I made this soup for my family on Thanksgiving and they loved it! Celery Root, or Celeriac, is a fascinating vegetable! Don’t let its ugly appearance turn you off…it is delicious and a great seasonal winter vegetable. It is the root of the celery plant, so it has that celery flavor to it, but it cooks up just like any other root vegetable (potatoes, turnips) and it has only a tiny amount of starch! You can substitute it anywhere that you would use a potato, especially mashed, for a much healthier side dish with all that silky, creamy flavor! Unlike potatoes, celery root should be refrigerated and will keep for about 2 weeks. And since we are always flirting with new and interesting flavors, we added the pear to sweeten up the soup. Enjoy this recipe at your own holiday celebrations and Flirt with Flavor in your kitchen!

CELERY ROOT SOUP WITH PEAR AND PANCETTA

Serves 6

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ pound pancetta, finely diced

3 pears, peeled and diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 leeks, carefully washed and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 medium celery root, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon sugar

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded

4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat for a minute, and then add oil. Give oil a few seconds to heat up before adding pancetta. Cook, stirring, until pancetta is very crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove pancetta and let drain on paper towels. Add 2 of the diced pears, carrots, leek, garlic, and celery root to the pancetta fat in the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

In a separate skillet, melt the butter. Add the remaining pear and the sugar, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until nicely browned and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the thyme and chicken stock to the stock pot and increase the heat. Bring the soup to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Purée the soup using your preferred method, either with a blender or food processor. Divide soup amongst serving bowls, and garnish with pancetta and caramelized pears.

To sample more of my tasty winter recipes, sign up for my January cooking class, Healthy Cooking for the New Year, on January 17th and 18th. This class is discounted 40%…..From $150 to $90! My New Year’s gift to you! You will savor a cocktail and six appetizers, as you watch me prepare and teach you secrets to staying healthy. Click HERE to register.

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