Holiday Stuff I Like: Sourdough stuffing, ‘Harry Potter’ and boxed wine
Here’s what features reporter Sarah Gish is into:
Every year around the holidays, I binge-watch Harry Potter movies on TV. There’s something about the magic, the music, the snowy scenery and the message (that love conquers evil) that fits the season perfectly. I won’t have to wait through commercial breaks this year, because I recently splurged on “Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection,” a $55 Blue-ray box set of all the movies. My favorite is the slightly dark third installment, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” because I love Gary Oldman as Sirius Black.
I don’t bring fancy bottles of wine to holiday parties; they disappear too quickly. One of my favorite bargain wines is Redwood Creek pinot noir, an inexpensive California red with notes of dark cherry, brown spice and clove, but I’ve had a hard time finding it lately. My go-to backup is Bota Box Redvolution. Don’t let the eco-friendly cardboard box fool you — Redvolution is a well-balanced crowd-pleaser with rich flavors of dark fruit, toasty oak, cocoa and spice. A 3-liter box costs about $20 and contains enough wine to fill four glass bottles. The best part: After you open it, it stays fresh in the fridge for up to four weeks.
Sourdough stuffing
When I was a kid, Kraft Stove Top stuffing was a staple at our Thanksgiving gatherings. I always liked it — I dig canned cranberry sauce, too — but now I make stuffing from scratch using sourdough bread, cremini mushrooms, fresh sage, celery, onions, chicken stock and butter. Dave Lieberman’s recipe, which I found on foodnetwork.com, is one of my favorites of all time. My family insists that I make it every year along with pumpkin pie; I tweak Paula Deen’s insanely decadent recipe by swapping in a graham cracker crust.
As a food writer, it’s my job to taste, photograph and describe all things delicious, from cinnamon rolls to barbecue, burgers and beer. I try to balance out those (incredibly enjoyable) indulgences by cooking most of my meals at home and following healthy recipes like the ones outlined in “The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom” ($17.99 on Amazon). My favorites include Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash Soup and Shepherd’s Pie made with grass-fed beef and mashed sweet potatoes.
On cold days, I crave a big bowl of hot broth and noodles. My go-to pho spot is Little Saigon Café in Lawrence. It’s a friendly family-owned Vietnamese restaurant with a counter overlooking the open kitchen. I always order Vietnamese Summer Rolls ($3.50), which come with a delicious peanut dipping sauce, and chicken pho ($7.95). The aromatic soup is served lightning-fast in a huge bowl with fresh basil and crunchy bean sprouts on top. With a zigzag of bright red Sriracha, it’s bliss.
Sarah Gish: 816-234-4823, @sarah_gish
This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Holiday Stuff I Like: Sourdough stuffing, ‘Harry Potter’ and boxed wine."