Audrey Livingstone

As the most wonderful time of the year comes upon us once again, I can’t help but be reminded of all of the wonderful memories I have of past Christmas holidays.  And most of those memories involve food.  I will be the first to say the most important thing to focus on during this wonderful holiday season is the birth of our Savior, but I would like to remind you Jesus Himself commands His people to feast!  Take, for instances, the feast of Tabernacles, ancient Jewish weddings (which included at least three days of eating, drinking, and dancing), Passover, and the coming Wedding Supper of the Lamb.  So many important events include feasts — why should Christmas be any different?

Now that I have established the importance of feasting, I would like to share some of my very favorite Christmas foods with you all.  Consider yourselves extremely privileged, because some of these recipes have never been seen by eyes not belonging to a Livingstone.  These dishes date back … well … quite a while.  As long as I can remember, my parents would cruelly deny me of food after a very small breakfast on Christmas Day.  In my wise old(er) age, I now understand why they did this.  At the time, however, I merely became cranky and would disappear to my room with my sister and fawn over our new presents until I was called back downstairs when dinner was ready.

Let me establish that large holiday meals are not only a time to enjoy amazing food but also the company of one’s family.  I am perhaps exaggerating the importance of Christmas food in my eyes for the purpose of this article (though not very much).  You may consider me a glutton right now, but I guarantee you after you finish this article and perhaps prepare some of these life-changing dishes, you will be thanking me profusely.  As such, I would like to say “you are welcome” in advance.  But enough dilly dallying — let’s get to the good stuff.

I suggest beginning this feast with a nice glass of sparkling grape juice, since no student reading this is old enough to drink alcohol.  But you can put it in a nice wine glass (that’s what I always do).  Next, have a piece of bread (or two).  I personally love Sister Schubert’s Yeast Rolls, but a nice French loaf is swell as well.  After this, you are adequately prepared for the real food.  Beef brisket braised in red wine, Palace Potatoes, macaroni and cheese (of the best variety), cornbread stuffing, and Granny Kathleen’s chocolate pie follows.

Beef brisket braised in red wine is the only way to eat beef brisket, in my humble opinion.  The Burgundy and Worcestershire sauces and tomato paste come together to form a sultry, rich, unique flavor that complements the tender brisket perfectly.  The smooth, creamy sauce and the textured meat taste absolutely magnificent together.  And, this sauce from the gods also goes perfectly with mashed potatoes if you have any of it left over.

Moving from the succulent brisket, we come to the Lady’s Cheesy Mac. This, my friend, is no ordinary macaroni and cheese.  It is mac and cheese on steroids.  Unlike most macaroni cooked on the stove, this is baked in the oven, which browns the cheese on top. This provides a delightful diversity of textures.  The crunchy top layer and the soft, melted inside are perfectly suited.  The cheddar cheese and the sour cream serve to make this classic dish especially creamy and smooth.

After this culinary delight, we come to Palace Potatoes.  This is quite possibly the best dish of them all.  Don’t be frightened by the ingredients.  Just because you can practically feel your arteries clogging as you savor its richness doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat it.  I would advise you to view consumption of Palace Potatoes as an experience.  This may sound silly.  It isn’t.  This is serious stuff, Summiteers.  As you eat Palace Potatoes, you are transported to a rich and buttery paradise.  You may, in fact, find it difficult to stop eating them.  I know I do.  (Who says all good things have to come in moderation?  Not me.)  But stop you must in order to save room for cornbread stuffing and Granny Kathleen’s chocolate pie.

Cornbread stuffing may sound like an interesting choice for a Christmas Day feast.  I have never questioned it, because it is part of the Livingstone tradition.  I would ask you to do the same.  Cornbread stuffing has never been my favorite meal.  It’s a bit of an underdog compared to these other dishes.  However, I pay it its due respect because in the Livingstone home, stuffing is somewhat of a long-serving dish.  I can’t remember a holiday without it.  It’s fluffy and soft, which is nice.  And who doesn’t love cornbread?  But really, I view this as more of a speed bump.  It slows you down before the grand finale.  The grand finale, of course, being Granny Kathleen’s chocolate pie.

This, my friends, is one of the most prized Livingstone recipes ever to have existed.  And if my Granny Kathleen were still alive, she would probably hunt me down for publishing it.  However, I feel the need to share this with you.  This chocolate pie is no ordinary chocolate pie.  It is the champion, the MVP of them all, if you will.  This is why the recipe I include below calls for enough ingredients for two pies.  You simply will not be able to stop after one slice, and neither will your family and friends.  So, sit back, take a bite, and let your taste buds transport you to chocolaty bliss.  After all of these dishes, and only after all of them, are you permitted to terminate this feast of all feasts.  You may encounter obstacles; you may doubt your ability to persevere; you may feel as if you cannot make it through one more dish.  But you can, my friend, you can persevere.  And persevere you must.

Brisket of Beef Braised in Red Wine

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

• (1) 4-5 lb. lean beef brisket
• Seasoned salt
• 4-5 medium onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 bottle (750ml) red Burgundy wine
• 1 cup water
• 3-4 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.  Sprinkle the brisket generously with seasoned salt, and place it fat side up in a heavy roasting pan or kettle that can go into the oven.  Roast uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes or until browned.  Sprinkle the onions evenly over the top of the meat.  Stir together the garlic, Burgundy, water, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour the liquid around the meat and cover the pan.  Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and continue cooking for 4 hours or longer until very tender.

Lift the meat from the liquid, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.  Meanwhile, use a slotted spoon to transfer the onions to a blender or food mill, reserving all the pan juices.  Process to a smooth sauce, and add just enough of the reserved liquid to thin to the desired consistency.

To serve, carve the meat across the grain.  Arrange the slices on a warm platter, and spoon sauce over them to coat evenly.  Serve extra sauce on the side.

This recipe may be cooked several days in advance.  Cool the meat to room temperature, wrap, and refrigerate.  It may be sliced when cold, arranged in serving dish, and covered with sauce.  Reheat at 325 degrees F. for about 45 minutes or until hot.

Palace Potatoes

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 8-10 large potatoes
• 4-8 tablespoons of butter cut into pieces (DO NOT SUBSTITUE WITH MARGARINE)
• Seasoned salt to taste
• 2 cups of heavy cream

Directions

Boil the potatoes in water for 20 minutes or until almost done.  Drain, cool, then peel and cut them into ⅛^th inch slices.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a 13x9x2-inch baking dish, layer one-third of the potato slices, one-third of the butter, and a sprinkling of seasoned salt.  Repeat this two times.  Pour the heavy cream over top and bake for one hour or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown.  Let your taste buds transport you to paradise.

The Lady’s Cheesy Mac

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 min

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 55 min

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup sour cream
• 4 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot add the cheddar.  In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture.  Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.  Top with additional cheese if desired.

Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1 cup dried onion
• 1½ cup diced celery
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1½ teaspoons sage
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1½ teaspoons of pepper

Cornbread mix

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  After cornbread mix has been mixed, sauté the butter, dried onion, diced celery, salt, sage, thyme, and pepper.  Add to the cornbread mix.  Bake for one hour and serve warm.

Granny Kathleen’s Homemade Chocolate Pie

Yield: 2 pies

Ingredients

• 2 deep dish pie crusts, baked and cooled
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 12-oz. cans of evaporated milk
• 6 Tbsp. of cocoa
• 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs
• A dash of salt
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• ½ stick of butter

Directions

Sift cocoa, all-purpose flour, and salt.  Put in a large pot.  Add milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla to the dry ingredients.  Stir until the mixture is thick (this may take a little while).  Pour the chocolate mixture evenly into the two pie crusts.  Refrigerate.  Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.  Serve cold.

Homemade Whipped Cream

Yield: 2 pies worth

Ingredients

• 1 pint of heavy whipping cream
• 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar

Directions

Place bowl and beaters into the refrigerator or freezer until they are very cold.  Put one pint of heavy whipping cream into the bowl, and add the powdered sugar.  Start the beaters on a low setting, and begin to beat the mixture.  Every few minutes, move the beater up to a higher setting.  Do this until the beaters are on their highest setting and the mixture is completely whipped.  Distribute evenly over the pies.