Edible Vancouver Island November/December 2023

CELEBRATIONS

the playfully decadent table

Unexpected twists to classic holiday foods are guaranteed to make a table merry and bright

WORDS + RECIPE EMILY LYCOPOLUS PHOTOS D.L. ACKEN

The holiday feast is always filled with traditional sides, family favourites and classic dishes. It’s hard to find a table without a turkey or ham, potatoes, yams and all the fixings. But while some food traditions need never be trifled with–like my grandmother's three-ingredient Scottish shortbread that are more butter than anything else (even my daughter’s insistence of adding sprinkles doesn’t fly very well–other traditions are ready for a little update, personalization and innovation. I love adding play and joy into the holiday table, wherever it can sparkle, by honouring the favourites with a tasty and delicious update. Speaking of sparkling up the holidays, one of my favourite ways to add sparkle to a table is by adding some edible gold. I love making a rich orange brandy infused cranberry sauce and adding a touch of orange zest and gold flakes before serving. The jewelled colours perfectly match the flavour intensity and the gold elevates the presentation to a conversation piece for the table. I usually find 24 karat gold flakes at specialty food stores around the holidays and the price is not exorbitant, especially compared to the delight it brings to the table. A more homely centrepiece, potatoes are a necessary holiday table addition that come in every shape and size. Scalloped, twice-baked, Hasselback cooked with toasted, thinly sliced garlic and topped with parmesan–all versions are delicious. A playful update I’ve found is to transform dutchess potatoes into little evergreen trees. Since it’s a holiday meal and we’re going for playful decadence, whip in some cream cheese along with the butter to add extra complexity. Pipe the potatoes onto a parchment-covered cookie sheet, or into a buttered baking dish, making them high and pointed, like a tree. Brush with butter or drizzle with olive oil and bake them to add a lovely crisp exterior, until the points are golden. Add sprigs and leaves of rosemary to make them each look like little trees. A dusting of parmesan grated with a fine microplane right before serving offers the appearance of snow. Parker house rolls are another staple on our table, but when they come out of the oven, I brush them with pesto compound butter, which is so simple to create: just whip ½ cup of butter with 2 Tbsp of basil pesto until well combined. This adds a lovely green hue to the rolls and kicks the flavour up. Then sprinkle with diced sundried tomatoes or pomegranate seeds to add a touch of holiday

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