Christmas in the Mountains - Brief Article

Sunset, Dec, 2001

Snow-shrouded mountains make a glistening backdrop for a traditional holiday. You can carry the sparkle indoors with glittery ornaments and decorations in red, white, and silver. A fitting finale: the tabletop drama of a grand dinner starring prime rib roast.

TREE The symmetrical, widely spaced branches of this red fir are ideal for hanging long, elegant ornaments such as sparkling icicles. Light and airy, the decorations allow the majestic mountains and lake to become part of the holiday scene. For instructions on making some of these glittering Christmas balls, see page 100.

WREATH Hang a bit of holiday color in the yard with an ice wreath. Place fresh cranberries in the bottom of an 8-inch fluted tube pan, then arrange sprigs of evergreens around the rim of the pan on top of the cranberries. Fill the pan with water and freeze overnight. Remove the wreath from the pan (run warm water over the pan briefly to free the wreath) and tie it to a sturdy branch with red ribbon.

Text by Ann Bertelsen

Decor by Ann Bertelsen, Sara Luce Jamison, and Vanessa Murphy

Salmon Caviar on Cream

PREP TIME: About 10 minutes

NOTES: Look for fresh salmon caviar (ikura) at Japanese markets and specialty food stores. Or use canned salmon caviar.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

1. Gently rinse 8 ounces fresh salmon caviar in a fine wire strainer under cold water; drain thoroughly.

2. Spread 3/4 cup sour cream in the bottom of a small, shallow bowl. Mound caviar over cream and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives. Nestle dish in a bowl of ice.

3. To eat, spoon caviar and sour cream onto toasted thin white bread slices, cut diagonally into quarters to make triangles (you'll need about 40 total, from 10 slices of bread) or onto Belgian endive leaves (about 40 total), separated, rinsed, and crisped.

Per serving: 131 cal., 56% (74 cal.) from fat; 7.5 g protein; 8.2 g fat (2.3 g sat.); 9.3 g carbo (0 g fiber); 440mg sodium; 141 mg chol.

Mixed Greens with Cranberries and Pine Nuts

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes

NOTES: If toasting nuts (step 1) up to 1 day ahead, cool, wrap airtight, and store at room temperature; mix dried cranberries into salad with nuts in step 3.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

6 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons salad oil

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated or -ground nutmeg

4 quarts salad mix (1 1/4 lb.), rinsed and crisped

Salt and pepper

1. In an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir or shake pine nuts until pale gold, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in dried cranberries.

2. In a large bowl, mix vinegar, oil, vanilla, and nutmeg.

3. Add salad mix and pine nut- cranberry mixture to bowl. Lift with two spoons to mix with dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: [09 cal., 64% (70 cal.) from fat; 2.6 g protein; 7.8 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 8.2 g carbo (1.8 g fiber); 13 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Lemon- and Pepper-crusted Prime Rib Roast with Root Vegetables

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 3 hours

NOTES: Consider a buffalo prime rib roast as an alternative to beef. It looks ad tastes much the same but the meat is much leaner. For juicy results, don't roast buffalo past medium-rare. For a half roast, which weighs about 6 pounds and makes 6 to 8 servings, start checking for doneness after about 1 1/2 hours of roasting. See page 51 for a source.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

2 1/2 pounds red thin-skinned potatoes (11/2 in. wide), scrubbed

1 pound shallots (1 in. wide), rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 center-cut bone-in beef rib roast (about 8 lb.; see notes)

About 2 tablespoons coarse-ground pepper

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons dried thyme

About 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed

1/2 cup tequila or fat-skimmed beef broth

1 1/2 cups fat-skimmed beef broth

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1. In a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan (at least 2 in. deep), mix potatoes and shallots (unpeeled) with olive oil to coat. Push vegetables to edge of pan and set a V-shaped rack (or flat rack about 10 in. square) in the center; mound vegetables if necessary.

2. Rinse beef and pat dry; trim layer of fat to 1/1 inch thick.

3. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons pepper, lemon peel, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and garlic. Rub mixture all over beef. Set roast, fat side up, on rack in pan.

4. Roast in a 3250 regular or convection oven until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part of meat registers 1350 for medium-rare, about 2 1/4 hours. For medium-well, roast meat until it reaches 1450, about 2 1/2 hours.

5. Transfer roast to a board or platter. With a slotted spoon, lift vegetables from pan and mound in a bowl or arrange alongside beef. Keeping meat and vegetables warm, let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, tilt roasting pan to skim fat off drippings and discard. If using tequila, add to pan and set over medium heat. When tequila is warm, remove from heat (and keep away from any vent, fan, or flammables) and ignite with a match. When flames subside, add broth to pan and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping browned bits free. Pour into a bowl.