THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS WITH DANTE & SASCHA

On the third day of Christmas, Dante's true love gave to him ...

 "THREE FRENCH HENS"

So, once again Dante was thrilled!  This time he didn't undertake to cook those French hens himself.  He and Sascha secured the hens in a PTU, put on their French berets and silk scarves, and boogied on over the pond.  Dante had done some research and found one of the best restaurants in Paris.  He spoke with his fellow chef, Guy Savoy, who agreed to prepare this special dish just for the happy couple that very evening.

This gourmet bistro named after its chef/owner "Guy Savoy" is located at 18 rue Troyon.  The menu changes with the seasons, of course, with game being a popular addition in the winter.  The decor, all dark wood and leather, is very comtemPURRary.  Just right for this stylish twosome.

Chef Guy took those game hens and with a little French magic (namely the Southern France Spice Mix) turned them into ...

...  this. Voila!

French Game Hens with Fruit-and-Sausage Stuffing

Dante admits even he couldn't have come up with something as inspiring and delicious as this!  Sascha was simply in heaven.  They ate one bird apiece, and took the rest home in a 'kitty bag'.  

The dish was totally evocative of the Christmas season with its cranberries, stuffing, and both fresh and dried savoury herbs.  It's a much lighter alternative to turkey, too.

The recipe follows.  It may be long, but Dante says it's definitely worth it.  Even if you do nothing else, make up some of the Southern France Spice Mix and use it to flavour all of your poultry dishes.  It would actually make a very nice gift for friends and family, too, if you put it in a fancy gift jar.  As it is composed entirely of dried herbs, it should keep for a very long time.

French Game Hens with Fruit-and-Sausage Stuffing Recipe

Ingredients

3 lbs hen 

3 lbs teaspoon Southern France Spice Mix (recipe below)

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup shallots (chopped)

2 cups french bread (cubes about 2 1 ounce slices)

1 cup rome apple (chopped peeled)

1/4 lb smoked turkey sausage (diced)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup prunes (coarsely chopped pitted)

1/4 cup 1 teaspoon Southern France Spice Mix

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp salt

4 french bread (1/2 inch thick slices)

1/4 cup boiling water

2 tbsps dried cranberries

2 tbsps shallots (chopped)

6 black peppercorns

1 cup apple juice

1 cup cranberry juice cocktail

2 tbsps dry red wine

2 tsps cornstarch

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp 1/8 teaspoon Southern France Spice Mix

fresh parsley (chopped, optional)

sage (fresh, optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

 For the hens: Remove and reserve giblets and necks from hens. Rinse hens under cold water, and pat dry. Halve hens lengthwise; trim excess fat. Loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers and gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub 1/2 teaspoon Southern France Spice Mix beneath skin of each hen half. Set aside.

 For the stuffing: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add bread cubes and next 7 ingredients (bread cubes through salt); cook 1 minute, stirring until well-blended. Remove from heat.

 Arrange bread slices in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon 3/4 cup stuffing mixture onto each bread slice. Place 1 hen half, skin side up, over each mound of stuffing mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

 For the sauce: Combine boiling water and 2 tablespoons cranberries in a small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain.

Southern France Spice Mix

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaf

Preparation

Combine ingredients; stir. Store in an airtight container.

Dante and Sascha are certainly feasting well on the Christmas gifts she has given him so far.  What will she come up with next?  Stay tuned for "The Fourth Day of Christmas" coming tomorrow.

THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS WITH DANTE & SASCHA

On the Second Day of Christmas, Dante's true love gave to him:

'TWO TURTLE DOVES'

It was actually quite an appropriate gift since these two are so very 'lovey dovey'.  As much as they love each other, they can't deny an equal passion for poultry of any size, shape or form.

So Dante got out his cookbook, and this is what he made for Sascha's supPURR.  Dante fancies himself a feline of refined tastes, as well as a seasoned cat chef.  And 'tis the Season for sure.

Doesn't this just make you drool?  (Except for the 'Tabbies of Trout Town', of course, who just think all birds are caca.  For their information, Dante is very careful about cleaning out the caca before serving.)

Sweet, Savory & Spicy Sugar-Glazed Dove Poppers

  

Marinade (Ideal for 20-30 pieces):

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

4 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp Lime Juice

 ½ Tbsp Ginger Powder

1 Tbsp Garlic (Minced)

1 Tbsp Green onion (Finely Chopped)

1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Jalapeño, diced (seeded for mild or leave in for hot!)

Dash of Salt & Pepper

Stir well to incorporate honey and sugar (10 seconds in microwave may be helpful)

Place dove and marinade into Ziploc bag and place into refrigerator for at least 1 hour

(2-4 hours is recommended).  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Open package of bacon and slice pieces in half.  Drain marinade in colander.  It is recommended to pick jalapeño seeds off of the dove breast before wrapping half piece of bacon around each breast.  Feel free to stuff a piece(s) of jalapeño into each wrap.  Thread a toothpick through the top of the bacon so that it goes down to the breast and then bring it back up through the top of the bacon to secure the bacon around each breast.  Place poppers toothpick side down on broiler pan w/ aluminum below.  Place in oven for 10-12 minutes checking often for crispness of bacon, additional minutes may be necessary. 

Once bacon is at desired crispness on top, remove from oven and drain off all juices.  Flip over “poppers” so that the toothpick side is now up.  Align poppers in rows so that they are touching one another. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top; use as little or as much as you would like (“a pinch a popper” is recommended).  **Turn oven to Broil and return the poppers to the oven until brown sugar is thoroughly melted and bacon is crisp.  Remove from oven and place on a paper towel-lined serving tray. Allow a few minutes to cool down (if you can wait that long!).  Remove toothpick and enjoy! **This step should be watched carefully, as ovens broil differently and chances of burning the “poppers” are high. 

This sweet and spicy dish is PURRfectly suited to the sweet and spicy couple.  Dante and Sascha's passion for each other is only enhanced after tasting these succulent morsels.

Come back tomorrow for "The Third Day of Christmas" with Dante and Sascha.  I wonder what she'll give him next?   Hmmmmm, that's a tough one.  But if it should happen to be some sort of  birds again, let's just hope they're actually tender.

THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS WITH DANTE & SASCHA

Dante and Sascha are truly in love, and there's nothing like the holiday season to bring them even closer together.

Looks to me like there's a real big smooch coming in the not-too-distant future!  Of course, when you sit under the mistletoe, it's an absolute necessity.

Sascha has many surprises in store for her true love, Dante, not least of which is:

"A Partridge in a Pear Tree"

"Wow! What a great gift!" exclaims Dante.  "Thank you, Sascha.  It's like two gifts in one.  I'm gonna plant that pear tree in my new garden next Spring, and tonight we'll feast together on that bird."

And so they did.  Here's the roast partridge with poached pear that Dante prepared for dinner.

Partridge with poached pear
Serves 2 to 3

• William pears
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 2 partridges
• 2 onions or shallots, quartered
• 50g pancetta cubetti
• 2tsp flour
• 3tbsp brandy
• 150ml white wine
• 75ml stock
• Bay leaves to decorate
• 1tbsp cranberry sauce

1. Set the oven at 190°C/gas 5. Cut the pears in half and, using a teaspoon, scoop out the core.  Dice 1 pear.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the partridges on all sides for 5 minutes, then place in a shallow ovenproof dish. Add the onions and pancetta to the pan and fry for 5 mins. Add the diced pear and pear halves, cut side down, and fry for 1-2 mins, then arrange the mixture around the birds.
3. Place in the oven to roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer.
4. Remove the partridges and pears, cover with foil and leave to rest. Scrape all the contents of the roasting dish into a pan, sprinkle with flour and heat for 1 min until thickened. Gradually add the brandy, the wine and the stock and bring to the boil, simmer for 2-3 mins then strain.
5. Arrange the partridges on a serving dish with the bay leaves and pears, and fill the centres with cranberry sauce..

Dante and Sascha shared just one partridge between them because that's all they had.  As it turned out, it was more than enough, and it was absolutely delicious!  Those cooking lessons really paid off, Dante!

Dante also has a gift for Sascha.  He is giving her one prettily wrapped Christmas gift for every one she gives to him, although she isn't allowed to open hers until Christmas Day itself.

So stay tuned, for further installments of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" with Dante and Sascha.  There'll be one every day from now, right up to and including December 25th!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY WITH DANTE: YO! YO! YO!

FRIDAY WITH DANTE IN THE LITTERBOX

We used to have Thursday in the Garden with Dante, but times have changed, as has the landscape.

The first time Dante saw what had happened to his beloved garden, he went into shock.  This time he is taking time to have a good look.

And this is what he sees!

 "Hey dis isn't so bad", says Dante.  "Mebbe dey stole my gardin, but dey gave me one great big littahbox!"

After that it didn't take Dante long to check out his new "digs" (so to speak)!

And then he does the 'dirty deed'.

 "Now I'm weely diggin' dis!", says Dante in delight.

 After redistributing the mulch, Dante decides to explore the PURRimeters of his new litterbox.

 "At weest I still has my fafurite twee", says he.

 "An' all dis noo erf smells great!"

But Dante finally reaches the end of his rope, and the far edge of the litterbox, so he returns ...

... to the front porch quite the happy camPURR!  

"Dis opens up so many noo PAWSibilities", says he.

And so we take leave of our PURRotagonist while he PAWnders all of the things he can 'doo-doo' in the future in this large and lovely litterbox of his dreams.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY WITH DANTE: HOLIDAY SCREENSAVER

PEOPLE HOLDING DANTE (PLUS BONUS PIC)

It's been a while since I've shown some of these pictures, and some have never been posted before at all.  It will give anyone who is not familiar with the size of Maine Coons a reality-check.

Here are people -- some short, some tall and some in-between -- who have all taken on the hefty task of holding Dante.

Carm Cole (aka Crazy Cat Lady Carm)

SHORT

 Randy Cole (Carm's husband)

TALL

Della Graham of Jondelcoon (Maine Coon breeder)

SHORT

John Graham (Della's husband)

TALL

 Dante's Daddy

TALL

Kelly, Vet's Assistant

IN-BETWEEN

Neighbour, Zach

SHORT

Petsmart Customer

IN-BETWEEN

Petsmart Employee #1

SHORT

 Petsmart Employee #2

SHORT

And, as an extra added bonus, here is Dante's hairball which he gifted to me two Christmases ago.  Note that he even wrapped it in green ribbon.

Ribbon is one of Dante's favourite foods, so it was even more touching when he gave it back to me.

Dante's Hairball, measures 8 inches long

GIGANTIC

So how many of you could take on the task of holding the mighty beast?  Think carefully before you answer.


(Pee Ess:  We are aware of the dangers of cats eating ribbon, and have actively discouraged the practice, much to Dante's dismay.).