How to make tandoori roast turkey, salted pecan-toffee crunch and more holiday dishes from local chefs
When you think of a holiday recipe, what comes to mind? For me, it would be my grandma’s apricot bars, which were a staple throughout my childhood around Christmas time. With a buttery crust, chewy dried apricots, crunchy walnuts and a smattering of powdered sugar, it’s a dessert that somehow became synonymous with the holidays.
This week, we asked a handful of prominent Peninsula chefs to share their holiday recipes. Anthony Secviar, chef-owner of Michelin-starred Protégé, shared a holiday dessert recipe; Kristjan D’Angelo, chef-owner of iTalico, Terún Pizzeria and Impasto, submitted a truffle-topped pasta recipe; and Ajay Walia, chef-owner of Rasa, Saffron and Amara, provided a turkey recipe.
In the spirit of sharing, below is the recipe for my grandma’s apricot bars:
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup dried apricots
- ½ cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1⅓ cup flour, sifted and divided
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, divided
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Rinse apricots, place in a small saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Combine butter, granulated sugar and 1 cup flour. Mix until crumbly. Pack in a greased 9-inch square pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the crust bakes, make the filling. Gradually beat brown sugar into eggs. Sift together remaining ⅓ cup flour, baking powder and salt. Add to egg and brown sugar mixture, and mix well. Add vanilla, ¼ cup nuts and apricots.
- When crust has finished baking, remove from oven and decrease oven temperature to 350℉. Spread the filling on top of the baked crust and sprinkle with remaining nuts. Return to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Cool before cutting into 1½-inch squares. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
Chef-owners of Protégé, Rasa, iTalico and more share their favorite holiday recipes
This time of year, we tend to crave comfort food and festive treats. We checked in with several local foodies and chefs to find out a few of their favorite recipes for the holidays and cold weather (recipes have been lightly edited for clarity and length.)
A swanky Champagne bar, an upcoming virtual beer tasting and three holiday events
- A cozy Champagne bar offering unique Champagnes and small bites is coming to Los Gatos next year.
- Eaping Fresh Chinese is hosting its grand opening on Saturday with 50% off everything, replacing a Mountain View Chinese restaurant that had been in business since 1996.
- After a three-month renovation, Redwood City’s Chick-fil-A on Whipple Avenue reopened Tuesday.
- Holy Sushi, a kosher sushi restaurant in Palo Alto, held its grand opening on Sunday.
- New York-based burger chain Shake Shack opened a new location in Campbell on Nov. 20.
- OceanCiders, a weather-dependent beachside bar in Half Moon Bay, will close for the season on Saturday.
- Croissante, a French bakery in Santa Clara, soft opened its new Los Gatos location on Saturday.
- Love books and brews? The Menlo Park Library is hosting a Zoom event on Friday promising “an evening of beer tasting, book readings, conversation and fun.”
- Looking for holiday happenings? CRU in Redwood City is hosting a holiday fair on Saturday, featuring complimentary tastings of holiday treats and wines. The Market at Edgewood in Palo Alto is hosting a Christmas event Saturday featuring tastings of wine, spirits and cheeses, as well as cookie decorating for kids. And the Kiwanis Club of Los Gatos is hosting a holiday market Saturday and Sunday with wine, hot beverages and food truck favorites like Luv’s Brownies and Oaxacan Kitchen.
- Boba chain 7 Leaves Cafe opened a new location in Sunnyvale on Saturday.
- Starbird Chicken, a chain that originated in Sunnyvale, is opening a location in Cupertino on Monday.
- Chinese restaurant Wukong Express opened Nov. 19 in San Mateo.
- Shabu Club, a San Francisco-based hot pot restaurant, opened a new location in Burlingame on Nov. 11.
Over 100 wines at Donato Enoteca
The most wine I’ve ever tasted in one day was at the Enoteca100 event at Donato Enoteca in Redwood City on Saturday. This annual ticketed event features over 100 Italian wines, a whole roasted pig, an abundant selection of cheese and charcuterie, wood-fired pizza and even risotto in a Parmiggiano-Reggiano wheel topped with freshly shaved white truffles.
There were 13 wine booths pouring six to 11 wines each, with bottle pricing ranging from $22-$127. While at first I was hesitant to utilize the wine tasting spittoons (buckets to spit or pour out excess wine), it quickly became evident that it was a necessity with the amount of wine being offered. Out of all the wines I tried, by far the most unique was the 2018 Tenuta Le Colonne Bolgheri Superiore Rosso ($87), which to me smelled and tasted of jalapeno.
One small but thoughtful detail that I appreciated was that throughout the four-hour event, the food offerings slightly changed. This meant that whenever I needed a break from the taste of wine, there was always some new Italian bite to try – whether that be flaky and buttery mushroom tarts, crispy polenta bites or pizza topped with spicy nduja and broccolini.
Something to note if you’re thinking of attending next year: Wear comfortable shoes, as seating is extremely limited and it’s likely you’ll be standing for the entirety of the event.
Donato Enoteca, 1041 Middlefield Road, Redwood City; 650-701-1000, Instagram: @donatoenoteca. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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