Trattoria Totaro presents:

CHRISTMAS EVE FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES

Take out menu

Pick Up December 23,24^th, 2011

GARLIC SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Jumbo shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic, butter and basil, served chilled

$8.45 ½ dozen

SCALLOPS WRAPPED WITH BACON

$6.95 ½ dozen

CLAMS CASINO

Stuffed littlenecks topped with bacon…$8.95 ½ dozen

FRIED SMELTS

A tradition! …$9.95 ½ pound

BACALA (CODFISH SALAD)

Finely diced celery, onions and carrots tossed with flaked codfish in olive oil and garlic vinaigrette…$9.95 per pound

STUFFED SHRIMP

Jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab imperial, breaded and fried

$5.95 each

STUFFED CALAMARI YOLANDA

Vince’s mothers recipe – calamari tubes stuffed with sauté of vegetables, bread crumbs, herbs, pistachio nuts and raisins in marinara sauce or aiola sauce

$8.95 ½ pound

FLOUNDER PORTO

Flounder stuffed with lump crabmeat and spinach in a port wine cream sauce

$10.95 each

FRUTA DI MAR

Shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and calamari tossed with celery and onion with a garlic, olive oil, vinegar and herb dressing

$10.95 pound

PESCATORE

Sauteed shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and calamari in marinara sauce over pasta. Also available in garlic, olive oil, white wine sauce…$12.95 pound

Dine In Menu

CHRISTMAS EVE FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES

Friday December 23 and Saturday December 24, 2011

First Course

Seafood Sampler – A sampling of fried smelts, clams casino, garlic shrimp cocktail and bacala (codfish salad)

Second Course

Fruta di Mar (Cold Seafood Salad)

Shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and calamari tossed with celery and onion with a garlic, olive oil, vinegar and herb dressing, served over greens

OR

Crab and Seafood Bisque

Third Course

Pescatore – Sauteed shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and calamari in marinara sauce over home made pasta.

Also available in aiola sauce (garlic, olive oil, white wine sauce)

Flounder Porto – Flounder stuffed with lump crabmeat and spinach in a port wine cream sauce, then baked.

Calalmari Yolanda – Vince’s mothers traditional recipe: calamari tubes stuffed with sauté of vegetables, bread crumbs, herbs, pistachio nuts and raisins in marinara sauce or garlic, olive oil and white wine sauce

Dessert Sampler

Cannolies, Biscotti, Pizzelles and Cookies

$50.00 per person

Trattoria Totaro

639 Spring Mill Avenue

Conshohocken, PA 19428

610-828-7050

The most magical day of the year! Christmas Tea 2010

Do you have a precious holiday memory from your childhood? I have worked diligently to create so many for my children, from the smell of cinnamon and cloves throughout the house from Thanksgiving to New Years, to all of the home baked cookies we make, peppermint bark, decorating with fruits, cutting down our tree (yeah, forget that this year), decorating with fruits and greens, and The Wonderland Tea at The Four Seasons in Philadelphia.

If you have never experienced this event, or have never heard about it, there is a reason: it is the best kept secret in Philadelphia! Nearly impossible to obtain a reservation, throughout the month of December, this is the HOTTEST ticket in town. Wonderland Tea is only available on Saturdays beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving through December. It is a children’s tea. There is only ONE day to make reservations. It is usually the 2nd Tuesday (don’t quote me) in October. There is a hotline # setup for tea only and the entire month is booked in an hour after the phone lines open. It is a very small window and makes for an exclusive event!

The desserts!

We first attended when my youngest was 3 or 4. She was a little squirmy, although she enjoyed every minute. We felt the next year that we would do something else, so we left the youngest at home and went to The Rittenhouse. As we passed The Four Seasons, my older daughter, probably 6 at the time, sighed, “That’s where I am supposed to be.” The rest is history! The Wonderland Tea has been a tradition ever since.

The day begins with my girls’ favorite; vanilla tea and champagne for the ladies. but of course…

Everyone is dressed to the nines! I am searching as I write this for a picture from their younger years where they were still cute enough to get decked out! Tea sandwiches are served, followed by assorted scones and desserts. Alice in Wonderland roams the room taking pictures with all of the girls. Each girl receives a copy of the photo in a paper frame. After dessert, the Nutcracker Dancers perform. Since we are pros, we know just the perfect time to strategically move the girls into position for the best seat.  The children are enchanted by the performance and when it ends they rush forward with their paper framed picture and pens to gather autographs from the dancers.

Always a treasured gift

Each child receives a wonderful take away. Amongst the gifts have been: A Four Seasons Christmas Bear, A Royal Tea Set, The Nutcracker the book and last year’s gift; an MP3 player engraved with “Four Seasons Philadelphia.”

YAY! I found past pictures:

Enjoying marshmallows

With Alice!

With Mom Mom!

Ready for show!

Getting autographs

A great day! Excited for today!

I use apples and oranges as candle holders on our mantle

My centerpice is apples, with a pineapple top filled in with boxwood greens.

My grandfather made the mold from wood.

I add cloves to oranges for a great look and smell

Sugared Fruits are MY FAVORITE and a great activity with the kids!

Sugared fruits are used with greens and pine cones throughout the house

Sugared Fruits

Egg whites

Sugar

Assorted fruits such as red and green apples

pears

grapes

ornages and clementines

Roll the fruits first in egg white using a basting brush to cover

Then add to a bowl of sugar

Use a spoon to coat and lightly roll in sugar.

Let the fruits dry on wax paper.

Sugared fruits look beautiful in a crystal bowl or scattered amongst greens.

Thank you to Hillary Chybinski for motivating me to finally get this post done by posting her 12 days of Christmas blog.

Merry Christmas!

Peppermint Bark

I made this last night and someone asked for the recipe. It made me realize that I had never shared the recipe! It is so eacy and fun for the whole family!

Peppermint Bark

3 bars of Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate

3 bars of Ghirardelli White Chocolate

1 pack of peppermint candies or candy canes

Melt chocolate over a double boiler

Take a cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper. Spread chocolate flat across paper until smooth. Stick cookie sheet into fridge to cool and harden.

I have my children open the candies and place them in a ziplock bag. Seal the bag and on floor (our floor is stone, no harm no foul, if your floor is tile, you may want to do this outside), lay down a towel, followed by bag of candies, followed by another towel on top. With a kitchen mallet, have the children slowly smash the candies. The candies shouls be in small pieces and sandy. They love this!

This picture is for effect. Make sure you have a towel under and over candy!

Melt the white chocolate in the same manner and spread over the white chocolate.

Spread melted white chocolate over cooled chocolate VERY quickly as to not melt 1st batch of chocolate. Press scattered candies on top and refrigerate until hardened.

Tear into pieces and serve!

Everyone loves a gingerbread house! I don’t know about you, but the houses that I make at home with my kids, are usually a big FAIL, but they love the thrill of the “build.”

This year, why not let the experts at the Royal Pantry at A Taste of Britain help you create the perfect holiday house while having a wonderful family day at their Gingerbread Workshop. Their fabulous bakers will lead the activities, and they supply the gingerbread, creative decorations and candies plus beverages and snacks for all to enjoy!

When: Saturday, December 11th ~ 11:00 or 3:00

Where: A Taste of Britain ~ 503 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA

What: Build a gingerbread house in this lovely British shop and enjoy seasonal refreshments.

$45 per house

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Winter Wonderland Holiday Tea

On Sunday, December 12th they will be holding their Full Service ~ Winter Wonderland Holiday tea from 10:00AM – 6:00PM.

$28 Adult includes a complimentary mimosa or Champagne Spritzer and $18 Child

Full Menu HERE

For either event~ Call for reservations:

610-971-0390

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

A perfect dessert~fall or winter

Crust

1 1/2 cups ground graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 oz)

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsalted

Filling

4 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

4 TBSP whipping cream

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

4 large eggs

Topping

1 TBSP purchased caramel sauce

1 cup sour cream

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

For Crust: Grind the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottoms and sides of 9 inch spring form pan with 2 3/4 inch edges.

Cheese Cake Crust

For Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to a small bowl and cover and refrigerate to use for topping later. Add pumpkin, 4 TBSP whipping cream, cinnamon, and allspice to mixer bowl. Beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time until just combined. Pour filling into pan.

Batter poured into pan prior to baking

Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 mins. Transfer cheese cake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake pan sides to loosen cake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Baked Cheese Cake Cooling avec Fall Decor

Bring remaining cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Combine with sour cream. Press down edges of cheese cake to smooth. Pour mixture over cake and spread evenly. Spoon caramel in straight, thin lines across mixture. Using tip of knife, without using pressure, gently draw a  line across the cake, perpendicular to caramel sauce. Drag the knife toward you then a line away from you and repeat until caramel design has been created.

Delish!

Riedel Wine Tumbler

When I was at a party a few years back, I was completely thrown by the fact that they handed me my wine in a stemless glass. My first thought was, “what a bunch of hicks.” After further debate, only in my own head, not with anyone else; I realized what a fine idea this was. After all, these people were far more sophistimicated (an ironic word that we made up 20 yrs ago, and yet it sticks with me…) than me. The longer the night went, the happier I was not to have to try to balance the stem in my hand as I made the careful landing on the table!

So, I eventually followed suit and added to my ridiculous collection of crystal and glassware. We almost never use stemware any more since purchasing these. This makes me sad on one hand because we have a million and twenty-six stemmed glasses, but it has made life so much easier! Children or animals running around; no worries. There is so much less stress not worrying about a glass being tipped over. And they are light and delicate even without the stems.

As with all wine glasses, they come in different varieties to accommodate different wines. I went with the middle of the road that works with everything, at least in our house. If you are that particular, use the stemware or don’t come to our house!

Riedel has an a huge selection,  and the prices have come way down.  Here is a box of 4 for $29.99 at Sur la Table. The cylinder box they are packaged in is also fun! We also found a box set of 4 for $29 at Napa Style.

What a great, yet inexpensive holiday gift!

Or be like me and buy yourself a little something, something…

Green Herb Snips

These are one of my most used tools in my kitchen. Essentially scissors, I had a feeling the term “herb strippers” would attack more people to check them out! I’m sure I was right. Deny it.

In any case, these scissors do more than cut, they strip. This is a particularly great tool in the summer. They can be used to cut fresh herbs from the garden and then used to strip herbs such as thyme and rosemary from the stems.

Herb Stripping

These are from William Sonoma also, but to be clear, although we do love the store, it is not our intention to be an advertisement for them. It is pure coincidence.  These cost $12 there and once again are less expensive than the ones we found at Bloomingdales. Those are $18.99.

Another great stocking stuffer idea!

Russian Tea Cakes

These cookies are a huge favorite at the holidays! They are loaded with pecans and have a wonderful nutty flavor!

1/2 lb butter

4 heaping TBSP confectioners sugar

- cream together-

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups chopped pecans

Roll into a small ball and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until just golden brown.

While still warm roll in confectioners sugar. After cool, roll in sugar a second time.

Enjoy!