Holiday (Food) Memories

I come from a long line of food people: my aunt is an owner-chef of a restaurant, my dad owns a bakery and both of my grandmothers are great cooks. So, it should be no surprise that when we gather for holidays food is a central theme. My favorite times are always cooking and eating with family and friends. Here are some of the many memorable "food and drink moments" from this holiday season:

learning to make kimchi (for holiday gifts) with CK's mom (who said I'd make a great Korean wife!)

making our own version of Cioppino on Christmas Day

lobster and champagne with the in-laws - what a treat!

pizza night with the family (granparents, cousins, aunts and uncles included!)

gumbo and cornbread for Sister's birthday on New Year's Eve

so many meals, so many memories...

Adventures in Leftover Land: Part 2

So I ended up freezing quite a few pounds of mashed potatoes after Thanksgiving (see
Adventures in Leftover Land: Mashed Potatoes). After thawing, mashed potatoes can be kind of runny and/or dry, but they worked perfectly in this soup.

Quick Potato Leek Soup

Serves 4

2 leeks, with green parts cut off, split down the middle

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable stock and/or milk, or a combination
S&P to taste

Soak the leeks in water to wash out any dirt. Remove from water; drain. Slice the leeks into 1/2-inch strips and sautee leeks and garlic in the butter over low-medium heat until soft. Add leftover potatoes then the stock/milk - until you get the consistency you like. Use imersion blender or blend in batches and return to pot to heat thouroughly. Add S&P to taste and serve with assorted toppings including chopped chives, scallions, cheddar cheese, crumbled veggie bacon, hot sauce, etc.