Holiday dinner an elegant solution to the cooking marathon

Get a jump start on your holiday planning with a make-ahead holiday dinner menu that’s easy but elegant.|

The holidays are the perfect time to show off what you can do in the kitchen, but they’re also a perfect storm for home cooks who love the fantasy of an elegant dinner but tend to get tired cranky after spending all day in the kitchen.

Just because you love to cook doesn’t that mean you have to forfeit having fun at your own party.

Lisa Lavagetto, a cooking instructor at Ramekins, routinely feeds a crowd of ?22 loved ones gathered around the holiday table but still manages to keep a smile on her face, now that she has developed a make-ahead game plan.

“All of my kids assume I’m going to make every meal for every holiday,” she told a class at Ramekins last month. “A few years back, I said, ‘OK. I’ve got to figure out how to do this.”

There’s no last-minute fussing when you have a make-ahead menu. In her Make-Ahead Holiday Dinner class, Lavagetto presented am ambitious menu plan for a multicourse feast, with tips for how to start on each dish early, ranging from a few days to a few hours ahead.

At the heart of the dinner, she carved out a special entree: Beef Tenderloin stuffed with Boursin cheese and topped with a rich, wine-glazed Rosemary Pepper Sauce.

“The real trick is the sauce,” she said. “It has lots of red wine … and a veal or a chicken demi-glace.”

The morning of the dinner party, she said, simply stuff and sear off the 6-ounce tenderloins, then put them back into the fridge. An hour before you’re ready to eat, take them out and let them come back to room temperature, then just pop them in the oven for a few minutes.

“In the oven, always cook meat on a rack,” she advised. “And leave a good distance between the steaks.”

You can reduce the sauce the morning of the dinner party, but leave out the butter until just before you’re ready to eat, so it doesn’t start to separate.

Instead of baked potatoes, Lavagetto likes to serve individual Boulangère Potatoes, which are peeled and scored like Hasselback potatoes, then topped with caramelized onions and cooked in beef stock.

“These are super easy,” she said of the dish, which is similar to a potato gratin but without the heavy cheese and cream. Translated as “potatoes from the baker,” the dish originated centuries ago in France when people did not own ovens. Instead, they dropped off their Sunday roast and potatoes at the baker to be cooked while they went to church.

For a starter to the holiday dinner party, Lavagetto offered up a choice of two of her favorites: a rich of a Chilled Tomato and Dill Mousse with Lobster or a seasonal Fall Greens Salad with Roasted Beets, Caramelized Almonds and Goat Cheese.

“You can make the mousse two days ahead of time, and it is so yummy,” she said. “A few years ago, I started using the knuckle and claw meat instead of the lobster tail. It’s cheaper, very flavorful and looks wonderful on top of the mousse.”

The Fall Greens salad, which requires a ring mold (or tuna fish cans with both lids removed) for the goat cheese and beets, can also be started ahead of time, by roasting and dicing the golden and red beets (kept in separate Tupperware), whisking the walnut oil dressing and caramelizing the almonds. (just be sure to make extra nuts, because you are going to want to snack on those as you cook.)

“The morning of, just spray parchment paper and the inside of a ring mold and fill the molds,” she said. You can store the molds in the fridge on a sheet pan.”

Because her husband’s Italian, focaccia is a staple in the Lavagetto home. And there’s nothing like the aroma, the crunchy crust and the tender crumb of this flat, oven-baked bread to make your guests feel pampered.

Since the flavor only expands if you let the dough proof overnight in the fridge, she suggests making it and punching it down the day before. That way, all you need to do is spread it into the pan and cook if off the day of the party.

Using traditional Italian flavors, Lavagetto likes to flavor her dough with fennel seeds, stud it with roasted garlic while it is cooking, then finish it with fresh rosemary and Maldon salt.

“If you like it soft, cook it at 350,” she said. “If you like it crispy, crank it up to 425.”

Since the meal is fairly rich, Lavagetto chose a creamy Lemon Panna Cotta for dessert, which is similar to a crème brulée, only lighter because it doesn’t have eggs.

“You could make this dessert two or three days in advance,” she said. “You need a thermometer to bring it up to temperature, then p ut it in the fridge.”

You don’t need heavy appetizers for this somewhat heavy feast, but a few nibbles would be nice, such as olives and nuts. One of the students in the class said she would use the extra Boursin to make stuffed mushrooms.

“I would take about two dozen mushrooms, chop of the stems and saute them in butter and shallots, then add Parmesan and Boursin and stuff the mushroom caps,” said Rene McCabe of Pleasant Hill. “Then you bake it for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.”

Uncork a sparkling wine with the appetizers, an oaky and acidic chardonnay with the first course and a lush pinot noir with the steak, and you’ll have an elegant meal worthy of a three-star restaurant. Plus more time to spend with your friends and family, which is what holidays are all about.

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The following recipes are from Lisa Lavagetto of Ramekins Culinary School in Sonoma. For this recipe, you will need a ring mold (round cookie cutters or tuna cans with both ends removed). For make-ahead tips, see story above.

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette, Arugula and Goat Cheese

Makes 6 servings

3 large, red beets

2 large, golden beets

1/4 cup minced shallot

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup walnut oil

4 ounces goat cheese

3 tablespoons caramelized almonds (see recipe below)

4 cups loosely packed micro arugula or chervil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Separately wrap red and golden beets tightly in double layers of foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap beets.

While beets are cooling slightly, whisk together shallot, champagne vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then slowly drizzle in the walnut oil, whisking to combine.

When beets are cool, remove skins. Separately cut red and golden beets into 1/4-inch dice and put in separate bowls. Toss both with some of the vinaigrette to taste.

Place a ring mold (or tall, round cookie cutter) in the center of a salad plate. Put one-eighth of the red beets in the cutter and pack down with your fingertips. Crumble some goat cheese on top, then one-eighth of the golden beets, packing them down. Gently lift cutter up and away from the stack.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Toss the micro arugula with the dressing, to taste, and put a small mound on top of the beets. Scatter the toasted walnuts around the plate.

Caramelized Almonds

Makes 1 cup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup whole, blanched almonds

6 tablespoons sugar

Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add almonds and 4 tablespoons sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 4-5 minutes or until sugar melts and nuts are golden brown. (Watch closely to prevent burning.) Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar

Quickly spread onto waxed paper; cool completely. Break clusters of nuts into pieces. Store in container with tight-fitting lid.

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You can find the veal or chicken demi-glace at Savory Spice Shops in Santa Rosa and Sonoma or at specialty markets.

Beef Tenderloin Stuffed with Boursin Cheese and served with Rosemary Peppercorn Sauce

Makes 4 servings

4 (6 to 8-ounce) beef tenderloin filets

- Seasoning blend (such as salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, sage)

4 tablespoons olive oil, total

8 ounces Boursin

2 tablespoons shallots, finely minced

1 ounce butter (1/4 stick)

1 tablespoons freshly ground peppercorns

1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely minced

3/4 cup red wine

8 ounces veal demi-?glace or chicken-based demi-glace

- Salt and pepper, to taste

For the meat: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make a 2-inch slit into the side of each filet, then make the inside of the hole bigger with your finger. Season each filet inside and out with the seasoning blend. Stuff each filet with 1 to 2 ounces of Boursin.

In a saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the pan is smoking hot, sear the filet for 2 minutes, until nice and brown, and flip over, and sear for another 2 minutes.

To finish the filets in the oven: Roast for 5 to ?15 minutes for medium rare, depending on the thickness. (internal temperature should not be more than 130 degrees, as it will rise 6 to 8 degrees while resting. ) Remove from the oven and allow to rest.

For the sauce: heat up a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the butter and shallots and sauté until the shallots are translucent, about 2 to ?3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze it with the wine. Return the pan back to the heat, add the cracked peppercorns and rosemary. Cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the veal demi-glace or chicken-based demi-glace to the pan and stir or whisk to combine ingredients. Continue reducing the sauce down until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Optional: Some chefs like to strain sauces through a fine-meshed strainer or cheesecloth (this is optional.) Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve over the beef tenderloins.

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Boulangère Potatoes

Makes 6 servings

3 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise

3 ounces unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup yellow onions, sliced

1 1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 quart beef stock, unsalted or very low salt

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)

Preheat oven to ?350 degrees. Melt butter in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add onions and paprika and sauté until translucent. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Remove onions and set aside to cool. Score potatoes with a paring knife and place flat side down in a baking dish. Pour in enough beef stock to cover potatoes halfway.

Top each potato with a generous amount of onion and top with chopped sage and a bit more salt and pepper. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and place in oven for about ?45 minutes or until tender.

Check doneness with skewer or toothpick. Be sure not to overcook. Keep warm until serving.

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Lemon Panna Cotta

Makes 8 servings

1 cup whole milk

2 3/4 teaspoons gelatin

3 cups heavy cream

1 2-inch piece vanilla bean, slit lengthwise (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste)

4 pieces lemon zest (about 2 inches long x 1/2 inch wide), cut into julienne strips

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 medium lemons

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

- Pinch table salt

- Fresh berries or raspberry sauce, for garnish

Pour milk into medium saucepan; sprinkle surface evenly with gelatin and let stand 10 minutes to hydrate gelatin.

Meanwhile, turn contents of two ice cube trays (about 32 cubes) into ?a large bowl; add ?4 cups cold water. Measure cream into a large measuring cup or pitcher. With paring knife, scrape vanilla seeds into cream (or add extract or bean paste). Place pod in cream along with seeds, add julienne lemon peel, and set mixture aside.

Set eight 4-ounce ramekins on baking sheet. Heat milk and gelatin mixture over high heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved and mixture registers 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 minutes. Off heat, add sugar and salt; stir until dissolved, about 1 minute.

Stirring constantly, slowly pour cream mixture into saucepan containing milk, then transfer mixture to medium bowl and set bowl over ice water bath. Stir frequently until thickened to consistency of eggnog and mixture registers 50 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Strain mixture into large measuring cup or pitcher, stir in lemon juice, then distribute evenly among ramekins. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap, making sure that plastic does not mar surface of cream; refrigerate until just set, about four hours (mixture should wobble when shaken gently.)

Unmold panna cotta from ramekins by dipping the bottom of the ramekin in hot water for a few seconds, thumping the sides of the ramekin with the palm of your hand, and turning ramekin upside down on serving plate. Serve the panna cotta very cold, with berries or raspberry sauce.

If you would like to make the panna cotta a day ahead, decrease the gelatin to 2 5/8 teaspoons and chill for 18 to ?24 hours.

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Focaccia with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary

Makes 1 focaccia

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups warm water (roughly 105 degrees)

2 tablespoons fennel seeds soaked in 1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup olive oil, plus a bit more

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt

1 head garlic (cloves separated, skinned and cooked over low heat in olive oil for 20-30 minutes)

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir yeast into the warm water and let stand for 10 minutes or until it starts to foam. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and fennel seeds along with their liquid.

Mix the flour and salt in bowl of a stand mixer. Using a dough hook on medium setting, slowly add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Gently knead until smooth. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat with oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Brush a sheet pan with olive oil and gently press the dough on the pan, stretching it as you press it. Using your fingertips, dimple the top and continue stretching, cover the pan as much as possible. Cover pan with a towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Drizzle the dough generously with olive oil (about 1/4 cup) and dimple the dough again and sprinkle with sea or kosher salt. Place in the middle of the oven and bake until lightly golden, roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with chopped, roasted garlic (or push the whole cloves into the dough.) Continue to bake another 5 minutes and remove from oven. Finish with the fresh rosemary leaves and another sprinkle of salt.

Note: For better flavor, after the first rise, place in the refrigerator overnight to retard fermentation. Then, bring it out of the fridge a couple of hours before shaping it into the sheet pan.

You can reach Staff Writer Diane Peterson at 707-521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56.

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