Yummmm....Better!

Sliced against the grain and nestled with the chunky sauce, the brisket sits for a day and then will be baked at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes. Humble food with a magnificent flavor. Thank you, Aunt Gladys, wherever you are!

Christmas Presents, Better and...

Here's the brisket in my new Dutch oven, smothered in sauerkraut, tomatoes, and onions. We're using "Aunt Gladys's Recipe," only one of the incredible array Stephanie Pierson collected for the first-ever cookbook dedicated to this homely cut of meat.

Christmas Presents

This year for Christmas, Leigh Goehring gave me a copy of Stephanie Pierson's THE BRISKET BOOK and Chuck gave me a 5-quart Dutch oven (wait...that wasn't all. The Mikimoto pearl necklace put a lot of sparkle in Christmas morning). Tonight, we put them both to good use. Here's the 4.5-lb. brisket from Ottomanelli's after Chuck browned it with brute force.

Frohe Weihnachten und Guten Apetit!

Christmas in America owes a lot to the Germans: the tree, the music, the food. So Chuck and I called upon his heritage for a Christmas Day feast: a goose, succulent and crispy; his grandmother's sausage stuffing; red cabbage; pea soup; pearl onions. It was delicious and bountiful. A very merry Christmas was had by all.