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Houston <Pmig WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2006 Paula Deen ready for the holidays Paula Deen has been on the road a lot lately. And this down-home girl is spending way too much time in the big city. She was startled when I called her hotel room in Chicago, where she was promoting her latest cook book, Paula Deen Celebrates\ (Simon & Schuster, $26). Her publicist woke her and reminded her of the arranged telephone interview. I heard, off in the dis tance, her instantly recog nizable Southern accent as she yelled, “Dan. Dan.” Then came her loud, unashamed laugh. “Dan, I was talking into the TV remote. It’s time for me to go home,” she said. Deen has become an indus try unto herself. The former bank teller and single mom created one of Savannah’s most popular restaurants - The Lady and Sons and hosts Paula’s Home Cooking and the new Paula’s Party on the Food Network. She has her own magazine, Paula Deen. ■ --f «. ■ ! Dan MacDonald Columnist Morris News Service Cooking with She even has her family in on the act. Her sons -Bobby and Jamie - have their own Food Network show, Road Tasted. Her latest book hits all of the major holidays, as well as some obscure ones, such as Presidents Day and May Day (she remembered danc ing around the Maypole as a child and, while it is a thing of the past in most places, May Day is still celebrated in Savannah). She even includes a menu for celebrating Elvis Presley’s birthday. “Does not everybody cel ebrate Elvis’ birthday?” she asked. This entry includes recipes for Country-Fried Steak with Gravy, Buttermilk Biscuits, Old Fashioned Banana Pudding and, of course, a Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich. She said that the book is really a celebration of life. “Everyday we wake up on the right side of the dirt, it’s a good day and it is a reason to get in the kitchen with your family and make memories.” Her basic advice is to keep the menus very simple. That makes for a relaxed hostess. “If the hostess is relaxed, everybody is going to be relaxed. If the hostess is in a swivet, everyone is in a swivet.” “Swivet?” I asked. “Uh-huh, “swivet,’ like a turmoil,” she said with a giggle. Deen’s career is becom ing similar to Rachael Ray’s (although Ray doesn’t have a restaurant). Ray is known as the cute as a bug, EVOO See MCDONALD, page jC PAULA DEEN CELEBRATES! wmm\ ; Beef roasts rule for tke holidays Special to the Journal Get ready to launch the holiday entertaining sea son with a duo of fabu lous beef roasts - noth ing surpasses the ease and ultimate satisfaction of a home-cooked roast. That’s why beef roasts rule! Want to make your guests feel like royalty? Then choose a rib roast, some times called a “standing rib.” Black Tie Beef Roast with Chocolate-Port Sauce and Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes is a spectacular meal. The hint of orange peel in the rub is only the beginning of the delicious flavor surprise in each bite. Not many will guess that the secret ingredient in the rich, dark Chocolate-Port Sauce is bittersweet choco late. Slightly tangy Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes add one more layer of fla vor distinction. If you’re looking for a more economical roast, the beef round tip (some times called sirloin tip) is a delicious choice. Fennel- Crusted Beef Roast with White Beans. Tomatoes and Arugula takes on an Italian flavor profile. Fennel seeds add an unexpected taste and crunch to the beef and provide the just-right com plement to the tomato and arugula saute and garlicky bean side dishes. Timid about cooking a beef roast? Don’t be. They’re easy - whether you’re a kitchen novice or culinary expert. Just sea son the meat in a shallow roasting pan and place in the oven. For the juiciest and most tender roast, use a thermometer to deter mine doneness. Be sure to remove the roast from the oven when the internal temperature is five to 10 degrees below the desired doneness. Then, tent it with foil for about 15 to 20 minutes - the tempera ture will rise about five to 10 degrees to reach the desired doneness - and the roast will be easier to carve and serve. No matter which From panettone to pralines: nuts add taste texture By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Lifestyle Editor Good for you and good tasting, nuts are an essen tial for holiday baking. If you’re looking for some gift recipes, look no further. With these you can use wal nuts, pecans or hazelnuts, and there’s even a good one for macadamias. California Walnut and Cranberry Panettone From Nonna’s kitchen. A traditional Italian holi day specialty, panettone is derived from pane di Toni, or “Tony’s bread,” from the Italian servant who, in a pinch, improvised a high round cake with pieces of candied fruit, raisins and nuts. Gather your friends and family and wow them with the walnuts in this easy new holiday classic. 1/2 cup dried cranber ries 3 tablespoon Cointreau 1 pkg. traditional dry yeast 1/2 cup warm milk 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour 1 tablespoon granulat ed sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 egg yolks 2 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon salt Food t few* K 1*" {I jk u ij IB w*. mT dnST" —-—■—' TBi' I _• jkJßft. | Nat'l Cattleman's Beef Association Fennel-crusted roast beef with white beans and argula is made with beef round tip, a more economical cut. roast you choose, you can be sure that the meal will be memorable. Black Tie Beel Boast 1 beef rib roast (2 to 4 ribs), small end, chine (back) bone removed (6 to 8 pounds) Salt Chopped fresh pars ley (optional) Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes (recipe fol lows) Seasoning: 3 tablespoons freshly grated orange peel 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon coarse grind black pepper See BEEF, page 4C 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour 1/4 cup ground California Walnuts 3 tablespoon butter, softened 2 tablespoon canola oil 1/2 cup chopped California Walnuts, toasted 1 egg yolk lightly beat en with 1 tablespoon water Coarse sugar In small bowl, combine cranberries with Cointreau. Let sit 1 hour and up to 1 day. Meanwhile, combine yeast and milk in large bowl of a heavy stand mixer. Let stand until yeast has dis solved, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and sugar. Mix on low speed [or by hand] until combined. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in warm place about 1-1/2 hours, or until doubled in volume. In bowl of mixer, whisk together remaining sugar, egg, yolks, orange zest, salt, flour and ground wal nuts. Add to dough and mix until dough comes together. Knead by hand for 7 min utes or on low speed with a hook for 4 minutes, until dough is smooth. Knead in butter, oil, cranberries and walnuts just until incorpo rated [dough will be slight ly sticky]. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1-1/2 hours. mji Nat'l Cattleman's Beef Association Served with chocolate-port sauce and goat cheese mashed potatoes, this dish from the Georgia Beef Board will make a spectacular Christmas Eve or Christmas Day pre sentation. >leholpmuPn Grease a 26-oz panettone mould or grease and line six 6-oz ramekins with 6-inch high parchment paper. Punch the dough down and place in mould or divide into ramekins. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in vol ume. Brush panettone with yolk mixture and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Top with walnut halves. Bake on middle rack of a 375 F [l9O C] oven, about 45 minutes for a single loaf and 15 min utes for individual loaves or until deep golden and knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Unmould and cool completely on rack before serving. Makes 6 individual panettones. Source: California Walnut Commission SECTION c Toffee Georgia Pecan Cookies The recipe was creat ed for the Georgia Pecan Commission by Executive Baker Derek Short, eat- Zi’s Gourmet Market and Bakery, Chicago, Illinois Makes thirty-two 3-ounce cookies 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft ened 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, tight ly packed 6 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups chocolate-cov ered toffee pieces 3 cups Georgia pecan pieces, lightly toasted Heat oven to 325 F. Using mixer with paddle attach ment, beat butter and both sugars until light and creamy. Gradually add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, bak ing powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mix ture. Stir in toffee pieces and pecans. Scoop into 3- ounce portions (scant 1/3- cup), 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking See NUTS, page 4C