17 Dec 19th-Dec 25th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Family Meal Phoenix chefs share what they’re cooking this Christmas. BY GEORGANN YARA T he holidays allow amateur cooks to strut their culinary stuff for family and friends. At many homes, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and decadent pies take the spotlight. But do you ever wonder what ends up on professionals’ festive tables? And, whether it’s any different from yours? We asked three Phoenix chefs to share their holiday food traditions – past and present – along with recipes to try at home. Chef Matt Carter The Mission, Fat Ox and Zinc Bistro For Matt Carter, the chef behind The Mission, Fat Ox and Zinc Bistro, childhood holiday meals included the staples of turkey, ham and ambrosia. “It was pretty standard, very tradi- tional,” says Carter, who spent his youth in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Scottsdale. Then professionally, Carter spent 20 years working on holidays, making sure his restaurant guests were well-fed. For his staff, he’d serve Prime rib or guinea hen on Thanksgiving and Chinese takeout on Christmas. In recent years, Carter has been cele- brating the holidays at his father and step- mother’s house, where the competition isn’t reserved for the NFL games on TV. “It’s very competitive. Everyone wants to outdo everyone from last year,” says Carter, who recalls a bacon-wrapped quail on the menu one year. This holiday season, Carter is doing a spread that features porchetta – an elegantly presented stuffed pork roast. “The spices, from fennel to nutmeg to allspice, remind me of the season and are fantastic for the holidays,” Carter says. “I serve it with a pear or quince mostarda, which is in season and goes well.” He’s also doing creamed spinach garnished with crispy shallots and an herbaceous salsa verde. Matt Carter’s Creamed Spinach • 10 ounces frozen spinach, chopped, drained • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 shallots, shaved paper thin • 1/4-cup micro planed or finely grated parmesan • 1/3-cup each mozzarella, *béchamel with extra nutmeg, heavy cream, sour cream and ricotta cheese • Pinch of controne chile • Salt and pepper *Béchamel is a white sauce that is made of butter, flour and milk. Using equal parts butter and flour, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Then add milk and seasonings. Many cookbooks and online sources will have a detailed recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute garlic and shallot on medium heat until slightly caramelized. Add cream and spinach, and reduce by half. Stir in mozzarella, béchamel and sour cream. Season with salt, pepper and controne chile to taste. Pour into a casserole or cast iron dish. Dot the top with spoonfuls of ricotta. Cover with parmesan. Bake until bubbly, broiling if needed to caramelize the parmesan on top. Chef Lori Hashimoto Hana Japanese Eatery While she owns and operates Hana Japanese Eatery, chef Lori Hashimoto’s holiday meals growing up were loaded with turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas, with the occasional Prime rib. “When my great-grandparents came here, it was to assimilate and fit in and we always did the standard, really American dishes,” Hashimoto says. But when it came to New Year’s, it was a different story. Hashimoto has fond and vivid memories of celebrating at her grand- mother’s house with an array of eye- catching dishes, like pink manju – a sweet Japanese treat of pounded mochi containing a sweet bean filling – along with sushi rolls, tofu rice pockets and sashimi. The most distinct dish was Ozoni, a traditional Japanese New Year mochi soup. It contained gobo, a root vegetable that only her uncle, who brought it from California, could peel while wearing gloves. The word was that it made your hands itchy. Hashimoto thinks it was a rumor to discourage the kids from touching everything. “That was always my favorite. We only had it at New Year’s, so to me, that was the signal for New Year’s,” Hashimoto says. There were other signatures of the holiday season. For example, her grand- mother’s giblet stuffing and her dad’s go-to mashed potatoes, made with heavy cream and lots of butter. “My mom always said that traditions are imprinted in food,” Hashimoto says, “and the memories of people that were there with you.” A holiday recipe that is near and dear to Hashimoto’s heart is her family’s fried wontons, which were reserved for big holi- days and celebratory events throughout the year. “It seems Chinese, but this is more of a Japanese-American dish-style wonton,” she says. Lori Hashimoto’s Fried Wontons • 2 pounds ground pork, beef or a mix • 3/4-cup green onion • 2 tablespoons ginger, grated or chopped • 2-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce • 2 tablespoons sesame oil • 1/2-teaspoon pepper • 1/2- teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon sugar • 1 teaspoon sake • Wonton wrappers Combine the beef or pork with all other ingredients except the wonton wrappers. Cook the mixture in a pan over medium heat until the meat is cooked through. Place a spoonful of the mixture in the middle of the flat wonton skin. Fold into a triangle using water to seal the edges shut. Fry at 325 degrees until golden brown. Lay on a paper towel-covered plate to absorb excess oil. Chef Matt Carter’s holiday feast gets a little competitive. Wow your family with his recipe for creamed spinach. (Courtesy of Matt Carter) Lori Hashimoto is the chef and owner of Hana Japanese Eatery. While celebrating the holidays and other special events, her family enjoys fried wontons. (Courtesy of Hana Japanese Eatery) >> p 19 ▼ Food & Drink
