Independent Arts News Reporting 
Pictured Above: L: Artist Belgium artist, Rene Magritte. R: Belgian Art-Inspired Brussels Sprouts. Photo Credits: The Magritte Foundation; Mandee K. Hammerstein for Arts News Now.
Your Kitchen, Your Studio - Finding the Art in your Food this Holiday
By: Arts News Now Contributors, Louise Feder, Lori Goldstein, Mandee K. Hammerstein
December 19, 2024.
For the second year, Arts News Now contributors offers up their fun and straightforward, holiday dishes where the kitchen becomes the studio, just in time for the holidays and yummy treat sharing!
Belgian Art-Inspired Brussels Sprouts, A Cast Iron Casserole
by Mandee K. Hammerstein
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 8-10
By Mandee K. Hammerstein
Pictured Above: Mandee K. Hammerstein’s Belgian Art-Inspired Brussels Sprouts Cast Iron Casserole. Photo Credit: Mandee K. Hammerstein.
Founder and Editor of Arts News Now shares her perfect hostess side dish, with a hint of Belgium art history. Who knows, it may also serve as a conversation piece for your next holiday gathering!
As I jot down my Brussels Sprouts recipe, it leads me to some fun research, I love continuing to connect how food can serve as nourishment and inspiration—much like art.
Belgium, the birthplace of Brussels sprouts since the 1200s, has also gifted the world artistic treasures. Inspired by this recipe, I found myself diving into Belgian art history for a quick refresher. Renowned for its artistic legacy, I was reminded of masters like Jan van Eyck, celebrated for his luminous, naturalistic portrayals of contemplative expressions, to surrealists like René Magritte, whose dreamlike works—think floating bowler hats—challenge perception and delight the imagination. (And who doesn’t love the thought of a smart, vintage hat to keep warm during the holidays?) So while my holiday dish wasn’t directly influenced by a specific artist, the swirls of colors and textures that moved with my wooden spoon as I cooked reminded me of any given Cy Twombly canvas—mostly untitled yet full of movement, color, and expression, but I digress, as he was not Belgian.
With its seasonal flavors and colors this casserole simply makes for an easy, festive, and yummy holiday presentation! I also learned—as an added bonus—that Brussels Sprouts are nutritional powerhouses packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and vitamins C and K. (Another tip: Cooking them enhances those Omegas threefold!) Now, it can serve as a conversation piece in a couple ways, too!
OK, here’s how to start our own veggie “masterpiece”:
Cooking Notes:
While stirring and watching the colors in my pan morph, I truly enjoyed finding beauty in the moment—whether in food, art, or both—it brings a certain joy to holiday traditions and also makes for great nerdy banter. Serve this dish at your next potluck, and who knows? You might inspire a new perspective on Brussels Sprouts—and maybe even a little art history.
Happy Holidays, and enjoy savoring the art this holiday season!
Lori Goldstein’s “Go-To” – Tori Avey’s Sweet Potato Latkes with Brown Sugar Syrup and Cayenne Candied Pecans
by Lori Goldstein
Servings: 16
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1-hour & 30 minutes
Total Time: 1-hour & 45 minutes
Pictured Above: Tori Avey’s sweet potato latkes – Lori Goldstein’s “go-to” holiday dish. Photo Credit: ToriAvey.com
Music Features Writer Lori shares her “go-to” sweet potato latkes recipe by Tori Avey – just in time for Hanukkah family parties!
Whenever I want to find an exceptional recipe for a Jewish holiday, I turn to Tori Avey, a contemporary chef who belongs in the top-tier of bakers, right up there with the legendary Maida Heatter, the “Queen of Cake.” For this year’s Hanukkah family party, I’ve decided to try Tori’s over-the-top sweet potato latkes, with sinfully rich brown sugar syrup and candied pecans.
Ingredients: Latkes
- 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs (regular or panko style)
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- Olive, grapeseed or peanut oil (for frying)
Brown Sugar Syrup
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
Cayenne Candied Pecan
- 2 cups raw pecans (you can sub walnuts, almonds, or any other nut you prefer)
- 1 large egg white
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Notes:
You will also need for latkes: Sheet tray or wire cooling rack, paper towels, mixing bowls, food processor or hand grater, colander, cheesecloth or clean tea towel, large skillet You will also need for brown sugar syrup: small saucepan, whisk. You will also need for candied pecans: Mixing bowls, whisk, slotted spoon, baking sheet, aluminum foil or silicone baking sheet, food processor (optional).
Instructions:
1. Before you begin making the latkes, place your wire cooling rack or a sheet tray lined with paper towels close to the area where you will be frying the latkes.
Peel the potatoes, then grate them using a hand grater or food processor shredding attachment with fine holes (small shreds). I really recommend using the food processor, it saves a ton of time.
2. Place potato shreds in the center of a clean tea towel or multiple layers of cheesecloth. Wrap the shreds up in the cloth, twisting the cloth to secure the bundle, and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid from the shreds. Pour potato into the clean, dry bowl.
3. While oil is heating, stir the breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, potato starch, salt, cinnamon and curry powder into the potato shreds. Take care to make sure the egg and seasonings are fully mixed throughout the potato shreds. Let the mixture rest for 10-15 minutes.
4. Pour oil into skillet to a depth of 1/8 inch. Heat slowly over medium to about 365 degrees F. Scoop up 4 tablespoons of the potato mixture. I do this by using a ¼ cup measuring cup.
5. Squeeze the mixture firmly in your palm over an empty dish to remove any excess liquid (if you squeezed the potatoes out thoroughly in the cloth, you may not have much excess liquid to squeeze out). Shape the potato mixture into a tightly compacted disk.
Place the disk carefully into the hot oil. Latkes can break apart at this point, they’re very delicate. If you can get them into the hot oil in one piece, chances are they will stick together–frying them is like the “glue” that holds them together. It takes a gentle touch, and it may take you some practice to get the “feel” for it.
6. The oil should sizzle but not pop when the latke hits it; if the oil jumps wildly or smokes, it is too hot. If it only bubbles weakly, the oil is not hot enough. Use the first latke to test the oil temperature, and don’t fry a whole batch until the temperature is right.
Continue shaping the latkes in this way, using 4 tablespoons of potato mixture for each latke. Fry in a few separate batches, but be sure not to crowd the pan, for 2-3 minutes per side till brown and crispy. Note: If your latkes aren’t holding together, stir more potato starch into the mixture, 2 teaspoons at a time, till the batter “holds.” You can also add another egg to the mixture and more panko, if needed.
7. Remove the latkes from the pan using metal spatula and place them on a wire cooling rack or a sheet tray lined with paper towels to drain (I prefer a wire cooling rack, which helps to keep them more crisp).
I recommend serving latkes fresh within 10 minutes of frying them, if your cooking schedule permits. If you need to make them ahead, fry them 4 hours or less before serving. After letting the latkes drain on the wire cooling rack, place them on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet. Leave them at room temperature till ready to reheat. Place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven), until heated through, just prior to serving. Serve latkes sprinkled with sea salt to keep them more savory, or drizzle with Brown Sugar Syrup and Cayenne Candied Pecans for a sweeter treat.
Chocolate Covered Pretzel-Mania
by Louise Feder
Pictured Above: Feature writer Louise Feder’s “Chocolate Covered Pretzel-Mania.” Photo Credit: Louise Feder.
Among the holiday hustle, Arts Features writer Louise Feder shares her holiday routine of yummy and personable gifting, involving lots of yummy chocolate and handmade gift boxes!
Listen, it keeps two adults, an 8-year-old and a 2-year-old all fed and mostly sane during what is always a wonderful but hectic time of the year, so please don’t judge too harshly. Besides, what my super unimaginative menus leave room for is decorating, present prep, and, arguably most importantly, chocolate covered pretzel production lines.
When I was in middle school, I have a really clear memory of my mom getting the good idea of doing white chocolate covered miniature pretzels with tiny white nonpareils as neighbor and teacher gifts. We went to an incredible (now sadly long gone) specialty food shop in Princeton to look for just the right size of nonpareils and acceptable quantities of white chocolate. Each step in the process was cozy, detail oriented, and made us slow down to spend time together preparing something that, in the end, was very simple, but always so good. A treat that’s all about time: not challenging, but slow to make – ideal for holiday playlists and/or a movie playing in the background – that is then gobbled up in a delicious, swift moment.
So, when my husband and I moved to New Hope, chocolate covered pretzels felt like the ideal gift to pop on our neighbors’ porches. We did maybe 5 or 6 boxes, dropped them off, and went home for hot chocolate. Now, having lived in town for over 10 years and added a couple kids to the mix, things have scaled significantly up.
We now average 25 to 30 boxes of chocolate covered pretzels each year. Usually with three types of chocolates and at least 5 different types of sprinkles/toppings. If there’s time, I hand make the boxes. It’s a little ridiculous.
They take over our dining room table and every available surface in the kitchen, row upon row of little salty and sweet crispy knots. You can always tell when my son has tapped in to help, just glancing at the wobbly line up (he’s heavy handed with the chocolate) versus when my daughter “helps” (look for telling empty spaces and a trail of sprinkles). By the end of it, my back hurts, somebody’s burnt a finger, there are little globs of nonpareil encrusted chocolate dotting the counter top. We probably have to order take out for dinner, because there’s nowhere to cook while the things dry. It’s very silly and I love it so much.
As far as directions go, all you really need are a couple enormous bags of mini pretzels, a few bags of chocolate chips (yes, you can get the proper little melting chocolate nibs, but I never bother), and toppings of your choice (sprinkles, nonpareils, chopped nuts, etc.). Line your work surface with tin foil, parchment, or wax paper. Put your topping in a bowl. Melt the chocolate chips a cup or so at a time either with a double boiler on the stove top or, if you’re a non-gourmet like me, in a glass container in the microwave, stirring every 15-20 seconds or so. Dunk the pretzels first in the chocolate, then in the topping, then place it on your prepared work surface. Repeat until you run out of toppings, chocolate, pretzels, or patience.
If you’re a true glutton for punishment, try making your own boxes like these – they really aren’t so hard, and look super cute all lined up at the end. Mismatched tops and bottoms encouraged; old calendar pages preferred for this end of year holiday craft. Happy pretzeling!
Pictured Above: Feature writer Louise Feder’s hand-made gift boxes for presenting her chocolate presents. Photo Credit: Louise Feder.
Wishing you the happiest of holidays, happy creative cooking & celebrating, from Arts News Now!
Pictured Above: A fun selfie of the Arts News Now contributors following their 2024 Holiday dinner in New Hope. (Lori Goldstein not pictured). Photo Credit: Louise Feder.
