Cathy Katavich
Cathy received her culinary training at CIA, Culinary Institute of
America, at both Greystone (Napa) and Hyde Park, NY. She man-
aged Research and Development for Gilroy Foods and in the past ten
years she was involved in their frozen vegetable business, heading up
Business Development, Sales and Marketing.
Cathy's KITCHEN
For Your Holidays
Traditional Eats
Christmas is a holiday built around tradition. From the very beginning, Christmas has been dedicated to family and giving and of course food!
My family’s holiday food tradition has evolved from a combination of my upbringing in Pennsylvania Dutch country coupled with my hus-
band’s Croatian and Italian heritage. Unlike Thanksgiving, where the familiar Roasted Turkey is always on the table, the “main course” for our
Christmas feast is now subject to debate and conversation. Will it be turkey, pheasant, duck, Cornish game hens, lamb, crab, prime rib…?
As a young girl growing up in Pennsylvania, there was no debate! Traditions there were very long-standing. We always had country ham,
turkey, sweet potatoes, oysters, succotash, whipped potatoes, and Jello salad. Oyster stuffing was a necessity, as were scalloped oysters. My
husband’s family served more traditional Italian dishes like Cioppino, on Christmas Eve, and Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Ravioli, which
evolved from the original robin and /or lamb brain filling! Although we still indulge in many of these dishes during the holidays, today my very
California family has settled into our own traditions, with side dishes that include Oyster Stuffing, Scalloped Potatoes with Artichokes, and
Hunter Style Carrots. These are almost always at both our Thanksgiving and Christmas table.
Grandma’s Oyster Stuffing
Stuffi ng is an arena where most people
rarely try something new! We all be-
come attached to stuffi ng we know and
love. Maybe it’s the one with cornbread
and sausage, or spinach and pine nuts,
or oysters! An old-fashioned addition
so rarely seen anymore that we must
wonder how oysters found their way
into stuffi ng to begin with!
At the beginning of the 20th century,
the American Northeast was absolutely
teeming with oysters. The rich ate
them, the poor ate them, the corner bar
of the time was an oyster stand; there
were so many oysters being consumed
that some streets were literally paved
with their shells. As the express wagons
and railroads made it more possible
to transport goods in the mid-19th
century, the oyster market was able to
expand and set off a national oyster
addiction. Fresh, raw oysters were
commonly served in taverns as oysters
were a cheap food to serve with beer
and liquor.
But early in the 20 th century, as
industialization grew, the waters that
were once filled with oysters became
polluted and oyster cultivation
76
minutes. Add in seasonings and bread
cubes. Stir to combine well. Remove
from heat and stir in oysters and parsley.
Season to taste with salt. Stuff into turkey
or pour into buttered casserole dish.
decreased quickly. Fewer oysters meant
expensive oysters, too expensive for a
stuffing add in and a main reason for
the decline in oyster stuffing. But for
many families the holidays wouldn’t
be the same without it!
1½
2
2
1
sticks butter
medium onions, chopped
cups chopped celery
tsp each dried marjoram, thyme,
sage and black pepper
10 cups day old white bread, in ½”
cubes
2 jars, 8-10 oz. each, oysters, drained
and chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven. Add
onions and cook until light golden
brown. Add celery and cook fi ve more
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
december 2018-january 2019
Although not in my Grandmother’s recipe,
I often deglaze the cooked onions and
celery with a bit of dry white wine. If I
have any diced prosciutto leftover from the
carrot recipe below, I’ll add that in to give
a little more depth of fl avor.
Hunter Style Carrots
Carrots are one of the few vegetables
the whole family likes. Carrots have
a natural sweetness and are delicious
raw or cooked. They are also intriguing
when combined with stronger fl avors.
Years ago, I looked for a carrot recipe
that was hearty enough to stand up to
meaty entrees, yet unique and fl avorful
enough to go on the holiday table. This
version of Hunters Carrots, from the
Silver Palate Cookbook, delivers; with
sweetness of cooked carrots and depth
of fl avor from Madeira, prosciutto,
garlic and wild mushrooms.
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