Holiday Newsletter 2008

Letter from the Chef. “Over the river & through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go.” As a little girl this was my favorite Thanksgiving song, one that mother and I sang on the drive from Livingston, Texas to Shreveport, Louisiana to my grandmother's house for Thanksgiving Dinner. Little did I know that thirty some-odd years later, while writing a book on women intellectuals that included Lydia Maria Childe, I would discover that this early American writer, intellectual, & abolitionist penned these lyrics. Her poem calls us back to a simpler time of childhood or perhaps what we would have liked our childhood to be. This nostalgic yearning for sleigh rides, dinner at grandma & grandpa’s, for a wind that “stings the toes & bites the nose” is the atmosphere we at the Yancey House strive to create when you dine with us, not only during the holidays but every day of the year. Perhaps during this holiday season, you will find time to leave behind the hustle & bustle of the world to visit us for a bowl of soup, some lunch & dinner, or one of our many holiday events.

“Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done? Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Lucindy Willis, Ph.D.
Chef, Yancey House Restaurant

Holiday Events

November 5, Wed. 9:30 a.m. Caswell Book Club. This month’s selection: The Spirit Catches You & You Fall Down /Anne Fadiman. For info, call Janie Leigh at 336.388.5738.

Thanksgiving 2008. On November 27, YH presents a Louisiana Thanksgiving serving such dishes as corn chowder, fried oysters, fried turkey, braised pork loin, cornbread stuffing, dirty rice, sweet potatoes, green beans, squash casserole, fresh cranberry relish, rolls, & a variety of desserts. Dinner will be served from 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.. The price is 30. per person, & includes tea or soda. Children 4-8 is $13; children 3 & under free. Reservations required. Call 336.694.4225. Visit yanceyvillage.com

Victorian Christmas Party. Sun., December 7 at 7 p.m. YanceyVillage Preservation will host their annual Victorian Christmas party featuring the Oakwood Waits, an acapella group from Raleigh dressed in full Victorian regalia. They have appeared at the White House & at the Biltmore. Feast on heavy hors d’oeuvres including rib roast, shrimp, & smoked oyster roll. Open Bar. If this doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit, call yourself Scrooge. All proceeds go to support community projects for Caswell children & are tax deductible. Tickets 65. /person. 130./couple. To make your donation call 336.694.4225.

Holiday Tea. Sunday, November 30 & December 14, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Struggling to find a unique holiday gift idea for grandmother, mom, aunt, daughter, or special friend? Looking for a way to recover from Black Friday’s holiday shopping frenzy? Join us for a three course holiday tea w/ fresh fruit, scones, sandwiches, & a delightful array of desserts. Sip cups of hot chocolate, Tazo tea, or Seattle’s Best coffee. Cost is 23. (price includes both tax & gratuity). Reservations required. 336.694.4225. If you like you can come by the YH Restaurant & Gallery & pick up a gift certificate for holiday giving.

Breakfast with Santa, December 6, Sat. 8:30 a.m. Skip the malls this year & come have breakfast with Santa at the Yancey House. Children 12 & under $11. / adults $15 (includes tax & gratuity). Limited seating. Reservations required. 336.694.4225.

Catering. In addition to hosting your holiday gatherings, we can also prepare trays for office & home parties. Visit our catering website for more information about holiday trays or call Lucindy at 336.694.4225.

We now sell our daily soups by the pint and offer Yancey To Go pans of bread pudding, cheesecakes, triple chocolate cakes, pies, brownies, crab dip, as well as other dishes to help you round out your holiday gatherings at home. If you would like help planning an office party either at YH or your place of business, we can do that as well.

After Christmas caroling or viewing the lights in Casville, join us for dessert & hot chocolate or perhaps a holiday country special offered Tuesday-Thursday evenings in December.

Food News for November & December
Lunch. Individual chicken pot pies are back by popular demand. In addition, we now feature home-made not-pimento cheese (I make it with roasted red bell peppers rather than pimentos) grilled panini & a not-pimento cheese burger. Fresh carrot juice, anyone?

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Night Country Specials. Have family coming for the holidays? Consider our Holiday Country Style which will be offered from Dec. 2 – 31. For 16. enjoy turkey, home-made cranberry relish, brisket, squash casserole, and 3 vegetables. Served w/ iced tea and salad. In Oct. & Nov. dine on the regular country style for $12.50. It includes iced tea, salad, Texas brisket, grilled chicken, & veggies.

Texas Gulf Shrimp on the Friday Night “Endless” Seafood Platter. 24. Design your own platter—oysters, catfish, & our new Texas-Louisiana Gulf shrimp—served with french fries, house-made hushpuppies, & coleslaw. For reservations, call 336.694.4225.

Holiday Recipe: Ethereal Mushrooms. The perfect dish for cocktail party. I have been making ethereal mushrooms every holiday of my married life. The recipe is adapted from one found in an old copy of the Shreveport Louisiana Junior League’s Revel Cookbook. In a crock pot, place 2 sticks unsalted butter, 2 cups burgundy or any good red wine, ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp. dill seed, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder (not garlic salt), 2 c. boiling water, 2 each of beef bouillon & chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to boil. Add 3 lbs of button mushrooms. Simmer for several hours until they turn dark. Chef Notes: 1) Do not add any salt. The bouillon makes it salty enough. 2) Use a decent bottle of wine . . . one that you would be willing to drink. In fact, I usually cook with the wine I plan to serve with the dish I am preparing. 3) To serve, put in a chafing dish, sprinkle with a sprinkling of parsley & offer a bowl of toothpicks or small skewers.

For more information about upcoming musical & special events, visit our website at www.yanceyvillage.com. To subscribe to the Yancey House Newsletter & receive monthly updates, send an email to lucindy@yanceyvillage.com