I've been crazy with the holiday rush.  Parties at work, double the reservations and feeling about as un-holiday as possible. Up to my eyeballs with making things that look like this:

Choco buche

I'd like to note here that a good percentage of what you see in the photo is traceable. Not enough for my taste.  It's a tough fight.

Traceable items:

flour

butter

water

chocolate

cocoa

heavy cream

hazelnuts.

I'm especially proud of the flour. It's been a big change in such a big restaurant kitchen. And honestly, the product is SO MUCH better.  Jeez.

This one: Lemon buche

Not as much.

It's the lemon that got tricky. We could get traceable lemons but that runs us a lot of money. Remember, in a restaurant lemons are everywhere.   Tons at the bar, in sauces, desserts and then we're in a hotel.  So yes, room service.  We trace that food as well. Northeast U.S.=no citrus locally.

Big note to my locally based readers:  This Sunday is the last New Amsterdam Marketof the season. It's going to be a doozie.  The theme of the day is fish. So there will be fish mongers and chefs on hand to sell, demo and talk about local fish and what you can trace.

Other key vendors I'm terribly fond of to check out:  Pie Corps: greatest savory pies ever, Bent Spoon: amazing ice cream. Amazing., Liddabit Sweets, local sources confections (like everything  you crave), and my good friends Food and Water Watch out there making sure we still have both.

There are a ton of other vendors there that I like. These are just a few to get you to get your butt down there tomorrow and stock up.

There are also a lot of prepared food so you can hang out and eat and pretend you're at a San Fran farmers only it will actually be cold and wet and really feel like it's Christmas.

Here's one of my favorite eggplant recipes.  Just a reminder that many local farmers use greenhouses this time of year. This one if for ease. Eggplant, spices, salt. That's it and it's so good.

Recipe: Eggplant Curry

Ingredients

5# Japanese eggplant

4 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp dried mango powder

2 T salt

2 T chopped cilantro

Method

1. Wash eggplant. Cut into 1” pieces on the diagonal

2. Heat oil, add eggplant. Add all of the spices and salt. Cover and cook until eggplant is tender.

3. Finish with cilantro.