This Monday and Tuesday, the holiday season will culminate as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Besides "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," the Christmas story that stands out in my mind is "A Christmas Carol." The iconic and period tale from long ago leads me to create this week's recipe.
Many people know the classic Charles Dickens story, set in mid 1800s England. In the story, an old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, changes his ways after a visit from the spirit of his business partner and the spirits of Christmas past, present and future.
The story has endured through the telling and retelling with different interpretations since it was first published. In fact, the Internet Movie Data Base lists more than 50 film and television productions of the story. There was the classic movie version and many animated versions. A comedic take starred Bill Murray. Susan Lucci played the lead character of "Ebbie" in a 1995 role reversal version. I even saw a production at Mills College in which women played the Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit characters in a domestic partnership.
Although there have been different versions, the part of the story I never liked was the appearance of the ghost.
When I was very young, this part of the story terrified me. I had nightmares about how the ghosts were going to come and "get me." Christmas Eve was the worst - not only did I worry about ghosts, I couldn't stand the idea of a man in a red suit coming into the house. I would cozy up to the wall, pull the blankets over my head and hold my stuffed animal tight.
There is one specific line from just about every version of the movie that stands out in my mind. It is what Scrooge blames for seeing the ghosts. He insists that the ghosts were a figment of his imagination and nothing more than "an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese." These ingredients have now become the makings to this year's grilled Christmas appetizer, Humbug Bites.
I finalized the idea for the Humbug bites after my aunt left behind cocktail bread during Thanksgiving. After adding the cheese and roast beef to the bread, a little mustard is the finishing touch. The mini bites are placed on an indoor grill press and the lid is closed. It only takes a few minutes for the bread to toast and become crisp, the beef to warm and the cheese to melt. To add a little flair in presentation, the squares may be cut in half at two opposite corners to make triangles.
Humbug Bites are a quick and easy to make appetizers. I can't guarantee you will see ghosts with the beef, mustard and cheese in this sandwich, but Humbug Bites will make their presence known for a short time - just like the ghosts.
I wish you and your family a very happy and safe Christmas!
1 package of small cocktail bread, 44 total slices
1/3 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
1/3 pound thinly sliced cheddar cheese
Mustard
Butter
Step 1: Butter one side of each piece of cocktail bread. To make assembly very easy, arrange 22 pieces of the cocktail bread in an assembly line.
Step 2: Place a small piece of cheese on each slice followed by a little roast beef. Finish the mini bites by spreading a little mustard on the non-buttered side of bread. Place the mustard slide of the bread on top of the roast beef.
Step 3: After warming your indoor grill press according to manufactures directions, place the mini bites close together on the grill so many will fit on at once. Close the grill cover and allow the mini bites to grill for about three minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese has become soft and melted.
Step 4: After removing the mini bites from the grill, they may be cut in half at the corner so that they go further and are more attractive when they are served.
Mitch Mariani Mitch L. Mariani II is a self-taught amateur chef. Questions, comments and suggestions can be directed to him via e-mail at mixedgrillsouthvalley@yahoo.com. For tips and recipes, visit www.geocities.com/mixedgrillsouthvalley. His column runs weekly.
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