Crinella Family Cookbook
Our Grandparents' Favorites
Anti Pasti
Soups
Salads
Pasta
Vegetables
Fish
Poultry
Meat
Wild Game
Sweets
Brunch or Luncheon Dishes
Odds & Ends
Sour Dough
Other Breads ETC
Entertaining Ideas
Table of Contents
People
Family Photos
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Holiday Treats
Christmas in Sonoma County was a happy time. My brother and I were
raised in Petaluma, the small town noted for fanciful Victorian
buildings which were always beautifully decorated at that time of
the year. From Thanksgiving on there were many parties and the season
always ended with the annual New Year's Eve Ball which our parents
chaperoned. In between, we shopped in San Francisco, attended
the opera at least once, and paid calls with our parents to their
friends. At these times, pannetone, an Italian Christmas bread was
always served with
coffee and sometimes with a little glass of wine or cognac for the
men. Pannetone is festive but not too rich.
Long before The French Laundry appeared in Napa County, Sonoma County
was known throughout the world for its rustic Italian cooking. People
would drive for hundreds of miles to have lunch or dinner at one of the
restaurants, most often in Occidental where Mary Pannizera owned the
Union Hotel probably the best known
restaurant in Northern California. She was one of the
greatest food authorities of the time.
Here is the recipe Mary gave to my mother:
During the season, it is nice to have a few treats on hand for
unexpected guests. This is a wonderful recipe and is very easy to
make.
It comes from the Swiss Italian border.
During the holidays every now and then you will need a very light but
elegant dessert. This recipe is also very easy.
You can serve it with some sliced fruit or a cookie or just plain.
The wine you serve should be the same that you used in the custard.
I wish you and yours a happy holiday season.
Ramona Crinella
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