Tia Keenan

Aligot | Tuber Fondue Traditional: Cantal, Laguiole, Tomme d’Auvergne Substitutions: Spring Brook Farm Reading, Grafton Village Truffle Cheddar

Cottage cheese was a favorite of early colonial settlers, who made it at home in their “cottages.” I especially love it with warm egg noodles, a habit formed as a kid in my own home and at the homes of Jewish friends, where it was served as kugel. Over the years, I’ve gussied up the basic concept by adding creme fraiche, leeks melted in butter, and a sizable amount of dill (by far my favorite fresh herb). Lemon zest lends brightness, and a flurry of creamy feta adds salt and soul. My cottage-cheese-and-noodle dish is “good enough for company”—as my grandmother would say—while still satisfying my nostalgic craving.

You’ll need bacon, Ritz crackers, sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, chocolate chips   File under “Things You Should Only Eat Once a Year.” Ritz Cracker Bacon Brickle is an over-the-top sweet, salty, and crunchy confection perfect for Winnimere and Boxing Day parties.   In a nonstick medium sauté pan, cook 4 chopped bacon slices (I use Vermont Smoke & Cure Maple Brined Thick Sliced Bacon) over medium heat until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain. Reserve the rendered fat in the pan.   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square cake pan with aluminum foil, leaving extra foil overhanging the edges. Put 25 Ritz crackers in a single layer in the prepared pan, completely covering the bottom of the pan.   In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and the reserved bacon fat and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook until the mixture turns light brown and has a nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and the bacon.   Pour the sugar mixture over the crackers and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips over the hot brickle. Return to the oven and bake until the chocolate has completely melted, about 2 minutes. Smooth the chocolate out with a heatproof spatula and cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the brickle from the pan by the edges of the foil. With the foil still in place, wrap the brickle tightly in plastic wrap and freeze overnight. The following day, carefully peel away the foil, wrap the brickle in plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to serve. Break the brickle into serving size pieces and serve frozen.   Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.

You’ll need high-heat frying oil such as canola, grapeseed, or peanut, watercress, egg yolks, cake flour, cornstarch, lemon, dry-cured black olives.   Like Belgian endive, watercress is an assertive, bitter green, though heartier than endive and with a peppery bite. The double-whammy richness of Rush Creek paired with tempura is admittedly excessive, but the tempura’s crisp texture contrasts the creamy cheese, and the bitter tones of watercress and lemon rein in the richness. Dry-cured black olives are little bullets of concentrated, salty umami flavor.   In a heavy-bottomed pot with high sides, heat 2 cups oil over medium heat to 350°F. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese, vegetables, and tempura batter. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Clean and thoroughly dry 1 large bunch watercress. Wrap a room-temperature Rush Creek Reserve in aluminum foil. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is molten. It should be ready to eat at about the same time as the tempura.   In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup ice, then divide into 1 cup chilled water and 1/4 cup ice cubes.   Place 2 egg yolks in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup cake flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, the chilled water, and the ice cubes and mix lightly with chopsticks. Don’t overmix; it’s okay if some pockets of dry flour remain.   Spread 1/2 cup cake flour on a baking sheet and line a second baking sheet with paper towels. Position the bowl of batter near the hot oil.   Toss one-quarter of the watercress in the cake flour, making sure the flour sticks to the watercress. Shake off excess flour, toss through the batter to coat, and place in the hot oil. Drizzle a bit of batter on top of the frying watercress using chopsticks—this will help achieve the crispy, lacy tempura. Fry until the bottom of the watercress is golden, about 2 minutes, then turn with chopsticks or a slotted spoon and fry for another minute or two. Transfer to the paper towel–lined baking sheet, spritz with lemon juice, and season very, very lightly with kosher salt. Fry the remaining watercress in three batches.   Add 1/2 cup pitted oil-cured black olives to the remaining batter and fry two or three at a time (the olives may cluster together, which is fine), turning with a slotted spoon, until the batter is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel–lined baking sheet. Serve both tempuras immediately.