November 2020

Leaders of Sarasota’s vibrant arts and philanthropy community share secrets of how they enjoy the holiday season at home! 

Cranberry Orange Mimosa Bellini

To make a single cocktail:

Pour 2 ounces of cranberry juice and 1 ounce of orange juice into a champagne flute. Add Champagne or Prosecco to fill the glass. Finish with a cranberry and orange slice.

To make a pitcher:

Pour 2 cups of cranberry juice and 1 cup of orange juice into a pitcher. Pour in a bottle of Champagne or Prosecco. Garnish with a cranberries and orange slices.

“This delicious beverage may not be as inspiring as a fruitcake or a glazed ham, but it surely helps make the holidays merrier and brighter! Prosecco, with many brands to choose from, is an excellent way to celebrate an occasion or just relax after a challenging day of producing live theater in the age of Covid-19.”

—Submitted by Jeffery Kin,  Producing Artistic Director
The Players Centre For Performing Arts

Buttaggi’s Baked Oatmeal

(Note: this recipe is quite flexible. any kind of oats or fruit—dried or fresh—works.)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups oatmeal 
• 4 eggs or egg beaters 
• ¼ cup oil 
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 cups milk (soy or 1%) 
• 1 cup flax seed 
• 2 apples, chopped 
• 2 pears, chopped 
• 1 cup dried fruit 
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
• Blend all ingredients and spread into a greased 9” x 13” baking pan to a thickness of ¾” to 1”. Depending on variation in the fruit used, you may have excess oatmeal mix. Do not increase the thickness, but rather bake the excess in a separate baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Note that each batch will be unique as the fruit and nuts are varied. 
• Freeze in single portion sizes. Unwrap and heat a portion on high in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add fresh fruit, honey and/or milk as desired. 
• Indulge and enjoy!

“2020 is certainly a year that calls for comfort food….and a frequent batch of Buttaggi’s Baked Oatmeal.  We adapted this recipe from another Sarasotan, Anne Yeager.  Over the years, batches have been delivered to friends and family who were recovering from surgery or just needed a healthy bundle of caring calories.”

—Submitted by Debra M. Jacobs Buttaggi, President and CEO
The Patterson Foundation

Italian Noodle Bake

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1 medium size can of tomato paste
• 1 large can of tomato sauce
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Italian seasoning
• 1 bundle of green onions
• 1 pint of sour cream
• 2 8-oz containers of cream cheese
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 2 large bags of egg noodles
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1 medium-size bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
• In large mixing bowl, add whipped cream cheese and sour cream, diced green onion stalks and sugar. Stir ingredients together until they are mixed evenly, with a consistency almost like icing. 
• Put into refrigerator to cool until meat and noodles are cooked. 
• In a large skillet, pour half a cup of olive oil into skillet and add diced onion, garlic, and ground meat. 
• Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. 
• Turn stove to medium heat and sauté meat until brown, then add tomato paste and tomato sauce to meat and stir until onion and garlic are done. 
• Add a little sugar to keep sauce from being bitter and more salt, and season to taste. 
• Turn sauce down to cook on low heat while you take a big boiling pot and fill with water, half cup of olive oil and salt. 
• When water begins to boil, add egg noodles and cook until they are done. 
• Pour cold water over noodles then strain off water. 
• Take a large baking pan and spread a little olive oil or butter on surface. Spoon into the bottom of pan a layer of egg noodles – cover the entire bottom of your pan until no pan surface is peeking through the noodles. 
• On top of the noodles, take a large strainer spoon and put a layer of meat mixer over the noodles, covering the entire layer of noodles.
• Take cream mixture out of refrigerator and, with a large spoon, put a layer of mixture over the layer of meat, then another layer of egg noodles over the cream mixture. Spread what is left of your meat (If any) over the top of the noodles.
• Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. When noodles begin to brown on the edges during the last 10 minutes of baking time, pull oven rack out and sprinkle mozzarella cheese to taste over top of the casserole and return to the oven until cheese melts. Take the pan out of oven, let cool and serve with garlic bread and a salad. 
• Serves 8 

“One of my favorite dishes to cook during the holidays is actually not a soul food dish. My mother worked as a cook for the local Catholic Church in my hometown of Daytona Beach, Florida. She pulled me into our kitchen one day and taught me how to cook one of the recipes the priests taught her to cook for them at the church. It quickly became a favorite of my brothers and mine. I still cook this dish often for my family as well as the actors who don’t get to spend the holidays with their families because they’re working at the theatre in one of my shows.”

“I share this delicious recipe as a tribute to my mother, Mrs. Vetta Mae Jacobs, one the best cooks I have ever known!”

—Submitted by Nate Jacobs, Founder and Artistic Director
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

Rouladen

Ingredients:

• 12-14 top round steaks, thin sliced (some stores sell them already sliced)
• 1 medium-large onion, sliced
• kosher dill pickles, halved then sliced vertically
• bacon slices, cut horizontally into ½ inch slices
• 3 or 4 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon salt and pepper approximately
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon Maggi liquid seasoning
• 1 to 2 cups water, approximately 
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ container sliced fresh mushrooms (or more if you like)
• ½ chopped bunch parsley

Instructions:

• Lightly sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides of meat.
• Starting at one end of each piece of meat, place a bit of onion slices, a bit of sliced dill pickle, and a bit of bacon.
• Roll the meat and stick a tooth pick it to hold in place.
• Heat large skillet on medium and with oil and place rouladen in to brown.
• Roll slightly to brown on sides. Take tooth picks out and continue to brown all around.
• Add a little maggi to each roll.
• When most of the juices have evaporated add 1 cup water, cover and turn heat down to simmer. Add more water if it evaporates befoe meat is done.
• Cook until tender.

Gravy:

• In measuring cup, mix brown gravy packet with flour and 1 cup water.
• Add to skillet with meat. Add sliced or chopped mushrooms and chopped garlic.
• Add very little salt and pepper, if needed. (Bacon is already salty.)
• Add chopped parsley to taste. Simmer to thicken gravy.

Notes:

• Must be served with mashed potatoes and red cabbage! 
• I use 2 jars of “Aunt Nellie’s” red cabbage, found in market near sauerkraut and beets.

“I chose this dish to honor my father’s German heritage. I learned to cook at a very young age and loved making German dishes to please him. I loved him so much and felt so proud and happy when he enjoyed my food. This was one of his and my dear mother’s favorite dishes and mine too. 

Hope you enjoy!”

—Submitted by Dolly Jacobs-Reis, Founder and Vice President
The Circus Arts Conservatory

Brandied Sweet Potato Souffle

(from Betty Rosbottom’s Cooking School Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 6 large eggs, separated
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup half and half
• ¼ cup brandy
• Salt to taste
• Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Scrub the sweet potatoes and bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.  Cool, peel, and puree the potatoes in a food processor.
• Transfer the pureed potatoes to a mixing bowl, and add the brown sugar, butter, cream cheese, egg yolks, spices, half and half and brandy.  Mix well.  Taste, and add salt as desired.  (The soufflé base can be made several hours in advance; keep covered and refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before baking.)
• When you are ready to bake the soufflé, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold them into the potato mixture.
• Pour the mixture into a buttered 13 x 9-inch baking dish.  Bake until hot and slightly puffed, 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. 

“This Brandied Sweet Potato Souffle has been a family favorite since the 1990s. Every Thanksgiving it is the most popular item on the table. For years, our children have bragged to their friends about this special holiday dish and argued over who gets the last portion.”

—Submitted by Dr. Larry Thompson, 
President, Ringling College Art and Design
and his wife, Patricia Thompson

Michael’s Martini

Ingredients:

• Sliced cucumber
• Citrus juice
• 2 ounces Vodka or Gin
• Martini Shaker
• ½ ounce symple syrup
• Basil for garnish

Instructions:

• In a shaker, muddle together sliced cucumber and a squeeze of citrus juice.
• Fill shaker with ice and add 2 ounces of vodka (or gin) plus ½ ounce of simple syrup.
• Shake and strain into a martini glass.
• Garnish with a cucumber slice and a basil leaf.

“Shake it up—and enjoy!”

Submitted by Michael Donald Edwards, Producing Artistic Director
Asolo Repertory Theatre

Traditional Latkes
(Potato Pancakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), cleaned and cut lengthwise into quarters
• 1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt), plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Safflower or other oil, for frying

Instructions:

• Using a box grater or food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Put the mixture in a dishtowel and squeeze to wring out as much of the liquid as possible. If you want crispy latkes, and you do, this is important!
• Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
• Pour about 1/4 inch of the oil into a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot (a little bit of potato mixture placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the potato mixture into the hot pan. Cook in batches allowing enough room between the latkes to be flipped. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the potato mixture into circles. 
• When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. 
• Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve with sour cream, applesauce,
  and love!

“The smell of latkes frying not only reminds me of my own childhood, but Chanukah celebrations with my own children. The glow of the candles on the menorah, the cries of victory and anguish while playing dreidel, and, most importantly, time together as a family are all warm and loving memories.

During this time of COVID, whether together in person or virtually, continuing our respective traditions is more important than ever. These activities – big and small – strengthen the bonds with our loved ones during these difficult times.”

Submitted by Philip Tavill, CEO
Children First