Zach: “I’ve never had plum pudding before.”
Bree: “I’m serving it this year for Christmas. I like to try out new recipes before the actual holiday. That way if the cookbook’s gotten it wrong, I can fix it.”
Zach: “You must really like Christmas. You and Mr. Van De Kamp always have the best decorations on your lawn.”
Bree: “I adore the holidays. I never get depressed if there’s a beautifully decorated tree to look at.”

–Desperate Housewives – Episode 01.05 – Come in, Stranger

We, as consumers, may not notice a thing. But businesses, especially the ones in the retail industry, across the nation are bustling with preparation. Preparing for what? The holidays. Even since the summer they have been getting ready. Right now, they are making finishing touches to their plans. They want to take advantage of the influx of spending that occurs in every holiday season. It starts with Halloween. Then it gets bigger at Thanksgiving. Finally, by Christmas day profits are off the roof.

In the same way, we should be preparing for the holidays. Bree is the epitome of preparedness. She tries her recipes months before the actual event. I know many of us have not done that yet. But it is a good time to start now with the holidays fast approaching. So, go and try that plum pudding recipe!

Part of being a perfect housewife is knowing how to cook at least one decent dish from every major international culture. This dish is derived from the Latin American. Bree could probably learn a thing or two from the real life Gabriel Solis, Eva Longoria. I read in an interview that she makes to-die-for tamales and enchiladas!

I’ve been adjusting and experimenting with this recipe for a couple of months now. It just took so much time and energy to cook it each time! Each batch got a little better until it was just right. After tonight’s batch of delicious filled corn husks, I am finally ready to post it!

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“I remember the easy confidence of her smile the gentle elegance of her hand the refined warmth of her voice.”

–Desperate Housewives – Episode 01.03 – Pretty Little Picture

If you remember at the beginning of Mary Alice’s traditional narration, there is a scene where Bree displays her “gentle elegance” by pouring alcohol on the dinner entree and lighting it.

I’ve seen this performed once in real life in a Greek restaurant. I ordered a side of flaming goat cheese because it just sounded interesting. The waiter poured brandy on the cheese block and lit it. The subsequent flame quickly consumed the liquor and all that was left was sizzling, browned cheese.

I thought that it would be fun to add a “flambé” entree to my cooking repertoire. A flaming entree brings elegance and grandeur to the dish and exhibits the expertise of the cook.

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