Paul Costello
InTracy Pollan‘s life, food runs in the family.
“We’re all used to working together, so we have a natural flow of what happens,” says the actress, 54, who collaborates with her mom, Corky, 85, and sisters Lori, 58, and Dana, 51, every holiday to cook up a family feast.
“My mother is definitely the captain of the ship. She is in charge of the protein. My sisters and I will then divvy up the vegetables and the salad. My sister-in-law will make a dessert. The kids will be involved in mashing potatoes. Everybody has their role.”
Even Pollan’s husband, actorMichael J. Fox, 53, knows where he falls in the chain of command. “I basically stay out of the way,” he jokes. “These guys are hard-core pros in the kitchen. I get the chairs out and I snatch bits of turkey. I’m the turkey burglar.”
At this time of year the Fox family has twice as many reasons to celebrate. “Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Chanukah have a much more central place in our observations, but we still celebrate Christmas,” says Fox, who was raised Anglican while Pollan grew up in a Jewish household. “That’s the beauty of having a blended family,” says Pollan, mother of Sam, 25, Aquinnah and Schuyler, 19, and Esme, 13. “My kids have grown up with every holiday.”
No matter the occasion, however, one tradition remains steadfast: The Pollan women claim the kitchen as their domain. “We end up cooking together because we like the camaraderie,” says Corky. That’s reflected inThe Pollan Family Table, a cookbook filled with tried-and-true recipes that Pollan put together with her mom and sisters this year. (Her foodie brother Michael Pollan wrote the foreword.) “ “For us, the book was like giving recipes to friends,” says Lori. “We wanted to share our favorites.”
Aquinnah and Schuyler’s Chocolate Cream Pie with Chocolate Graham Cracker CrustMakes: 1 (9-inch) pie, about 8 to 10 servings
1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (10 to 12 full sheets)3 tbsp. sugar, divided1/4 tsp. kosher salt5 tbsp. unsalted melted butter, divided4 large pastured eggs1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled2 cups sifted powdered sugar2 tsp. vanilla extract3/4 cup heavy cream, chilledSemi-sweet baking chocolate
–Antoinette Y. Coulton
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source: people.com
