New Year's Eve with Rwanda Path to Peace and Macy's Culinary Council

A few weeks back, I was offered a chance to review a Rwanda Path to Peace basket via Everywhere Society. I jumped at the opportunity, not know just how beautiful this basket would be. Each basket is 100% handmade and one of a kind, but the quality is remarkable. I was pretty amazed at how beautiful my basket was when I received it, and right away my family was asking what it was. I explained to them about Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace and they were all amazed right along with me.

What is Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace?

Rwanda Path to Peace is a healing journey and a source of sustainable living that utilizes the incredible skill of weaving that is passed down by generations of Rwandan women. These women have seen their neighbors and their families destroyed by genocide and ethnic cleansing, leaving many of them broken and hopeless, lost in a country where women are considered second-rate citizens because of their gender. Although the genocide was over a decade ago, the recovery from a tragedy of this magnitude is a constant struggle. The sale of the baskets through Macy's has given these women a source of sustainable income and pride. 

The project and the income it generates has improved the lives of at least 18,000 children, providing access to education, health care and more. The weavers are now able to pay school fees, purchase essential supplies and provide shoes and clean uniforms. They can even afford kerosene and candles to provide light in the evening so children can complete their schoolwork.

Weavers are also able to meet their children’s health and nutritional needs, and perhaps most importantly, they now have affordable health insurance and access to medical care when they need it.

Beyond the obvious benefits of scholastic supplies and health care, the children in weavers' communities are benefiting in a number of less tangible ways. They feel immense pride in their mother's ability to provide for them, praising them to friends and telling classmates that their mother's baskets sell in America. The children are also enjoying strengthened relationships with their fathers who look after them while their mothers weave. The strong, cooperative relationships being forged between women and men are providing excellent examples for the future.

These women are warriors and have found a way to restore hope and love among their communities and families with the sale of their baskets. The baskets are a symbol of strength and courage among the Rwandan women who weave them. For more info go to www.Macys.com/Rwanda

I always have fresh fruit on hand, and my basket displays them beautifully. Over the Christmas holiday guests would ask questions about this gorgeous basket. It's definitely a conversation starter. I'm still deciding how I want to display it, because it really is a work of art. Upon browsing the website, I've found other gorgeous ones too. They are all so beautiful, and with half the proceeds going right back to the weavers and their families, it's a cause I'd love to support.

Along with this beautiful basket, Everywhere Society sent me a Macy’s Culinary Council Thanksgiving & Holiday Cookbook created by the Macy's Culinary Council. Some of you may remember I attended an event in Macy's Union Square and actually met one of the chefs featured in this book. I decided to experiment with some recipes for New Year's Eve, and decided to try out the Zeppole recipe. It's basically a deep fried pastry, and it's amazingly easy and delicious! All the ingredients were easily found in my pantry, and it paired great with the Sparkling Prosecco Cocktail for a wonderful New Year's Eve appetizer and drink.
The Zeppole just melts in your mouth and the Sparkling Prosecco Cocktail is like a grown up punch. So delicious!


Zeppole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Makes about 20 pastries

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
Olive oil or canola oil for deep-frying
Ground cinnamon and granulated or confectioners’ sugar for dusting

For the dough:
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, granulated sugar, salt, and water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the flour all at once with the spoon and immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Continue to stir until the dough comes together in a ball and is shiny, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and let cool to room temperature. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated. Once all of the eggs have been added and the dough is thick, remove the bowl from the mixer stand, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

To deep-fry the pastries:
Pour the oil to a depth of 2 inches into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, place over medium-high heat, and heat to 350 degrees F. Line a large plate with several layers of paper towels.

Working in batches, and using a small ice-cream scoop or 2 spoons, scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough into the hot oil and fry the pastries, turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the pastries to the towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Dust the hot pastries with cinnamon and sugar and serve immediately.

Michelle's Tips:
You can gild the lily by serving zeppole with chocolate sauce or dulce de leche, or use a pastry bag to fill them with lemon curd.

Taste one of your first few zeppole to gauge the oil temperature. If it's greasy, the oil isn't hot enough; if it's raw inside, the oil is too hot (and nothing's worse than "lead zeppole"!).

Recipe compliments of Michelle Bernstein.

Sparkling Prosecco Cocktail

Serves 8

Ingredients:

About 1 cup mango, orange, grapefruit, or raspberry sorbet
½ cup liqueur such as Chambord, Grand Marnier, or framboise
1 (750-ml) bottle Prosecco or other sparkling wine

Using a very small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, place 1 scoop of sorbet into the bottom of each of 8 champagne flutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the liqueur to each glass, then fill the glasses with the Prosecco, dividing it evenly. Serve right away.

Recipe compliments of Emeril Lagasse.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with a complimentary Rwanda Path to Peace basket and Macy's Culinary Council Thanksgiving and Holiday cookbook. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.