68 Trees in One House? Of Course! Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:00 am.Written by Karina Hux Wondering what it takes to decorate Biltmore for the holidays? It’s a study in arithmetic and herculean effort. Biltmore House and all of the buildings around the estate command a team experienced in wrangling trees, lights, candles, ornaments, poinsettias, wreaths, kissing balls, garlands, ribbons and bows – though not necessarily in that order. Read on, and just for fun, keep your calculator handy. Trees We use a combination of fresh cut Fraser firs and artificial trees for fire safety and protection of the collection in Biltmore House. We also use live nursery plants in the various areas of the house. • The 2012 celebration boasts 68 Christmas trees inside Biltmore House – the most ever on record! • The largest tree inside Biltmore House is the 35-foot-tall Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall. • A lighted 65-foot-tall Norway spruce anchors the front lawn of Biltmore House. • A total of 55 additional decorated Christmas trees are located across the estate, including the Winery, Inn on Biltmore Estate, Antler Hill Village and our restaurants. Lights and candles There are around 30,000 lights in Biltmore House, with around 125 candles. About 125,000 mini lights twinkle around the estate. Around 45,000 lights illuminate the Front Lawn tree in front of the house, and “up” lighting accents the poplar trees lining the front lawn. Three hundred luminaries line the driveway and Esplanade in front of Biltmore House. Ornaments We use 500 wrapped gift boxes, 500 ornaments and 500 electric lights to decorate the Banquet Hall Tree. We use around 12,000 ornaments on the other trees inside Biltmore House, and that many again around the estate, for a total of 25,000 or more. Poinsettias and other blooming plants We use mostly red poinsettias with some white and a few marbled and pink. In total, we place around 1,000 blooming plants throughout Biltmore House along with several hundred more in the other estate facilities. Wreaths Our wreaths are made of fresh white pine, Fraser fir, boxwood, holly or artificial bases decorated with dried flowers, silk flowers and other ornamentation. We place 360 fresh wreaths and sprays around the estate during the season, along with 130 artificial or silk. Kissing Balls Around 130 are made of white pine and Fraser fir, placed all across the estate through the season. Garlands Fresh garlands are made of white pine and Fraser fir. We change them weekly to keep them fresh for our guests. We use 5,000 feet during the season. Silk, dried and artificial garlands add another 1,200 feet in Biltmore House and around 1,500 feet in other areas. Ribbons and bows We use 500 inside Biltmore House with that many again in the ancillary areas. From narrow cording to 8-inch-wide ribbons, we decorate with velvets, metallics, satins, burlap and printed cottons. About the photo The Tapestry Gallery in Biltmore House boasts six Christmas trees this year!
Gingerbread House Traditions Posted on December 3, 2012 at 12:00 am.Written by Karina Hux The holidays are filled with traditions and when the Christmas season arrives, we have many we look forward to at Biltmore. One of our most popular is the annual tree raising. Santa delivers Biltmore’s holiday centerpiece, a 35-foot Fraser fir, to the front doors of Biltmore House on a horse drawn carriage. Another tradition we look forward to is the making of our grand scale gingerbread houses, one for Biltmore House and one for our Inn. Each year, our talented pastry chefs create gingerbread replicas, covered in sweet treats down to the smallest details. At Biltmore House, this remarkable creation can be seen by guests in the kitchen of the home. And at the Inn, the gingerbread treat is a highlight of the lobby decor. You don’t have to be a pastry chef, though, to start your own gingerbread house tradition. Our chefs suggest letting your creativity guide you, using a wide variety of treats to add sparkle, texture and color. You will be surprised how graham crackers can turn into a walkway or boxed cereal can shingle a roof! Use your favorite gingerbread recipe, or the one below from our chefs. Gingerbread House Recipe 1/4 c brown sugar 1/4 c molasses 1/2 c light corn syrup 1/2 c shortening 1 1/2t. Ginger 1 1/2t. Cinnamon 3 1/2 c AP flour In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup and shortening. Melt over medium heat. Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment. Pour melted syrup into dry ingredient and mix until combined. Roll dough between two pieces of parchment to desired thickness (1/4” is usually good!). Cut desired shapes from the dough, carefully removing the scraps and leaving the pieces for your house on the parchment. This will keep your shapes from being warped. Bake pieces at 350 until light golden around the edges. **this dough will bake very firm and will hold up well for gingerbread houses, however is is not the best for eating.
Our Annual Christmas Party Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:00 am.Written by Karina Hux For more than 120 years, Biltmore has celebrated the holidays with a party for employees and their families. Today's annual gathering begins with a warm welcome from Bill Cecil Jr., great grandson of George Vanderbilt. The party is something staff looks forward to every year, and it's a wonderful opportunity to see co-workers and their loved ones fill the halls of Biltmore House. Children sit on Santa’s lap and whisper their wishes, while staff members hand them gift chosen as carefully for them as those that Edith Vanderbilt selected for earlier generations. This beloved tradition was started by George Vanderbilt when he first opened his new home on Christmas Eve 1895. Making a list and checking it twice In October 1898, George and Edith Vanderbilt returned to Biltmore after a June wedding in Paris and an enviably long honeymoon. Mrs. Vanderbilt quickly settled into her new home and became involved in the lives of the families living on the estate. Within weeks of her arrival, our archival correspondence documents that she had already begun planning the holiday celebrations for estate staff. Each year, Edith gathered the names of each of the children on the estate and carefully selected items she thought they would like. A “Christmas Tree Fund” was established to purchase gifts. Anna Wheeler, the wife of estate veterinarian and a close friend of Edith Vanderbilt, sometimes helped with the holiday preparations. In an unpublished memoir, Anna fondly described these special times: “Mrs. Vanderbilt kept a book in which the individual presents were recorded yearly; her idea was to avoid duplication, but it served another purpose in assisting [her] in the better knowledge of each family. It was just another example of her predominate kindness and her executive ability. Mrs. Vanderbilt did the buying, and labeling and wrapping of all those many gifts.” Gifts for all Given the Vanderbilts’ conscious support of the community, it’s no surprise that they believed in buying local. Edith made a point of purchasing the majority of toys and gifts from area merchants, though some specialty items were also ordered from F.A.O. Schwartz, an upscale department store in New York City. For the adults, gifts tended to be practical in nature. For her first Christmas here, Edith purchased comforters, mufflers and shawls from H. Redwood & Co. in Asheville. For the youngest members of the estate, treats of special sweets, clothing, games, and toys were standard gifts. Leaving no detail un-attended, Mrs. Vanderbilt personally labeled and wrapped these goodies, using one of the bedrooms in Biltmore House as her staging area. Anna recalled that the room “assumed the appearance of a Santa Clause storage place.” Describing a scene almost identical to what still takes place today, Mrs. Wheeler wrote, “Every family received a package which contained a gift for each member. The brilliant tree, in its magnificent setting… the faces of those surrounding it, and the beautiful and gracious hostess are never to be forgotten.” Enjoy our seasonal celebration with your family Make Biltmore part of your family's holiday tradition by learning more about our Christmas at Biltmore and Candlelight Christmas Evenings celebrations. Images: — Featured image: Children of a Biltmore employee enjoy meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus at Biltmore's annual Christmas party — First image: Santa and Mrs. Claus listen to children's Christmas wishes — Second image: Receipt for Edith Vanderbilt's 1898 Christmas order from F.A.O Schwartz in New York — Third image: Floral Design Manager Cathy Barnhardt enjoys Biltmore's Christmas party with her family, ca. 2010
How Did Our Christmas Tradition Begin? Posted on December 3, 2011 at 12:00 am.Written by Jean Sexton Although George Vanderbilt moved into Biltmore House in October 1895, the house did not officially open to guests until Christmas Eve of that year. Great efforts were made to ensure all (or most!) would be ready by this special day. Mr. Vanderbilt was still a bachelor during the first Biltmore Christmas and his mother, Maria Louisa, presided as hostess. Correspondence between Vanderbilt and his staff indicates that planning was intensive and no detail was left unattended. Managers debated which nearby county had the best holly and the most desirable mistletoe, while staff scouted for the perfect candidate for the Banquet Hall Christmas tree. Chauncey Beadle writes estate manager, Mr. Charles McNamee: “I quite agree with you that we should have a very large tree for this occasion; in fact, I think a twenty foot tree in that large Banquet Hall would be rather dwarfed”. When George’s mother, several of his brothers and sisters and their spouses, and assorted nieces and nephews arrived, they were greeted in the Banquet Hall by a splendidly tall tree laden with gifts for estate workers. At the foot of the tree was a table piled high with family gifts. Because of this, the Banquet Hall has always been the focal point for Christmas celebrations in Biltmore House. The Banquet Hall tree is a Christmas tradition at Biltmore The family and guests gathered around the forty-foot Banquet Hall table for elaborate dinners served both evenings. Mr. Vanderbilt’s niece Gertrude kept a series of Dinner Books in which she recorded the seating arrangements of all of the parties and dinners she attended as a young woman, and she was one of the guests at the first Christmas dinner here in Biltmore House. Gertrude kept two Dinner Books in 1895, and the Christmas meal at Biltmore House was the 193rd formal dinner that she attended that year. In her diagram of the dinner, she listed 27 Vanderbilt family members. It was said to be the largest gathering of the family since the death of William Henry Vanderbilt, George’s father, in 1885. In addition to the grand meals and festive décor, stockings hung on mantles, plum puddings and mince pies were served, and George’s mother read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ to the children. All in all, it must have been a grand time—one article even stated that the family exchanged gilded and jeweled Christmas cards.
A Vanderbilt-Inspired Thanksgiving Posted on November 1, 2011 at 12:00 am.Written by Heather Angel George and Edith Vanderbilt were known for their hospitality at Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Of course, their holiday celebrations were no different and highlighted the ultimate in food and wine for their guests. Treat your guests to a Vanderbilt-inspired Thanksgiving menu featuring recipes and suggested wine pairings from our winemaker. Bring Out The Flavors of Your Feast with Biltmore Wines! Set your Thanksgiving table with an assortment of Biltmore Wines This special time deserves an equally special wine! Surprise and delight your guests by offering both a red and a white wine option to pair with your Vanderbilt-inspired Thanksgiving menu. Our winemaker recommends selecting our buttery, complex Chardonnay and our elegant and medium-bodied Pinot Noir to grace your holiday table. For a delicious and festive option fit for a Vanderbilt, our Biltmore Estate Winemaker suggests choosing any of our Biltmore sparkling wines to complement your Thanksgiving meal from start to finish. Vanderbilt-Inspired Recipes George Vanderbilt’s Favorite Turkey and Cornbread Dressing Main Course: George Vanderbilt’s Favorite Turkey and Cornbread Dressing Fun Fact: The creator of this recipe, Ellen Davis, came to Biltmore House from the community of Avery Creek in the spring of 1899 to work as a cook for the Vanderbilts. She fell in love with Thomas H. Johnson, a groomsman in the Stables, and they were married the following spring. This recipe was a favorite of George and Edith Vanderbilt’s, and it became a tradition for Ellen Johnson to prepare it for them each year. Ingredients: 20–25 pound turkey Cornbread, prepared 6 buttermilk biscuits, prepared 1 dozen eggs, hard-boiled 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup ground sage Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Method: Rinse turkey and rub with salt inside and out.Using a large boiler or cooker, place turkey in enough water to almost cover it (one gallon or more).Heat to boiling point and cook on medium for about 2 1/2 hours or until breast is tender; use a ladle to baste broth over the breast meat to keep it moist. For cornbread dressing:Bake a large pan of cornbread using your favorite cornbread recipe.Bake about six buttermilk biscuits using your favorite recipe, or purchase frozen biscuits and bake.Peel eggs and chop or grate them into large mixing bowl. Add onions, celery, sage, salt and pepper. Crumble cornbread and biscuits into bowl.When the turkey is done, pour turkey broth over the cornbread dressing until the desired consistency is reached. Mix well, using plenty of broth so that dressing will be moist and soft when done. Place turkey in center of large baking pan. Spoon dressing into and around the turkey. Bake in 425ºF oven for about 45 minutes. If turkey browns too soon, cover with aluminum foil. Side Dish: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients: 2 large sweet potatoes diced 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds 1 tablespoon Shallots Minced 1 teaspoon garlic minced ½ tablespoon fresh sage ¼ cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon butter Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and dice the sweet potato into ½ inch pieces. Season with olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread on a parchment-lined baking tray. Place in oven and bake until the sweet potatoes start to turn golden brown and tender. In a large skillet sauté the shallots and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil, add pumpkins seeds and cranberries and cook one minute. Add sweet potato and chicken stock to skillet, bring to a boil then add butter, remove from heat, stir until butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Side Dish: Haricot Vert (Green Beans) Ingredients: 1 pound haricot vert Salt to taste 7 tablespoons butter Pepper to taste Method: Cut off the ends of the beans. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add enough salt to taste like ocean water. Add the beans and cook for 4 minutes or until done to taste. Drain and plunge into ice water. Drain and place on paper towels to absorb the moisture. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan. Add the beans and sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Cook until any liquid has evaporated and the beans are glazed; keep warm. Side Dish: Creamed Corn Ingredients: 6 ears fresh corn 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 cup finely chopped leek 1 tablespoon chopped shallot 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/4 cup Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay 2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme Salt and white pepper to taste Method: Cut the kernels from the cobs and discard the cobs. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek, shallot and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the corn and cook until the corn is tender. Add the wine, stirring up any of the mixture that has adhered to the bottom of the saucepan. Cook until the wine has evaporated. Add the cream and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or to the desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve. Dessert: Apple Tart Ingredients for Pastry: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Ingredients for Streusel: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted Ingredients for Tart: 4-5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Ingredients for Garnish: Sliced, dried figs Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream Method: For pastry: combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Cream together with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour gradually, mixing until incorporated. Shape into a disk then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2–8 hours. For topping: mix flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add butter and work with fingers until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. For tart: preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss apples with sugar and spices in a bowl. Spray a tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. Roll the pastry dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and place in pan, pressing into bottom and trimming any excess dough. Spoon apple mixture into pastry and sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove to a serving plate and garnish with figs; serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.