The Holiday Cooking Battle Zone

The next couple of weeks is going to be hard on any home cook. There are big holiday dinners  along with get togethers. Then there's dealing with everyone being at home and them expecting to be fed.It can wreck havoc even on the hardiest of home cooks. It pays to be prepared and to have some R & R for yourself too.

Cooking the Christmas meal can be daunting. It's the biggest holiday, outside of Easter, and there are so many expectations that come with it. How to get through it? Byy taking a deep breath. See the cooking as a marathon. Prepare by buying the food and having family and even friends aid in prepping. Another is sticking to tried and true recipes. This is not the time to try anything new on your tablemates. Play it safe with the dishes you know you excel in. Also have help later on for table cleaning and dish washing. This saves you the worry of dealing with a sinkful of pots and pans.

As for having smaller parties, again planning and list making are the keys to a problem free gathering. The best bet here isn't a sit down dinner but an antipasto buffet and trays of hot and cold hors d'ouevres. Many stores like Target and WalMart sell boxes of already made mini quiches and spinach puffs.These are a huge help for any busy cook.What about dealing with family staying over? Leftovers.That Christmas turkey can be turned into sandwiches for days.If you have any plain cake or pannetone , dip into egg and transform it into a new kind of French toast.Also have plenty of eggs for family brunches.Have them eat at eleven AM and they won't be hungry till seven.Also those antipasto meats and cheeses along with salads make excellent heroes. S is the season of heavy duty cooking time.You can get through it with relative ease. Just chill