Good Christmas Recipes

 Christmas should be a time fo feasting but also easy recipes to follow. The New York Times has a slew of them for the big day ,from a main course to sides to even a show stopping dessert. These are perfect because of their relative ease. It's not only enjoying the meal but the cooking too.

Newcomer Clare dDe Boer ,a four times James Beard nominated chef and Food writer contributed these gems to today's New York Times  Wednesday Food section.She does recommend having family and friends getting involved to make preop time easier and simpler. Her appetizers consist of grilled by guests sausages(these aren't mentioned but you can still do them either in your fireplace or set up on an outdoor grill) The main course is sliced orange duck which consists of braising duck legs with a mix of ginger, anise and orange and cooked until they're so tender the meat falls off the bone. The recipe calls for six whole duck legs (which you can get at your butcher's) and they need to be cooked in batches.One of the sides is simple boiled greens.This involves cooking dinosaur or Tuscan kale .It's boiled until it becomes a paste on the fingers and garlic is added to it. Olive oil is drizzled on top of this along with a sprinkling of sea salt

Another great side is the winter salad. This is a mix of radicchio, Castelfranco lettuce or butter lettuce, Belgian endive and watercress. The dressing is what's make these greens sing.Combine olive oil,red wine vinegar and maple syrup with garlic cloves. MMix with the greens and then adjust the taste. Of course the big side is the rice and  squash bombe, A bombe is usually a dome shaped dessert but  it's used as a savory dish here.This is a marriage of honey nut squash and basmati rice.Pita bread is used to line the bombe mold before it's baked.Pine nits and cranberries give ti color and flavor along with cumin and  slivered almonds. Shallots and crushed red peppers add some zing to it as well. It could easily rival Chef de Boer's dessert, a custardy creme brulee. This one has a tang to it thanks to the addition of creme fraiche or sour cream.It's also a rich custard with six (!!) egg yolks. Like any creme brulee it has vanilla seeds and pods.in it.It's then coated in sugar and "torched to a crispy, crunchy top.

Christmas is a time for feating. Let it be an easy feast with simple prep. It makes for a delicious meal that allows for enjoying the day and the food.

A Dash Of China

One of the best aspects of cooking is getting creative. It could be adding a never tasted before veggie or trying out exotic spices. Chinese influenced dishes are always a crowd pleaser and fun to make, It's easy to add a touch of the Far East to everyday dishes.

Soy sauce is usually used just for splashing on lo mein or as a dip for egg rolls and spring rolls. Did you know that it could give the humble hamburger some oomph? Ground meat can be marinated in a mix of  one-half cup of soy  and one half cup of Worcester sauce. it's just molding the patties , laying them down in a glass baking dish and pouring the marinade over them.Let sit an hour before cooking. Unlike regular burgers, do not flip.They're too moist and may break apart. The patties can also have a dash of grated ginger and chopped scallions too for some heat.Soy sauce and Szechuan peppercorns can also be added to meat loaf as well as hoisin sauce. Many home chefs may have some qualms cooking with  it but once tried is a kitchen staple. It's great in  giving meat loaf a nice dark glaze along with a rich unami flavor.  Try it for a tastier barbecued and roasted chicken. It'can be mixed with soy but also works well with such everyday ingredients as brown sugar, ketchup and  honey.  Hoisin sauce can even be made at home. It's a no-cook recipe that calls for soy sauce, peanut butter, and molasses mixed with rice vinegar and sesame seed oil. Minced garlic and black pepper are added for zing along with Chinese hot sauce. This last can also be made at home, using anaheim peppers and garlic in  a mix of vegetable oil and rice wine vinegar.

Many home chefs are intrigued by the Chinese five spice blend.It's  actually a blend of rather unusual herbs such as star anise, cinnamon, Szechuan pepper, fennel seeds and cloves. You don,t have to to go to an Asian supermarket for it. McCormicks' make their version of it. (keep in mind it is expensive at $17 for 2.75 ounces). The blend can be made at home. The recipe is easy. Mix cinnamon with anise seeds, and black peppercorns, if you can't find the Chinese kind,. Fennel seeds are easy to come by, Just check out the local grocery's spice section. All the spices are then ground in a coffee grinder and can be stored for up to two months. Any meat from pork to chicken can benefit from this amazing marriage  of hot and earthy. There is a famed pork dish called Five Flower pork that has the mix  livening up a simple cut.  Vegans will love the fact that it complements tofu . Add Five Spice to stir fries grilled meats or even to sautes. Veggies can be spiked with them giving them a spark of the exotic.Combine cauliflower, squash  and corn with snow peas and mushrooms.Add the Five Spices along with soy sauce  and saute in canola oil.  Two teaspoons of flour is also used to thicken the sauce.It can even be used in a vinaigrette , perfect for a grilled chicken or   beef salad.

Chinese sauces and spices are great in livening up everyday recipes.  Try hoisin sauce for jazzing up meat loaf or Five Spices for livening up veggies. It  makes for fun cooking and fun eating!

Duck Aux Prunes

One of the tastiest fall dishes to make is duck. It can be cooked  a variety of ways, whether  braised or roasted. One of the best is the French way, avec prunes or with plums These add an earthy sweetness, perfect for the chilly days ahead.

David Tanis knows this and it seems he is a true duck lover as seen in yesterday's New York Times Food section. His A City Kitchen weekly column featured a meat , dear to many foodie's and cooks hearts - duck, He goes mad for the Five Spice infused mahogany lacquered ones  from Chinatown, He rhapsodizes about how duck is cooked in southwestern France, French home chefs take the large Musocvy duck whose meat is more like veal, is grilled like steak. Duck legs are used to flavor cassoulets or braised with red wine and prunes.The flavorful fat is used for confit.Mr. Tanis likes to braise the legs with fresh plums and red wine, preferably a dry one. The fruit may be a bit hard to come by right now. The big plump ones are going out of season so aim for the smaller, purpler Italian variety. What's left of them is sauteed in butter ad served with the duck legs.

Is this an easy dish to cook? Braising is a simple method. The meat is to be partially pan cooked before braising however. The legs need to sizzle and brown and then chopped onion is added for more flavor. Tomato paste is also included along with wine and  four cups of chicken broth. Mr. Tanis  does like duck Chinese style so there is the addition of clove, allspice, cayenne and star anise that are added in the first step . You can omit them if you want a more Gallic flavor.It's braised for thirty to forty minutes or until the legs are tender.At this time the plums can be sauteed in a separate pan. Mr. Tanis also garnishes with pistachios ,lemon zest, parsley ,and chives.

Duck is a tasty dish on its' own. Add spices and fruit to elevate it to another level. It becomes a truly magnificent dish, thanks to Italian plums and Chinese traditional spices.

Know Your Herbs

Summer gardens and markets are full of herbs right now.There are all sorts, each with a unique and distinctive flavor. Each can be used in summer cooking and barbecuing , give meats and vegetable the extra oomph. Because there are so many novice cooks can become confused. Know what you;re cooking and grilling with to avoid a disaster.


Right now gardens are full of basil and dill along with rosemary and thyme. Basil is one of the most important summer time herbs.It's a very strong, almost medicinal taste. It's good ground into a pesto or scattered on a Margherita pizza. Basil leaves are one of the top components in a tomato salad, bringing out the tomatoes' sweetness. However it can be too strong for chicken or fish. For those you want to add fresh or freshly dried oregano.It's also a basic component for Italian style dressing as is its' companion rosemary. Rosemary is excellent on any and every meat and it brings out the smoky flavor of any barbecued chop.Thyme can be used in everything from meat dishes such as  T bone steak or Cornish hen or gracing an outdoor baked focaccio or even biscuits.

The sweeter flavored herbs such as fennel, anise, and dill are also great in summer cooking. Fennel alone is  wonderful chopped and served in a vinaigrette.You can try it this way as a refreshing side to grilled lamb or spicy beef or chicken kabobs however it great French style gracing any fish dish,There is even a fish and fennel stew. Anise is another herb that can be widely used in summer cooking. Try it with a grilled pork roast  to bring out the meat's honeyed taste.it can also be used to give simple salads a lift up. If you want a more subtle flavor then sprinkle dill. It is  phenomenal mixed with sour cream and then poured over cold, sliced cucumbers.Dill can also be added to beet salad as well.

Summer herbs can amp up the taste of any barbecue and salad.Use them correctly though for great tasting and memorable outdoor dishes. They 'll become part of your warm weather cooking tradition.

Spice Cakes - Fiery Little treats

I recently visited one of my favorite bakeries here in North Jersey, the B&W in Hackensack and bought my favorite cake.It's a spice cake with chocolate icing. This has been a popular treat with my German relatives for decades. It has a little more excitement than a cupcake, but not the full on spiciness of a gingerbread square.

Spice cakes started in England around the 1100's, Popular and easy to make they were a hot item at the fairs. especially the Saint Bartholomew's Day one. The Germans had something simliar, but eventually redisgned it so the cake became the cookie or lebkuchen. Why my German ancestors loved the cake form I don't know . Perhaps they first had it here and made it part of a family traditon. Perhaps it was similar to a type of ginger cak baked in their native Swabia and Bavaria. It's always been a family favorite whether it was bought or made.

You can make your own spice cakes if your bakery doesnt bake them. Take a package of any gingerbread mix , add a sparse amount of raisins and bake in cupcake papers.You can leave them plain or dust with powdered sugar.The B& W ices them with a fine chocolate glaze that offsets the rich, spicy taste of anise , ginger cardomin and clove. You can also leave them plain and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. the best way is with coffee or tea and usually as an afternoon snack.

Spice cakes are a wonderful treat. They have an old world richness and feel , different from the mass produced American snack cakes. Buy or bake them to enjoy their flavor.