Holiday Roast Choices

Christmas dinner is one of the most important meals of the year. Not only is it is a celebratory feast but it's a bell weather of how well a person can cook. The problem is choosing a meat you're not familiar with can spell disaster -a holiday surprise you do not want. Luckily there are several choices you can pick from. Find one that suits your ability and you'll create a memorable and perfect holiday dinner.


Many home cooks opt for prime rib roast. Not only is it lush looking but also very flavorful. It also makes a good presentation and looks camera ready sitting on a perfectly set table. Rib roast is also one of the easiest to prepare. Just sprinkle on fresh ground sea salt and pepper and then pop into a waiting oven of 325 F. You can increase the heat to 500 F for the first fifteen minutes and then reduce it to the 325 to sear in the flavor.A two bone roast can serve six to eight while a three bone serves about ten to twelve people. . Another roast worth thinking about is London Broil.This is a good meat for those on a budget.It costs slightly less than most beef cuts yet makes for an elegant piece of meat. It's basically just a think flank steak, however cooked right , it down right buttery in taste and texture.


If you're not into serving beef, then think of the German Christmas dinner staple: ham. You can buy it fresh,cured or cured and smoked. There is some work and prep time for it however yet it's just easy steps. You can pour either ginger ale or pineapple juice over it before cooking. Some cooks also have a rub of brown sugar which offsets the meat's saltiness. Another route is poultry. Turkey is one of the most traditional however since Christmas falls a month after Thanksgiving it may be too repetitive for some people. You can try capon,duck or even goose. All three are surprisingly easy to roast and can create a classy and classic alternative to red meat.

What you want for your Christmas dinner is your choosing. However keep in mind that this is one of the most important meals of the year. Select a roast that you'll know you'll be good at cooking . It's one less worry to deal with on Christmas Day.

A Good Roast Beef Sandwich

There's nothing like a plain roast beef sandwich for a summer lunch or dinner. It's the easiest to make .It's also the easiest to serve. Best of all it's easy to tote to the beach or the office. A roast beef sandwich is a no brainer idea for what to eat during these hot days.

As far as the filling you can easily make a roast in this weather. A better method is cooking it with just a brush of olive oil on the e grill. Cooking roast beef leaves it tender and that makes for a melt in your mouth slice. It also has an added smokiness that's brought out by just a simple sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.If it's too hot to cook, then go to your local deli or deli counter at your grocery store.I've found that the butchers there always give you the pinkest, tenderest slices, perfect for the best sandwich. Stay away from the prepackaged stuff. It tends to be overly salty and sometimes slimy.

A good sandwich demands a good bread. Italian or French bread is the perfect foil. They're both crunchy and chewy, absorbing any leftover juice. Another good choice is a simple hearty white like Pepperidge Farm 's sandiwch bread. This has a soft yet textured crumb to it and its mild,yeasty taste goes well with the meat's robust flavor. Avoid kaiser or any other kind of rol.s There's almost too much bread which overcomes the roast beef's flavor. Hamburger buns are too squishy . Avoid them too.

Nothing beats a simple roast beef sandwich on a summer's day. It's just two ingredients simple enough but layered with richness. It's easy perfection with the best flavors!

Comfort Food Classics

There's nothing like classic comfort food on a damp autumn day. There's something comforting about a meal from our childhoods. It brings about Proustian memories of soothing aromas and tastes. It 's like a security blanket protecting us from bad days and bad bosses. Who cares about calories and the amount of fat it has. It's comfort food, enough said!

Another good thing about comfort food is that it's relatively easy to make. I've just recently rediscovered Swanson's Chicken A la King. It's just heat up and pour over toast or rolls. It's a simple mix of white gravy , chicken chunks and red peppers. Yet it;s a complex blend of memories and comfort, recalling cozy dinners or Saturday lunches from the Madman Era.Another easy to make comfort food is grilled cheese. It's a slice of cheddar over white bread.It can call on some fancy twists, like adding a tomato slice or bacon or both. Fry it with a slice of ham and you have that French classic., the croque monsieur.

Of course you can make the more complicated classics. Everyone loves baked mac. It is somewhat labor intensive but well worth it. It does take time so it's best made on a Saturday or a Sunday. The same thing goes for roasts. Yes, it's wonderful to have a turkey or roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, yet they can't be made on a busy weekday night- unless you ave a lot of help or head over to Boston Market.

There's nothing like classic comfort food. They're the perfect way to end the day or celebrate a big weekend. Their aromas, their tastes all as soothing as a security blanket!