Plotting For The Next Big Dinner

 As we're finishing off the Tahnksgiving leftovers our minds turn to - the next big meal or party. it seems almost too much. Yet  December First is just around the corner.It's going to be Christmas Chanukah and Knwanzaa before we know it. Throw in parties and tree trimming get togethers and then it really is time to come up with  menu plans.

It pays to map out the month ahead. Keep in mind people will be busy with finishing up semesters and getting ready for their office parties.It's good to plan parties and dinners on Saturday and Sundays. If people are occupied on Saturday night, then think a holiday brunch on late Sunday morning.Another must is figuring out what people will eat. Take into account that you may have  vegans and vegetarians invited.One idea is having both meat and meatless options like nuggets . You can get Tyson and Gardein or Impossible plant based chicken. These are great with all sorts of dipping sauces from ranch to barbecue.Impossible Meats also has plant based ribs for a fun appetizer.A great tree trimming meal is chili .This can be made quickly and it can have all sorts of ingredients in it.It could have beef turkey, beans and even tofu.It could be as spicy hot  as you and your guests want or comfortingly mild. Serve with crackers or cornbread.This last could be homemade or bought at your local grocery store. Finish with Mexican hot chocolate.

Hosts must also choose between sit down dinners or buffets. Sit down dinners require more planning. the other requires more food. What do you order for a sit down dinner? Is this also for Christmas? Do you serve turkey or ham? What about the sides? Will it include elegant vegetables along with a first course of soup or salad?Will guest have to dress up to enjoy this meal along with cups of punch? Buffets are much more informal but require a good choice of dishes, both savory and sweet. Here's where planning has to come in. A buffet lunch or dinner can be made easier if everyone is assigned a recipe. Make sure that there's an equal balance of savor and sweet along with hot and cold. You don't want ten guests to bring salads or variations of baked macaroni and cheese. Assign what each home chef is good at. If there are dupes then ask them what their second go to recipe is and they can make that. (you may have to have them go to their third and fourth dishes in some cases or switch them from savory to sweet and vice a versa if too many have the same specialty).

Is it time to plan so soon after Thanksgiving? Surprisingly yes! Start now for a month of parties and dinners. All that planning will pay off when you have a good dinner or party.

Deep Flavors - A Deep Love of Food

When a food lover writes about  cookbook, you know it's going to be full of goof advice and good recipes. That's the case with of Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes For Foodies In A Kosher Style (Inspire On Purpose Publishing 2019). it was written not by a chef, or a restaurant owner but by a lawyer! His passion for good food and cooking were the impetus for this  must have collection.

Kenneth M. Horwitz is a lawyer in Dallas, Texas. He has no formal culinary background however he did win the Texas State Fair Blue Ribbon for his spinach-mushroom lasagna.  Yet his love of fresh and natural ingredients plus learning how to cook from his mother and grandmother was all he needed to get into the kitchen with his wife, Bobbie. Her influence is strongly felt in the book too. I love this cookbook. It's not written in a lofty style.It's like your best friend, the foodie everyone goes to for help, is doling out all sorts of good advice. Every novice home chef should buy this book and read the first chapter entitled My Philosophy. It's how his ideas were formed about grocery shopping and cooking.Another aspect that I like is that there are some unusual chapters  such as Breads and Pickles. along with Dressings and Grains. Mr. Horwitz grew up in a kosher kitchen and keeps it on holidays so there is a chapter on traditional Jewish food from both the Ashkenazi and Sephardic branches . There is also a chapter on vegetarian non Jewish which features the award winning spinach-mushroom lasagna. Of course Mr. Horwitz includes chapters on the different meats and fish along with sides. Desserts are divided into sections on cakes, cookies and fruits/custards.

The recipes are amazing and I want to try every one of them. The one that stood out is the Savory French Toast, enhanced with dill. I can see making this and serving it with grilled tomatoes. Another stand out recipe is the matzo brie or fried matzo. Imagine making this and serving  with different veggies as a side. The aforementioned Ken's Blue Ribbon Mushroom -Spinach Lasagna is a tasty marriage of different mushrooms with fresh spinach , Marsala and ricotta. My vegetarian household would love this for a Thanksgiving meal . The mushroom mixture also figures in a pie with a homemade crust - his wife's Bobbie's creation. Even the sides could be vegan or vegetarian main dishes. The roasted cauliflower or cabbage  would be great solo or as a supporting dish for roast chicken. The same goes for the grilled veggies. The Indian style lentils is on my must cook short list. It's a spicy blend of the beans with the addition of Garam Masala and tikka masala. It would go well with warmed naan as a dinner on a cold night. There are meat dishes too, such as smoked brisket and a deconstructed turkey, the perfect Thanksgiving recipe for any holiday home chef. The desserts are all must makes. Pecan pie is one of my favorites and I am definitely baking Mr. Horwitz's for the upcoming holidays.Another one, perfect for holiday entertaining is the chocolate pinwheel cake, - a giant Swiss roll filled with creamy buttercream.Bobbie's Cold Chocolate Souffle is another dish  that can end a delicious meal with guests. The cookie recipes are drool worthy, especially the gingerbread one.

Deep Flavors : A Celebration For Foodies In A Kosher Style  is a must have for any kitchen library. It is full of good advice and good recipes. It will be your best  friend for cooking and baking help.

Cabin Fever Recipes

January is the month to stay indoors. Between monster snow storms and negative temps, it doesn't pay to go outside - which means time indoors. Instead of bingeing on TV or playing games, think kitchen. There's a lot of fun foods to cook and bake.

A snow day in can bring forth the urge to bake. Have plenty  of flour and sugar.available as well as baking staples such as eggs,milk, and sugar. Kids love cutting out and decorating cookies. Sugar and butter cookies are easy to make and cut out. They can have fun creating edible snowflakes or snowmen.If you did this for the holidays just past, then think about sandwich cookies. Vanilla cookies can have a dark fudge buttercream filling or vice versa. You could also make Lindser tortes if you have any raspberry jam.Brownies are another cold weather fave. Always have one or two boxes of mix around . They're wonderful with hot tea or coffee after a morning of shoveling snow. A day in can also mean honing your decorating skills.Spend time either on a cake or cupcakes, creating leaves and rosettes or trying new techniques such as striping or creating frosting ribbons. If you want something a tad healthier, think galettes. These are free form pies  usually filled with apples. You can also sub in pears too along with changing the crust to chocolate. They can even be miniaturized for a fun dessert.Kids can also make candy during these frosty days too. Homemade fudge is always welcome as are homemade sea salt caramels and chocolate covered pretzels.

Savory foods can also be cooked up when it's better to stay indoors. Most home chefs usually make pizza when everybody is indoors. It's what everyone loves and it can be customized with pepperoni slices or olives. Try calzones for a different spin. Their name means big sock in Italian and that's what they kind of are They are little sacks of pizza dough filled with creamy ricotta and ham.it's baked like a pizza until the dough is crispy and puffy  and then served with marinara sauce. A Mexican lunch or dinner is always welcomed, Stock up on taco kits . These are fun for kids and they can easily assemble a taco dinner. Another fun snack is guacamole . This is a great treat when watching TV or playing games.For a more sophisticated turn try mole. You can use the cocoa powder that went into holiday baking for this.It's combined with tomato sauce, cumin,  garlic and chilis. for a creamy, mouth watering sauce.It's best over chicken but can also be used to jazz up leftover pork or roast beef. Days indoors also are great to make grilled cheese. Jazz it up with tomato slices and bacon. Give it a French flair with frying up  Croque Monsiuers, This is Gruyere cheese and sliced ham on white bread and fried in butter. Give it ore of a Gallic boost with  homemade pomme frites. It's even better if you have it with  French cider or Stella Artois.

The cold weather means staying indoors. Don't get cabin fever. Bake - or cook something interesting t get rid of the doldrums. You'll be glad you did.

Feeding A Summer Cold

This is day three of a summer cold. It is miserable for anybody, for a foodie like myself is just torture.
Unfortunately the appetite lags as my taste for food goes south. What do I eat without upsetting my stomach. What can  perk up those taste buds?

Bouillon cubs have definitely become my best friends. So far I can get broth down and I always recommend having these culinary lifesavers in the kitchens.There are also excellent  for cooking rice in to give them flavor as well as being the base for light soups. Noodles or any pasta are also good because you can make a simple, easy to eat lunch or dinner. Try a light butter sauce or if you're feeling a bit more peckish add sliced fresh tomatoes, preferably the plum kind and maybe a dash of oregano. Toast is a must have.It's good with butter or just dry ,and it's an easy  meal to get down. Crackers are another , They good , just eaten on their own along with being filling. Smear jam on them for an easy dessert.I also always have fresh ginger on hand. It's the best bet in making a stomach and throat soothing tea.

One of the best things about a summer cold (if it can be considered that) is that you can feed it with fresh fruit. Any harvest, from peaches to melons are good, bursting with vitamins and antioxidants, Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces so  they 're easier to eat. Remember , that you'll have a loss of appetite to even going through a watermelon slice will be a chore. You would think that the season's fave ice cream would be the perfect antidote for a cold. Not true. Ice cream is dairy which causes phlegm = more gook to deal with when you're already snot laden. Go for Italian ice or popsicles. These are water based and are easier on your system.Somehow they're also more soothing too.Another  must is drinking water. We have to anyway to stay hydrated however a cold also dries you out too. Have fresh water, infused with  melon or lemon to make it more refreshing. Both hot and cold tea is also good.

A summer cold is the ultimate bummer. However by eating light and healthy you can make it tolerable. It'll be a small glitch in an otherwise bright season.

Your Sick Day Foods

This is the time of year when you're either sick with a cold or worse ,the flu.You don't feel like eating even though you have to just to keep up your strength.What to do when this happens? Eat the right foods.You'll feel a tad better- maybe even sneaking in a favorite snack. Dehydration is one of the problems when you fall ill.Make sure you have plenty of fluids.One of the best is chamomile tea.It has a mild flavor ,perfect for when your mouth has that cottony feeling thanks to the sniffles.If you're recovering from a stomach virus ,think anything ginger.This rhizome is a natural stomach calmer that settles any upset.Have a tall glass of ginger ale over crushed ice or even better ,fresh Ginger tea.Take Ginger root and slice it into either thick chunks or wafer thin slices (this is up to you).Steep in boiling water for a good five minutes to get the full effect.Add anti oxidant rich dark honey if you wish to sweeten.If you have a cold , soothe it with orange juice.You can even semi freeze it to create a refreshing slushie. No matter how sick you are, you still have to eat.Broths are always the best in this situation.It pays to have bouillon cubes on hand anyway , but now is definitely the time for them.Have a bowl of any kind of broth,whether chicken ,beef or vegetable with a simple side of Saltine crackers.The last is even good as a snack if your hunger returns.They're not greasy or too strong in taste .Once you start to feel better you can add peanut butter to them to get much needed protein.As your symptoms subside , you may want to try some milder soups, like egg drop(or panpiest ,the Northern Italian classic made with just broth ,eggs and breadcrumbs) or a vegetable soup.When those hunger pangs return don't go hog wild with hearty eating .Try a simple brown rice or just plain pasta with only melted butter on top.You could also eat mashed potatoes too as a main meal until you feel right again. The appetite is the first thing to go when you feel sick.Yet eating is the most important step in getting well again.Take it easy with the right food and drinks.Save the fun stuff for later when you're flu and cold free.

Sick Day Food

Every year around this time I write about food s for a sick day. I know it becomes tedious but ther'es a reason I write an entry like this. I'm a magnet for all sorts of germs and right now I'm fighting off the double whammy of a cold and a virus. The problem for me is what to eat without upsetting the apple cart (pardon the bad analogy). The thing is I'm probably not the only one with the question of what to eat when you' re sick.

Soup is always good. It calms a restless stomach and it;s easy to make. , especially the homemade kind. I always have to boxes of bouillon on hand for my family's recipe of pompeist. it;s Piedmonte version of chicken soup - a cure all for anything. That's made for any illness .it has gotten me through a lot of colds and viruses over the years. It'sa simple recipe of making chicken or vegetable broth. adding beaten eggs and then bread crumbs. Another good soup is pastina. You can make pastina soup thick or thin . It's better when there it's thick though, it's hardier and more nutritious.

Another problem is snacking. Of course no one wants to have guacamole dip after a bout of a nasty stomach flu (ewww, looks like soemthing you just got rid of anyway) however if you're hungry nibble. Thin pretzels or dry Saltines are fine. They're not greasy and satisfy your need for crunch. Have these with Coke or ginger ale . These last are perfect for helping sooth a stomach irritated by the ravages of a virus. A sweet snack is any Social tea or Lorna Doone cookie. Stick with plain bland, short breads and some hot lightly sweetened tea.Don't munch or fruit or ice cream until you feel your stomach is up to it. Wait a few days before heading back to old favorites.

The best bet for any cold, flu or virus is eat light but nutritiously . You'll still receive your daily dose of vitamins and minerals but in a lighter form.these will help you fight whatever nasty bug you;re battling and also keep you satisfied.

Cold Case Foodie

Guys, this will be the shortest entry to date. I am racked with a God awful cold and find it hard to even stand up. I'm taking it easy today with a lot of bed rest.

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow to write about bagna calda - that great Piedmontese winter dish.


Liz