A Holiday Buffet Of Sandwiches

Forget the canapes and mini bruschettas. Nix the pineapple and bacon sticks. Finger sandwiches are the way to go for your holiday party. They can be fun; they can be elegant. Most of all they are filling and tasty - two musts for any party food. Serve them and you'll have happy guests.

David Tanis was of this mindset when he created a variety of different sandwiches for his City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. His inspiration was the famed Nora Charles, Dashiell Hammett's heroine, portrayed by the great Myrna Loy. Nora and her husband, Nick, played by William Powell solve crimes in the glamourous Art Deco Thirties. During one wild Christmas party  she calls room service to order up a whole flock of sandwiches. This can work today. Mr. Tanis offers a whole flock of tasty ones that will suit everyone's tastes. They're tiny bites of flavor that can be prepared throughout the evening. The ingredients are interesting and guests as well as hosts will feel satisfied after three. It's also prudent, especially if you intend to also serve buzzy drinks and punches. Imbibing on a full stomach will cut down the threat of them getting buzzed or sick too quickly .Another plus, guests can bring home extra sandwiches or they can be served the next day for lunch (although there may not be any left). Just remember the bread is the most important part. Get Pullman or rye loaves. Challah and sourdough boules work too as do good brioche buns. If you can't get these, fall back on King's Hawaiian rolls that work for a vast variety of sandwich bases.

Of course there is the traditional sandwich. Mr. Tanis pairs steak with peppery watercress and jalapeno. on small whole wheat or brioche buns To moisten it try sweet butter (French and unsweetened) and sour cream. He also makes an egg salad without mayo! How does he do it? With olive oil combined with good green Spanish olives, scallions and celery. To give the mix more color  there's red pepper and parsley for a Christmas-y vibe. It's served on sliced, buttered challah bread (you could toast it if you want) and arugula. Anchovy can be added as can capers. There's a riff on the classic date and nut bread with cream cheese. The dates this time are in the cream cheese mixed with a little lime juice. Mr. Tanis recommends using soft juicy dates and natural cream cheese (which you can find at Wegman's). If you can find the last , then sub in ricotta cheese. Crispy salted rosemary herbed pecans are sprinkled on top to offset the sweetness. There is also my favorite croque monsiuer which is spiked with Dijon mustard. You have the choice of using Emmanthal, Gouda or Monterey Jack. Mr. Tanis tops it with a bechamel sauce but you can omit this if you want. These are also baked  which is traditional and served warm. If they do get cold, a quick heat in the oven will revive them.

As Nora Charles would say, have a flock of sandwiches at your holiday party. A small plate of different ones will make any guest happy. They're fun and festive , but best of all filling. Just make sure your Asta* doesn't steal a few.

 * Asta was the Charles' faithful terrier in "The Thin Man" series.

Leftovers Your Hot Weather Friends

Heat waves are unbearable. Eating is a chore. Cooking more so. What do you do when it's hot as Hades out there and you're hungry. Go the leftover route. It's easy to forage together something that can be easily microwaved.

The other day I made spaghetti con salsa crudo (see Saturday's pictorial) .It was an easy cook. Chop tomatoes, half an onion and some garlic cloves, mix with olive oil and spices - and voila - easy sauce. Boil some spaghetti  , pour the sauce over it and it's dinner. There was another reason I wanted to make it - leftovers  that can be repurposed into entirely new dishes. The salsa crudo, became bruschetta when it was spooned onto rounds of Italian bread. It proved to be a great Sunday supper , easy and delicious especially on a blazing day. There was a lot of leftover plain pasta.It was repurposed into a microwave pasta con burro. All it took was just a few knobs of vegan butter, pressed garlic and a generous sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. One dish led to two easy to make meals.Make it with rotelli, or corkscrew pasta, then turn the leftover pasta into a salad, with the addition of a vinaigrette, chopped peppers, celery and grape tomatoes. As for the salsa crudo, it would go well over a grilled steak or chilled shrimp .

Other leftovers can be reused into new tasty and simple dishes. Grilled steaks can be cut up and added to a green salad for filling meal.They can also top a pizza  or be added to a sauce.The same is true for barbecued chicken. Shred and add to any kind of salad. Cold bean and pasta salads are always easy to whip up.Create a more nutritious leftover by adding a can of salmon or tuna. This a great lunch or dinner,  - flavorful and cold  - perfect for a sweltering day. Serve with grissini, the ultra thin Piedmontese bread sticks. Those leftover hot dog and hamburger buns can be stuffed with a variety of different fillings. Hard boil some eggs and mix with mayo and chopped celery  to create a summery version of the classic Stuff the rolls with these and serve with potato chips for an super easy dinner. Create a variation of a lobster roll with precooked crab meat from your grocery store.Mix it with mayo and scallions for a twist and serve on a toasted hot dog bun. You could also use hot dog and hamburger rolls for breakfast sandwiches, Layer, cheese easy to make scrambled eggs and microwavable sausage links and patties for an easy first meal.

Take it easy  during a heat wave.  Create simple meals  that can be turned into easier lunches and dinners. Don't sweat - literally - over what to make.

Easter Monday Picnics

The Easter weekend is a great time to get together with family and friends.There's church  services, egg hunts, fun dinners and wonderful desserts. Europeans extend the holiday to Monday where it'sa time to enjoy family and friends on the first outing of the season.

If you and your family or friends are lucky to have Monday off, then take advantage of the weather. Even if it's a rainy or snowy day, have a lunch together with the leftovers from Easter Sunday. Nothing beats ham sandwiches and they can either be thick slices of it , carved from the holiday roast or made into deviled ham. This last is easy . Take about two cups of coarsely chopped ham, along with  about three tablespoons of mayo and put into a food processor. Pulse until smooth You can add Dijon  mustard or celery seeds for some kick. Some add a drop of maple syrup for sweetness but it's really not necessary . Homemade deviled ham tastes best on a crunchy baguette. but can also be good on whole wheat bread too. Use up any potato salad leftover that went with the ham and throw in some pickles or gherkins,If you've had a snowy or rainy holiday, then use the holiday ham to make a hot and satisfying hot pea soup. The ham bone will definitely add to the flavor

Any extra hard boiled eggs can be made into a tasty egg salad. Add some tarragon for more flavor and color.. You could also just bring the eggs and then peel and salt them when you're hungry. If you didn't cook for Easter , then think about buying an already roasted chicken . It can be sliced and eaten as or made into sandwiches. Buy some potato or macaroni salad too for a more substantial lunch. An Easter Monday picnic is also a good time to sneak some fruit into the diet after a weekend of candy and cake. A nice apple or pear  along with grapes is a refreshing change from all those jelly beans and Peeps. You can also bring granola or Kind bars if you're planning on hiking or playing ball.


Extend the holiday weekend if you can. Turn Easter Monday into a picnic day, full of fun and food. Spend it with friends and family

A Healthy Spring Picnic

It's time to celebrate Spring and what better than an old fashioned picnic.Yet what  gets packed in some baskets can be unhealthy. It's time for a change, and get rid of all those snacks. There's nothing like enjoying fresh air with freshly made sandwiches and nibbles. Besides it's a good time to take advantage of  the proudce just come into season.

A big part of any picnic are the sandwiches. Most people slap processed meat on bland white bread  and consider it a good meal. For variety they may add some tasteless processed cheese or even cold, ,greasy bacon. It's time to change that. Sub in darker bread which is healthier.The base doesn't have to always be whole wheat.it could be a twelve or fifteen grain bread or even rye or pumpernickel. As for fillings, always think fresh. Picnics are a great way of getting rid of any leftover meat or meat loaf. Last night's chicken, turkey or even London Broil and meat loaf make better fillings than processed cold cuts. Even a tomato sandwich is a delicious picnic treat. Layer thickly cut Beefsteaks on bread with mayo. If it;s not too warm think about a tarragon egg salad on whole grain rolls.Add some mayo or ketchup for more taste and a pickle on the side.

As for the extras, think fresh again. Nix the overly processed chips and cheese puffs. Grape tomatoes are fun to bring along as are radishes  and  baby carrots. Cut celery is also good and you can pack up an easy to make vinaigrette for dipping. Try bringing other easily totable veggies such as cauliflower and broccoli too. Fresh mozzarella balls are another fun snack. Carry this theme into dessert where you can bring small containers of melon, strawberries and pineapple. Put them on sticks for an "au naturale" kabob. These are definitely healthier (and maybe a bit more fun) than s'mores.  Another bring along are all natural cookies (such as "Back To Nature's  many kinds)Wash everything down with fresh brewed teas or fruit juices.

Enjoy a healthy and fun day out with healthy and fun foods. They'll give more energy to run around and enjoy the Spring air and company. It's also a nice way to appreciate nature!

Gadget Crazy(And A Contest Too)

Are you addicted to anything that's going to make your cooking process simpler? Do you get more excited than a foodie in a gourmet shop at those infomercials? Do you have your credit card out , waiting to buy? Then you may be addicted to gadgets.Yes, those interesting items that supposedly whip, blend chop, fry, dice, whatever - that makes our prep time easier and much more fun,

Don't be ashamed. I'm the biggest gadget buyer out there. I recently had to buy a rotostirrer (actually I bought two for the price of one) I couldn't resist the commercial or the price ($19.99 without shipping.This little gadget which looks like a cross between an alien space craft and a whisk promised me a hands free stirring . That sounded intriguing and I knew I had to get it. After all it would be perfect for when I make gravy. it would stir for me while I did other things in the kitchen. I have to admit it works I've tried it for stirring thick soups and it did okay. I do have to watch that it doesn't scrape the enamel and that i always have fresh batteries in it)

The roto stirrer is the latest line for my gadgets. One of my favorites though is the Vidalia Chop Wizard which is used for chopping what else Vidalia onions. I've used it for the onion when I've made guacamole however fresh onion can be too strong for me. I've used the chopper more for hard boiled eggs for making egg salad. I have to admit it's the perfect machine for that. I get evenly cut hard boiled eggs all the time. It doesn't mash them which produces a chewier, more textured egg salad.

Gadgets are one of my favorite addictions. There are so many out there that I'd love to buy and probably will. I have to admit they do make kitchen work fun.

Here's a question for all you foodies: what's your favorite gadget. Write in to Foodie Pantry and you may win a prize!

Easter Monday A Time For Picnics

Today is Easter Monday - a time when most families throughout Europe take the day off and have a lovely Spring picnic. I wish we could do this here in the States. The weathe r is perfect for it. Besides there’s nothing like enjoying a fun meal with family under sunny skies. An Easter Monday picnic is a great way to unwind after a hectic holiday weekend plus using up leftovers from yesterday’s feasting.
If you do have the day off pack a lunch and pack the kids You can make some delicious ham sandwiches with your Easter meal’s leftover ham. Add some celery seed laced mayo and a potato roll and it’s a great lunch. You can also chop the ham , add celery and mayo and make a yummy ham salad. Another thing is using up those Easter eggs before they go bad. Peel and either have a side of hard boiled eggs or an egg salad. If there are no leftovers, pick up some freshly sliced chicken or turkey at your supermarket and then create heroes for you and your family.
Spring picnics also have the greens of the season too. You can make a light yet filling salad using field greens and any leftover asparagus. Cut the asparagus into one inch pieces, add what’s left over of the Easter eggs . . If you want, toss in some grape tomatoes to give the salad some color. Top with a vinaigrette and voici -la you have the perfect salad.
If you’re lucky to have this day off, then go out and enjoy it. Transform yesterday’s holiday meal into a the perfect picnic lunch. Bring a favorite drink along with a kite or a Frisbee and you have a great and fun Easter Monday outing!