Short Cut Or Real Deal

As we embark on this holiday cooking trek , the question we have to ask ourselves is do we take the short cut route or make the real deal? Which is easier for us? Something from a box or tube or a recipe made from scratch.

The thought of making an entire holiday meal can cause a major panic attack in a few home chefs.There's a fear of either giving the family food poisoning or screwing up a beloved passed down through the generations dish. If that's the case,then think about already made or easy to prepare recipes. Many cooks are flummoxed by stuffings. What bread to use? Do you add sausage? Or chestnuts? If it's that confusing then stick to that old culinary chestnut, Stove Top Stuffing.It's an easy make,using only butter and water and cooked on what else  -  a stove top. They have a traditional sage dressing along with a cornbread one that's sure to please the crowds. A  homemade stuffing is relatively easy to create but labor intensive.Think of it as a savory bread pudding but without the eggs to bind it. Experiment with a few recipes before the big day. Decide which works the best for you and go with it. Another nail biter is gravy. This is a temperamental dish, where it could come out satiny and smooth or chock full of lumps. It's a simple recipe of just pan drippings, giblets, water and flour .Rosemary is added for more flavor and complexity along with salt and pepper. It;s just a matter of keeping the lumps at bay with constant stirring. The easier route would be buying a couple of jars of Heinz turkey gravy and just heating it upon the stove  top or even in  the microwave.,

Cranberries are another bone of cooking contention. A side made with fresh cranberries is always welcomed. Yet preparing them for cooking can be exhausting. You have to first wash and clean them, and then remove any stem, leaves and soft berries. The actual cooking only takes ten minutes on the stove top. Of course there is the classic Ocean Spray cranberry sauce. Open the can and just plop it on a fancy dish and you're done. One of the most agonizing holiday food choices is scratch  cookies verses slice and bakes.Of course nothing taste better than a homemade sugar cookie. Keep in mind that you can do a lot with a scratch cookie, Cinnamon and nutmeg can be added. Vary the recipe to make it gluten free and safe to eat for everyone. Of course the slice and bakes are soooo easy to make. You just need a sharp knife and a cookie sheet.These can be decorated too, with either homemade or bought frosting. One of the best things about slice and bakes is that they make excellent sandwich cookies, thanks to their uniform shapes. What you could do is bake the store bought  dough and make the fillings with different flavorings  from chocolate to peppermint.

It's up to you - as the chief home chef  how easy or complicated you want to go with your holiday cooking and baking. Go one way or the other. Or do a combination that works best for you. It's your choice  and your choice only.

Campus Cooks

Thousands of college students will be leaving for college for the first time or returning to their apartments in the next couple of weeks. The scary part? They'll be cooking on their own. They'll be cutting, chopping, broiling and boiling - and possibly making some mistakes. Make sure that they have the right gear - not just tablets and an open Amazon account - but everything from cookbooks to cutting boards. Get them ready now for a semester of their version of fine dining.

One of the best things to get any college kid is a cookbook filled with simple and basic recipes. There are actually ones that are geared towards your collegiate. Rhonda Lauret Parkinson has written one of the most comprehensive ones, The Everything College Cookbook, 300 Hassle Free Recipes For Students On The Go. (F&W Publications) This decade old book has everything to get the student from breakfast to snack time to cramming for exams. Another good cookbook is The Healthy College Cookbook, written by Alexandra Nimitz and Jason Stanley along with The Starving Student by Dede Hall that features vegan and vegetarian dishes (all can be bought or downloaded on Amazon). The next items of importance are pots and pans. Unless your kid is going to the CIA , Culinary Institute of America, you can buy two or three vital ones instead of a whole sets. Buy cookware that can have multiple uses. A stockpot can make chili, but also can boil pasta or a lobster. A fry pan is excellent at making burgers but also grilled cheese too. A microwave is handy, and great for cooking leftovers but a better investment is a toaster oven.It's  healthier and can be used for everything from reheating to baking.

Tools are also important too in a student's kitchen.A good all purpose knife ,which can be bought at any supermarket, is one of the most important items for any home chef. I have a Farberware one that I've used for slicing bread, chopping veggies and even carving roast chicken. The second most important item is a good wooden spoon. These are great for stirring everything from sauces to soups. They can be bought in different sizes and will last until the next generation is ready for college. A cutting board is next on the list.It's a must for mess less chopping whether meat, veggies or fruit.Freezer bags are another must. They will come in handy for  leftovers or making dinners for busy exam weeks, As far as gadgets, a mini food processor will always come in handy. It's great for making everything from banana "ice cream" to hummus. An emulsion blender is another must. It's takes up less space than a regular blender but works perfectly in creating sauces, smoothies and even condiments like homemade mayo.As for foods, make sure your campus chef has boullon cubes, perfect on their own or used as the base for soups. Peanut butter is another must.It can be made into a quick sandwich or in baking. Pasta and pasta sauce should also be on the list. These create a hot homey meal in no time. Make sure that there's also bread, cereal and canned tuna.

College is a time of new experiences. Cooking for oneself is one of those. Make sure your collegiate is ready  for it with a well stocked kitchen.