Healthy Oscar Noshing

Tomorrow night is Oscar night, a time to celebrate the year in film,It's also a time for parties, whether small family ones or large ones with fellow move buffs. Celebrate the way those Hollywood celebs do, with healthy dishes and snacks. It's a great way to nosh as the count down for best picture begins.

Pizza always tops the list of any Oscar party, whether it be the Vanity Fair do or the one in the family living room. Think of the chef to the stars , Wolfgang Puck, when making your own. He introduced the world to such diverse toppings as duck and shiitake mushrooms. Home chefs can easily come up with their own healthy versions. First sub in whole wheat flour  or rice flour for the crust. Just remember that it will not produce a light ,crisp one. It will be a bit dense and chewy.As for the toppings, slice up fresh tomatoes or for a more traditional one, puree them. You can add low fat mozzarella or the soy version. Toppings can be sauteed soy beef crumbles or chicken strips. Add a layer of garlic sauteed spinach or kale. Sprinkle on some mushrooms or just have sliced black olives or onions. You could also use the dough to make fancy and savory toppings. Try caramelized  onions with the cashew cheeses  or a fragrant ratatouille.Sliders are always a fun party dish  and thanks to Gardein, you can have the soy version Serve on whole wheat toast rounds with home made salsa. Have a slide of organic baked potato or sweet potato chips on the side.

Those chips will also be good with a healthy spin on onion dip. Take plain Greek yogurt and mix in some fresh diced onions along with a small pinch of sea salt. Blend thoroughly and serve with the baked chips. Another  fun dip is salsa. Finely chop up two to three (you may want to increase the amount if you have a large Oscar party) vine ripe tomatoes   and blend with finely chopped yellow onions. Bring heat to the party by adding one finely minced jalapeno pepper. Home made dumplings are another good party nosh.Make them healthy by creating whole wheat skins stuffed with shredded cabbage, ginger and carrots. Set them out with little bowls of Kikoman sauce for dipping. Popcorn and movies go hand in hand. Set up bowls of them throughout the viewing area. Have different flavors, from hot pepper to Italian style with a drizzle of rosemary infused oil. Caramel corn is always a good munch and an all natural one is an  easy make. Use melted coconut oil (try the  Lou Ana brand for this) to pop the kernels. More coconut oil i s then boiled with maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt to create the caramel. After this has been cooked it is then poured over the popped corn and tossed. Serve in popcorn boxes for extra fun.

Whether you're rooting for Leo or Eddie, Cate or Brie, sit back and enjoy healthy Oscar noshing. You'll be the winner , enjoying good for you appetizers and snacks. its your ticket to nutrition and nominees.

The Times Holiday Issue

For the last three weeks  the New York Times Wednesday section has been offering helpful hints and recipes regarding Thanksgiving.Now they're helping home chefs and bakers tackle the onslaught of holiday baking and cooking. There's also a guide to gift giving but that'll be for tomorrow. Today it's all about the bake.


The big guns of the Food section, Julia Moskin, David Tanis, Martha Rose Shulman and Joan Nathan give us the skinny on both sweet and savory . Even the front page has a lovely picture of chocolate reindeer cookies (and of course the lead one does have a red nose.)The recipe is on the next page, dark chocolate espresso snap that only needs royal icing because the flavor is so intense. A California reader, Mari Pfeiffer sent it in and it's from Great Cookies Cookbook by author and teacher Carole Walter. You could even make them and then hang them on the tree as ornaments.Martha Rose Shulman who often contributes healthy recipes to the Tuesday science Times gives us gluten free cookies. Hers are meringues and haystacks, traditionally flour free treats. The meringues are heavily laced with chocolate which cuts the cookie's sweetness.They're a nice departure from the traditional flour ones, providing the right amount of crunch and chewiness. Haystacks are a fun treat,This variation has sugar, butter, evaporated milk and salt cooked in a saucepan and then rolled oats , shredded coconut and vanilla is added.It's then mixed and spoonfuls are dropped onto parchment paper or cookie sheets to cool.

Julia Moskin, David Tanis,and Joan Nathan give us the savory side of holiday baking. Ms.. Moskin has ideas and recipes for different types of challah for the Hanukkah meal.Everyone knows it as a golden braided loaf with a sweet taste  however this is the Ashkenazi, Eastern European Jews, namely the ones from Hungary , version. Sephardic Jews, from Spain make a crunchy rounded loaf, redolent with sesame, caraway and cumin seeds. It's perfect with just honey or dipped into a spicy tagine. The North African and Middle Eastern Jews bake    plain ones with just a touch of sugar and a bit more spices. Another Hanukkah favorite is latke, those crispy fried potato pancakes celebrating  the miracle of the temple.Joan Nathan gives us her aunt's recipe which involves mashed potatoes instead of the usual grated ones. She also adds dill, parsley and shallots for more flavor. They're fried in the oil of the moment  - coconut oil.. This potato puff kind retains more of the vegetable's flavor  as opposed to the grated latke which has an oilier taste. David Tanis  contributes yummy onion tartlet recipes that work at any holiday party. It's a simple butter crust ,faintly lemony thanks to a dash of lemon juice. The topping is caramelized onions and a covering of Gorgonzola or blue cheese.You can sub in a milder cheese like Fontina if the other is too sharp. He also recommends using the dough recipe for galettes and other savory tarts.

Home bakers will love this issue. There are some great recipes, from the chocolate snaps to the onion tartlets to try. Everything is the perfect treat for the holidays ahead!

Appetizing Appetizers

How do you start off a meal? Serve appetizers to whet the appetite as well as to quell any hunger pains. What's great about them is that you can make them as simple or as elaborate as the occasion calls for. Sometimes all it requires is just fancy cheese on crackers , sometimes it's more complicated and involves ingredients used in making a meal. Either way you can be creative and have fun with them.

Appetizers have been around since Roman and Greek times. The ancient Athenians loved to have them served in a buffet where everyone could taste and sample delicacies and favorites. Today's restaurants offer this wide range. You can choose everything from jalapeno poppers to shrimp kabobs along with today's most popular , bruschetta. Restaurants can make any appetizer in large quantities and they are easy to serve. If you're having a large party or affair then ask your caterer to create your favorite restaurant appetizers. After all no one can make 300 bruschetta , fried zucchini or deviled eggs in their kitchen. Let the professionals do the big quantities.

If you're having a small , cozy party then think about just having an appetizer bar. This cuts out the time and hassle of having full courses and lets you have more time with your guests. You can create platters of mini quesadillas and tacos for a Mexican themed one. Tartlets, whether they be filled with Gruyere cheese, spinach or shredded chicken and turkey are also good starters. I love mini quiches in a variety of flavors. These are not only fun to eat but also go well with a host of wines and champagnes. Bruschetta is another favorite of mine but I prefer a vegetable one that also has minced artichoke hearts, cauliflower and broccoli in it. Serve this on slightly oiled and toasted Italian bread and it's a superb hors d' ouevre. You can also add salami to give it more oomph if it's the only appetizer being served.

Appetizers are a fun way to start any meal whether it be in your favorite restaurant or at home. Enjoy them. They make any party more fun and are a great introduction to a good meal.