Your Holiday Roast Guide

Roasts are the crown jewels of any holiday feast. They are not only delicious if cooked right but also picture perfect.They add a combination of grace and coziness to any table. The best part is that they're not as scary to make as some people think. Any  roast from goose to ham is pretty easy to cook, starting from prep time to carving..

The New York Times Sunday magazine devoted their entire cooking section  yesterday to these culinary diamonds.The Sunday Times Food editor, Sam Sifton gives his advice and recommendations on the classics. There is the traditional ham , turkey and goose along with the lesser known choices of beef rib roast and crown roast of pork. .These are great suggestions not only for Christmas but for also New Year's Day and especially for an open house. There will be enough meat to go around for that  and the leftovers can easily be made into sandwiches.Another plus are nuggets of useful information that appear in sidebars all over the article.One in particular is what sort of drink to serve with the meat you're serving.

What is great about this guide is that the details are meticulously laid out. If some prep, such as preparing a crown rib roast is too difficult, then , Mr Sifton suggests go to the butcher and have it done there.Two other suggestions are to  get a good meat thermometer and also heavily season the different meats for  optimum flavor. His recommendations for hams calls for a sweet -savory crust of brown sugar and mustard to offset the meat's saltiness. The beef rib roast has a simple rub of just salt , pepper and surprisingly flour/ he also provides the sides that go well with each dish too. Goose should have roasted potatoes and caramelized onions while turkey should have cornbread stuffing and hashed Brussels sprouts.

Holiday meals should have great roasts as their centerpieces.These gems are surprisingly easy to make and heavenly to eat. Choose from these classics and create a memorable meal both for Christmas and the New Year!

Snow Day Bake Day

A snow days stops everything, including school and work. Even though kids now have X-Boxes and Wii they can still become bored. For parents there's only so much telecommuting they can do too. A day off is a great way to reconnect especially over baking. It's a good time to try new recipes and put in some holiday cookie baking as well.

Your baking pantry should  already have flour (brown or whole wheat is preferred however you can use white) sugar or honey and various extras. If you're making your annual batch for Christmas, also have confectioner's sugar and extra butter or margarine for icing along with sprinkles, natural dyes, nuts  , raisins and chocolate chips. Of course of the kids (and you ) want easy and instant gratification then buy the logs of cookie dough. These slice and bakes are easy to make and decorate. They're also fun to eat and you can make a ton of them without sweating. A snow day  also a great time to make cupcakes and cakes,perfect rewards for shoveling the driveway.

A snow day can also mean a bread day. One of the easiest to make is a simple French or Italian bread. Unlike regular white bread , it just requires yeast ,flour water and a pinch of salt, Of course a homemade sandwich loaf won't go amiss either , This is made with butter and honey to give it volume and texture. Fresh bread is a great accompaniment to  any soup or stew and makes excellent toast for breakfast.Batter breads are another easy and fun choice with good results.Try a banana bread or walnut loaf to bring around smiles.Another fun option is making pizza. Kids will love making it especially when they can get creative with toppings.

A snow day means the family will be together. To combat those snowy day blahs, try baking. The process is always fun and the results are always tasty.

PretzeLTwists

Nothing beats any kind ofretzel ,especially during this time of year.They're a holiday party staple as well as being a chill chaser ,eaten hot on the street.everyone thinks New York City owns this salty treat think again as competitor from Philly arrives on the foodie scene. It was the subject of an article in Wednesday's New York Daily News Now Foxus,Regular contributor,Jeannette Settembre wrote about Peltzer's Pretzels a new Brooklyn must go.Owner Leon Pelzer Kirkland and his wife,Barella, bring their version of the German classic to New York.This ISA different kind ,one that's twisted in to a knot with less salt.Philly pretzels are more about flavor than they are about size.Also they are free of those large sodium chunks everyone in the Metro area loves. what's sort of sad is that this city institution is losing some of its'street cred.City bakers are putting different spins on this centuries old recipe(the first pretzels were made in Bavarian monasteries by Priests.They were given to good children as a reward for learning their prayers)Baker Maury Ruben has created an equal Ly buttery and salty Croisszel ,a hybrid of the treat and a croissant.The average vendor sold pretzel is made en masse by J and J Snack Foods and given out to the 400 street carts.the only he comes from Pelzer's .They can bring this classic street food back to its'former glory. Is New York ready for some Philly style pretzels?Hopefully yes.If they take off ,New Yorkers may be seeing more of them on Manhattan's streets.

Your Holiday Drink Guide

This is the time of year to indulge in fancy drinks.Nothing beats them , especially at festive parties and dinners. Any beverage can run from the traditional to the novel. The ingredients can be as typical as rum nad whiskey or unusual as  sweet potatoes and apple slices.

Yesterday's New York Times Dining section ran its' annual holiday drinks issue.This is a keeper because it can inspire  those at home bartenders to try new. Cocktails as well as understanding old ones.Some of America's best mixologists contributed their best and most popular recipes.Not only that but Dining regulars Jennifer Steinhauer and Helene Cooper give us their fave mixed drink recipes.Theirs are actually fun and fruity.Try the slushie like Red Rooster from Ms.Steinhauser.Freeze a blend of vodka ,cranberry and tangerine juices the day before.The result is a cool on so many levels semi frozen treat with a kick.There is a classic Campari drink ,the ultimate in drinking chic.There's also a Christmas spritz made with Prosecco and pomegranate juice.Another version is one with Prosecco and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. America's bartenders also have weighed in.Chicago's famed Blackbird restaurant gives us Sweet Potato Dream.Bartender Lynn House bases this unusual drink on her mother's holiday pie recipe.It is a mix of sweet potatoes ,rum and egg with a dash of maple syrup.The result is a custard like heady dessert.Another Chi-town eatery,Sable Kitchen And Bar gives us their version of traditional mulled wine.Mixologists ,Mike Ryan uses his mother's Bavarian heritage to create a perfect mix of Drambuie, red wine and whiskey along with bitters .It is called The Giving Tree and would be the perfect mate to a Christmas roast pork or ham.New York City gives us the Mott and Mulberry.NY bartender,Leo Robitschek of NoMad whips together Honey crisp apples, rye whiskey and the cinnamon laced liqueur Luxardo Amaro Albano.It 's a kicky version of a hot cider drink. The holidays call for fun drinks.Some are traditional,reminiscent of centuries old punches ,others are new with unusual ingredients.Save the Times Dining drinks issue and make them.They're sure toe the life of your party!

Party Nibbles

Nothing defines a party better than the food served at it.If you have good food then you'll have a good get together.The problem is that most holiday party fare is the same old same old.Now is the time to try new recipes to ensure you have satisfied guests as well as a reputation for being a hip host or hostess. Both Melissa Clark and David Tanis addressed this in their individual columns in today's New York Times Dining section.Ms Clark explores a new twist on cheese and crackers in her A Good Appetite column.She reconfigured the classic duo as a savory tart, sweetened by apples.The crust is chewy ,similar to a pizza crust ,thanks to the blend of whole wheat and corn flours.The topping is a vibrant blue cheese but you can sub another stinky cheese like Liederkrantz fromGermany or Tuma from Northern Italy (personally I'd rather have a Brie).Add on sliced apples of any variety and bake.This is best made a couple of hours before the party begins so that the pie is warm for guests. David Tanis of A City Kitchen goes another route.He offers sandwiches made from fresh from the oven biscuits and ham.This is a Southern spin on the traditional party sandwich.He makes buttermilk biscuits from a mentor's recipe,Jo Rooney.She advised Mr.Tanis not to double the recipe but to make two separate batches .That way there's a constant flow of biscuits and if you're making them for the party, they will always be fresh.As for ham, Mr.Tanis recommends curing pork tenderloins in a home made brine. However you can also buy the Spanish jambon or prosciutto.A dab of spiced mustard is recommended for more flavor.I would also make pulled pork and spread it on the biscuits in little smears too or make a ham salad ,using minced ham, celery and mayonnaise. Parties are always judged by their food.Be innovative and creative. With these two different and diverse recipes you will have a memorable one.They will be instant classics and much clamored for at the next big do.

Low Cal Holidays

Can anyone lose weight during this time of year? Surprisingly yes.Best of all you don;t have to compromise taste. There are still goodies that are both good and well as tasty. Not only that they provided much needed boosts of both vitamins and minerals.

Holiday eating means tasty nibbles. One good one is kale chips. This dark leafy veggie is rich in
 Vitamins A, C, and K along with being heart healthy.It's also easy to make. After washing tear off  the leaves and arrange on an oiled cooking sheet.  Sprinkle with more olive oil and sea salt. Bake for ten minutes at 350 degree Farenheit. You can do the same for vitamin rich Brussels sprouts too. Another yummy and low cal treat is bruschetta made from pita bread and fresh crushed tomatoes. if you or your guests are big on dips, don't despair You can create one using Greek yogurt  and various herbs such as rosemary  and oregano. Another delicious fat free party dish  are whole wheat tortilla chips with a fresh made salsa. Make it colorful by adding minced red and green peppers.

Holiday meals can be equally lower in fat too. Buy leaner cuts pork and beef For the last , instead of a flour and fat rich gravy  think about au jus. This tastes just as good as a richer one but its better for you.Fish is both low calorie and delicious. Try  grilled salmon with lime instead of the traditional ham or turkey with stuffing (Turkey on its' own is a healthy choice).  Plain baked potatoes are also less calories than scalloped style ones. Wilted spinach with olive oil and pine nuts makes an interesting and heart healthy side. You can still have sweet potatoes but nix the brown sugar and marshmallows' Instead just roast them and serve with either soft spread margarine or olive oil.

You don't have to gain weight during this holiday season. Make it a healthier low calorie one with heart healthy and low fat dishes. You'll still eat well but without all those added pounds.

Grogs And Nogs

Holiday parties call for hearty ,traditional drinks .Nothing fills the bill than both grogs and egg nogs. These crowd pleasers will satisfy any body, and go great with nibbles and even desserts. These are also simple to make up and can be whipped up as the gathering is just starting.

Grog is an old traditional beverage, going back to 1740 when British  sailors mixed weak beer and rum. it later evolved into a punch that can be served both hot or cold and made with  lemon juice, lime juice and cinnamon and sugar. Rum is the main ingredient. A modern recipe can be made with dark rum, brown sugar and orange along with lime juice to cut the sweetness. Hot water is added to heat the drink up. This may not be to everyone's taste so think about making a cold , punch like one. This is when club soda is subbed in for the water and grapefruit juice for lime. Three different rums are added to the mix to liven it up and give the grog a richer, more layered taste.

Egg nog is about one of  the most traditional Christmas drinks that can be served.It's a descendant of posset, a medieval drink made from hot milk.It hit its' stride in the 1700s  when it was called Egg flip so named because the drink was tossed from cup to cup to be mixed. The modern name comes from egg grog which got mangled into egg nog.It is an easy recipe, made with rum, cream  along with raw eggs and nut megs. Many people have qualms about using uncooked eggs and if you feel that way then cook them.Cook  them in a small saucepan with sugar   and a of slat over the  lowest possible heat . Slowly whisk in the milk . This should take 25 to 30 minutes and then strain through a cheese cloth to get rid of any cooked egg bits. Add the rum and cream.of course you could also get the store bought version (which is pasteurized) and add your own rum for any easy party drink.It can be served with savory foods but is best with plain butter cookies or cake.

This holiday season, liven up any party with nog ,grog or both. They are traditional drinks that fit in well with any modern get together. Try them for some serious good fun and flavor.