Fizz For The Holidays

The gift of bubbles are always fun. This could range from champagne to soda machines to gift certificates to a soda shop. There's nothing like the joy of fizz

Of course everyone appreciates champagne. Veuve Cliquot is the number one bottle of bubbly given out.It also comes in a very pretty yellow box.Its' notes are grape and apple and would be perfect with a varied charcuterie board.Moet Chandon is another good gift It has a very fruity, almost tropical taste with notes of pineapple and mango. There are under notes of mirabelle plum and apricot. A personal favorite is Asti Spumante which has a delicate blend of orange,pears, apricots and peaches. It's refreshing and not cloying  thanks to the crisp acidity of the Moscato Bianco grapes that comprise if champagne isn't our thing , then think soda. No, not your box of Coke or Dr. Pepper but a gift certificate at some of the new soda shops opening up.Victoria Peterson, a regular contributor covered this in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.  Chains like Swig and Fiiz have such delicious combinations as sparkling water with syrups to create Italian sodas, refreshing alternatives to the regular colas and lime sodas. The companies are mostly in Utah and the West. Some Italian pastry and coffee shops in other metro areas, like New York , Boston and Chicago can make Italian sodas in such refreshing flavors as tangerine, blood orange and lemon.

A soda machine is another great gift idea. Soda Stream has updated its' look and is a great addition to any one with a modern looking kitchen.It's has a new updated model,  Terra which is  sleeker and more aerodynamic looking. It comes in four colors from pale blue to red and the classic black or white. You could be generous and give the Hydration pack which has two extra bottles if the recipient wants to make two or three flavors at once. They also have the One Touch Electric which is much easier to use than the Terra and also the Aqua Fizz which is the sleekest of all the Soda Stream soda makers. It even comes with fancy carafes that go on any table from picnic to dining. What's really good about gifting this handy machine is the new updated flavors. Yes they still have the classic cola, cream and orange soda flavors along with their version of Dr. Pepper - Dr Pete's. Yet they also have Bubly drops for homemade flavored seltzer. Yet they also have a new line of craft soda syrups in such flavors as lemonade and pink grapefruit along with kombucha and passionfruit and mandarin kombucha

Give the gift of fizz for this Christmas. It could be a bottle of bubbly or a gift certificate at a cool soda shop. Better yet, give a soda machine where there's always a fresh amount of fizz. There's nothing like a fun holiday , full of bubbles and fun.

For The Wine Lover

 What do you get a oenophile for Christmas? You could easily pick up a bottle of a good Merlot or Shiraz.However a more enjoyable idea would be a book about wine. Info and stories about the grape is always fun and interesting. It also makes for a nice change up than the usual bottle.

Eric Asimov explored this in his The Pour column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Getting the wine lover in your life a bottle can be a bit uninspired and boring.Give a book about said bottle and introduce culture and history. Champagne lovers will drink up Champagne Charlie : The Frenchman Who Taught Americans To Love Champagne.(Potomac Books ) by Don and Petie Kladstrup. Its' all about the 19th Century scion of a champagne company who introduced the bubbly to Americans and his misadventures during the   American Civil War. In more of the sparkling wine vein there is Rachel Signer's memoir You Gad me At Pet Nat  A Natural Wine Soaked Memoir(Hatchette) which is about her love and involvement with petillant natural,  an ancient style of sparkling wine revived by natural wine producers. It is a coming of age story Mr Asimov writes and it deals with love and back to earth farming. Robert V. Camuto's South of Somewhere : Wine, Food and the Soul Of Italy (University of Nebraska Press) tells of his ancestry's association with wine. Southern Italy, it's people  and the new generation taking over the old wineries. They give the industry a newer, fresher spin, all captured in Mr. Camuto's book.

There are also books on the terroirs. Portuguese wines are the highlight of Foot Trodden: Portugal and Wines That Time Forgot Interlink Publishing) by Simon J. Woolf and Ryan Opaz.It's all about the dynamics of Portuguese wine making. They show the insularity of Portuguese history along with challenges of the winemakers and the potential future oft he country's wines.Jasper Morris covers the ultimate terroir in Inside Burgundy (Berry Brothers and Rudd Press) This is the ultimate guide to the world's most famous wine country. Mr. Morris is an expert himself, living in the region and a retired wine merchant. He even addresses the fallout of climate change.He also covers the rising price of land that affects Burgundy's estates. On a more local note there is Acadamie du Vin Library's On California :From Napa To Nebbiolo _ Wine Tales From The Golden State. it is a collection of short selections from three dozen writers who offer impressionistic and thoughtful views on the state and its' wine making history.There are pieces  how California became an important part of the wine industry and world .

A bottle of wine lasts only for a while. A book about wine lasts forever. Get your oenophile one of theses for endless months and years of entertainment.

It's The Cookie Issue

 Cookies are a part of the Christmas tradition as the Christmas tree and presents. The question is which ones to make. Do you go with something different and fun or classic and comforting? Not to worry. the New York Times Food section has come out with an extensive array of good and delicious cookie recipes.

It was the highlight of today's weekly Food section. Many regular contributors have contributed , giving us some interesting recipes that will sure to be family favorites.There are six pages of great cookies, perfect for a holiday dessert table or any party . There are even savory ones, perfect for charcuterie boards and cocktails. One is a cheddar cheese coin from Kay Chun that is a baked blend of Cheddar, Parmesan, scallions and butter. Imagine this holding bruschetta or devilled ham.  Ali Slagle created a savory mixed nut shortbread rife with mixed salted nuts. There is some sweetness with sugar added but there is also rosemary and cayenne to give it kick. Eric Kim gives us a yummy version of the M&M cookie, perfect with warm milk on a snowy day.Melissa Clark explores butter spritz cookies made richer with the addition of almond extract and almond flour. Nicole Carpino Frasco withe the help of Margeaux Laskey reimagines her nonna's tricolore squares , those multicolor cake like gems that are robed in dark chocolate.Genevieve Ko makes a mean peanut butter cookie, enhanced with peanut butter chips. Jerrelle Guy's creates a homey , tastier version of iced oatmeal cookies zinged up with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.

Of course there are spins on classics. Melissa Clark reimagines melt in your mouth rugelach with a chocolate banka filling with a crumbly fudge. Those holiday classics thumbprint cookies get an redoing thanks to Yossy Arefi's addition of tahini to the cookie dough and filled with dulce de leche. Gingerbread get a rehaul with Sohla El-Waylly's recipe that gets zinged up with freshly ground pepper. It's also rich and buttery thanks to the addition of fourteen tablespoons of butter. Nina Donabian gives us Finnish gingerbread man coated with a crunchy raw sugar. Biscotti and swirl cookies also are here. Jerrelle Guy  creates her biscotti with a dark chocolate coating and a spicy blend of cardamon , cloves, nut meg and cinnamon. The swirl cookies have hibiscus and ginger as the main flavors in Yewande Kemolafe's version. Great pastry chef and baker Dorie Greenspan has a more candy like concoction that 's more candy. There are also fruity treats  such as Samantha Severinetne ;'s fig and cherry pies and Sohla El-Wally's fruity meltaways spiked with freeze dried berries. want pure chocolate instead? Then try Vaughn Vreeland's mint brownie cookies,

These are just some of the cookies from the Food section cookie issue.They are classic and reimagined. Try them and add them to your arsenal of holiday cookie recipes.

Gingerbread Housing

 The one food item that says holiday time is the gingerbread house. It''s warm and inviting looking, a classic treasure that's on every dessert table and under every tree. Yet times are changing and so is the gingerbread house.

You can still create an old fashioned gingerbread house complete with gumdrop wreath windows and snowy confectioner's sugar dusted roofs. You can easily find a number of scratch recipes on the internet. Gingerbread on its' own is a wonderful holiday treat. The recipe features the best of spices, the original recipe coming from Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis who later settled in Bondaroy in north central France. The recipe hasn't changed. much over the millennia .It's cinnamon , ginger nut meg and cloves mixed with molasses which gives it that lovely deep golden brown hue. Shortening ,sugar and eggs are added and then rolled out and cut according to templates. You can download these or draw your own.Get creative with the windows by cutting out circles or squares and then filling them in with crushed hard candies. They'll melt into pretty stained glass. As for decorations think everything from gum drops to unwrapped Hershey's kisses. You can also use Smarties, and candy canes too along with any kind of  Sour Patch strips.

Of course if you don't have the time or the effort to bake, then buy a kit. These have all the pieces already baked and the right amount of icing to glue them to gether along with the right amount of candy decorations, The good thing about these is that now they are varied. There is the gingerbread train and gingerbread treehouse ,both can be bought at Target, These are fun addition to any Christmas table. Five Below has even more. They have the Hershey's Chocolate Cookie House which looks easy to do and can be decorated any way you want. They also have the Oreo train, made from what else, Oreos icings and a variety of different candies. Five Below also has a very easy gingerbread reindeer and sleigh which has only four pieces for the sled and three for the reindeer. Candies also have their houses too. There are also Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers ones too. These are regular gingerbread houses decorated with the candies. it makes for something different and fun too. Most of the Five Below kits are usually priced at around five dollars. 

it is gingerbread season. Make your own or buy a kit. Just have fun creating this festive and tasty Christmas tradition.

Fasr Food Fast Yuck

 We've been told for decades that fast food is bad for us despite its' taste. Those burgers and nuggets were addictive as were those fries. Somehow these indulgences are as lacking in flavor as they are in nutrition nowadays.

 I discovered this in the last two days. I was rerouted more or less to the Jersey shore after trying to go Christmas shopping in Clark, New Jersey. I didn't mind the detour. I love hanging out at the Raritan Bay, enjoying the calm waters and briny sea aroma. I knew I'd have to stop and eat somewhere along the road because I hand't eaten since mid morning. I knew where to go. The Jon Bon Jovi stop on the Garden State Parkway always had a good choice of fast food. I knew I had wanted to go to Nathan's if it was still there. It was!!! I looked forward to their hot dog and crispy fries. I bought them along with a diet Coke. The diet Coke was the only good thing. The hot dog was so burnt and salty that I couldn't finish eating it . Nathan's fries were known for their crunchy outsides and the perfect taste of potatoes and salt. These were downright horrible. They were overcooked with a charred aftertaste and a strangely mushy and damp inside. These too went right into the garbage. Luckily they didn't disturb my stomach.

Then today i had lunch at one of my local McDonald's near me in Garfield NJ.I had always got a decent burger there (to me the best McDonald's is down in Hazlet on Route Thirty-Six). Tired of eating red meat I thought I'd get the chicken nuggets. Bad idea. They were over crusted and the flavor only improved when I peeled off the coating. Even the accompanying sauces couldn't help. At least the fries were decent, being thin and crunchy. I've got to admit.I was not used to two days  of stupendously bad fast food. I don' know if it's the staff overcooking or just not caring how the food turns out. Maybe fried fast food is becoming a thing of the past as chains like Jersey Mike's offers freshly made sandwiches that require little frying - save for their bacon. it could also be that newer burger chains like Shake Shack and Habit Burger are offering better made hamburgers that taste like they came off the back yard grill. Also many people are embracing vegetarianism and eating Beyond Burgers and Impossible Meats. There probably will be vegan chains that will eclipse the established ones.

All in all it's very surprising about the overall poor quality of fast foods. They have to improve or lose customers like myself to chains offering at least better tasting fare. If not, they face a dismal future.

Supply Chain Holidays

 There is a global supply chain shortage going on right now and it may affect the way we cook for our holidays. what rt do if the store doesn't have what you want? Improvise. It's amazing what you can do with substitutes and innovation.

The news says don't worry. Everything we need will be right there, however there seems to be shortages on the shelves right now. There may be turkey and chicken shortage, but mostly for smaller birds. You could go large or think of a meatless Christmas or New Year's, Unfortunately beef is also going to be in short supply as is bacon. You could try a tofu roast which does come out well of prepared right. If you treat Tofurky like the real thing , using a brush on baste of melted butter followed by a rub of salt and pepper then, you will have a crusty, delicious roast. There is also a plus in serving Tofurky. It comes already stuffed with a wild rice stuffing. There is also a pretty good gravy included in the package. You can flavor this up with a small onion and some butter cooked in with the gravy. Another idea is going to a turkey or chicken farm and buying a free range bird for your holiday meal. Ham isn't going to be affected so you could easily serve that. The leftovers make for great devilled ham and split pea soup.It's also relatively easy to prepare with such glazes as a maple or a ginger-brown sugar one.

What other foodstuffs may be hard to obtain?There is talk of pasta and bread shortages. Luckily there is no flour shortages thanks to the 2020 overage. If you have to make your own. You can get a pasta maker which there are no shortage of (you may even get a discount thanks to holiday sales) or you can even make it by hand alone.It's easy and there are a wide range of types to create. even lasagna noodles can be handmade, giving a holiday meal an extra special touch. Bake bread along with your list of Christmas cookies if there is a bread shortage in your area. You can start with white but add some variety with sourdough and rye. It would be an extra special Christmas treat to make breakfast and dinner rolls for your table. Canned foods may also be disappearing from the shelves.As for veggies, think frozen ones then. You can make some lovely salads and sides using frozen green beans and broccoli. Winter vegetables are another option. You can create amazing sides with carrots, turnips and Swiss chard. Swiss chard is a popular side on Piedmontese tables. Try it cooked with red wine and Parmesan cheese.

Yes, this may be the holiday known for its' food shortages. Yet you can overcome those by ingenuity and innovation. Get creative with substitutes for a memorable Christmas or New Year's dinner.

A Tray Of Pretty Cookies

 It's holiday time and that means a tray of cookies. Why not make them eye catching and pretty. They can be delicious and exquisite, perfect for any Instagram or Pinterest picture. There are many different types to choose from.

One of the most popular and often made is a simple sugar cookie jazzed up with royal icing. The icing by itself is pretty bland but how you use it can be creative and lovely. One of the prettiest is creating simple straight piping on snowflake cookies. You can dye the icing a light powder blue and then pipe white icing using a round cake decorating tip number 2 (buy Wilton's for the best result). You can also first ice the cookie with royal icing and then use silver dragees and silver sanding sugar. Keep in mind that the dragees do have silver and really aren't meant to eat.One way of making snowflake cookies pop is just placing one dragee in the center and let the icing be the star. You can also color royal icing with either bought or homemade natural icing . Keep in mind that if you use natural colorants like spinach or onion, you will wind up with some of their taste. Again start off with a simple royal icing base which is usually powdered meringue or egg whites mixed with vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar. You can use aquafaba or chickpea water for a vegan version. 

Homemade Linzer tortes are beautiful gems on any cookie platter. These Austrian classics have a cookie base of almond flour and confectioner's sugar. This is what gives the base its' tenderness. The jam filling can be any kind of jam from apricot to raspberry. Use raspberry for a Christmas cookie platter. The middle of the top cookie is cut out to reveal the glistening jewel like jam. You could easily do an intricate snowflake or snowman cut out using a smaller cookie cutter or hand drawn template. Dust the cookies with a fine coating of confectioners sugar or for more prettiness use silver or gold sanding sugars.Oatmeal lace cookies are another exquisite addition to the holiday platter. This incredibly complex looking snap is just a simple mix of butter, dark brown sugar, flour, salt, and eggs with a dash of vanilla. The batter is very thin which produces a delicate candy like texture. They can be dipped in dark chocolate and then become florentines. Stained glass cookies are pretty too and the idea can be carried over to make stained glass windows for gingerbread houses and gingerbread churches. Use any brightly colored hard candy and then smash them in a plastic bag. Make an outline whether a circle or a star and fill the inside with the candy, The cookie is typical butter cookie which makes for a solid frame. 

These are the prettiest cookies to bake for a holiday treat platter. Bake them to impress , but also bake them to admire their beauty. They are true gems