Uh Oh Those Holiday Disasters

 Anything made in the kitchen could go wrong. That doesn;t exclude holiday baking or cooking  What to do when this happens? First, don 't panic, Secondly you cna fix this

Baking is considered an exact art. The problem is sometimes that exactness can sometimes go awry. It's even worse when you have to have a platter all set for a holiday gathering.Lt's start at the beginning. You could wind up with gooey or badly textured cookies if the butter is not at room temperature. It needs to be taken out of the refrigerator fifteen minutes before using. DO NOT microwave it!. It'll become too melty and ruin the recipe. If it's too soft return it back to the fridge for a few minutes for it to harden. What happens when th eggs and butter clump instead of blending smoothly? Just keep mixing them on a medium speed. Eventually everything will come together in a lump free , smooth dough. What about if the dough is too thick or too thin? If it's too thick then add any liquid like milk or water to it. You could also add some melted butter too.If the dough is too thin or runny then add about a tablespoon or two of flour to thicken it.What happens when you accidentally leave them in the oven and the bottoms burn? You can scrape off the char  along with frosting this part.

Cooking that holiday ham or turkey should be a snap , right? Yet even these can wind up with a host of problems. Ham can easily go dry if you overcook it. Use chicken broth instead of water to moisten it. This will also give it more flavor. It's just simmering the cooked cut in the broth for about six minutes with eac side being in the borht for three minutes each.The ham is still pretty tasty if it burns. They're may even be fights for the crispy blackened parts. Suppose your turkey dries out when cooking? Slice it and ladle the slices with gravy to give them moisture.If the bird gets burned, just remove the singed meat and skin with a knife and serve with gravy. This also applies to the charred parts if you don;t wanrt to throw anything away. The classic green bean casserole could turn out to be a nightmare too. Using frozen string beans can cause the dish to be too runny or soupy. If that's the case make a quick roux or even add starch to thicken it. Sweet potatoes are always a great side but if thye're overcooked they can dry out and lose their nutrients. Pour melted butter over them to ge the flesh creamy and moist again.

Don;t worry if there's a holiday baking ro cooking disaster. You can fix it. The end result is a tasty cookie or meal that will be memorable.

Your Holiday Happy Drink

 It's that time of year when nerves are frazzled and we all need a good sip of something. What's yours? is it a glass of your favorite Cabernet to settle your nerves. A good cup of Earl Gray? Or those big sundae like peppermint mocha iced coffee, complete with a blob of whipped cream and chocolate syrup drizzled on top?

Let us know what keeps you sane during these days leading up to Christmas.

Vegan Holiday Treats

 If you're a home chef, it's hard to create a tasty vegan meal that even carnivores will enjoy. Yet there are a few dishes that's sure to wow them this holiday season. They're fun takes on classic dishes.

Both Christina Morales and  grapesed oil along with sazon and onion powder Melissa Clark, regular and much loved contributors gave diffrent recipes in yesterday;s New York Times Food section. Ms Morals took the classic pernil popular in the Hispanic part of the Caribbean and turned the classic pork dish into a vegan main meal. She subbed in jackfruit, a cousin of breadfruit for this. It came from a recipe that many Hispanic vegans like Norma Perez have adapted. It has the same seasonings the the pork, There is adobo, lime juice and sazon. for more flavor and to make it taste more authentic. The jackfruit does have to be squeezed either by hand or with a potaot masher to get all the liquid out of it after its' been boiled and cooled It's then mixed with the spices and onion powder along with sazon and left to marinate in the fridge for at least six hours.It's roasted in a preheated 400 degrees Farenheit oven  on  alarge parchment paper covered sheet pan Roast it for thirty miutes stirring every ten. The jackfruit should be crispy and golden not charred.

Another great vegan party dish would be Melissa Clark'sake on stew wrapped in phyllo sheets in her wekly A Good Appetite Column, This is an interesting take and sure to b a crowd pleaser. She makes it like a tangine rich with sweet spices and minced  preserved lemon. Onions and peppers are first sauteen in a Dutch oven and then tomato paste and a variety of spices are added. She uses  a mix of turmric, pepper, ginger, cumin nutmeg and cinnamon, Cauliflower is added for color and some texture along with more veggies. This includes sweet potatoes and zucchini along with the preserved lemon,It's brought t a simmer for forty to forty-five minutes or until the vegetables are very tender and the sauce is very thick, In the meantime heat the oven to 4oo degrees Farenheit and line a baking pan with melted mutter an then the phyllo sheets.. Ladle the stew on this and sprinkle with feta cheese if you want.Cover with the remaining phyllo dough.Pierce the top using a sharo knife to let the steam escape,Brush with more melted butter and bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes. Wait another fifteen before cutting and serving.

These dishes will be the hit of any vegan or non vegan holiday party. They a different take on classic pernil and stew. Everyone -  including the meat eaters will love them.

The Year's Best of The Best

 This is the time of years for lists. There's the best , the worst, brightest, richest.It applies the same for food and drink.what make the cut this year?

The New York Times food section asked this and presented their bes tof 2023 lists(although this really should be done at the end of the year - there are two more weeks for that. Recipes, restaurants and libations. The recipes are a wonderful blend of savory and sweet. Home chefs will appreciate the Marry Me chicken, a Tiktok sensasation that has chciken married with sun dried tomatoes and heavy cream along with butter, tomatoes paste and Parmesan cheese . This delightful dish supposed ly has brught on several marriage proposals.  Another good dish is the white chicken chili, redolent with cumin and jlapenos.As for sweets, we're lucky to have the Magnolia banan pudding recipe, a perfect holiday dinner dessert and the comforting lemon pudding. There is also a recipe for a refreshing summery drink called tinto de verano from Spain. The drink, whose name means summer wine is a blend of  sweet vermouth, lemon lime soda , simple syrup and dry red wine. It's a nice breezy break from the usual holiday cocktails.

Of course there are the best wines also listed . Eric Asimov heads it off with a Prosecco spin off called Ca DeiZago Valdobeladene Mariarosa Frizzante 2022.Little known indigenous grapes are used to make it instead of the usual glera sort. There are also mid century sherries from Spain , Olaroasa, that are worth trying and sipping;One was from an island vinyard where the terroir produced a more robust flavor. There is also a good German emruch-Schomleber Monziger Resiling Kabinett 2021. It is lightly sweet and delicate, very fragile in taste. You may want to sip any of these whe you lookover the Food section's extensive  best cookbook list. The choices do not disappont and would make excellent Christmas gifts.Every cuisine is mentioned. For those who absolutely adore Chinese cuisine, get  A Very Chinese Cookbook 101 recipes From China and Not China (But Chinese Really)  The book contains detailed photos and tips from the authors, father and son team Jeffrey and Kevin Pang.Restauranteur Brecia Lopez has written an extensive book on Mexican grilling Asada , The Art of Mexican Grilling.

This has been a year of good food and drinking . Follow these lists for excellent recipes and liquors along with great holiday gifts. They really are at the top of their field.

Your Holiday Home Bar

 Drinks are a big part of the holiday scene. There is wine to accompany a Christmas ham or turkey. Champagne to ring in the New Year/ A nice Irish coffee to finish a quiet night in. A home bar should be well stocked and ready for any kind of drink. whether alcoholic or -nonalcoholic.

What should any well stocked home bar have? Corkscrews are always a must  along with bottle openers.There will always be bottles to be uncorked and you don;t want to use a dinmer fork to do this.A couple of jiggers or small measuring cups are also handy ,expecially when you're creating mixed cocktails and even mocktails. Of course yo'll eed a good cocktail shakers for those holiday martinis along with strainers for making sure ice or pulp doesn't drop into the finished drink. Most professional bartenders use what's called a Boston shaker but you can buy a cobbler one that has a built in strainer. For the perfectly mixed drink make sure you have bar spoons which long handled spoons with small bowls. Also have mixing glasses for making multi ingrdient libaions. You can. find these at any store from Amazon to Wal-mart. You should alreay have champagne glasses and tumblers too. If you are dealing with a big crowd, then buy the plastic versions and keep the good stuff locked away.

What about the types of alcohol? A good gin such as Beefeater's is a must. It can serve as a base for many cocktails. Whiskey is another must have.  Keep in mind it and bourbon are sort of alike. Bourbon has fifty-one percent of a corn mixutre in it while whiskry has just an equal amount of mashed grains in it. Another home bar staple is rum. The best for cocktails is Flor di Cana, which has aromas, of white chocolate, and orange along with sweet almonds and vanilla. As for rumfor punches then have Bacardi Superior rum for a fun fruity punch, A good tequila rounds out the bar. Try to find a good blanco or silver one . it has a relatively mild flavor and clear color.It's the best for cocktails. Sodas play an important role in a home bar too, epsecially for mocktails. Yes, you should have cola for makeing rum and Coke along with ginger ale for non drinkers)Both drinkers and non drinkers like a good fizzy cocktail. Have various seltzers around. One of the best is Waterloo which comes in such flavors as grape , spiced apple, watermelon and peach. Also have plain sletzer for mixing as well.

Make sure your home holiday bar is well stocked for the dinners and parties ahead. This will ensure tasty cocktails and mocktails for yourself and guests. There's nothing like the perfect sip for the holidays.

Holiday Cleanout

 This is the time of year wen the kitchen will be loaded with food and ingredients.This can be great save for the fact you may have leftovers or old foodstuffs around the fridge and pantry. If that's the case , then it's time to clean out.

One item that most home chefs and espcially bakers  have is flour. Keep in mind that refrigerated flour can last up to a year. If' it's been stored in a pantry then it's shelf life is only three months. Keep in mind that flour cna be used in making various roux and thickening gravies. You could also use the extra to make bread or the start of your holiday cookies and cakes. What that other all important staple - sugar? Technically sugar never spoils so you can keep it indefinitely. Howeve it can lose some of its' sweetness after three months. It's up to you if you want to keep it or not. It will come in handy for baking and also for sweetening coffee and tea. Is its cousin confectioner's sugar ever lasting? Yes!!! However throw it out if you see any bugs, moist clumps or contamination. Untouched sugar should be fine to use in glazes , icings and buttercream frostings along wit using it to make fudge and other holiday treats.

What about all those cans of tomato sauce and beans you bought whe the store was having a mega sale on them. One word - chili. This is the perfect hot crockpot dinner . Mix everything in the morning and let it simmer all day for a tasty, hot and nourishing dinner.It's also the perfect dish to serve at a tree trimming party. Add already made conrbread or tortilla chips to make it more of a party dish. You cna also add any onions you have too (usually one wull do it). Tomato  sauce can be used in making homemade sauce too. Nothhing beats this when served over any kind of pasta. Beans can also be used in rice dishes as a nice side oir if you're craving a taste of summer, whip up a three bean salad. Those cans of chickpeas can also be turned into hummus, the perfect party dish. Cannellini beans can be added to give the dip a milder flavor. Blend together with minced garlic, olive oil and lemon. Serve with air fried pita chips. Canned veggies can easily be made into sides and salads, leaving more room for Christmas dinner ingredients.

It's time for a quick clean out of the pantry and fridge. Throw out the old stuff. use what you can for different dishes and holiday baking. The pantry and fridge will then be ready for all your Christmas dinner ingredients.

Homemade Hors'D 'Oeuvres

 A holiday party or Christmas dinner should start with a pretty platter of hors d'oeuvres. A nice touch would be creating a variety of tasty nibbles from scratch. There's a wide variety to choose from so you can have a varied plate.

One of the most classic hors d'oeuvre is the cheese ball. This is one of the easiest recipes to make.Use cream cheese as the base and mix it with a good cheddar. Sharp, tangy cheddar is the best because it willhave a nice zing to it. Grate the cheddar into the a bowl of cream cheese. WHat gives commerically made cheese balls their unique flavor is the addition of Worcester sauce and finely chopped green onions or scallions. Once these are combined start forming a ball using a spatula. Then use your hands. It's now time for the famous nut crust. Use a mix of chopped  nuts like walnuts , almonds and pistachios. You can serve it surrounded by Ritz crackers or something fancier like homemade crostini. Another tasty cheese dish is whipped ricotta on crostini. it's ricotta mixed with a bit of honey, olive oil and garlic. You can top this with a savory topping like a pickled tomato and onion or a sweet one like peaches and figs. For a surprise salty jold add a paper thin layer of prosciutto between toppings.

Phyllo cups are always a welcome bite at any gathering. Hoemmade ones are pretty easy to whip up.It takes only two ingredients - phyloo sheets that your local grocery's freezer section has and butter or a plant butter  like Melt. I'ts first brushing the sheets with melted butter and then just cutting them to fit muffins tins. Bake with a filling at 350 degree Farenheits for ten to twelve minutes. What to fill them with? Try various quiches fillings sich as the traditional quiche Lorraine which has ham or bacon and caramelized onions mixed with eggs. Vary these with spinach and asparagus.  You could also try a mix of cranberry and Brie or the cheese with sliced pears. Bite sized beef Wellingtons are another tasty and sophisticated holiday bite. This is taking beef tenderloin and  cutting it into small one inch cubes cubes.  Brown the tendeloin bits in olive oil until the meat is browned. Let cool and the wrap into puff pastry. Brush each square with beaten egg for a glossy brown crust and then bake for ten minutes in a 400 degree Farenheit oven. Serve with mustard. You can  add a layer of chopped mushrooms and onions if you want a more authentic Beef Wellington flavor.

Homemade hors d'ouevres are always special. Try these for a tasty beginning to any holiday meal. YOur guests will appreciate them.