Your Culinary Year Make It Your Best

 With a new year comes new posssibilities and hopes, especially in cooking and baking . Make this the year to try new recipes and ingredients. Be curious.  Be adventurous, but most of all be fun.

One way to try new dishes is to eat out.It's one thing to try recipes you see on the web it's another to experience them at an eatery. You can ask the server or chef what's in it  and how to create it.If the chef is mum with his ro her recipe then carefully look at it. How was it cooked? Broiled? Flambeed? What were the spices used? Did you detect a hint of red wine ro brandy in the sauce? What about the sides? Were they a simple vegetable sauteed in garlic and oil or did they come with their own sauce?Also think about the cuisines you haven't tried yet. Do you want to cook Szechuan? Or French? Do ants climbing a tree or creating scratch crepes appeal to you? if so , then tart cooking. Make sure you have the appropriate gear such as a wok or crepe maker (although a skillet pan can also do the trick for crepes). Do you want to try your hand at creating your own recipes? You can. There's nothing holding you back.

The same philosophy applies to cookbooks. Buy what interests you if you ddin;t receive a book on it for the holidays. I recently picked up The Great British Baking Show  recipe book at the Clark Shop Rite.

 it was intriguing and I thought why not.Hopefully I'll have the time to bake a few treats fromthis little volume.I do want to try Mary Berry's cheese straws as well as her zesty orange filled Jaffa cakes., a British classic. The breads are a must. I like the idea of a warm homemade bread slathered with butter and jam. It's challenging myself along with discovering tasty recipes I can also make for family and friends.

This is the year to have fun and challenge your cooking and baking skills.it could be adding a new spice or trying a new cuisine.It could even be making up a new recipe. Have fun. Be daring this year.

Dazzle In The New Year

 A New Year means all sorts of new things. It can be extremely fun for home chefs and bakers. There's all sorts of new to try. It's a year to experiment.

If you haven;t already use those Christmas giftcards to buy air fryers, immersion blenders and crockpots These are the three most important appliances outside of your stove and fridge. Another must is experimenting with new spices. Update your spice cabinet. Use flavorings you haven't used before. The same is true for bothi cooking and baking recipes.

It's a new year. Dazzle friends and family. Dazzle youself and your kitchen in 2024!

Have  a tasty, fun New Year!!!😍

Your Party Your Way

Sometimes you just want to be alone despite eit being New Year's Eve. That's OK.  You can have your own party for one. It's a good time to just to treat yourself.

Most go for takeout. Chinese is bif and you cna easily get a small meal. Go for somethign that's idulgent like shrimp in lobster sauce or fried pork or chicken dumplings. These are good also as leftovers on New Year's day.If you're just having one or two friends over. Some pizzerias can make a pie for one.If not treat yourself to some garlic knots and a good scratch made stratichella soup. You could also eat out too. There are restuarants who can squeeze a solo diner . if that's the case, treat yourself to an indulgent meal. Try a French restaurant where you can indulge in a rich bouef bourgignon or even a French onion soup. If you don't want to deal with a crowd , ordrr ahead and just take out. You still get restaurant quality food and enjoy it in the privacy of your home. Of course if you're craving a burger than stop at your local Wendy's or McDonalds. Go all out for a bacon cheeseburger and fries. Order a shake if you want too.

Home cooking can also work for a party of one. Stores such as Aldi,Lidl and Acme have exclllent choices for appetizers and hors douevres. Aldi has an excllet array of frozen snacks like corn dogs and creamy mini quiches. Serve upa plate of their Mac and cheese bites.Try Lidl;s veggie egg rols that can be easily air fried toa crispy, golden brown. They even come with their own little packets of duck sauce. They also have the richly indulgence escargot or snail puffs from France,They also offer vegetables au gratin,. small cups that are filled with carrots, zucchini and eggplants. Treat yourself to their chicken fries or chicken wings that can be air fried or oven baked. Acme along with many other grocery stores offer good cold cuts and cheeses. Arrange a mini charcuterie plate fro yourself with yoru favorite cold cuts like prosciutto cotto or salame along with Brie and Edam. Slice up a small Portuguese roll instead of buying a whole French ro Italian bread .Add olives and artichoke hearts if you like them. Since it's only you also buy a good bottle of champagne to drink as well. Save some for the next day for indulgent mimosas at your New Year's Day breakfast.

There's nothing wrong with celebrating on your own. Indulge yourself. Enjoy a dinner out or a dinner in. I'ts your party.

What's On Your New Year's Table

 A New Year means an open house. This is usually trays of nibbles to welcome in guests to celebrate a new calendar year. it could be nibbles .It could be a carved roast. Anything to go with a cheering drink.

What should be part of an open house table? Hors d'ouevres are your best bet. Any charcuterie or even a sea-cuterie platter works. Guests will appreciate little plates full of salami and shrimp along with slices of cheese and Italian and /or French bread.It's eating theor favorites without gorging too much. You can also have hot hors douevres. Mini sliders that involve meatballs on brioche or pretzel buns work well. They're fun bites that can be dipped into any kind of sauce from marinara to remoulade. Of course pigs in blankets are a must. You could add a layer of champagne mustard before cooking in an air fryer. Another idea is wrapping the dogs in a sharp cheddar or bacon.You could also sub in cut sausages for the hot dogs.Chicien wings also wouldn;t go amiss on an open house table..Include drumsticks for more variety along with dufferent dipping sauces.Vegans can also enjoy your open house table. Those beef and pork based franks can be replaced by plant based ones. Such companies as Alpha has  tasty nuggets in both regular and sizzling spicy. 

If you are planning a roast keep in mind that roasts, especially turkeys cna take anywhere from two and a half to five hours to roast. If you're planning on an open house starting at one PM,then  start getting the food prepared around seven AM(if you can. You can always schedule an early supper beginning at 3:30 to  4 PM if you're planning on celebrating New Year's Eve). Make sure you also have all the trimmings. Pre cut the stuffing in manageable small squares for easy carrying and eating. Yams can be cut into slices and crispy fried in the air fryer for a fun change.Instead of having a gravy boat and ladle which can get messy, opt for ramekins fill with gravy instead. Guests can delicately dip their rolls on them or pour the gravy over the turkey and stuffing. The same goes for a roast beef table. Have ramekins full of au jus and a thicker gtavy. A good accompaniment is a tray of homemade of Yorkshire puddings. These are perfect for holding both the meat and different gravies. As for greens try Brussels sprouts and onions roasted on  skewers,

An open house require not only good cheer but good food. There are several ways to go . Pick the one that works , whether hors douvres' or a carving table. Your guests will love both.

What''s On 2024's Menu

 This is the time of year fro predictions.It's no different in th e food and drink industries. What will we be eating? What will be trending? What do we want filling our glasses. These are all big and interesting questiuons.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She;s not focusing on viral Tiktok trends. There will be plenty of those to follow once the New Year starts. Instead she concentrates on studies regarding small cultural  media and economic data points and watch the trends emerge. Some are reasonable and a natural progressionof some of today's most popular foods. Some seem downright nutty. Foodies and gourmands will still want and demand luxury but also the food's value too.It's not the rairity but is this food the best of its[kind will be the question we'll be most asking.Some trends make sense. Buckwheat will be the most popular grain in the New Year according to Cathy Strange , the Whole Foods Market ambassadoe of food culture. She had a foi gras terrine coated in it in a recent trip to Norway.Buckwheat will even be in hot cocoa and coating such fish as monkfush. YOu;ll see it in traditional dishes like udon noodles and possible waffles, pancakes and bread. Soup is another common food that will be the rage in the next twelve months.There is a rising interest in soups from Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia. grocery stores will see more soups and soup starters on their shelves.

Water - which has been around forever - is also going to be a trendsetter in the upcoming year. More and more people will be pouring powders and syrups into big tumblers of water. There will even be "water sommeliers" in which a sommlier will educate people in the different waters from around the world. There will even be tastings. There will also be an interest in waste water(not what you think)This is taking the cacao water after the cocoa bean has harvested and turning into a tasty drink.Water stewardship will grow as more and more consumers look to companies to use less water in their production. A strange strend is goiung to be food flavored cocktails. Imagine taking a sip of a Waldorf salad at Manhattan;s most innovative bar Double Chicken Please. There's also a Thai beef salad at The Savory Project in Hong KOng. There's also an everything Everywhere drink that tastes like an everything bagel at the Anvil Pub and Grill in Birmingham Alabama. Also looks for florals and botanticals flavoring everything too. Cherry blossom and violet will dominate along with wildflowers in flavors.

There may be other trends in  the new year The one already predicted will be interesting and fun. Everyone should try them.

Sparkle On A Budget

 Champagne or anything bubbly is de rigeur for the New Year. Except there's a problem - like anything else it's risen in price? What to do then? Go for a sparkling wine.It;s basically the same thing but mouch more affordable. 

Regular contributor Eric Asimov gave a guide to the best sprakling whites in today's New York Times Food section.He does give a good choice; about twelves choices . Luckily great sparkling wine can be found anywhere and Mr Asimove went to a variety of different shops across Manhattan to get them.He calls them alternatives and not replacements. Keep in mind that if a vintner uses champagne grapes the end result will taste like it. Most use pinot noir or chardonnay grapes for this. Other will use chenin blance.The bubbly won;t have the same flavor. it will not be better or worse or just different. His choices are ones that are made with the same fermentation processes which is a fermented wine that;s gets refermented again to get that fizzy texture. He skipped ones that have already been bottled while fermenting. What drink works for New Year's celebrations. If you want French then go with Domaine De Montbourgeau Cremant Du Brut Zero NV,12 percent. This $36 dollar bottle comes from the Jura moutain area between France and Switzerland.It's dry and sublty herbal, racy and elegant in Mr. Asimov's words. There's also Benedicte Et Stephane Tissot Cremant Du Jura Extra Brut MV 12.85 Per Cent which is still an affordable $38 it's actually half chardonnaygrapes mixed with pinot noir ones along with trousseau and poulsard ones.It has pronounced citrus and herbal flavors.

If you want unusual, try a sparkling one made from chenin blanc. This is a white wime grape from the LOire Valley in south central France. The grape has the uncanny ability to be both bone dry and sweet. It's the fruit behind Francoise Chidane Montlouis-Sur-Loire Brut Nature MethodeTraditionelle 2020, 12 Per Cent. It;s one of the inexpensive ones at $33.It's a lacy ,light floral with a hint of honey, the perfect dessert wine if you want to ring in the New Year . Califormia is also represented in this list. Try Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut MV 12.5 PerCent. Again this is a good bargain at $33 dollars.It's flavor is more hetbal than mineral thanks to the mix of Chardonnay and Pinor Noir grapes making it. It has a freshness and elegance to it , making ot perfect with hors d'ouevres. Champagne and New York City go together but does sparkling wine and New York State? The answer is yes thanks to Jo Landron Atmospheres Methode Traditionelle Extra brut MV 11.5 Per Cent.It's a steal at $28/\.It's a combination of different grapes from the Chardonnay to the pinot noir with the fole blanche thrown in. Italy is also representd here in the Ferrari Trento Brut Metodo Classico NV 12.5 Per Cent.A gain this another great buy at $27.It comes from the Trento Aldige region of Northeastern Italy and has a nice balanced flavor

These are affordable sparklers that are perfect for rining in 2024. They'll make a difference in your parties and gatheringd. Try them for an enjoyabl sip.

African Foods For Kwanzaa

 All holidays have traditional foods. Kwanzaa is not different.The foods represented go back t o Africa and their rich food hisotry. Much was brought over here where everyone can enjoy the variety of fruits and vegetables.

Most Kwanzaa foods have symbolism. Ears of corm represent children still at home.The harvest is also represented in the form of yams, okra, squash , sweet potatoes and bananas. Te biggest meal  called Karamu.is eaten on the sixth dayit can be just African foods from Senegal or Nigeria to name a few countries  or soul food , taken from the American South.Karamus features a one pot soup ro soup , for communal dining. You could easily make a jambalaya, always a welcome treat.This is full of chicken, shrimp and mussels. Add okra if you want to thicken it but it also calls for the "holy trinity' of celery ,peppers and onions. Another hot and comforting dish is Philadelphia  pepperpot stew which comes from early Afro-Carib influence on the city.The original was made with cassareep syrup a sweet and sour flavor from the cassava root or callaloo, a medley of West African greens. Pepperpot also has  tripe or cow;s stomach slow cooked with  green peppers, leeks and carrots. Bacon can be added for more flavor.

There are also side dishes. Many make the Nigerian jollof rice which is rice  cooked wit tomatoes, onions and peppers.It's spiced with thyme and garlic along with the fiery Scotch bonnet pepper. Carrots and green beans can also be added to alleviate the heat.A side of fufu, the West African mash can also be added to the menu. This is mashed or pulverized cassava which is then transfered to a pot where it's stirred.Once cooked and cooled it;s rolled into balls to ber served alognside stews or soup.It acts as a kind fo spoon and bread Take off a piece , mold  into a bowls and ten dip into the stew.What about desserts? Try mbatata or sweet potato cookies.They are from Mali and oftne made in heart shapes to symbolize Mali being the heart of Africa.Cinnamon and raisins are also added for extra flavor as is coconut. A chocolate scratch cake  symbolizing the country's cocoa trade also can be made. Layer it with such fresh fruits as apricots, strawberries. kiwis and sweet cherries. Try to use fresh fruit to symbolize the harvest.

Kwanzaa is a time fo celebration , both of value and harvests. Celebrate wit a communal stew and fruit centered dessert. Enjoy the bounty with friends and family.