Potato Bars

 Potatoes tend to be the heart of any holiday table, yet they're often ignored for more fancier mains and sides. However you can make them shine at a holiday table.How Set up a potato bar. Yes!~ Baked potatoes can shone just as brightly as any charcuterie or sea-cuterie platter. 

Regular contributor and chef himself, Eric Kim elevates the lowly spud with an article and recipes in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Baked potatoess got their due during 1909 when railway dining was truly elegant. Hazen Titus was head of the line  Northern Pacific/s dining car hd learned of a surplus of oversized potatoes. he put them on his menu.They were ordered and put on the menu and became a hit. More than a century later a baked potato is still a big hit. Who doesn't love a split one with a fluffy white flesh along with a huge , melting part of butter.It's also good with other topping like the traditional sour cream, chives cheese and bacon. Chef Kim has spent the last year baking giant spuds, he recommends them to star at at any party.It start s by setting up a bar It appeals to all sorts of cultures. As chef Vishwesh Bhatt wrote in his cookbook "Potaotes are a great equalizer for many cuisines.They can be adopted to many different tastes and cuisines,

What would work in a potato bar? An aglio e olio one appeals to those who love the simple Italian pasta dish. It starts with a baked potato dolloped with a mayo and garlic mixture, Lightly drizzle with  extra virgin olive oil and red pepper if you want some zing. Microplane a cloud of Parmesan over each one for a tasty,flavor. There is also an Indian-ish recipe from Cehf Kim's fellow writer Priya Krishna and her mother . Chiles and chaat masala - a dried powder made from dried mango powder , black salt and dried pomegranate seeds. There's also onions and ginger for more flavor and bite.Green Chiles or Serrano Chiles are used.Mr. Kim celebrates his Korean heritage with his caramelized kimchi potatoes.it stands in for bacon as it;s sauteed with butter. and then browned much in the same way as onions or cabbage is. Sharp cheddar tops it along with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives. Sweet potatoes get their due here too They;'re topped with goat cheese whipped ream cheese and hot honey, a mix of regular honey and Chiles.Rosemary and nuts top them off for a different flavor.

A potato bar? Why not. It'sa different and fun way of enjoying this powerhouse staple Try  them with all the different ingredients.

Good Christmas Recipes

 Christmas should be a time fo feasting but also easy recipes to follow. The New York Times has a slew of them for the big day ,from a main course to sides to even a show stopping dessert. These are perfect because of their relative ease. It's not only enjoying the meal but the cooking too.

Newcomer Clare dDe Boer ,a four times James Beard nominated chef and Food writer contributed these gems to today's New York Times  Wednesday Food section.She does recommend having family and friends getting involved to make preop time easier and simpler. Her appetizers consist of grilled by guests sausages(these aren't mentioned but you can still do them either in your fireplace or set up on an outdoor grill) The main course is sliced orange duck which consists of braising duck legs with a mix of ginger, anise and orange and cooked until they're so tender the meat falls off the bone. The recipe calls for six whole duck legs (which you can get at your butcher's) and they need to be cooked in batches.One of the sides is simple boiled greens.This involves cooking dinosaur or Tuscan kale .It's boiled until it becomes a paste on the fingers and garlic is added to it. Olive oil is drizzled on top of this along with a sprinkling of sea salt

Another great side is the winter salad. This is a mix of radicchio, Castelfranco lettuce or butter lettuce, Belgian endive and watercress. The dressing is what's make these greens sing.Combine olive oil,red wine vinegar and maple syrup with garlic cloves. MMix with the greens and then adjust the taste. Of course the big side is the rice and  squash bombe, A bombe is usually a dome shaped dessert but  it's used as a savory dish here.This is a marriage of honey nut squash and basmati rice.Pita bread is used to line the bombe mold before it's baked.Pine nits and cranberries give ti color and flavor along with cumin and  slivered almonds. Shallots and crushed red peppers add some zing to it as well. It could easily rival Chef de Boer's dessert, a custardy creme brulee. This one has a tang to it thanks to the addition of creme fraiche or sour cream.It's also a rich custard with six (!!) egg yolks. Like any creme brulee it has vanilla seeds and pods.in it.It's then coated in sugar and "torched to a crispy, crunchy top.

Christmas is a time for feating. Let it be an easy feast with simple prep. It makes for a delicious meal that allows for enjoying the day and the food.

Your Holiday Home Bar

 With home parties comes the promise of heady drinks. However the last time most home bartenders checked their liquor cabinets since the last end of summer parties. It's time to check to see what you have and what 's needed.

What you may not need is the hard liquors.Opened brandy can last anywhere from six months to two years and even longer if it's a better brand. The same goes for whiskey. Vodka is one of the alcohols with the highest level of longevity. Once opened it can last anywhere from ten to twenty years.Any flavor of schnapps can last indefinitely. If you do need new bottles here;s the question - do you go with the highly expensive brands or cheaper ones, knowing that it will be gone by the night's end.Most mixologists or bartenders tend to go with a mix of high and low end , while many prefer a mid range selection of spirits.It really depends on your budget. If you'd rather spend it on food , then have a good variety of low end brands with maybe one or two mid range ones. Check out groceries like Lidl and Shop Rite that offer budget based ones.LIdl has an excellent selection and you can always find what you're looking for there.There are also liquor stores that are having sales right now. Check those out to see if you can score a few deals.

Is champagne a must for holiday parties? The bubbly works for New Year's Eve  however it doesn't really fit in to a holiday party.(unless it'sa  double celebration like an engagement or an accomplishment). wine is the best glass here and make sure you have a selection of whites and reds to go with the food you'll be serving. If it's more a chicken, fish and veal menu then have more whites than reds. If the party features beef Wellington and filet mignons, then serve a medium bodied dry red wine with them, Keep in mind that you'll also need sodas and juices Some guests would rather have a spritzer made with wine and seltzer. Flavored seltzers add a kick of flavor and elevate the mixed drinks to another level. Three or four bottles with one plain and three flavored should be part of the home bar. Orange juice should be on hand for those who want screwdrivers and have a bottle or two of cranberry juice for making Cape Codders. Keep in mind that fruit juice and seltzer make for a lovely mocktail for non drinkers too.Fresh lemons, limes and oranges should also be on the ready for garnishing along with green olives and pearl onions for any dry martinis.

Is your home bar fully stocked for your holiday parties? Do inventory and get what you have to. THis makes for a stress free night of fun bartending.

Lidl's Potato Gratin's The Perfect Holiday Side

 What do you serve alongside a holiday turkey or ham> Scalloped potatoes are good bu they can be a pain to make. Ther'es mashed potatoes but they were probably served last month at Thanksgiving., What about something new and elegant? Think LIdl's Due de Couer's au gratin potato rounds.

I saw these during a recent Lidl trip and had to buy them. I loved Lidl's Duc de Couer's vegetable gratin and these had to be as good as those.

There's four in a package as as a main meal perfect. THus was a medium time cook in the air fryer. It was about seven minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit and then a second cook at ten minutes at 370 degrees Farenheit. The end result was a crispy crust and a creamy interior.

These were incredibly delicious with a smooth creamy inside , reminiscent of scalloped potatoes.

These are definitely going to be on my Christmas table, drenched in Lidl's turkey gravy. It's a potato dish but not overly so. I could taste the egginess and creaminess of eggs and dairy. The top has a satisfying crunch , not unlike potato chips. These would be perfect on any holiday table, whether with beef, chicken or ham. They're also good as a main meal with a  salad.

Lidl's Duc de Couer ' potato gratin rounds are a tasty addition to any holiday table. They are a blend of crisp and creamy. They elevate spuds to a whole new level.

Easy Dinners

 This is not the time for elaborate mails. we're either too tired from work and end of year reports. There's shopping and exams. The easiest meal to come up is one with the simplest prep.

Tis was my Saturday .I  knew during my  weekly  Lidl trip. I deiced for a meal that is hot and tasty but a snap to put together. I tried Umpossible CHicken nuggets which are so good.

It was twenty nuggets which are air fried for eight minutes at 350 degree Farenheit. It was a perfect cook.

The nuggets needed a side .Lidl has excellent riced cauliflower. I bought their herb and garlic flavor. Another quick meal.

it only cooked in six minutes in the microwave. You could add a bit of butter to it but it's tasty on it's own.

This was the perfect meal. Hot ,tasty and delicious. It was also filling too. You could add a salad if you wanted to make it more satisfying, but together these two are fulfilling enough.

A cooked meal is good right now. Yet it can be a pain to create with everything going on. Create something that can cook in minutes and is satisfying during these crazy times.

Favorite Party Food

 This is the season for all types of parties from Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa. Then there is the big blow out of New Year'seve. What's your favorite party food and why?Is it pigs in a blanket? Mini quiches?Bruschetta  topped with tangy tomatoes? or is it on the sweet side?A small plate of Christmas cookies? Bourbon balls for a dessert afterwards?

Let us know.I'm partial to bruschetta myself simply because I love the crunch of well toasted Italian or French bread .Te tomatoes mixed with olive oil and herbs is also a big plus.

Fun Snacks For Holiday Parties

It's that time of year when home parties are getting planned. It most centers around drinks yet food is vital to these parties as well. They  provide sustenance and fun  as guests enjoy a variety of punches and cocktails.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this holiday essential in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She also contributed some tasty recipes that are perfect for any type of part thrughout the year. These can work on Memorial Day as they can work on New Year's Eve. They walk the line between filling snacks and appetizers. They can also be good before a dinner or add some cheese and olives for a fun snack tray. Another plus is that all three recipes,loaded focaccia, Halloumi stuffed sweet peppers and white bean dip with cumin chile oil in advance. The simplest is the bean dip, a blend of  white bean and a good glug of olive oil. She doesn't add the usual tahini,Olive oil makes it silkier and smoother. As for the beans use cannelini which have a lovely mild taste. You can also use white kidney beans too;.Cumin red, pepper and garlic give it a zingy sharp flavor. You can serve with pita but veggies like carrots broccoli and cauliflower also are good.

The other two dishes are perfect too.Guests will  love Halloumi cheese stuffed sweet pepper. This is a perfect marriage of salty and sweet. Halloumi is a saline cheese ,briny and sharp. The peppers are a perfect foil. These can be put into lettuce cups or on crostino (which is easily made with Italian bread drizzled with oil and then put into the oven for a few minutes).The cheese just has to be cut into sm all pieces that fit into the peppers. R=They;re roasted for twenty four minutes. A really filling and tasty  appetizer is the loaded focaccio. You can also use flatbread or pizza crust too for this.Ricotta or butter is generously spread on the tops. You can drizzle them with olive oil and honey if you want a touch of sweetness. It's then having fun with it. Top it with prosciutto, salami or salami. Add arugula or kale along with sliced cherry tomatoes for a festive look. You can also add olive or go another way and top it with blue cheese and walnuts.Capers and sliced persimmons can also add flavor and color too.

Parties deserve festive food. These recipes are perfect. Try them for a tasty table that your guests will enjoy.