It's time to celebrate Hogmanay, the Scottish version of New Year's . This is the time when children go from house to house and ask for small presents. it's also the time to take a wee nip of whiskey to toast the New Year's and ring out the old. Shortbread is served as well along with other traditional foods.
The Scottish run high with their traditions and Hogmanay is a great example of that. it's a leftover of the Viking celebration of the shortest day of the year . Christmas was really not a big holiday until the 1950's . New Year's was the time for feasting and merriment (and the Scots know how to rock a holiday). There was always a toast for the first footers or the first people to cross over your doorstep in the New Year. A handsome dark hand man crossing the threshold meant good luck. He would be promptly given a dram to get down along with some shortbread and a black bun, (a fruitcake wrapped in puff pastry). Guests would also settle down to the Scottish version of bubble and squeak or rumbledethumps. This was a fry up of cabbage , kale turnips and mashed potatoes. This could be served with fine Scottish salmon.
The Scots know how to do a New Year's celebration justice. They welcome in the New Year with open arms, good whiskey and good food.Being part Scottish myself (my Dad's ancestors left Inverness in 1745 after the Battle of Culloden Field) I'll try to do my part to ring in 2009.
A good New Year to all my readers here. Think of Robert Burns (who is a distant cousin of mine) tonight when the clock strikes twelve.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
New Year's Eve's Appetizers
New Year's Eve means a party and every great one has great food. It doesn't have to be celebrate. You can create some really good hors d' oeuvres and keep guests full and happy. The trick is to have just a few. Use ingredients that will appeal to every one's tastes.
Pressed for time? Bruschetta makes a quick and easy appetizer that's filling and tasty. Simply toast Italian or French bread slices then drizzle on olive oil followed by a chopped tomato mix. You can add a slice of salami or provolone cheese.for a different spin. There's also a vegetable bruschetta for a variation. Another hearty appetizer is a mini pizza. Again , use thinly sliced Italian or french bread, add a dollop of pizza sauce and olive oil and cover with shredded mozzarella. Put under the broiler or even in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Any kind of puff is big. serve guest the ubiquitous cheese puff. If you want to give them some spice sprinkle with some paprika or a dusting of ground almonds. Chili is a surprising appetizer especially if you serve it on crackers or in shot glasses with a tiny spoon.
For cold hors d' oeuvres, try cold kabobs. You can put any kind of cold cut on a skewer along with veggies and cheese chunks. Vary the combos. You can have ham , Swiss cheese and pearl onions or chicken, tomatoes and mozzarella. Put out individual dipping sauces for those who want to add something extra to their snack sticks. Plain veggies with any kind o f dip are also a good cold snack. Their also healthier for your guests as well. Small finger sandwiches are another way to go. Use pumpernickel or rye along with flavored mayos and ketchup to give the sandwiches some zing.
Make your New Year's party stand out with tempting appetizers. Create a mix of hot and cold to satisfy every one's tastes. Ring in 2009 with happy, sated guests.
Pressed for time? Bruschetta makes a quick and easy appetizer that's filling and tasty. Simply toast Italian or French bread slices then drizzle on olive oil followed by a chopped tomato mix. You can add a slice of salami or provolone cheese.for a different spin. There's also a vegetable bruschetta for a variation. Another hearty appetizer is a mini pizza. Again , use thinly sliced Italian or french bread, add a dollop of pizza sauce and olive oil and cover with shredded mozzarella. Put under the broiler or even in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Any kind of puff is big. serve guest the ubiquitous cheese puff. If you want to give them some spice sprinkle with some paprika or a dusting of ground almonds. Chili is a surprising appetizer especially if you serve it on crackers or in shot glasses with a tiny spoon.
For cold hors d' oeuvres, try cold kabobs. You can put any kind of cold cut on a skewer along with veggies and cheese chunks. Vary the combos. You can have ham , Swiss cheese and pearl onions or chicken, tomatoes and mozzarella. Put out individual dipping sauces for those who want to add something extra to their snack sticks. Plain veggies with any kind o f dip are also a good cold snack. Their also healthier for your guests as well. Small finger sandwiches are another way to go. Use pumpernickel or rye along with flavored mayos and ketchup to give the sandwiches some zing.
Make your New Year's party stand out with tempting appetizers. Create a mix of hot and cold to satisfy every one's tastes. Ring in 2009 with happy, sated guests.
Monday, December 29, 2008
New Year's Eve - Get Ready!!!!
This may seem a tiny bit premature but all you foodies should be preparing for New Year's Eve. Noise makers? Check? Fancy or fun outfit? Check? Food? Drink? Uh oh, what to serve? What are you and your guests going to eat?
Hopefully not Christmas leftovers.
Today and tomorrow are the days when foodies all over the world should be stocking their fridges and pantries with party food and drink. Buy stuff that can keep, like pasta for hot dishes along with meats and frozen appetizers. If you decide to go the fresh route, then wake up very early on Wednesday morning and head over to your local grocer's. Fish , fruit and veggies should be served fresh. Go early if you;re buying a popular item like bananas, avocados or tomatoes otherwise you get the picked through rotty produce if you go later. You can buy tomatoes for sauce if you;re making it today to freeze for New Year's Eve. If you're planning on baking , then use today and tomorrow to do all that. Store in the pantry or front porch. Another thing to remember is stock up on breakfast items if you're having a large group staying overnight. Have plenty of eggs along with bacon and ham . You can use the bread from the party to make toast or French toast.
Buy your champagne and other spirits during these days as well. If you wait until the last minute, you'll wind up with a brand you may not like. Shop early and get what is needed. This also includes different kinds of seltzers and sodas for the designated drivers and non drinkers.Another good idea is to have one or two urns of strong coffee around to stop anyone from dozing off. If you're planning on a fancy brunch on New Year's Day, stock up on the orange and tangerine juice along with tomato juice. This way you can make plenty of mimosas and Bloody Marys to accompany brunch.
Be ready for the New Year with the right amount of food and drink. This way you can celebrate without the hassle of trying to get last minute goodies for your party.
Hopefully not Christmas leftovers.
Today and tomorrow are the days when foodies all over the world should be stocking their fridges and pantries with party food and drink. Buy stuff that can keep, like pasta for hot dishes along with meats and frozen appetizers. If you decide to go the fresh route, then wake up very early on Wednesday morning and head over to your local grocer's. Fish , fruit and veggies should be served fresh. Go early if you;re buying a popular item like bananas, avocados or tomatoes otherwise you get the picked through rotty produce if you go later. You can buy tomatoes for sauce if you;re making it today to freeze for New Year's Eve. If you're planning on baking , then use today and tomorrow to do all that. Store in the pantry or front porch. Another thing to remember is stock up on breakfast items if you're having a large group staying overnight. Have plenty of eggs along with bacon and ham . You can use the bread from the party to make toast or French toast.
Buy your champagne and other spirits during these days as well. If you wait until the last minute, you'll wind up with a brand you may not like. Shop early and get what is needed. This also includes different kinds of seltzers and sodas for the designated drivers and non drinkers.Another good idea is to have one or two urns of strong coffee around to stop anyone from dozing off. If you're planning on a fancy brunch on New Year's Day, stock up on the orange and tangerine juice along with tomato juice. This way you can make plenty of mimosas and Bloody Marys to accompany brunch.
Be ready for the New Year with the right amount of food and drink. This way you can celebrate without the hassle of trying to get last minute goodies for your party.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Boxing Day Food Fun
Yesterday was Boxing Day in England or St Stephen's Day in the rest of Europe.It's an extension of the Christmas holiday started in the Middle Ages when the alms boxes were emptied on St Stephen's Day. Also in Victorian England servants were given their Christmas gifts the day after the holiday hence the term.
Celebrate a belated Boxing Day by having English treats. Pop open a few crackers (those favors filled with a lame joke, paper hat and toy) and settle down for some plum pudding or the sticky toffee kind. The first is mixture of dried fruit, mostly prunes, nuts and suet. It is usually made five weeks before Christmas and the youngest child is allowed to give the mix a stir fro good luck for luck. Spirits such as brandy or a dark rich ale is added for more flavor.It is then boiled or steamed in a basin and stored in a cool dry place. it is then steamed for a few more hours on the day that it's served , decorated with holly and doused with brandy.It is then ignited for a spectacular show at the dessert table. Sticky toffee pudding, , is a more quieter affair. This is basically a cake laden with dates and then drenched in a homemade toffee sauce. Some add fresh whipped cream as a side to offset the overly sugared taste. You can add some lemon zest to give it a bite. Mince pie, that lovely mix of sweet and suet is also made, usually in tartlet form these days
Candy is big in England during Christmas hols too. It's not unusual for kids to be chewing on wine gums, a jujube type candy with wine and champagne flavors (wines gums are an acquired taste for any Yank, trust me on this one). Chocolates, especially Cadbury's brand are also big . Kids receive chocolate Father Christmases and coins wrapped in gold foil.
Boxing Day and the days after are still gift giving and feasting days in the United Kingdom. Nothing celebrates the festive season like sweet pudding and melt in your mouth Cadbury chocolates
Celebrate a belated Boxing Day by having English treats. Pop open a few crackers (those favors filled with a lame joke, paper hat and toy) and settle down for some plum pudding or the sticky toffee kind. The first is mixture of dried fruit, mostly prunes, nuts and suet. It is usually made five weeks before Christmas and the youngest child is allowed to give the mix a stir fro good luck for luck. Spirits such as brandy or a dark rich ale is added for more flavor.It is then boiled or steamed in a basin and stored in a cool dry place. it is then steamed for a few more hours on the day that it's served , decorated with holly and doused with brandy.It is then ignited for a spectacular show at the dessert table. Sticky toffee pudding, , is a more quieter affair. This is basically a cake laden with dates and then drenched in a homemade toffee sauce. Some add fresh whipped cream as a side to offset the overly sugared taste. You can add some lemon zest to give it a bite. Mince pie, that lovely mix of sweet and suet is also made, usually in tartlet form these days
Candy is big in England during Christmas hols too. It's not unusual for kids to be chewing on wine gums, a jujube type candy with wine and champagne flavors (wines gums are an acquired taste for any Yank, trust me on this one). Chocolates, especially Cadbury's brand are also big . Kids receive chocolate Father Christmases and coins wrapped in gold foil.
Boxing Day and the days after are still gift giving and feasting days in the United Kingdom. Nothing celebrates the festive season like sweet pudding and melt in your mouth Cadbury chocolates
Friday, December 26, 2008
Celebrate The Foods of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa starts today and runs for seven days. Here adults and children learn all about the principles of the holiday and about the Mazao, or the fall harvest , usually in October. Like the many African countries Kwanzza is rich in vegetable diversity.
How to celebrate the holiday. Start with joliff rice which is regular white rice cooked in chicken broth and seasoned with tomatoes and peppers. There are also yams and black eyed peas or hoppin' john. The first t is eaten plain and the second usually cooked with spiced meat Peanuts are also big in the Kwanzaa celebration and are usually served up in a spicy stew. Dessert is usually benne wafers, butter cookies made with sesame seeds. Sesame is a big crop along the western African coast.
Kwanzaa is a celebration of the seven principles that drive life. One is the celebration of the harvest and in turn of the good food that the lands brings to us.
How to celebrate the holiday. Start with joliff rice which is regular white rice cooked in chicken broth and seasoned with tomatoes and peppers. There are also yams and black eyed peas or hoppin' john. The first t is eaten plain and the second usually cooked with spiced meat Peanuts are also big in the Kwanzaa celebration and are usually served up in a spicy stew. Dessert is usually benne wafers, butter cookies made with sesame seeds. Sesame is a big crop along the western African coast.
Kwanzaa is a celebration of the seven principles that drive life. One is the celebration of the harvest and in turn of the good food that the lands brings to us.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas To All My Fellow Foodies
December 25th.
Merry Christmas. Enjoy this holy day and holiday with good food, family and friends and great foodie gifts. Enjoy your new Rachel Ray or Paula Deene cookbook or that new food processor. A favorite writer of mine (and the man who I always thank for introducing me to writing) Charles Dickens had written in his 1843 “Christmas Carol””Keep Christmas in your heart the year long.” Follow his words , today and always.
Liz
Merry Christmas. Enjoy this holy day and holiday with good food, family and friends and great foodie gifts. Enjoy your new Rachel Ray or Paula Deene cookbook or that new food processor. A favorite writer of mine (and the man who I always thank for introducing me to writing) Charles Dickens had written in his 1843 “Christmas Carol””Keep Christmas in your heart the year long.” Follow his words , today and always.
Liz
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
December 24th A Foodie's Christmas Eve
While I’m celebrating my German heritage and putting up the tree I’m wishing all my reader s out there a healthy and happy holiday Enjoy your Christmas, Hanukkah and/or Kwanzaa. Celebrate your heritage and your blessings with favorite foods and traditional dishes.
Liz
Liz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
