A Christmas Full Of Flavor

Today is Christmas and one of the things everyone remembers is the flavors and aromas of the day. who ca forget the salty ,sweet taste of a ham or the spiciness of a gingerbread man? This is the day for home chefs and home bakers to create the best memories for their families.I will always remember my Mom's swan cream puffs, the delicate shape of the swans"necks and the airy vanilla creme filling I will never forget her German style ham, with the crunchy crackling crust along with the family recipe potato salad, made crunchy with the addition of celery.

Never be afraid to make  memories and lasting impressions in the kitchen It's the sign of an excellent cook and baker.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS WORLDWIDE!!!!!!!!

Your Last Minute Christmas Dinner Check List

This is probably the most hectic weekend of the year. Home chefs are probably stressing about the big Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow or the one  on Monday >Now is a time to good to write up a list and check it twice - to ensure a hassle free meal full of good food and good cheer,.

First of all make sure all the holiday table linens are clean and up t snuff.If you want set the table tonight or tomorrow. Enlist your bored teen or tween to roll up the napkins and slide the  napkin rings on them. . Also check the good silver or gold cutlery to make sure that nothing is tarnished. The same goes for the matching ladles and serving spoons. Once you've done that it's time to assess the pantry and fridge.Do you have enough butter for both cooking and the table? Ditto for the margarine. Do you have enough spices such as sage for the dressing if you're serving turkey and cloves for the ham?
If you're making bked beans from scratch is there plenty of brown sugar or molasses? Are you low on garlic,or oregano? Now is the time to run to the store to get them.Make sure you have enough canned veggies if you;re going that route for sides. Eggs always factor into the holiday cooking equation too, whether as an ingredient or the star of a holiday brunch or breakfast. Buy enough so that you don't suffer a shortage..As far as rolls, they'll keep so get them now if you haven't already  The ham and the turkey should have been bought already. Waiting until the last minute could result in getting a smaller bird or  a canned ham as opposed to a fresh one.

Seafood has to be bought fresh if you're planning to celebrate Christmas Eve the  Southern Italian  way. However shrimp can be bought frozen and then thawed out.It can be done by either letting it sit in the fridge for twenty four hours or placing them in an airtight bag and running hot tap water over them.If you're planning on serving them as an appetizer, then also make sure you have enough shrimp cocktail sauce or the ingredients to make your own. Another question is  - do I have the proper pans for roasting? if not  now is a good time to head to the grocery and pck up a disposable f oil one (you can buy the read deal after the holiday during the January white sales) Make sure that your carving knives are all honed and sharp. The next step is looking over the smaller pots and making sure you have enough to cook the sides.Also check the sizing on your microwave ones too. You may have to use the old nuke machine if you don't have enough burners. For those planning a Christmas buffet make sure your sterno cans work, If one or more has dried out , then get new ones today. Luckily they can last twelve to fifteen years.


Keeping abreast of your Christmas dinner is important. it will make for smooth prep and cooking.. It's one less headache you have to deal with during a busy day in the kitchen.

Baking Extravaganza Day Two Cookies

Today was the cookie extravaganza. I went the quick route using a mix . To be honest I haven't baked cookies in  a long time so I was a tad rusty. Honestly, there were a lot of mistakes and hair pulling moments.

First of all I microwaved the butter - again the good Irish butter Kerry Gold.Do it for 10 seconds.It lets the butter get soft while still maintaining its' shape.

This is the mix, the Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie one. It requires the butter one egg and a tablespoon o

of cold tap water. It was a hard mix with me adding I Can't Believe It's Not Butter to get

it somewhat malleable.I added mini chocolate chips, the Stop & Shop brand to make it that much special

These are the two sheets I used. One is a mega sheet I just bought at Target.You can't see the details, but the surface is pebbled to create a better heat flow around the dough.The other is my Mom's old cookie sheet that has been through a lot.

Unfortunately I misread the directions and instead of teaspoon sized ball I used the tablespoon size instead. The first batch came out somewhat raw.and chewy.. Subsequent batches were then scaled down to the proper size. They burned It was a headache of a bake, although the cookies came out somewhat O.K.They were baked in a 375 degree Farenheit oven at ten to fifteen minutes a batch.

They look relatively fine, they taste yummy but next time I will make oatmeal cookies from scratch . I don't like the mixes.

So that was my two day , tiring but a learning experience. Next time I will space out the baking. Two days in a row is just too darned much.

Bakezilla Day One

Today was Day One of my holiday baking extravaganza. I forgot that cupcake making is a lot like childbirth. You tend to forget the agony and pain until you start the process again.It was definitely worth it, despite the battle with the icing.I enjoyed making the Christmas funfetti cupcakes. As you can see from the pictures, they're even pretty sans the topping. I may just try naked cupcakes for Valentine's Day.

Here's the batter with the sprinkles. Most recipes call for 1/2 cup .I used a little more for a really dotted effect.The cake batter was Duncan Hines's lemon cake mix.The lemon gives it some bite and kick

It kinds of looks like a beaten egg with red and green pepper bits.

These are the sprinkles  used, bought from my Stop & Shop's bakery department.

This is the festive cupcake paper, also bought from Stop & Shop. They're pretty and fun, and the reason I went with green icing. - to provide a nice contrast.

These are my beauties baked. You can see how pretty and colorful they look without the icing.I may try the "naked" look for Valentine's Day (the cupcakes - not  ME  of course)

These are the ingredients for my favorite cream cheese icing. I went upscake  and used Kerry Gold Butter instead of the usual spread. I also added a splash of  whole milk to make the icing creamier

Four cups of confectioner's sugar was used. This was right after I creamed the cream cheese and  butter together. I microwaved the butter beforehand for thirty seconds to soften it.It really helps.

Two teaspoons of vanilla gives it flavor. I prefer Neisen Massey. They're is the best and purest form of the essence.

I used a lot of green food coloring from McCormick, It looks like a kale leaf snuck in there.Luckily  it spread and became a festive leafy green

These are the finished gems. I added a puff of more icing after I spread on an initial layer with my icing spreader (a must have for any home baker)>The puffs were added with my 

Wilton decorator gadget.I am a proud cupcake mama but my babies are gorgeous.!

These are a  lot of work but there is a certain amount of fun there.Tomorrow I tackle cookies!!!

Holiday Breakfast Treats

Holiday breakfasts should be just as grand as the main meals. They should be flavorful and fun, the perfect meal to start the day, especially with relatives or friends staying over. They could be sweet, savory or both.

Yottam Ottolenghi wrote about breakfasts today in the Wednesday section of the New York Times. It's basically an article about finding the right foods for his young sons. It can be frustrating , especially when trying to create a nutritious and flavorful first meal. In order to do such, Chef Ottolenghi has to use the weekends which offer the luxury of time. An extra hour can let anyone create a well thought out breakfast and give one  time to really concentrate on the meal. His first recipe is maple-cardamon saffron sticky buns. These are yeast based and that may scare some home bakers. The buns are the standard saffron ones and the kick comes from the icing made from maple syrup and cardamon.It is made in a monkey bread formation of eight dough balls stuck together to form a ring.They're pulled apart later. The syrup is made by crushing the cardamon and discarding their pods.. This  is mixed with a vanilla bean paste, melted butter and maple syrup.It's cooked into a thick syrup and then brushed over the newly baked buns. Chef Ottolenghi suggests serving them with clotted cream, but try them with butter and fleur de sel.

The other dish is potato hot cakes with cheddar cream and salsa verde. This is a perfect Christmas or New Year's Day breakfast. The hotcakes are like latkes or potato pancakes.He recommends using Yukon Golds, slicing them and first crisping them in a 450 degrees Farenheit oven . After baking ,the skins are then discarded and the meat is mashed. Lemon juice, two eggs and seasonings are added. They're then fried in olive oil , again, similar to latkes.They're topped with sunnyside up eggs and a cheddar sauce. This is made by mixing the cheese with sour cream. It's finished off with a salsa verde, a green sauce made with chopped parsley and tarragon. Capers are added for saltiness and tang  and garlic is added for more flavor. It's then ladled onto the eggs and hotcakes, giving them color. I don't see why some leftover Christmas ham can be slipped in between the eggs and hotcakes It would definitely make them more substantial. Chef Ottolenghi also suggests scattering mustard seeds on top too. If not, try a slight dusting of some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. If you want to  make it a tad healthier, use egg whites instead of the whole egg and use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

These are perfect breakfasts for any holiday brunch or breakfast.  Try them for a tasty and substantial first meal. They are a great way to start a winter's day.

Eating Clean

The holidays mean rich and fatty foods. There will be more drinking and feasting of fat laden snacks and sugary treats. It can do a number on the stomach - not to mention the liver and pancreas. The best way to combat this is clean eating. Think simple and nutritious as opposed to decadent and opulent.

Breakfast is a good meal to start clean eating. A simple bowl of oatmeal is always filling and welcome on a hot morning. The same goes for farina. Save the fancy Eggs Benedict or cream cheese stuffed French toast for Christmas or New Year's Day mornings. Citrus is in season too, Think about starting the day with a juicy orange , grapefruit or pomelo. This last is a Chinese grapefruit about the size of a small bowling ball and it is chock full of Vitamin C. It also makes a good snack during the day and can be used even in salads and dressings. A refreshing winter breakfast is a fruit salad, made with apples, pears and any of the citrus fruits out now. Serve it with a soothing, detoxing tea such as chamomile or peppermint. If you can, try to avoid anything  that's loaded with caffeine. It will just dry you out, leaving you thirsty all day.Another good breakfast drink is fresh juice.Use your juicer to create tasty apple and orange juices. More refreshing and more natural than the store bought kinds.If you have to buy juice, go with the Simply Orange and Simply Apple. Theirs is the most purest.

Lunch and dinner should be just as simple and clean. One of the best lunches or dinners is the Mann's Nourish Bowl. Think a hot salad, chock full of tasty veggies, risotto, or cheese topped with  sauce. I love these, They are delicious, filling, and only three hundred calories at the most.Their Montery Risotto bowl is a flavorful and satisfying blend of kale, kohlrabi and butternut squash married to risotto, topped with a creamy roasted garlic sauce. Any of these can be served with a simple steak, chicken breast or fish filet. Another idea is a simple vegan meal of beans for protein and one or two greens such as kale or spinach. Salads are a great way of eating healthy. Keep away from the creamy dressings and extras such as bacon bits and sugared nuts. Have a simple one with a plain vinaigrette full of spinach and tomatoes . For color add cauliflower, carrots and red, green and yellow bell pepper  strips. If you want texture and crunch, go for a bowl of  plain almonds. They're high in zinc and potassium along with Vitamin E.  Snacks and holiday cookies are also drenched in fat and calories. Same thing with those potato chips and dip. Go with Melba toast along with almonds. Both satisfy that need to crunch. Have a plate of  fruit, especially tangerines, for those sweet cravings

Eating clean will help get rid of that holiday bloat. Stick to nutritious vegetables and fruits along with lean meats They make for a healthy diet that will definitely get you through the lush season of eating and drinking.

The Miracle Of The Instant Pot

Like toys, kitchen gadgets go through a popularity phase too, especially during the holidays. This year, it's the Instant Pot, a home chef's best friend.It is the newest must have in the kitchen arsenal .

The genius behind this is Robert Wang and the Times Monday Business section featured him. He has created the godsend of modern appliances. The Instant Pot can do everything from make chili to ferment yogurt.It is easily programmable which is why so many home chefs, especially novices, love it. The Instant Pot has many pluses. It is made completely from stainless steel so there's no  questionable plastic interiors to worry over. It traps the aroma inside the pot, promising a more flavorful creation. It has lids that are both left and right handed friendly. There are several different models, such as the duo in seven which has everything from a rice and porridge steamer to a yogurt maker and warmer. The deluxe model, the Duo Plus 9-in 1 has that and a sterilizer. It also has a choice of settings, from less, normal and more.It also has the handy Keep Warm setting  that makes sure the foods don't get cold. There's also the Ultra 10 in1 which has a setting to create soft pudding like cakes along with a saute and searing setting.What is truly fascinating is the Instant Pot with the Bluetooth which can be set from your tablet or phone. It also cooks food up to seventy per cent faster than the other pots.

The pot became an instant success thanks to Amazon. Mr. Wang was also very shrewd because the Instant Pot test units  were sent to two hundred influential chefs, cooking instructors and food bloggers (why not me???) Good reviews and recipes appear on line, drawing the attention of foodies and home chef. What is also amazing about the product is that the inventor and investors raised the money themselves. Wang was only a lapsed home cook when he created the better version of a crock pot..He tried to start his own tech company after being laid off from telecom and tech jobs. What he created to now revolutionize modern cooking. It was different from other pressure cookers because it has sensors that keep the cooker from overheating or exploding under pressure. There is even a cookbook , written by Coco Morante, who also has a blog dedicated to the Instant Pot. After seeing the website and reading the recipes, I'm kind of hooked on it myself. I'm pricing them along with figuring out that the Mini Instant Pot would be perfect in my kitchen.I could make my Mom's famous chili along with her sauce.It would be perfect making steamed butternut squash and mashed potatoes too.

Robert Wang has created a genius invention. The Instant Pot is revolutionizing  how we cook . It is more than a fad and trend. it may be hot but it is also  a modern kitchen neccesity.