A Food Filled Christmas Eve

 This night is full of celebration and food. ENjoy the Feast Of the Seven Fishes. Enjoy stollen while putting up the tree. Nibble on candy canes and chocolate.

Enjoy this wonder filled night ,full of joys and sweets, treats and snacks!

The Kid's Table

 THey're often related to  a separate table in the kitchen. Theyr'e forced t eat food they really don;t want to eat. Wh9o are they> Kids at a holiday table. Be kind this Christmas and let them just have ajust for fun meal.

Kids are notoriously ignored  - but in a good way - during holiday dinners. It's basically they have to sit there and endure adult talk. Why not make it  a fun dimmer. Do what the restaurants do - have plain paper and small boxes of crayons for them to draw. This keeps them busy and avoids  squabbling. As for drinks, yes they can have soda however but why not a kid friendly punch to make them feel special.Make them a Grinch colored one that has a mix of Sprite , lime Hawaiian Punch and lime sherbet.  You can also create a fun blend using Sprite or flavored seltzer and a blend of cranberry and orange juices. As for the meal itself kids love sandwiches so why not create a hot sandwich for them. Turkey can easily be put on a split roll and covered with gravy.Ham can be sliced thinly and served in a kid friendly roll up. The little ones should eat their veggies but some of the more sophisticated vegetable dishes may upset delicate stomachs. Serve them plain. Steam spinach and broccoli. Roast yams and sweet potatoes. Serve them in smaller portions and with a kid favorite butter.If they can't have the real thing then, get I Can't Believe It's Not Butter/

End the kid meal with a spectacular dessert. Kids are not going to go for boozy trifle. They're probably fed up with cookies right now. WHy not have a peppermint sundae? It may be chilly and snowy outside but the young ones love an ice cream concoction. Add chocolate syrup and layer it between the scoops. Whipped cream is a must as are red and green sprinkles on top. Let the kids create their own. You could also have chocolate ice cream for them as well. Have soda and seltzer handy too for making fun ice cream sodas. The whipped cream and sprinkles can be used dhere as well. Cupcakes are a must. A fun idea is serving plain ones with just icing on top . Arrange a small table with bowls of red and green M & Ms , sprinkles, along with candy eyes and broken pretzel pieces  for antlers. Also have marshmallows to make snowmen. Another fun idea is a Christmas candy charcuterie board. Have trays full of chocolate Santas and bells , along with coins, and a variety of different flavors of Hershey Kisses, Hershey's has put out a new snickerdoodle flavor that 's sure to be a big hit.Scatter mini candy canes throughout the table.

Christmas is supposed to be for kids. Yet the main meal and dessert  are often geared for adults. Change it up and let the kids enjoy both savory and sweet like their older counterparts.

Are You Christnas Ready?

 Christmas is coming faster than a snowflake in a blizzard. For all thosehome chefs out there worldwide, are you ready? Do you have the major ingredients? Do you have the minor ones? are you ready for both Christmas Eve and Christmas? Take a deep breath and think.

Of course you have the main course - whether it be ham, turkey or crown rib. Do you have all the extras that make these meats tasty? Brown sugar is used for baking but t's also the key ingredient in ham glaze. Usually one ham requires two cups of brown sugar. You have enough time (really until Thursday until four to six PM depending upon your local store's hours)If you find your self short on Christmas use more honey or even white granulated sugar for the glaze.You could also add a splash of orange or apple juice instead of the sugar for less sweetness and more flavor. As for the turkey is there enough butter to rub under the skin for a flavorful meat.This usually requires a stick of butter but you can use a scant half cup of olive oil. Luckily crown rib doesn't;t require any prep but you may need string to tie it twine would be a better choice because of its' sturdiness. however if you don;t have this then use double cords of strings to mold  the meat into the classic crown shape.

What about the sides and desserts? Do you have enough potatoes for mashed or scalloped.If you're going old school and making them from scratch make sure you also have plenty of milk and butter.If you;re low on both then use olive oil.It provides a lighter , dairy free kind of mash that's still perfect for gravy. Do you have enough sweet potatoes or yams? Keep in mind that one yam or sweet potato is adequate for one person. Little ones could probably split them with the other smaller guests.If you're inviting ten people then have ten yams. if there are four kids  also then just buy two extra sweet potatoes or yams.What about the greens Do you have enough sprouts or green beans.If you're making the famed green bean casserole do you have the other ingredients like the cream of mushroom soup and the crunchy onion rings for the topping? There's also milk in this  so make sure you have enough for it. As for the desserts, Yes,C Christmas is cookie time and by now you should have a few trays of different types. However Christmas dinner deserves a spectacular ending. Do you have all the ingredients for Death By Chocolate or tiramisu? what about enough brandy for a boozy trifle? Or ice cream and syrup for  a fabulous Christmas sundae for the kids?

Christmas is coming. Take a deep breath and embrace it. Make sure you and your kitchen are ready for it. Then enjoy the day and the flavors of the season.

A Wassail Party

 If you're still looking for a holiday party then, think of a wassailing one. These have been in England for centuries as carolers or wassail singers perform for a cup of punch and a hot nibble. It can still be had even days after the holiday.It's a fun and way to keep up this ancient tradition.

What is wassailing? It's a centuries old English tradition rooted in pagan and folk customs. wassailers go door to door, mostly in villages and hamlets or even visiting orchards to sing and make noise. THis usually is singing to scare away evil spirits and ensure a bountiful harvest, especially for the apple orchards.Morris dancing (a folk dance that has dancers wearing jingly loud bells sewn on their shirts)and shooting guns provide more noise. You don;t have to have this - maybe some Christmas bells and everyone's favorite carols will suffice. Like the original carollers your guests will need a good sip and a tasty plate. Since  the activity revolves around apples .it's then no surprise that the punch has apple cider as the main ingredient. If you;re hosting a sleepover then make this boozy recipe. Add dark rum or dark bourbon along with star anise, cloves and cinnamon to give it kick,A non alcoholic version can be made.Just sub in orange juice for the dark rum or bourbon.

Foods to go with this can be savory and sweet. Keep in mind the original recipes called for foods that kept singers warm and sated.Original hosts roasted geese and turkeys. A roast turkey, whether made at your local grocery ro cooked at home  would be a good main course. If you;re up to it then have stuffing and hot gravy for a hearty dish. (Forget the sides, this is not a sit down holiday dinner) You can also buy sliced turkey at the store and have it on toasted slices of rye or sourdough. Finger foods also work here too. There could be  smoked salmon and dill spread or different English cheese such as cheddar and Stilton. Try the Welsh Caerphilly which is like Brie and can be spread on toasted bread rounds. Mini shepherd' pies or even Cornish pasties are also great to serve guests. Wassail can go with sweet treats as well. Think simple cookies like buttery shortbreads or simple sugar cookies. Fresh baked gingerbread people are also a fun treat. Fruitcake slices are the most traditional to serve but you can continue the apple theme with apple cake or apple pie.

Try a traditional wassail feast for your CHristmas party.It's a fun way to connect the past and the present.Enjoy the food , punch and sings celebrating the season.

Your Favorite Holiday Food Memory

 We all have them - favorite food holiday memories  They could be the buttery taste of spritz cookies or the potato goodness of latkes. It could be that turkey  or  even a potato salad that goes with the Christmas ham.It could even be that  sparkly - citrus-y Christmas mimosa at the family brunch

Here's the question. What is your favorite food memory?I have several ,from my Mom's holiday ham to her amazing array of all sorts of cookies.

Let us know what brings back memories to your taste buds this holiday season.

A Sparkly Bite Of Shortbread

 One of the best holiday cookies is a square or round of shortbread.Yet this recipe and other recipes need care and thought for you to create the perfect sweet.Once done the end result is a take on the classic Scottish cookie with some new zings added. This creates a fun holiday bite that can be made all year round. 

Regular contributor and pro baker Genevieve Ko gave the shortbread recipe and good advice in a keeper article in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. She gives a holiday shortbread recipe .not only rich with butter but orange zest to give it a bright tarty flavor. The icing has lemon in it as opposed to the usual cloyingly sweet flavor.. Chef Ko decorates her cookies with pale green and pale lavender icing however red and green can be used for the season. Both can be easily made however it does pay to prep and bake properly to ensure a perfectly formed, well baked cookie and silky icing. The very first and most important step is gathering a tools. If there's no stand mixer to blend the ingredients into a manageable dough then use a hand mixer. It may be even be better since women have been hand mixing shortbread for centuries and have always produced the perfect cookie.A wine or glass bottle can sub n for a rolling pin if this isn't available. No cookie cutters? Since into squares. Reusable plastic bags make great icing bags for creating designs on the shortbread.

Chef Ko also  offers other good gems for advice. She has advice for the three major ingredients.Butter for the cookies should always be left out to soften it. However too soft butter can give the cookies a greasy feel and it can spread too thin and bubble on top.The butter is ready when a finger is pressed into the surface and there 's an indentation.Leave the sticks out at room temperature.. What about the sugars used? White granulated sugar not only provides sweetness but also provides air pockets in the butter when the two are beaten together. The powdered sugar gives them a melt in your mouth crumble. Only a small amount of powdered sugar is used in Chef's Ko's recipe to maintain structure for decorating. Then there's the seasoning.Salt needs to be added, whether in the butter or granules does heavy lofting as does the vanilla. As for the orange zest, only grate the outermost layer of peel to avoid any bitterness from the pith.There are also other tips such as don;t over work the dough, bake it as long or short as liked for a golden orbrown top. She also recommends making the icing as thick as possible to ensure it doesn't;t drip off the shortbread's surface as well as how not t make a mess. Gradually tint the icing using only gel dyes.

The perfect shortbread can be had.It's just a question of using the right ingredients correctly. These ensure the perfect cookies, buttery and perfect in the mouth

A Dessert Party Yes

 The holidays give us all sorts of parties. Cocktail, tree trimming, even cookie exchange ones. However one that is always welcome and with out the "stuffedness" of a full dinner is a dessert one. Imagine a gathering of delicious sweets, coffee ro tea and great conversation.It can be had and done in a very easy way.

Regular contributor and baker extraordinary Genevieve Ko wrote about such a party in today s New York Times Wednesday Food section.She gives elegant recipes from such professional bakers as Nicola Lamb and Yossy Aref. These are cakes that look like they belong in a Seventeenth or Eighteenth Century oil painting. These are the cakes, according to Chef KO, that need elegant cake stands to show off their beauty (although decorative wood blocks or even a stick of classic leather bound books can do the trick too). There is a tiramisu pie instead of the usual espresso soaked block. The pie  crust is that crumbled classic Oreos mixed with melted salted butter. The layers are made with marsacapone whipped with separated egg whites and yolks. Around twenty lady fingers are used  along with a cup and a quarter of strongly brewed coffee (think espresso here).The marscapone filling acts as the topping and dark chocolate curls are scattered all over the top of the chilled pie.

The other recipes are the truly elegant pastis Gascon. apple pie's classy French cousin.It's also known as croustade aux pommes. The crust is a buttery flaky phyllo dough , lighter than the traditional recipe. Another Gascon staple Armagnac, one of Frances  oldest brandies is also added in to elevate the apples.It is rich in butter with ten tablespoons of butter added .Granulate sugar  and light brown sugar are also added as well as apple cider vinegar to give it some zing. There is not need for cinnamon here, The Armagnac and butter give it flavor. What apples should be used ? Chef Ko recommends Pink Lady. France is also fused with Japan with yuzu, a citrussy flavored berry in a buttery tart.It's mixed into an eggy curd  that's baked into a super buttery tart crust. Dubai chocolate is becoming so popular.It's no wonder that it's been made into a simple yet flavor rich cake. Youssy Aref creates a tender chocolate cake with a filling  of  the Arabic ingredient kataifi or shredded phylo dough separated and chopped. The top is a rich chocolate ganache that goes perfectly with the cake and pistachio filling.

These would be perfect during a dessert party. They cam also be stand alone desserts at any holiday feast. Make them all.Make one for a festive and sweet holiday.