During the Fall and winter months, I like to have cookies baking or a small pan of spiced cider simmering on the stove when I’m expecting company. The moment I open my front door, my guests are greeted with the wonderful fragrance of warm spices. I think it’s a great way of saying, “Welcome to my home”.

What do you do to welcome guests to your home?

Tags: Christmas, cookies baking, entertaining, fragrant house, handy hint, holidays, spiced cider

While searching for recipes the other day, I came across a Holiday Helpers Hotline list (say that 3 times fast) from the fine folks at Saveur Magazine. So if you find yourself in a pickle while making the holiday meal, don’t panic…just call one of the hotlines or visit one of the websites. Also, for those of you still making a Thanksgiving meal game plan, the Butterball website has a handy portion calculator to help you figure out how big of a turkey to buy (and many other great turkey tips). Good luck!

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line
(800/BUTTERBALL; butterball.com)
For 30 years, turkey savants have been fielding more than 100,000 questions annually in the weeks before Thanksgiving. Most frequently asked: “How do I thaw this thing?”

Crisco Pie Hotline
(877/FOR-PIE-TIPS; crisco.com)
Let the pie pros coach you past soggy crusts and failed fillings, aided by online instructions at Crisco Pie Central.

Kentucky Legend Ham Hotline
(866/343-5058)
These folks give advice on buying, cooking, and carving ham. They also advise home cooks on what to do with all that’s left over. One suggested solution entails using mushrooms and whipping cream to make a version of ham à la king.

Ocean Spray Helpline
(800/662-3263)
The experts here can help alleviate cranberry fatigue with fresh recipes for cocktails, salads, and desserts like cranberry—ginger upside-down cake. If you opt against serving canned cranberry sauce, Ocean Spray operators will tell you how to make your own at home.

Tags: Butterball hotline, Crisco hotline, helpline, Holiday meal help, hotline, Kentucky Legend Ham hotline, Ocean Spray hotline, Saveur Magazine, Thanksgiving meal, Thanksgiving meal crisis, Thanksgiving meal help

If you’ve got lots of candy canes and you’re wondering what to do with them, here’s a few ideas I found at MarthaStewart.com. 

The Candy Cane Can
-tips from Martha Stewart Everyday Food and MarthaStewart.com 

More than 1.8 billion of these holiday hooks are made each year. Luckily, candy canes are tasty additions to lots of seasonal treats.

Hot-Cocoa Stirrer: Mix things up in a classic winter drink: Add a candy-cane “spoon.” It melts in the liquid for extra flavor.

Fudge Topper: Make Homemade Holiday Fudge an even sweeter gift with crushed peppermint. This is a great way to use leftover candy canes — simply put them in a zip-top plastic bag and then pound with a kitchen mallet.

Minty Bark: A holiday favorite, Minty Bark gets a cool crunch with peppermints. Blend crushed candy canes into melted white chocolate. Little elves can help break the bark into pieces and pack it in tins for gifts.

Candy-Cane-Chip Ice Cream: Kids love ice cream any time of the year. For a December-style treat, stir crushed peppermints into softened vanilla ice cream and freeze until firm. Serve with more candy on top.

Peppermint Sauce: Stir together equal parts cream and crushed candy canes over medium heat until smooth, then immediately whisk in some white chocolate until melted. Drizzle on brownies for a festive dessert.

Tags: candy cane hot cocoa, candy cane ice cream, candy canes, Christmas, holidays, minty bark, peppermint sauce

Figuring out how much food to have at a party is tricky business. I’d much rather have too much food available than not enough. Here’s a few guidelines for getting a party started, whether it’s a cocktail party or a full dinner:

Estimating Quantities of Hors d’Oeuvres
-Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Hors d’Oeuvre, by Brigit L. Binns (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

When estimating quantities of hors d’oeuvres for a party, keep these guidelines in mind. As a rule of thumb, most guests will consume 8 to 10 bite-size pieces for every 60 to 90 minutes of a party. However, the larger the variety of offerings, the more hors d’oeuvres that will be consumed because everyone will want to try at least one of each item. At the beginning of a party, especially if it is in the early evening, the pace of eating will be faster and then will slow as people satisfy their initial appetite.

If your party lasts longer than 90 minutes and is intended to replace dinner, the pace of eating will speed up again after 2 hours. In this case, it is important to have enough hors d’oeuvres ready and waiting in the kitchen to replenish empty platters.

For an average-size party, with 8 to 20 guests, plan on 2 hot and 2 cold passed items and 1 or 2 buffet items a total of 5 or 6 selections. If you will be hosting 30 to 40 guests, add 1 more of each hot and cold item plus 1 more buffet selection.

Tags: appetizers, cocktail party, hor d'oeuvre party, hors d'oeuvres

Several years ago, I thought I lost my garlic press. Always looking for a reason to buy more kitchen stuff, I jumped at the opportunity to purchase a new garlic-smashing implement. The kitchen store I went to did not disappoint…they had numerous models to choose from. The one that caught my eye was a shiny stainless steel Rosle Garlic Press. I picked it up, and opened it/closed it numerous times to simulate the actual garlic-pressing process. I turned it over and over, admiring it’s sleek handles and how comfortable it felt in my smallish hands. I was hooked. The only bummer was it’s price. At a little less than $40, this beauty was the most expensive of the bunch. But what the heck, I reasoned. I cook A LOT and am always using a garlic press…I bought it.

Shortly after buying the Rosle Garlic Press (not having used it yet), I found my old press…a clunkier, not-as-pretty model from a different company. I decided it was time to have a garlic press-off and pit the two models against each other: the stainless steel beauty (Rosle) vs. my older garlic press. I started with my old press, which does a pretty good job of squishing the garlic through the little holes but is always a chore to clean. Next up, the Rosle. Because of it’s design, smashing garlic is easier than any garlic press I’ve ever used! And cleaning…well, it’s a breeze. The press unhinges so removal of the squished clove is a cinch. The Rosle Garlic Press was the winner!!! Both garlic presses reside in the same gadget drawer, but the Rosle is the one I always grab.

Yes, the Rosle Garlic Press is a bit of a splurge but you’ll love it if you cook a lot. It’s definitely worth the price!!! Plus, it’s sturdy and dishwasher safe so you should get many good years of garlic pressing out it (it has a lifetime warranty against defects).

Tags: garlic press, Rosle, stainless steel

Since we’re smack dab in the middle of Grilling Season, I thought I’d post a tip I found on the Williams-Sonoma website for using certain types of wood chips and/or herbs to add a nice smokey flavor to grilled foods. Many grocery stores, cooking  supply stores and hardware stores sell different types of wood chips for the grill. Obviously, don’t use any kind of chemically-treated wood that isn’t meant to be used for cooking purposes. Now get out there and fire up that grill!!!

Flavorful Grilling
-Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Grilling by Denis Kelly, Melanie Barnard, Barbara Grunes & Michael McLaughlin

Some grilling purists object to propane or natural gas for grilling because it does not impart the same distinctive smoke flavor to food that charcoal does. You can add a smoky flavor when using a gas grill by pouring wood chips or herbs into the smoker box (or make your own smoker by wrapping woods chips and herbs in heavy-duty aluminum foil and piercing the foil before placing the packet inside your grill).

Hardwoods are available as chunks or chips. Wood chips light quickly and burn easily; they are the best choice for home grilling, working well for both charcoal and gas grills. The most common hardwoods for grilling and smoking have flavors ranging from intense and wood flavored (hickory, mesquite, oak and pecan) to moderate and fruity (apple, cherry and plum) to mild (alder). Resinous soft woods, such as those from the pine family, should not be used to flavor grilled foods; they add an undesirable piney, sooty flavor to foods, and they could damage and/or discolor the grill.

For a charcoal grill, soak wood chips, herbs or grapevine cuttings in water for 30 minutes, then drain before using. If using aromatics in a gas grill, do not soak them before use, as they are sometimes difficult to ignite. Scatter aromatic herb sprigs or grapevine cuttings directly over the coals of a charcoal grill. For a gas grill, place the flavoring materials in a smoker box or perforated foil packet, and place it over a heat element to ignite, releasing their aromatic smoke.

Before using any wood chips, herb sprigs, grapevine cuttings or similar materials, consult the owner’s manual for your grill for specific instructions on flavoring food.

Wood and Herb Flavoring
Choose aromatic additions to enhance food in the same way that you choose spices or herbs while cooking.

Alder – Alder wood chips work well for salmon and other fish and light meats.

Apple – Apple wood chips enhance chicken and game birds, pork, salmon, sweet glazes and fruit sauces.

Cherry – Fruity cherry wood chips, like apple wood, complement poultry and seafood.

Hickory – Hickory wood chips give a slightly nutty flavor to pork, chicken and turkey.

Mesquite – The fragrant hardwood most frequently used for grilling, mesquite wood is an essential component to grilled beef fajitas and also adds flavor to fish, chicken, turkey and pork.

Oak – Oak chips complement pork and beef.

Pecan – Similar to hickory, pecan wood chips pair well with chicken and pork.

Dried Basil Stems – Infuse a wide variety of foods with the sweet herbal scent of dried basil stems.

Dried Rosemary Sprigs - Use dried rosemary sprigs to impart a pleasantly woodsy flavor to beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and meaty fish fillets or steaks.

Mixed Herbs – Mixed herbs create fragrant smoke that suits a wide variety of foods; dried mixed herbs are sometimes sold in tea-bag-type packets.

Grapevine Cuttings – A by-product of wine making, grapevine cuttings add fruity flavor to grilled beef, lamb, chicken and fish.

I’m linked to:
Tuesdays at the Table
Tasty Tuesday
Delicious Dishes
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesday Tastes

Tags: alder, apple, cherry, grapevine cuttings, Grilling/BBQ, hardwood, hickory, mesquite, oak, pecan, rosemary sprigs, smoking, wood chips

Cooking a turkey can be an intimidating undertaking! If you’re at all overwhelmed or have any questions about cooking that holiday bird, you’ll be happy to know that Butterball is ready to help you. Every year in November and December, Butterball employs professionally trained home economists and nutritionists to work the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line (weekdays 8 am-8 pm CST). Call 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) or check out Butterball.com for turkey tips and recipes. The website’s Thanksgiving Guide has a cool feature that calculates the size of turkey you need (and how much stuffing to make) based on whether you’re light or big eaters, you want leftovers, and how many adults and kids will be eating the meal. You can even print out a $2 coupon good for 1 whole Butterball turkey (offer good 11/13/09 through 12/31/2009). Happy cooking!

Tags: Butterball, Christmas, holiday meal, holidays, Thanksgiving, turkey, Turkey Talk-Line

Whether you’re a Thanksgiving novice or an old pro, it’s always nice to have a few new recipes to inspire you for this traditional feast. Here’s a few cookbooks that have helped me:

Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers

Thanksgiving 101 is a practical guide to creating this iconic meal. Cooking teacher and author Rick Rodgers (also known as “Mr. Thanksgiving”) has put together a collection of his favorite traditional recipes, organizational tips and menus. No photos.

Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining

This complete Thanksgiving guide is sure to inspire you with it’s beautiful color photographs, recipes, menus, and detailed work plans to help you get organized. Also included are ideas and step-by-step instructions for decorating your home and table.

The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

Oregon cookbook author and cooking teacher Diane Morgan has filled this cookbook with delicious recipes, menus, pretty photos, and organizational tips to help you create a memorable Thanksgiving meal.

Tags: cookbooks, menus, Recipes, table decorations, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers, The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan, Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining