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| Get the decorating done right away |
As much as I hate to say it, making time
to enjoy a meal with family and friends, especially during the holidays, is a
tradition that just might be slipping from families due to our hectic or
sedentary life styles. Keep in mind that air, food and water are three
functions that a human body must have to survive. We should strive to master
these three vital functions. If you have to eat, why not learn to cook well?
You just can't beat homemade scratch cooking.
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| Get in the mood |
People will give you many reasons why they
don't like gatherings of friends and families, but most of them are invalid. Oh
they'll come to your party, just don't want to host one. In my opinion, left to
our own designs, family gatherings as we know them just might be pushed aside
in favor of buying complete holiday prepared meals from the local grocer, or going out to eat for holiday’s and
special occasions at your local restaurant. I actually enjoy getting together with family and friends.
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| Chicago Botanic Garden |
This year, just before Christmas, I
sprained my knee and ankle limiting my ability to help with the meal
preparation. I was left to sit and do table prep rather than standing and
actually cooking. This perspective gave me a unique insight into why parties
are considered by many to be just too difficult to even consider. My family didn't care having a dictator in the room.
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| Had the butcher prepare (French) a pork crown roast |
This year I had time to think about how
to throw a stress-free party, if that's possible. These are my thoughts on the
subject. Everything that can be done in advance should be. Your education
begins today and learning just one phrase will greatly reduce your stress
levels.
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| Season the roast |
Mise en place
According to Wikipedia, Mise en place is a French phrase which means
"putting in place," as in set-up. It is used in professional kitchens
to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients (e.g. cuts of meat,
relishes, sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly chopped vegetables, and
other components) that a cook will require for the menu items that are expected
to be prepared during a shift. The practice is also effective in home kitchens.”
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| Stuff that roast |
Food Safety
The next thing that you must consider is
food safety. Every home kitchen should have a good quality, accurate kitchen
thermometer. It should be properly calibrated by you on the day of your party,
or anytime you cook meat, poultry or fish. You don't want your guests to go
home, or to the emergency room sick because you served undercooked food.
Make a plan and work your plan
Create
a custom music play list appropriate for the event. It should be ready to begin
as soon as the first guest arrives and finishes when the last guest departs.
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| Crown roast ready to serve |
What time should your guests arrive? If
you plan on serving dinner at 6:00 pm, then you’re guests should arrive at 5:00
pm, unless they are needed to help earlier. Only those guests that will help
create a stress-free party should be invited early.
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| Do you want a slice? |
In our house it’s almost impossible to get more than 6 place settings that match. I often
will buy one plate or dish just for a photograph. If it’s really special
occasion, get new glassware and china, or rent it. Any
decorating and house cleaning can and should be done days before your event or
party. Last minute touch-ups are permitted. If you like your linens fresh, iron
them in advance or RENT THEM.
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| Steamed cauliflower |
Break up the families or friends.
Assigning seats is a great ice breaker for getting people to talk to each
other. Often when we go to a dinner party there's one family on one side of the
room talking to each other, and the other family is on the opposite side. Tear down that wall!
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| Cauliflower gratin inspired by John Besh's cauliflower puree recipe |
Deciding if all of the food preparation
will be done in house or outsourced to your relatives or friends can make your
party go easier, or harder, depending on the circumstances, equipment
available, counter and dish washing facilities. If you don’t have enough
refrigeration, plan on assigning someone (not you) to bring coolers and
ice.
If a family member, friend, or guest is
bringing food, they should bring it completely prepped at their home and ready
to serve if possible. If the dish requires any cooking, re-heating, or
refrigeration once it arrives, that needs to be scheduled into your kitchen
plan if space is available. If not eliminate it from your menu. Whatever you
do, don't break out the cookbooks, or search the Internet for a new recipe that
you've never tried before. While I try to avoid it, even recipes on this blog
might have a mistake, just like the famous celebrity chef's recipes.
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| Dinner time |
Write out your entire menu and how long
each menu item will take to cook, rest, finish and serve. As an example, we
were making a Pork Crown Roast, with stuffing and gravy (3 hours). Since we
were eating at 6: 00 pm, the roast had to be in the oven by 2:30 pm. That gave
us 3 hours to do other things in an almost stress free environment.
One half hour before your guests arrive,
relax, meditate and set your mood, since it's your mood that will make or break
this party. Have fun!
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| I know, right! |
What can I say about parties and
drinking? The people responsible for food prep, cooking and serving the dinner
should have their first drink when they sit down at the dinner table, pop the cork on the first bottle of wine, thank
their guests for coming and ask them to enjoy their meal. You also don't want
your guest drinking and driving. Encourage responsible drinking. For a dinner
party, have it at your home. If it’s a drinking party you’re after, meet at a
bar.
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| Flan! A new tradition... |
Now for my original thought. Who will
carry forward the recipes that have been handed down for generations, if fewer
young people today are not wanting to learn to cook? When we're gone whose
going to make the Kartoffelklösse, or Mom's plum kuchen?
I NEED SOME HELP
Any thoughts, on family traditions,
vintage recipes, or giving young people the motivation to learn recipes from the past would be appreciated.
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| Tim’s Rumaki Appetizer |
I was considering entering a contest using fillo dough cups. I missed the deadline and thought that it was good enough to be on my table and in my blog for New Year's Eve.
INGREDIENTS
1 box (15pc.) Athens mini-fillo shells
5-6 whole water chestnuts, diced
15 1/2 tsp. Braunschweiger, liver sausage, or mushroom pate
1/2 lb. bacon, crisp, drained, chopped
as needed chives, fresh, minced, for garnish.
Marinade:
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced
1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted, optional
1 box (15pc.) Athens mini-fillo shells
5-6 whole water chestnuts, diced
15 1/2 tsp. Braunschweiger, liver sausage, or mushroom pate
1/2 lb. bacon, crisp, drained, chopped
as needed chives, fresh, minced, for garnish.
Marinade:
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced
1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted, optional
NOTE: Add crushed pineapple
for an interesting variation.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and minced ginger. If you are using the toasted sesame seeds add them to the soy sauce mixture. Set this to the side.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and minced ginger. If you are using the toasted sesame seeds add them to the soy sauce mixture. Set this to the side.
Cut and dice the water chestnuts into
small pieces. Add the water chestnuts to the soy sauce marinade.
Pan fry the bacon until crispy but not burnt. Drain the bacon and chop coarsely
(1/4” pieces) so that the bacon is small enough to fit several pieces into each
fillo cup. Set the bacon to the side.
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| Add Braunschweiger to cups |
Place the 15 fillo shells on a baking
sheet. Using a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon, place one scoop of the Braunschweiger into the bottom of the cups.
Gently press the Braunschweiger into
the bottom of each cup. Stir your marinade mixture to mix well. Using a spoon,
scoop out the water chestnut pieces and place them into each of the cups.
Repeat the process with the bacon pieces until all of the cups are filled.
Finally, drizzle some of the marinade over the bacon in each cup.
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| Drizzle marinade on cups |
Place the sheet into the center rack of
a preheated 350°F oven for 7-8 minutes, being careful not to overcook the
shells. Remove from the oven and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.
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| Serve rumaki cups |
NOTE: Traditionally “rumaki” is made
with chicken livers and can be made that way using chopped chicken livers if
you like. You may also use mushroom pate, cooked shrimp or scallops instead of
the chicken livers or Braunschweiger.
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| Traditional rumaki |
Happy New Year! Why not sign up to follow this blog above, or leave a comment below? I also have a request to cover Chicago style Italian roast beef. Any comments or thoughts, or reviews of electric slicers would be appreciated.
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| What's your beef? |