Celebrations 2010

Tastes Like Tradition��

Pop Goes the Turkey: Presentation Tips from the Pros

PartyAhead?

This Year Make it

Personal

+HOLIDAYS

2010

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38 4

3NIBBLE ON NOSTALGIAThe holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without these much loved, always served foods. And no, we aren’t talking about the stuffing

45 FUN IDEAS TO PERSONALIZE A PARTY Planning to gather family and friends at your home this holiday season? A little forethought and creativity will make your party personal and special

6CANDY IS DANDYStart a sweet new tradition perfect for sharing and interacting. And it doesn’t taste so bad, either

8FINISHING TOUCH: RESENTATION TIPS FROM THE PROSThe same old turkey-and-potatoes meal doesn’t have to look spare. Here’s how to turn the basics into a blockbuster

8WHERE THE COOL KIDS EATEntertaining tips to help the little ones dine in style and have fun instead of feeling shunned

10ONE FOR THE ROADSend guests home with a sweet little something

11NEW READS FOR HOSTS AND HOSTESSES

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2010 Content That Works • All Rights Reserved • Contact us at 866-CONTENT or CONTENTTHATWORKS.com for licensing information \\\ C E L E B R A T I O N S 2 0 1 0 3

HOLIDAYS AT Audrey Wyatt’s house wouldn’t be the same without the Jell-O mold. And the mold itself is always the same: black cherry Jell-O with pine-apple rings and banana slices in the center. Mandarin oranges float inside.

This was Wyatt’s mother’s Jell-O mold, which she put out on the table for every holiday – a tradition Wyatt has continued. Wyatt’s mother passed away before her children were born, so Wyatt, 49, of Phoenix, began making

the same recipe as a way to have her mom “present in their celebrations.” She calls it “the Grandma Lea.”

These are the foods holidays are made of – the unique and special dish-es that are woven into the fabric of a family. “It’s a way to tell your story,” says Meg Cox, a Princeton, New Jersey-based traditions expert and author of “The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays & Everyday”(Running Press,

2003). Like in Wyatt’s case, it’s also a way to

keep lost loved ones close. “If you’ve lost somebody, it’s a wonderful way to honor that person,” Cox says. She notes that these food traditions also become a part of the family history and a way to celebrate family identity.

For Scott Duncan, 43, a kitchen designer in Bradenton, Fla., Christmas morning would not be complete with-out the “sausage roll” (a sausage and bis-cuit roulade). His grandmother started the tradition years ago and Duncan has continued it every year. “The 5 minutes it takes me to slice the roll and get it in the oven turns out to be my own pri-vate moment to remember my grand-parents on Christmas morning – usually with a simultaneous smile and a tear,”

Duncan says.For each family, the traditions are dif-

ferent. They may be subtle things – the same sweet potato casserole or a local favorite. Sometimes you may not even realize that years have passed, the family has changed: these things remain. Or perhaps those traditions are still yet to come – which is OK, says Cox. “Family is a living, breathing, changing thing,” she says, noting that traditions also change and it’s OK to create new ones or even change the old ones – so long as it’s not ruffling a whole bunch of feathers.

At Audrey Wyatt’s house, the Jell-O mold is non-negotiable. “The kids, now teens, would kill me if I didn’t make it,” she says.

© CTW Features

Nibble on NostalgiaThe holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without these much-loved, always-served foods. And no, we aren’t talking about the stuffing

Ham is a beloved staple at the holiday table. For many families, it’s the same-old pre-sliced spiral cut year in, year out. Pork lovers, however, should consider the alternative – a DIY ham that will be juicier and more flavorful than anything that comes directly from your grocer’s readymade section. —Matthew M. F. Miller

Now THAT’S a Pig!

Holiday Ham with Maple Syrup-Clove-Marmalade GlazeCourtesy “Stonewall Kitchen Winter Celebrations” (Chronicle Books, 2009) by Jonathan King, Jim Stott and Kathy Gunst

ingredients1 8- to 10-pound bone-in

smoked ham (sliced or unsliced)

2 tablespoons whole cloves2 large oranges1/2 cup maple syrup1/2 cup marmalade

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Trim the ham of any excess fat and place it flat side down on a rack in a large roasting pan. Using a small, sharp knife, score the

ham by making a grid pat-tern (1/4-inch deep) across the ham at 3/4-inch intervals. (If you’re using a sliced ham, you’ll only need to make one set of cuts, perpendicular to the slices that are already there.) Poke the pointy ends of the cloves into the ham where the lines intersect, scattering any remaining cloves on the bottom of the pan.

Zest the oranges, and set the zest aside in a small saucepan for the glaze. Juice the oranges directly over the ham, straining the seeds, then cover the ham with foil and bake for 2 hours, turning the pan and basting with the pan juices once or twice dur-ing cooking.

Meanwhile, add the syrup and marmalade to the pan with the zest and bring to a

simmer over low heat, stir-ring. When the marmalade has melted, remove from the heat and set aside.

After 2 hours, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Remove the foil, pour the glaze evenly over the ham and bake another 30 minutes uncovered, or until nicely browned. Transfer the ham to a serving platter and let it sit 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, drizzled with pan juices.

Note: Look for smoked hams at specialty food shops and most good butch-ers, or in most supermarkets. You can also use a honey-cured ham, sliced or unsliced.

Serves 8 to 10, with left-overs

© CTW Features

DANA CARMANCTW FEATURES

CHRONICLE BOOKS

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“THE HOLIDAY SEASON is all about giving,” says Katie Brown, home and gardening expert and host of “Katie Brown Workshop.” “When you throw a party and it’s full of unique touches, that is a great gift.” Take 5 steps forward in this year’s holiday party planning with these expert tips.

STEP 1: YOU’RE INVITED!An invitation sets the mood for a holiday gathering, says Heather Lapham Kuhn, owner of Truly Yours Custom Correspondence Design in Carmel, Ind.

Electronic invitations continue to increase in popularity. Leading online invitation and social event planning ser-vice Evite claims more than 22 million registered users, with more than 25,000 “Evites” sent each hour in 2009.

But Kuhn finds electronic invites too impersonal for holiday gatherings. “It’s perfectly fine for a quick get-together, but receiving an invitation in the mail today is very special,” she says. “When people receive something that isn’t a bill or junk in their mailbox, they take notice – and that gets them excited.”

Plus, custom invites can help intro-duce a theme, motif or color scheme, Kuhn says. “Carry the idea from the first contact through the final note to really

make an impact.”Custom invites can be done the DIY

route, or with the assistance of a designer, depending on the budget, Kuhn notes. For the latter, expect to pay from $3 to $25 each, depending on how simple or elaborate the design. Mail invites four to six weeks in advance to ensure a place on guests’ busy holiday calendars.

STEP 2: FOOD FOR THOUGHTTraditional turkey and stuffing may seem like a tired menu offering, but infusing it with a family’s heritage can add a new twist. Guests appreciate a personal touch, says Dana Cox, chef instructor at Chicago-based Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts and owner of Old Stove Gourmet, a personal chef service.

“It’s something that means some-thing to you individually,” Cox says. “People like sharing what’s important to you.”

Telling the history behind a dish’s tradition while breaking bread with guests can inspire dinner conversation, Cox says. Feel free to have copies of not-so-secret family recipes on hand for guests who request them. “They can continue that story the next time they serve it,” she adds.

Another option is to update old fam-ily recipes with seasonal ingredients, or luxury ingredients not used daily. Cox’s version of green bean casserole – a fan

favorite –includes a variety of wild mushrooms with a homemade bécha-mel cream sauce.

“It’s always a huge hit,” she says. “It’s that same flavor profile but upgraded with quality ingredients.”

STEP 3: DRESS THE TABLEA centerpiece is as important as the

place settings and serving pieces, says Jennifer McGarigle, founder of Floral Art in Venice, Calif. “It makes the table festive, special.”

McGarigle believes many people stay away from centerpieces because of a preconceived notion of what they should be. “Today, not everyone wants the round centerpiece with the candle in the middle,” she says.

5 Fun Ideas to Personalize a Party Planning to gather family and friends at home this holiday season? A little fore-thought and creativity will make the party personal and special

DARCI SMITHCTW FEATURES

KATIE BROWN


Luckily, a traditional centerpiece isn’t necessary. McGarigle likes groupings of small, cylindrical glass vases with a single orchid blossom, leaf or floating candle on top. Vases nine inches tall make a presence without being intrusive. Create groupings of three or four on a long table, or a grid in the middle of a round one.

Miniature cypress trees also provide interest, come in varying sizes and, best of all, outlive the eve-ning, she adds.

STEP 4: THAT’S ENTERTAINMENTKatie Brown has fond memories of the pageants she, her sisters and friends would put on during her moth-er’s annual post-church Christmas Eve gathering. While adults celebrated in her family’s Petoskey, Mich., home, the children spent a good portion of their evening rehearsing.

“I felt like I was contributing to the whole festival of Christmas,” says Brown. One especially good year was when she played the Little Drummer Boy. “It just meant the world to me,” she adds. “Presents meant nothing.”

Such pageants set a “magical tone for the night,” Brown says, because all generations gathered to focus on a singular event. “It’s a beautiful moment in a holiday party,” she adds.

Advise guests of a pag-eant in the invitation, so children are prepared with ideas and an appro-priate costume. Still, it’s best to have props, role ideas and costumes ready for kids to run with, Brown advises.

No children in atten-dance? Gather the adults together for a holiday-themed reading or recording, such as Clement Clarke Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” – “some kind of moment where you all come together and cele-brate the season,” Brown says.

STEP 5: DON’T SEND GUESTS AWAY EMPTY-HANDED“A takeaway gift is part of the sharing, the celebra-tion of people in your life,” says Shai Tertner, life-style expert, event designer and president of Shiraz Events, a production company with offices in New York City and Miami.

Plus, guests feel like hosts have invested in them, since they took the time to put a gift togeth-er, Tertner points out. “Give gifts that are a reflec-tion of you and things you like and appreciate in your life,” he says.

The gift need not be expensive: homemade nuts, a trio of olive oils, even a framed picture of the host and guest are all appropriate and touching offerings. Don’t forget packaging, which can be personalized with branded stickers or cards, or wrapped in a favorite color guests will immediately associate with their host.

“It’s the thought that counts, but let it be a stylish thought,” Tertner says.

© CTW Features

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For Nancy Siler’s children, making homemade candy was as integral to the holidays as tearing open the presents on Christmas morning.

“We loved the kitchen experience and the creativity of deciding whether we were going to make easy and quick clusters or mold some special iconic shapes in candy molds,” says Siler, vice president of consumer affairs for Woodridge, Ill.-based Wilton, a popular food-crafting company. “It was fun to share the creations with family and friends, especially the grandparents!”

Creativity is also the allure for Anita Chu, author of “Field Guide to Candy:

How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable” (Quirk Books, 2009).

“As with all other homemade goods, you can control what goes into your homemade candy, which makes it that much more unique and special,” she says. “You can come up with your own flavors and your own presentation for your candies. You can also avoid many of the preservatives and additives that

go into mass-produced candy. There is a world of difference between fresh chocolate and butter and mass pro-duced, prepackaged items.”

According to both Chu and Siler, people tend to be unnecessarily intimi-dated by the candy-making process, which can be easy and rewarding if you start small and carry a big thermometer.

“Start small and practice. Many can-dies are surprisingly simple to make at

home and require no more skill than mixing ingredients together or melting chocolate,” Chu says. “Candies that require skill, like cooking sugar or tem-pering chocolate, can also be mastered with a little patience and practice.”

Siler says that many of the tools needed for basic candy-making are already in your home.

“You can melt large amounts of chocolate or confectionery coating in

Candy is DandyStart a sweet new tradition perfect for sharing and interact-ing. And it doesn’t taste half bad, either

MATTHEW M. F. MILLERCTW FEATURES

WILTON ENTERPRISE & ANITA CHU


the microwave, which is perfect for molding and dipping candies, cookies or pretzels,” she says. “Or mix in 1/2 cup of rice cereal, nuts, coconut or chocolate-covered candies with 1 cup of candy melts and drop onto a parch-ment-covered cookie sheet for clusters.”

The essential tools to get started are a candy thermometer that goes up to 400 degrees F (if you want to cook sugar), aluminum baking sheets for lin-ing up candies to cool and inexpensive plastic molds, if the agenda includes making molded chocolates or candies.

Chu also recommends using thin latex or cotton gloves, which allow candy makers to handle finished can-dies without leaving prints.

In these cash-strapped times, Siler says candy is an inexpensive, scrump-tious present to share with loved ones.

“The holidays inspire gift-giving and sharing with family and friends. What better gift is there than to craft some-thing with your own two hands?” Siler says. “Everyone loves to receive deli-cious homemade treats that come from the heart. It’s a personal touch that shows you took the time to create something special from your kitchen.”

One of this year’s emerging trends for candy making is the addition of sea salt to sweets.

“Sweet and salty is a nice combina-tion,” Siler says. “Think about making chocolate-dipped potato chips and pret-zels. If making truffles, a very small amount of a good quality, larger particle salt could be placed on top.”

Chu finds that sea salt pairs well with caramel. Its distinct tang contrasts with the rich sweetness of the caramel, giving more dimension to the buttery caramel flavor.

“Sea salt should be used as a high-light though, not simply substituted for regular salt in a recipe,” she says.

Chu says that another big trend is homemade marshmallows, in all sorts of flavors, as well as old classics jazzed up with modern ingredients, like pea-

nut brittle with sea salt or chocolate bark with roasted cacao nibs and pumpkin seeds.

To give candy as a gift, Siler suggests making the effort to select the right fla-vors, targeted to the person who is receiving the goodies. And since most people can’t resist the allure of candy, she says don’t worry about how long it will stay fresh.

“Most candies don’t last that long to worry about freshness, especially at the holidays,” she says.

Chu agrees.“Anything with chocolate is always

welcome. Candy is almost always made for gift-giving, so most candies are suit-able as long as you give it away soon after making it, and let the recipient know to keep them cool, dry and cov-ered.”

Chu’s favorite gift candies are choco-late covered nut clusters, caramel corn, chocolate bark and English toffee.

Cookie exchanges have long been a popular activity around the holidays, but making candy can be a great way to bond with family and friends, and to get a nice array of sweets without spending the entire month cooking.

"Candy clubs are a great way to experiment with candy-making, espe-cially as most recipes yield quite a few pieces, so it's easy to divide them up," Chu says. "Dipping chocolates or form-ing nut clusters is a fun group activity. Taffy-pulling parties used to be a popu-lar activity in Colonial days."

And while candy-making isn't kids stuff, many recipes are fun and easy for younger candy enthusiasts. Chu recom-mends caramel corn, chocolate-dipped pretzels, coconut haystacks, no-fail fudge and peanut butter balls, which all have just a few ingredients. These are all relatively simple to assemble and provide children the satisfaction of cre-ating their own candy.

© CTW Features

ingredients1 cup sugar1 cup heavy cream1/4 cup light corn syrup1 tablespoon unsalted

butter1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel1 tablespoon vanilla

extract

methodLine an 8-by-8 inch bak-ing pan with a piece of parchment paper long enough to hang over the

edges. Butter the parch-ment well.

Combine the sugar and cream in a sauce-pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stir-ring constantly to prevent burning. Add the corn syrup and continue cook-ing until the mixture reaches 230 degrees F. Add the butter and stir carefully to combine. Continue cooking mixture until it reaches 245

degrees F.Remove from heat and

stir in salt and vanilla. Pour mixture into pan to cool and harden. Remove the caramel block from the pan and cut into squares using a sharp, well-oiled knife. Sprinkle a few grains of fleur de sel on top of the caramels before wrapping.

Yield: About 60 cara-mels © CTW Features

Fleur de Sel Caramels


EVERY YEAR it’s the same old song and dance – holiday meals that consist of the stan-dard turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberries. But with a little thinking outside the icebox, it’s possible to have a traditional dinner and a five-star presenta-tion, too.

REWRITE THE SCRIPTWant to serve the classic dishes, but avoid preparing them in a clichéd way?

“Even though a holiday like Thanksgiv-ing is purely American, your plate needn’t be,” says Molly Schemper, co-owner of Chicago-based FIG Catering.

She recommends adding intrigue to a traditional meal by using ingredients

inspired by ethnic cuisines. For example, serve the turkey with a Mexican mole sauce made with chiles, tomatilloes, dried fruit, nuts and chocolate. Or, go all out with an Indian Spiced Turkey that’s been brined in yogurt and roasted with tur-meric, coriander seeds and fenugreek. Pair it with Curried Mashed Potatoes with Peas (a take on the classic samosa filling) and apple chutney.

The chutney could work as a substitute for cranberries, but if you can’t imagine the holidays without those little red balls, go cross-cultural and make the following ver-sion, a new favorite of Margo True, food edi-tor for “Sunset” magazine: fresh cranberries simmered with sweet-tart pomegranate

molasses from the Eastern Mediterranean. Look for this piquant syrup in the imported foods aisle.

Another scene-stealing option is to most of the meal on the grill. Schemper suggests grilled iceberg lettuce wedge salad, orange and honey grilled sweet potatoes, grilled sourdough stuffing and grilled fruit with whipped cream to accompany grilled butterflied turkey.

Finally, a simple way to banish bore-dom from the table is to serve up a side dish that’s similar, but not the same. For example, instead of mashed potatoes, try a root vegetable gratin, says Brittany Bald-win, chef/owner of Portland Home Chef, Portland, Ore. Or instead of stuffing, serve

savory bread pudding made with season-al vegetable combinations like butternut squash cubes, thyme and chanterelle mushrooms, or brussels sprouts and radicchio with parmesan.

These dishes have the added benefit of providing a satisfying and unique option for vegetarians.

LET THE SUPPORTING ACTORS STAND OUTSometimes all it takes is a special bever-age to turn a basic spread into something super chic.

Holiday meals usually involve children and teenagers, so creating a signature sea-sonal drink that can be made with or without alcohol is fun and allows every-one to participate, says Schemper. Try an “add your own wine” roasted-fruit san-gria made with dark fruit juices, or cran-berry mimosas and mock-mosas featuring sparkling white grape juice and sweetened cranberry ice cubes.

True also likes serving a trio of fabulous hot drinks. “Our current favorite holiday sips are brandied hot chocolate, mulled wine with Triple Sec, cardamom and crys-tallized ginger and a warm apple pie cock-tail, which tastes exactly like apple pie, only in liquid form.”

GIVE EVERY DISH A PROP THAT POPSThink of garnishes and tableware as the ultimate accessory for a meal.

An ultra-creative way to garnish is to actually cook the decoration into the dish, says Baldwin. “Inlaying herbs beneath the skin of the bird makes for a beautiful presentation before carving and adds a lot of flavor.” To do it, care-fully loosen the skin from the meat on the breast and insert whole sage leaves, thyme sprigs or rosemary in whatever pattern you prefer. After the bird cooks, the design will appear through the skin.

Another Baldwin garnish go-to is pink peppercorns. Mild and a little sweet compared to white or black pep-percorns, you can use them whole to add a speck of red without overpower-

Finishing Touch: Presentation Tips from the ProsThe same old turkey-and-potatoes meal doesn’t have to look spare. Here’s how to turn the basics into a blockbuster

ANNA SACHSECTW FEATURES

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM


ing a dish. For an appetizer, she rolls a log of goat cheese in pink peppercorns

and drizzles with garlic or citrus-fla-vored olive oil and serves with crack-ers.

For a sweeter accent, Schemper likes candied ginger and citrus peels. To DIY it, chop peeled ginger and citrus peel and boil in water for one hour. Drain and boil in a simple sugar mixer (equal parts water and sugar) for another hour. Once removed, place pieces on a baking sheet covered with sugar, toss to dust and let dry. As a bonus,use the leftover ginger or citrus-infused syrup with dessert or in cocktails.

The right tableware can quickly lend character to an event. Consider serving a trio of soups to guests in shot glasses, says True, or dole out individual little gravy pitchers, available for less than $2 at some stores. Another solution for the gravy is to use that pretty teapot that usu-ally collects dust, says Lisa Homa, a food stylist and recipe developer in New York City. “They’re the perfect vessel because there’s a top to keep in the heat, a spout for pouring, and they’re meant for hot liq-uids.”

Mix and match high and low china and glassware, and put those family heir-looms in the spotlight!

TRICK OUT THE SETFinally, décor also plays a part in the suc-cess of the final presentation.

Try embellishing the table with a beautiful log of sprouting blue oyster mushrooms from Far West Fungi (Far-WestFungi.com), sprays of winter berries and leaves, or colorful winter fruits like persimmons, lemons and tangerines clus-tered near votive candles, says True. Bald-win likes inserting flowery vegetables such as brussels sprouts, purple cauli-flower and baby turnips into holiday bou-quets, with sprigs of kale, chard and mustard greens. And Schemper suggests using hollowed out pumpkins, acorn squash and dried gourds as candle hold-ers or vases.

Centerpieces inspired by nature are an easy way to remind everyone that, when it comes to holiday meals, the earth’s bounty is really what deserves our applause. © CTW Features

Get rave reviews by making a classic dish from scratch. Baldwin’s DIY reci-pe for green bean casserole contains less salt and preservatives, and allows you to incorporate organic ingredients. Better yet, Baldwin says, “It’s very simple and much better tasting!”

Ingredients6 tablespoons unsalted butter1 medium onion, chopped1 pound mushrooms, chopped2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1 1/2 pounds of green beans, either

frozen or fresh with the stems removed and sliced into small piec-es

6 tablespoons flour2 cups milk8 ounces fried onion pieces

Method Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sauté chopped onions for 2 minutes in two tablespoons of the butter. Add mush-rooms and cook for 8 minutes, then stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and set aside.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and add flour, whisking until mixture begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Pour in milk and continue whisking until mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining salt and pepper and pour mixture over beans.

Pour beans into a buttered 9x13 glass dish. Cover and cook on top shelf of oven until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Uncover and add onion pieces, cook another 30 seconds or until golden brown.Add garlic, wild mushrooms or bacon to this dish for a tasty twist. © CTW Features

Gourmet Green Bean Casserole

THE KIDS’ TABLE does not have to be the “land of exile” during holiday meals. In fact, with a few fun-focused ideas, the kids’ table can quickly become the spot where even the grownups want to sit.

Kids love identifying their spots at the table, so for place cards use a pic-ture of the child, says Linda Kaye, a New York children’s event planner and founder of Birthday Bakers Party Makers. She also suggests having kids involved in creating them. “Let them pick out the pictures and cut them out,” she says.

Debbie Pollick, an event planner and owner of The Party Starts Here in Mission Vejo, Calif., likes taking red ornaments or plastic snowflakes and writing the kids’ names on them as place cards for the Christmas holiday. For another idea with the yuletide theme, try taking miniature stockings and using them as holders for the silverware and napkin or filling larger stockings with crafts to use and tying them on to the back of each chair. These could also have kids’ names on them, Pollick says.

To dress up the table, Kaye suggests a cornucopia of gourds, pumpkins and the like in a basket with some tissue and ribbon for a lovely Thanksgiving centerpiece. As a bonus, give the kids a

little direction and have them make it. Pollick notes that a cored-out apple makes a great candleholder and keeps in the spirit of the fall season. For the Christmas season, Kaye pictures a con-fectionary fantasy for dressing up the table “to give it that kind of magical, old-fashioned Christmas feeling,” she says.

The kids’ table should have functional-ity – as in, it should keep youngsters busy. Both Pollick and Kaye recommend offering some themed coloring pages and crayons, which can also be used as place mats (stickers also are useful here). Holiday crafts provide fun entertainment, and preparing the food itself in a kid-friendly manner is always a plus. “Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches,” Pollick says. She also recommends putting their food on or in special themed plates or bowls and, if age-appropriate, using skew-ers. She believes that mini grilled cheese on a skewer for dipping in a warm mug of tomato soup is the perfect appetizer for all ages.

For dessert, let the kids decorate cook-ies or, better yet, sundaes. This is just another activity that can help prolong the adults’ meal because as Kaye notes: “Kids take a minute to eat.”

© CTW Features

Where the Cool Kids EatTips to help the little ones dine in style

DANA CARMANCTW FEATURES


WHEN GUESTS are pushing away from the table satisfied by the extravagant din-ner hosted, it’s easy to feel like the job is done.

But don’t stop there. Extend the pleasure of a festive hol-

iday meal with one more gesture.Taking a cue from a trend in fine-

dining establishments and at special events, send guests home with a spe-

cial treat as a token of appreciation.Giving people something memora-

ble and delicious to take home is a delightful way to extend the experi-ence, says Elizabeth Katz, an executive pastry chef in New York City.

It’s a gesture Katz encourages.A holiday food gift could provide a

small treat for the diner who was regretfully too full to eat dessert. A chocolate truffle, a rich chocolate brownie or a mouth-watering choco-late chip cookie will be a well-appreci-ated substitute.

That little morsel can also be a delightful breakfast reminder of the charming evening. Katz, who oversees the pastry departments for the New York B.R. Guest Restaurants, offers some suggestions.

“At Ocean Grill on the Upper West Side we do muffins or teacake. We have a neighborhood clientele. Guests walk home and have their teacake the next day. It’s tradition,” Katz says.

On occasion she’s given guests a small box of cookies.

“They called to say it made them so happy to have a treat to look forward to,” Katz says.

Start a unique token tradition. Share the following rich, intensely flavored chocolate chip cookie with guests and head to the top of the desirable host list. © CTW Features

One for the RoadSend guests home with a sweet little something

BEV BENNETTCTW FEATURES

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar1/2 cup granulated sugar2 cups flour1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking powder2 (3.5-ounce) bars milk chocolate

with toffee pieces (see note)1 cup coarsely chopped, salted,

roasted pecansCoarse salt

Combine butter, brown sugar and granu-lated sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Beat at high speed until light and fluffy, scrap-ing bowl down occasionally. Stir together flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add flour mixture to butter one-half cup at a time. Beat after each addition to blend in. Chop chocolate into bite-size pieces. Add chocolate and pecans to butter mixture.

Line two baking sheets with parch-ment paper. Divide dough into 18 balls, about 3 tablespoons each. Place 9 on each baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with fork. Refrigerate cookies at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Just before baking, sprinkle a small pinch of coarse salt over each cookie. Bake cookies one sheet at a time in pre-heated 325 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until cookies are set and golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven. Cool for five minutes; remove to wire rack and completely cool. Wrap cookies indi-vidually in plastic wrap and add a ribbon. Makes 18 cookies.

Note: Look for milk chocolate with tof-fee pieces in natural food supermarkets and finer food stores. Green & Black’s Toffee is an excellent choice. If not avail-able, use milk chocolate covered toffee. Chop and measure 1 1/3 cups.

If desired, bake cookies in advance, wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil and freeze.

© CTW Features

Salt-Topped Chocolate, Toffee and Pecan Cookies


Even the most pre-pared hosts and hostesses can’t plan for the truly unexpected events that threaten to sabotage an otherwise jolly holiday gathering. And when it comes to seasonal enter-taining, the list of what could go wrong is even longer than Santa’s naugh-ty list.

Where does one turn when mere hours before guests are due to arrive, the toilet elects to over-flow onto your impecca-bly clean floor?

Who does one call when the turkey is stuffed and ready to bake but the preheated oven never rises above room tempera-ture?

Don’t despair. These local businesses and ser-vice providers are on standby to get any party back on track in no time flat.

© CTW Features

HOLIDAY 911:

HELP IS ON THE WAYHOSTS AND HOSTESSES seeking inspiration for the next holiday gala will find plenty to chew on in the latest holiday cookbooks and entertaining guides. From cookies to cocktails to Crock-Pots, read up on the latest trends for 2010 and throw the poshest party on the block.

�� by A.J. Rathbun (Harvard Common Press, 2010)

�� by Margaret Fulton (Hardie Grant Books, 2010)

�� !" ��!� �� #$��by Virginia Van Vynckt, Barbara Grunes and France Ruffenach(Chronicle Books, 2010)

��%�� by Martha Nesbit (Pelican Publishing, 2010)

�� by Robin Robertson

(Wiley, 2010)

�!�� &��#�� '��'�� !�� by Tina Barseghian (Harlequin, 2010)(�� by Annie Bell and Chris Alack (Kyle Books, 2010)

��!��(�� )�� by Rosanna Bowles (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2010)

*� �� %�(Betty Crocker, 2010)

© CTW Features

Eye Candy MATTHEW M. F. MILLERCTW FEATURES

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Celebrations 2010