Holiday Goodies

There’s lots of good news about these spicy nuts:

1. You can bring them to a party as a hostess gift and they will love them and not really compute how little effort went into making them.

2. You can make them way in advance, as much as two weeks. Just don’t do what I have been known to do and forget that you made them two weeks ago and go tearing around on the day of the party making them all over again.

3. Everybody likes them.

4. You can put them on a salad with dried cranberries and feta and everyone will think you are a genius. (Or break them up and put them on top of ginger ice cream—yum.)

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
Cowboy BBQ Burger
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Alan's Grilled Salmon
Barbecue Beer Ribs
Mango Shrimp Kabobs

Evelyn Hall’s Baked Beans
Chili Butter Corn on the Cob
Mac and Cheese
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Old Fashioned Potato Salad

Tomato & Avocado Salad
Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad
Lulu's Tastiest Coleslaw
Suzanne Goin's Succotash

The Bootleg | Cuba Libre | Dark 'n' Stormy | Mai Tai | Margarita | Mojito | Sassy Sangria
Sea Breeze | Tequila Sunrise | Tequila Gimlet | Watermelon Falls

Almond Pear Pie | Apple Pie | The Best Brownies Ever | Blackberry Pecan Crisp
Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies | Crunchy Ice Cream Sandwiches
Grandma Hazel's Lemon Cake | Peach Cobbler | Plum and Toasted Almond Galette
S’mores Cookie Bars | Fresh Strawberry Pie | Whoopie Pies

Is everyone familiar with panettone, a sweet, Italian bread loaf, full of candied orange peel and raisins? It comes in a very tall, lofty box we only see at holiday time. 

I am always excited to get my first one of the season. It's the perfect accompaniment to my afternoon coffee. The texture is reminiscent of my mom's babka recipe, another taste I love. I wish it was so easily accessible all year round. But then I guess it wouldn't be special.

Anyway, it is always nice to have Christmas morning or New Year's Day brunch prepped the night before. It makes life so much easier, especially if you have a house full of guests.

When you slice into the panettone, you will see it is very light-colored and airy. Once cooked, the top is very crunchy while the bottom remains soft and custard-like. Serve with warm maple syrup and something salty like bacon or sausage.

Thanksgiving is my favorite national holiday. It is not focused around the obligatory(bad) gift, it’s secular, and the abundance of flavors, color, and creativity in the food and recipes cannot be beat.

I started creating my Thanksgiving menu over 25 years ago, in a 2 bedroom duplex with a very small kitchen.  The size of my kitchen didn’t matter, nor did the fact that I only had one oven.  I was organized, made lists, prepped and did as much as I could in advance. My pumpkin soup and this cranberry sauce remain the two constants on my holiday table. Today, I may have a slightly larger kitchen, two ovens, an extra fridge, but the joy of this holiday remains the same.

Regardless, making a Thanksgiving meal requires organization, lots of prep, and time management. I do as much as I can in advance. This cranberry sauce can be made a week in advance, Pie crusts are made and frozen, soups are made 2 days prior, and all veggies are cleaned, blanched, and chopped the weekend before.