Christmas Cooking For Dummies E-Book

Dede Wilson

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 543

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Look no further for tips and recipes for whipping up a dazzling array of delicious holiday meals -- without stress! Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year -- and Americans traditionally love to celebrate the season with food, food, and more food. This easy guide shows cooks of every generation how to plan and prepare scrumptious seasonal treats. It includes: * 100 delicious recipes for hassle-free holiday meals, including Warm White Bean Dip, Four-Cheese * Spinach Lasagne, and Chocolate Truffle Tart * Tips, checklists, and charts, plus step-by-step guides and shopping lists for special holiday meals, including a Christmas Tree-Trimming Party * A special section on Christmas decorating and food gifts from the kitchen * 16 pages of color photos featuring holiday meal recipes and kitchen-made gifts and decorations

Leseprobe

Christmas Cooking For Dummies®

by Dede Wilson

Christmas Cooking For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2001 Hungry Minds, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2001092740

ISBN: 0-7645-5407-7

Printed in the United States of America

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About the Author

Dede Wilson has planned parties — yes, including Christmas parties — for thousands of people since 1985 in her work as a party planner. In that time she has also worked as a restaurant chef, bakery owner, recipe developer, and radio talk-show host.

Dede writes periodically for Bon Appétit and is a contributing editor to Pastry Art and Design magazine and is the food and entertaining expert for CanDoWoman.com. Her first book, The Wedding Cake Book (Macmillan, 1997), was nominated for an IACP Julia Child Cookbook Award, and she now has three books to her credit. Dede is a Certified Culinary Professional (CCP).

Dede is a repeat guest on NBC’s Today Show and appears frequently on major networks representing corporate sponsors.

Dedication

To my father, Moses Acosta, who taught me how to cook and more importantly, to appreciate food as more than mere sustenance. And believe me, he can carve a turkey like nobody’s business!

Author’s Acknowledgments

Thank you to Linda Ingroia, my editor, for bringing this project to me and, as always, to Maureen and Eric Lasher, my agents, for guiding my career.

A large support system brings any book For Dummies to fruition, and they have made the job smooth and easy. In part, thanks to Norm Crampton, project editor; Ben Nussbaum, copy editor; Pam Mourouzis, editorial team manager; Emily Nolan, recipe tester; David Bishop, photographer; Brett Kurzweil, food stylist; Donna Larsen, prop stylist; and to the marketing and sales staff.

Thanks to Carole Bloom for providing professional advice and to Juanita Plimpton and Judy Pozar for always being there when I needed to talk out an idea or work out a concept. Thanks to Amy Wasserman for my author photo. Huge thanks to Gabe Hmieleski and Evan Coppola for personal website support.

Thanks to David Kilroy and to my kids, Ravenna, Forrester, and Freeman, for tasting and critiquing Christmas food well into the spring.

And, as always, thanks to Mary McNamara for helping me during the recipe testing and writing phases of the book. Mary, you are my best brainstorming friend and I could not fathom writing a book without you.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Online Registration Form located at www.hungryminds.com

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Norm Crampton

Senior Acquisitions Editor: Linda Ingroia

Assistant Acquisitions Editor: Erin Connell

Copy Editor: Ben Nussbaum

Technical Editor: Deborah Mintcheff

Recipe Tester: Emily Nolan

Illustrator: Elizabeth Kurtzman

Photographer: David Bishop

Food Stylist: Brett Kurzweil

Prop Stylist: Donna Larsen

Photography Art Director: Michele Laseau

Editorial Manager: Pamela Mourouzis

Editorial Assistant: Carol Strickland

Cover Photos: David Bishop

Production

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Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services

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Hungry Minds, Inc.: John Kilcullen, CEO; Bill Barry, President and COO; John Ball, Executive VP, Operations & Administration; John Harris, CFO

Hungry Minds Consumer Reference Group

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Hungry Minds Consumer Production: Debbie Stailey, Production Director

The publisher would like to give special thanks to Patrick J. McGovern, without whom this book would not have been possible.

Contents

Title

Introduction

How to Use This Book

How This Book is Organized

Icons and Symbols Used in This Book

A Few Guidelines Before You Begin

Part I : Gearing Up for Christmas Cooking

Chapter 1: Making Christmas Special and Stress Free

But Christmas Is Always at Grandma’s House

Prioritizing and Getting Organized to Beat the Time Crunch

Okay, I’m Going to Throw a Party

Giving Back

Chapter 2: Taking Inventory: Ingredients, Tools, and Techniques for Holiday Cooking

Your Basic Pantry

Lining Up Your Tools and Equipment

(Stop Me If You’ve Heard These) Common Cooking Techniques

Techniques to Add to Your Talent-Bank

Before You Get Creative, Do It My Way, Please

Chapter 3: Making Magic with Christmas Menus

Getting Mileage Out of Menus, Mine or Yours

Presenting Nine Christmas Menus

Part II : Holiday Meals: Opening Acts

Chapter 4: Drinks, Anyone?

Setting Up a Beverage Bar

Pairing Wine with Christmas Foods

Serving Champagne

Orange–Passion Fruit Mimosas

Champagne Punch

Making Great Coffee

Café Brûlot (flaming brandy coffee)

Irish Coffee

Brewing a Proper Pot of Tea

Making Smoothies to Order

Fruit Smoothies

Warming Down to Your Toes with Mulled Cider

Mulled Cider

Making Eggnog — Traditional and Kid-Friendly

Classic Eggnog

Kid-Friendly Eggnog

Creating Chocolate Bliss

Hot White Chocolate

Bittersweet Hot Chocolate

Chapter 5: Appetizers

Choosing Appetizers

Three Instant Appetizers

Three Almost-Instant Appetizers

Creating an Antipasto Tray

Say Cheese: Making Cheesy Appetizers

Herbed Asiago Cheese Crisps

Cheddar, Port, and Blue Cheese Ball

Baked Brie with Roasted Apples

Spreading the Joy: Dips, Spreads, and Sauces

Christmas Salsa

Warm White Truffle Bean Dip

Caramelized Onion Dip

Whole Roasted Garlic with French Bread

Go Ahead, Use Your Fingers: Easy-Eatin’ Appetizers

Salted Edamame (Boiled Soybeans)

Spiced Cashews

Seafood Appetizers: Let’s Party!

Easy Homemade Gravlax

Shrimp Cocktail with Two Sauces

Cocktail Sauce

Creamy Wasabi Dip

Shrimp

Chapter 6: Salads and Soups

Salad Days: Making Salads for the Holidays

The Basic Green Salad

Fennel and Orange Salad

Green Bean Salad

Putting on the Ritz: Dressing Up Your Salad

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Sherry Vinaigrette Dressing

Green Goddess Dressing

Making Seasonal Soups

White Bean Soup with Kale and Parmesan

Roasted Squash Soup

Corn Chowder

Day-After Turkey Soup

Oyster Stew

Creamy Cheddar Potato Soup

Part III : Holiday Meals: The Main Event and Sideshows

Chapter 7: Breakfast Dishes

Making Almost-Instant Breakfasts

Making Breakfast the Night Before

Citrus Breakfast Fruit Salad with Yogurt and Granola

Breakfast Baked Apples

Overnight French Toast with Maple-Orange Syrup

Maple-Orange Syrup

Apple Raisin Croissant Breakfast Pudding

Brown Sugar Bacon with Mustard

Dishes to Make on the Morning of the Big Day

Giant Puffed Pancake with Blueberry Sauce

Blueberry Sauce

Spinach and Chevre Breakfast Frittata

Chunky Hash Browns

Chapter 8: for the Main Event

Following Tradition and Starting New Ones

Deciding on Turkey

Maple-Glazed Turkey

Stock

Gravy

Selecting Prime Rib

Roast Prime Rib

Going Ham for the Holidays, or Pork, if You Prefer

Baked Fresh Ham with Herbs

Gravy

Preparing and Serving a Christmas Goose

Goose with Apples and Cognac

Goose — 24 to 48 Hours Ahead

Stock

Goose — The Day Of

Gravy

Wrapping Another Present for Dark Meat Fans: Duck

Duck Breasts with Dried Cherry Wine Sauce

Concocting a Christmas Casserole and Stew

Shortcut Cassoulet

Low-Fat Seafood Stew

Every Sunday Is Pasta Night

Fusilli with Caramelized Onions and Kalamata Olives

Five-Cheese Spinach Lasagne

Chapter 9: Complementing the Main Dish with a Chorus of Sides

Please Pass the Potatoes

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon and Brown Sugar

Making a Great Meal Perfect with the Right Veggies

Glazed Winter Squash

Balsamic Glazed Green Beans

Sautéed Broccoli Raab

Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts

Roasted Carrots

Cauliflower Gratin

Creamed Onions and Mushrooms

Letting Your Stuffings Run a Bit Wild

Wild Rice Dressing with Golden Raisins and Pecans

Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Apples, and Cognac

Chapter 10: Relishing the Season with Sauces Sweet and Savory

Making Cranberry Sauce Yourself Even Though It Comes in a Can

Cranberry Sauce

Spiced Cranberry Relish

Dealing Tearlessly in Horseradish

Horseradish Sauce

Roasting Fruit for the Perfect Sauce

Roasted Chunky Apple Sauce

Gingered Pear Sauce

Saucing Desserts — the Festive Final Touch

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Raspberry Apricot Sauce

Part IV : Holiday Meals: Finishing Touches

Chapter 11: Visions of Sugarplums . . . Christmas Cookies, Candies, and Confections

Producing Cookies for S. Claus and All His Helpers

Snowdrop Cookies

Coating

Classic Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Classic Sugar Cookies

Royal Icing

Gingerbread People

Chocolate Shortbread

Meringue Wreath Cookies

Cherry-Orange Florentines

Techniques and Tips for Baking Cookies

Making Christmas Candies and Confections

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

Sugarplums

Sugar-Frosted Fruit

Preparing Frozen Desserts for Yuletide Tastes

Cranberry Cider Sorbet

Eggnog Ice Cream

Ice Bowl

Mocha Baked Alaska

Cake

Chocolate Sauce

Ice Cream Filling Assembly

Meringue

Assembly

Chapter 12: Cakes, Pies, Puddings, Tarts, and Trifle

Three Almost-Instant Desserts

Baking a Christmas Cake or Two

White Chocolate Bûche de Noël

Sponge Cake

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache Filling and Frosting

Cherry Filling

Assembly and Decoration

Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake

Crust

Cheesecake

Topping

Walking Hand in Hand through Pie and Tart Land

Basic Piecrust

Sweet Tart Crust

Apple Pie

Apple Filling

Crust Topping

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate Truffle Tart

Crust

Filling

Cranberry Cherry Tart

Pudding and Trifle: Carrying on a Fine Christmas Tradition

Christmas Pudding with Rum Cream

Rum Cream

Pear Almond Trifle

Roasted Pears

Amaretto Syrup

Pastry Cream

Topping

Assembly

Dashing through the Snow — Desserts without Delays

Chapter 13: Baking Breads, Scones, and Muffins for the Holidays

Starting with a Quick Bread (And It Really Is)

Cranberry-Orange Quick Bread

Baking Scones and Biscuits — Close Relatives

Buttermilk Lemon-Cherry Scones

Topping

Basic Yuletide Biscuits

Gingerbread Muffins

Maximizing the Pop in Your Popovers

Popovers/Yorkshire Pudding

Enriching Your Life with Loaves of Rich Stollen

Stollen with Marzipan

Coating

Part V : It’s Looking a Lot Like Christmas: Decorations and Gifts

Chapter 14: Simple Decorations from the Kitchen

Bring in the Realtor: Making a Gingerbread House

Landscaped Gingerbread House

Mortar (Royal Icing)

Dressing Up the Inside of Your House with Homemade Decorations

Simmering Scent

Candy Garland

Cinnamon Stick Votives

Pomander Candles

Ribbon-Wrapped Gilded Walnut Ornaments

Cookie Wreath Centerpiece

Decorating the Outside of Your Home

Popcorn Cranberry Garland

Cranberry Kumquat Ice Wreath

Chapter 15: Edible Gifts

Making Food Gifts

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Hot Chocolate Mix

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Chocolate-Caramel Apples

Super-Easy Fudge

Cranberry Liqueur

Optional Decorative Packaging

Clementine-Cranberry Marmalade

Optional Decorative Packaging

S’mores Graham Crackers

Marshmallows

Edible Clay

Pumpkin Butter

Caramel Sauce

Packaging Food Gifts

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 16: Ten Best Holiday Cooking and Entertaining Tips

Chapter 17: Ten Great Mail-Order Sources for Ingredients and Tools

Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide

: Color Insert

Introduction

W hether you’re a Type-A Christmas manager who starts planning menus in August or someone who feels pressed for time and ideas every day of November and December, Christmas Cooking For Dummies will help you have the Christmas you want.

I don’t need to tell you that December is a great time for family meals, parties large and small, gift giving, and decorating the house or the apartment. After all, most of us have some vacation time at Christmas; the kids may be home from school or coming to visit; and days are getting shorter, and in some places colder — all of which means that we naturally gravitate towards hearth and home.

Parties are a great way to connect with friends and family, and there’s nothing that kindles the party spirit faster and better than good food and drink, presented in a beautiful setting. Yes, I recognize there’s more to Christmas than what you put on the table: Besides plenty of recipes and meal plans, this book includes chapters on edible gifts and food-based decorations.