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RECIPES TO MAKE AHEAD

After discussing the practicality of buying foods needed for the winter holidays during the fall sales and the convenience of having dishes prepared in advance, the next step is to look at what type of recipes lend themselves to this treatment and if they need be altered to do so. For any skeptics, the concept of preparing food ahead is the backbone of the Personal Chef Service business and the parent organization, the U.S.P.C.A. has been instrumental in exploring the field of home freezing.

I make the distinction because there is a difference between what can be done with a domestic freezer and the commercial flash-freezing process as implied by its name. I‘ve personally found that neither eggplant nor boiled potatoes home freeze well, but both exist in commercial products. If you plan to explore further than the general rules I include with the recipes below, please read my posts of January 11, 19, 25 and February 2, 2012, and of Sept 22, 2016. Click Blog on the Home Page header, then choose the months from the box on the right margin. They offer a crash-course on freezing at home.

A secret to making some things last in the refrigerator for long periods is adding alcohol, in the form of liquor, to the ingredients. If you don’t want the liquor to be noticeable, as I don’t with my Blue Cheese Spread, use vodka. On the other hand, it can be a flavoring agent as in the Cheddar Cheese Spreads below. The alcohol and flavor of the wine in the fruit cakes disappears in baking and the liquor flavoring in the finished item comes from sprinkling them over weeks with bourbon or rye. Even that isn’t too pronounced and if reduced, the cake is fine for children and to serve at breakfast. Long refrigeration dissipates alcohol in other items but its preservative effect stays. Vinegar is another preservative and jellied or fluid foods with high sugar content keep well too.

It’s also important to keep the items tightly covered with plastic wrap, pressing out any air bubbles on the surface. This is true not only of refrigerated items made ahead, but especially of frozen ones. Air is the enemy of freezing. It’s the cause of ‘freezer burn’ which though harmless as a health threat, dries food out, robbing color, taste and texture, often starting in large spots and then spreading over and into the whole.

Cooked dishes with sauces freeze better than unsauced ones. They provide a smoother surface, with fewer air pockets, for the plastic wrap to adhere, but sauces are susceptible to air damage and if they spoil, they take the whole dish with them. Never depend on just the lid of any container, cover the food surface tightly with wrap as well.

Making sure foods are room temperature before chilling, and, preferably, chilled before freezing is also important. The smallest trace of steam left in food can form ice crystals which, like freezer burn, ruin taste and texture. Another cause of ice forming is leaving an air space between the food and the container lid. Try to choose containers that are perfect fits for the contents. If there is an empty space at the top, ice crystals will form. Hopefully, the plastic wrap is secure enough that no ice touches the food. Sometimes crystals can be scraped off, as freezer burn can sometimes be cut out but there is still damage, and you don’t want that especially in a holiday meal. So pay attention when storing food.

Concerning the recipes below, I think the cheeses are fully explained. Moving on to sides let me first say, rice, bulgur and quinoa freeze well. I like to freeze them cooked, seasoned and then add cooked vegetables or fruits as they’re re-heated for serving. The Double Baked Potatoes are great to have on hand, keep frozen for months and really dress up a roast. As a rule, starchy winter vegetables freeze well mashed but not well when done in other ways with the exception of candied sweet potatoes.

The cauliflower I include to show how a sauced dish can be frozen or simply made ahead and transported to a communal meal, which is increasingly popular for Thanksgiving. (Please consult the panorama at the top of my homepage. There are several posts on recipes for dishes to be made in advance). Usually, with holiday roasts, though, I like frozen or fresh vegetables simply garnished. Gravies and sauces when combined on one meal can make it rich and/or heavy.

I also included the Hot Chicken Salad as an example of a main dish casserole that freezes for a month or more. It’s a crowd favorite and wouldn’t be out-of-place at a Super Bowl party, but the basic directions for handling are the same as for the cauliflower. Combine cooked ingredients with any sauce, freeze, thaw, then do the final baking and browning to serve, or under bake about 15 min. transport and re-heat and brown on site.

The Fruit Cake properly wrapped is good for six months or more in the fridge. Be sure to see the ‘Tips’ on leftovers at the bottom of this post. The Yule Log is my own recipe. I devised it for a gingerbread loving, young relative because it was simpler than building a house as a Christmas treat and it’s become a holiday favorite. It’s proven time and again that a frosted cake can be frozen, thawed and served to guests, not once but twice. I do admit any leftovers, I store in the freezer and we slice off apiece as wanted, so I question if it would keep so well at room temperature. However, it has inspired me to do the same with other cakes, of all types, even a tiered, sponge Opera Cake. This could make birthday parties and other events a lot easier.

I will be adding more recipes as the season progresses, but if you want to try some now that can be made ahead and/or transported to a ‘covered dish’ type affair, scroll through the panorama on the home page. There are several there for sides, salads, desserts, even salad dressings with full directions. Hopefully, they, plus the information given here, together with that in the last 2 posts, will make your holiday cooking plans easier. Go to it!!

Cheddar Cheese Spreads: These recipes offer suggestions of how to change one to suit your taste
Number I: the original
(1) 8oz.bar of sharp cheese-any brand, even the supermarket’s own-yellow or white
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 Tbs. white wine- or dry sherry
Blend all the ingredients but the nuts in a food processor until smooth. Add more wine if it seems too dry or a bit more mayonnaise to smooth. Add the nuts and pulse only to combine. Put into a container, seal and. chill.

Number II—This can also be served at a dessert party with spicy cookies or crackers.
To the cheese and mayonnaise add;
¼ cup toasted walnut pieces
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 Tbs. Port
Proceed as above.

Number III
To the cheese and mayonnaise add:
2 Tbs. caraway seeds
2 Tbs. of bourbon or rye whiskey
Proceed as above.

I realize there’s a lot of concern over nuts. In fact, I’m so allergic to Brazil nuts that I can’t eat another nut from the same mix, but allergies to the major nut varieties almonds, pecans, walnuts are rare. Presented alone in a dish they should cause no problems. The recipe below has been in my family for 5 generations at least.

Salted Almonds:
1 lb. shelled, RAW almonds—these are the ones with the brown skin still on, uncooked or salted.
½ – 1 tsp. butter
Salt
Cover the almonds with water, bring to a boil and cook for about 30 sec. Turn off the heat. Ladle about half the nuts into a large strainer and run under cold water, until cool enough to handle. Squeeze each nut to pop the skin off, and put the nuts in a bowl. Discard the skins. Repeat until all the ‘blanched’ almonds are skinless. Preheat oven to 350 deg. melt butter on a cookie sheet and toss the nuts through it with a wooden spoon. Bake the nuts until they’re a golden brown, about 30 min., tossing occasionally and keeping a close watch as they begin to brown, because then they can burn very fast. Turn them out onto a paper towel- lined flat surface and sprinkle generously with salt, tossing gently with the spoon. Let cool and place in jars, but don’t seal for at least 12 hrs. Transfer them them to cans or plastic bags to gift.

Double Baked Stuffed Potatoes may sound time consuming but not only can they be made in quantity, they keep for several days in the refrigerator, and freeze very well. I usually pick the best from a 5lb, or even a 10 lb. bag, make them according to directions, and, when cool, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once firm, they can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer in a plastic bag. To use they only need to be microwaved, on a paper towel, for about 2 min. at half heat, or until thawed, then baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 min, or until brown on top. Do not use the Microwave for the entire process or they will be soggy!
Scrub potatoes and lightly rub with butter, margarine or oil
Bake in a 350 deg. oven for 45-60 min, until skins are crisp and potatoes yield when squeezed.
Using a scissors, cut a large oval off the top of each potato
Scoop out pulp and mash, adding butter and cream until silky
Refill potato skins mounding filling, garnish tops with paprika and parsley
Follow directions above to freeze, double bake and serve.

Cauliflower au Gratin – Trim leaves and stem from a head of fresh cauliflower. Boil upside down about 5 min. drain and invert into a buttered ovenproof casserole dish with at least 2 inch sides. Make a white sauce from 3 Tbs. butter, 3 Tbs. flour and 1 ½ cups of milk. Add ¼ tsp. salt, 1tsp. garlic powder and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, and garnish with, in order, 2 Tbs. more grated Parmesan, a generous sprinkle of Paprika and 1 tsp. dried Parsley. Bake at 375 deg. for 45 min. or 300 deg. for 1hr; or until top browns nicely and sauce begins to bubble.
To make white sauce:
Cook butter over medium-high heat until it foams. Off heat, quickly stir in flour and make a roux or paste. Add milk at once and stirring to remove lumps, return to heat. Keep stirring until mixture simmers reduce heat and stir until thickened, about 3 min. Add cheese and seasonings, stir to incorporate. Then follow directions above.

To freeze: Don’t bake and reserve garnish. Cool, cover as instructed and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Remove wrap and thaw, garnish and bake as directed above. To take to a communal dinner, bake 15 min. less, cool cover and transport. Finish baking and browning on site.

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4 chicken thighs
1 cup diced celery
½ small onion diced
3 Tbs. slivered toasted almonds
1 Tbs. lemon juice
(½) 4oz.can mushrooms -drained
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise*
¼ cup grated sharp cheese
1/3 cup toasted croutons
1 Tbs. melted butter
Paprika and dried parsley for garnish
Boil chicken, skin and bone and cut into bite sized pieces (save broth for another use).  Mix in a bowl with the next 7 ingredients. Spread evenly in a flat bottomed, oven-proof dish or casserole. Toss croutons with butter and scatter over the top, sprinkle with cheese.**  Bake in a 450 deg. oven for 30 min.
*Hellman’s is recommended for this because it cooks better than other mayonnaise.
** Can be frozen at this point. Cover top with plastic wrap and seal dish in a plastic bag. Good for 4 weeks.
*** To transport bake 15 min. less, cool, cover and carry. Finish baking and browning on site.

Fruit Breads: This recipe is wonderful in that by using the options, you can make it into your own.
2 boxes of quick bread mix with fruits—DO NOT buy a swirl or sweet variety.*
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
¼ cup raisons
¼ cup chopped candied fruits
¼ cup other chopped dried fruits not in either mix**
Ingredients listed on boxes.
Red wine
Rye or Bourbon for wrapping
Cooking spray
Whole pecan or walnut halves and candied cherries for decoration
Colored sugar crystals.
(2) 8 or 9 inch round cake pans or 2 regular loaf pans
Remove a bit of the mix from each, about ¼ cup total, and toss with the fruits to coat and separate them so they don’t clump in the cakes. Make up the batters separately replacing half the water required with wine, then combine them. Mix in the chopped fruits and nuts. Spray pans and divide batter between them. Decorate the tops with the nut halves, cherries and sugar. Do not press in or they will sink into the batter as it rises. Alternatively, pull out the oven shelf after about 15min. and place the fruits and nuts. The sugar can be sprinkled before baking. Cook and cool according to package directions*** in a preheated oven and on a rack. Remove from pans and invert onto plates.
When cool, sprinkle liberally with the whiskey, and wrap in plastic wrap, Refrigerate on plates. Unwrap every week to ten days and re-sprinkle with the whiskey.
*I like Cranberry and Pumpkin for the mix, but Cranberry and Date Nut is good too. It depends on the holiday and your preference.
**The best choices of dried fruits for this type of bread are apricots, dates, figs and pineapple. Just don’t duplicate a fruit already in the mix.
***Even when using the same brand there may be a variation in cooking times This may require a bit of math. Usually there will be a common ground if you overlap the time brackets. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
*****You may want to add more colored sugar before serving

Yule Log—Serves 16-18
Using boxed Gingerbread mix, I replace half the water with applesauce, add ¼ cup oil and use 2 eggs. Beat only until well incorporated – about 2 min.
Grease the bottom only of a 19 x 11 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with parchment paper and grease the paper.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg., and bake on the middle rack for 16 to 18 min. until it springs back when poked lightly with a finger.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Cover with a tea towel, and using a board as a brace invert the cake. Peel off the parchment and roll the long side of the cake in the towel. Resting the seam on the bottom let the cake cool completely.
Meanwhile, beat 8 oz. cream cheese with 8 oz. Cool Whip until smooth adding 2 tsp. maple flavoring -or to taste, and 1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans.
Carefully unroll the cake and fill with the cheese mixture. Re-roll. Trim ends evenly.
Cut a piece about 3 inches long from one end on an angle and position it along the “trunk” to form a branch. Secure it with a bit of frosting.
Frost the cake and add any decorations. Freeze until ready to serve. Allow to thaw 30 to 45 min.

NOTE: The Roulade cake recipe below explains how any flavor of cake mix can be baked into a log. The same filling can be used with a flavor change, other nuts and even chocolate chips.
Cake *
1 box plain cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable, seed or nut oil
4 eggs
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Parchment paper
Butter for preparing pan
Make the cake: Butter the bottom only of a 16 ½ X 11 ½ X 1 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with the parchment, leaving a couple inches overlap on the ends, and butter the paper. Put the cake ingredients in a bowl and beat, scraping the sides, until batter is thick and combined about 3 min. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula. Bake on the center rack of a preheated 350 deg. oven for 15-17 min. until it springs back when pressed with a finger. Liberally dust a clean kitchen towel and starting with the long side, carefully roll the cake away from you in the towel. Place seam side down on a flat surface to cool for about 20 min. Follow directions above for assembly.
NOTE: If the cake seems split in places, and it will as it’s rolled, the frosting will cover them. Garnish with sprinkled cinnamon or nuts.

*This recipe is based on but modified from one in The Cake Doctor by Ann Byrne

Tips for serving leftover cake:
1) If you want to preserve cakes for another occasion, positioning them on the table is important. It guides people away from cutting into them willy-nilly. I often cut a slice or two from the trunk of the log to give direction or a thin slice from the round cakes. The layered cakes can simply be sliced while frozen and the slices arranged on a plate for a new presentation. The log can usually be presented in its original form, but it too can be sliced to share the plate with the other cakes.
2) The fruit bread, is stored in the refrigerator not the freezer. Cut the remainder of the fruit “cakes” into interesting shapes or fingers, and present them plated with small squares of a quick muffin fruit mix, like Jiffy, baked in a loaf pan, with sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top. It creates an economical, efficient and attractive presentation.

PREPARE HOLIDAY FOOD AHEAD

After talking last week about the practicality of shopping ahead for the winter holidays, it’s logical to discuss preparing food for them in advance as well. It’s a topic I address each fall, and though I don’t usually re-run a post, I thought this year I’d combine parts of several and update them to answer some questions I’ve been asked.

Preparing food ahead for the holidays doesn’t actually ‘save’ time, it amortizes it. A dish takes a given amount of time to prepare no matter when it’s done. However, nothing is a greater relief during the hectic holidays than realizing something is ready and waiting, without having to gorge a chunk out of your busy schedule to do it. Preparing dishes as early as their recipes allow or making and preserving them provides just that.

Personally, the idea of preparing ahead for the holidays appealed to me because as the nest emptied and family grew, the tasks didn’t increase in number, but they did in size. Fewer hands around to help meant a lot more work for me alone. Professionally, the idea intrigued me. The main function of a personal chef service is to provide meals for its clients to consume later. This combination of motives has given me the incentive for the past several years to explore how far I can push the envelope.

However, nothing opened my eyes like a request from a fellow personal chef. She contracted to cater a wedding reception for 400 and asked for help from others in our U.S.P.C.A. chapter. The job held some real challenges; the bride had downloaded the menu and recipes, most distinct variations on classics; the venue offered a wait staff and dining needs, linins etc., but only a ‘holding ‘ pantry, no real kitchen. All the food had to be delivered ready to serve. How the chef, an experienced caterer, solved the obvious problems doesn’t disguise the fact that most of the food, hors d’ouvers plus two courses and dessert, had to be prepared days ahead. I learned this is normal for caterers dealing with large events and was amazed at the ways these experts in safe handling food, keep it unspoiled and fresh tasting.

The point is that, many dishes can be prepared ahead, but the storage is as, or perhaps even more, important than the cooking. Produce, of course, needs refrigeration. If bought far in advance, or to be served out of season, consult my blog of Sept 22, 2016 on freezing fresh produce and there are more reference posts in the site archives Generally, supplies bought ahead should be kept in the original package and stored at the same temperatures as in the market. In fact, safe handling, or Safe Serve as it’s called, is a course in which all chefs need to be certified. Knowing how to freeze different foods is a major asset. For a crash course, see my posts of January 11, 19, 25 and February 2, 2012. Click Table of Contents on the Home Page header and then click the dates to link to the posts. Most foods require some degree of refrigeration, so be sure you have adequate space before embarking on making several dishes in advance.

Advance preparation is straightforward, but has a few simple rules. One is never re-freeze anything without cooking it. If adding a thawed vegetable to a dish, cook it first. Be aware that most seafood, especially shellfish is frozen for transport. The only exceptions are fish your monger guarantees were caught within 24 hours and shellfish steamed in store daily. The second is that if exists in the markets’ glass freezer cases, you can try it, but if it doesn’t there is usually a good reason, so don’t try to innovate. This is particularly true of imitation ‘diet’ and/or ‘no-cook’ cream sauces, which tend to separate when frozen. Third, Egg dishes, generally, should be cooked just before serving. Fourth, if you are open to communal contributions, be sure that you’re not going to spend the afternoon juggling things to finish them or keep them warm. Plan with your guests the way to use your space and appliances wisely.

The process of planning to prepare dishes in advance of an event is highly individualized. Your menu choices and personal schedule must figure in your calculations and, therefore, it’s difficult for me to give any specific directions other than the advice contained in the posts cited above. Perhaps the best way illustrate the process in a general way is to share my Christmas timeline, which I’ve printed below, to give you a general idea of the process to adapt to your needs. I can tell you that now I wonder how I ever did things “seasonally” and I’m grateful that I have time to relax and enjoy the trappings and companionship. There are still plenty of last-minute tasks, but no real pressure either on my schedule my nerves, or my wallet.

As an extra ‘tip’ I’m including my New Year’s buffet in this timeline to show you how easy it is to include a party in your holiday schedule. Buffets are easier to prep ahead than seated dinners. Food served at table should be hot, but even roasts can be cooked ahead and served room temperature at a buffet. Casseroles and sauced meat dishes are the darlings of advance preparation. They can be cooked, frozen, thawed, reheated and still taste fresh. Of course, cold foods are a natural. They can be prepared and simply chilled until served or frozen and just thawed. No effort is needed at the last minute and minimizing the last-minute work load is one of the main reasons to do advance preparation

Another plus is being able to use leftovers from one event to build another. Please note that the foods for the New Year’s party, with the exception of the necessary fresh items, had been purchased well in advance, along with the other holiday supplies. So it was really a breeze to arrange, with no extra strain on the schedule or wallet.

Desserts are a good category to reference to illustrate the optional levels of advance food prep. Cookies, as noted, can be made 6-8 weeks ahead if stored in air-tight tins. All kinds of pastry freeze well rolled and stacked with paper dividers or lining pans, even whole unbaked fruit pies and turn-overs can be made months ahead. However, baked pastry products only hold well for 24 hrs. After that they become soggy as the fillings lose their moisture and harden. To have these desserts table-ready, you must leave room in your schedule, as well as your oven’s, at the earliest the afternoon before, to bake the items and/or make the fillings. This can be a strain during a hectic holiday week.

So what dessert can be made ahead and produced the day of a major dinner ready to be served? Cake! Several years ago my Yule log survived Christmas dinner almost intact. I decided to freeze it to serve sliced with a bowl of whipped cream on New Year’s. I froze it uncovered for an hour to firm up the icing, then I wrapped it snugly in plastic wrap and put the whole cake, still on the platter, in a plastic bag in the freezer. I was pleased to see it looked fresh on New Year’s morning but surprised that it tasted fresh too. I served it on the original platter, without the cream, and had many compliments with no leftovers.

This brings up a frequently asked question; “How much space will I need?” The answer, of course, depends on your menu, but usually not as much as you may think and it will be a changing amount. Cookie dough is chilled, but cookies are stored in tins. The bulk of my freezer usage is for vegetables and the turkey (read entrée meat). Just before the holiday I add two cakes, but that’s my personal option. If I served fruit parfaits as my Mother did, I would store ice cream and need less space. More things are kept in the refrigerator than the freezer, but not large items, other than possibly a ham or other smoked entrée choice and if you live in a Northern climate that can be kept in a cold place like a garage.

Space is a consideration when planning the menu, especially for a newbie. Your food will require the most room right before and right after the dinner. Visualize the dishes that will need chilling, then calculate the area you will have to clear for them. To give you firmer idea, I’m going to review the list below and mark each entry with an ‘r’ for refrigerator or an ‘f’ for freezer. Equate item sizes I’m serving with dishes you want and use it to form a clearer picture of your needs. If space is limited, in colder climates, a garage comes in handy. Ice chests are another solution, and perhaps a friend will offer to keep some things. I had a neighbor who annually rented a small freezer for two months, November to January and by the third year bought it to use on other events and in the summer. Most of the year, it sat unplugged, tucked away, but well worth its price when needed.

Another frequent question is; “How do I plan my time to do all this ahead?” Of course, your schedule is another prime consideration. I can tell you the type of things which can be made ahead and how far, but you must decide your own timeline according to your schedule. Perhaps you’re free weekends and can combine several tasks or maybe you need to spread them out over week nights working for short periods. The menu choices will affect this aspect of prior preparation too. Keep a balance between things that can be made well in advance and those that can’t and remember, the more involved a dish the more time required to make it. In any case, it’s far easier to find the time to do things over a long period than to have to cram them into a brief one, especially one filled with other obligations.

Obviously acquiring required items over weeks, rather than having to schedule, or “work in” special shopping trips is a time saver in itself.

1) Early Oct. –1) Process celery and onion mixture for the stuffing and freeze -f

2) Bake fruit breads. See 10/29/15 post for recipe-r

2) Mid Oct. – 1) The salad dressing for Christmas is ready in the fridge-r

2) The Cumberland sauce for one hors d’ouvres is made-r

3) End Oct. – 1) The sautéed croutons for the stuffing are in an airtight can-tinned

2) The cheese spreads are made and chilling in crocks.(Extra stored in plastic
(containers) –r

4) Early Nov. –1) Nuts toasted and salted-in airtight jars
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2) Cranberry salsa made and kept well chilled-r

MID NOV—Thanksgiving preparation- task schedule similar to Christmas as detailed below

5) End Nov.-Make cookie batter-store in fridge-r

6) Early Dec. – 1) Make cookies- tinned

2) Bake cakes and freeze them-f

7) Xmas Week –1) Make any add-ins for vegetables=sautéed onions or mushrooms, toasted nuts
etc.-r
2) Roast, thaw, prep vegetables for sides, put them in dishes in which they can
be heated and served. Cut and soak salad greens –Refrigerate all

3) Thaw turkey-r (date depends on size)

4) Store everything plated and ready to serve—cookies on covered platters etc.
5) Prepare any other hors d’ouvers and chill – r

DEC. 24^th – 1) Make stuffing and chill.-r
2) Brine turkey-r

DEC. 25^th – Cook bird, thaw cakes, finish vegetables, toss salad, make gravy.

New Year’s Week-Dec. 26^th –1) Strip carcass, saving enough meat for a large casserole-r
2) Freeze the rest and the stuffing separately in 2 portion size
packages for future use. -f
3)Boil the bones and freeze broth for future use. -f

Dec. 27^th -29^th-1)Make turkey casserole, and a mixed vegetable one with pasta and/or grains-r
2) Refresh cheese crocks, bake ham and muffins(if needed) for dessert tray.-r

Dec. 30^th– 1) Shop for fresh items, seafood, salad greens, bread and cream. -r
2) Chop and soak greens. Prep any hot hors d’ouvres. -r
3) Have everything ready on or in serving vessels.-r

Jan.1^st– Cook casseroles, heat hors d’ouvers and bread, toss salad, make Eggnog.

If you’re looking for recipe ideas, you’ll find loads in my archives, everything from leftovers to vegetables, to salads and dressings. There’s even one on muffins and rolls that may appeal. Just click Table of Contents, or view the panorama and choose posts that interest you.

So save yourself expense and stress this holiday season, by remembering what the Boy Scouts always say; ”Be prepared!” —-then you can relax and enjoy the festivities.

SHOP HOLIDAY FOODS NOW

With summer memories still fresh, it seems ‘jumping the gun’ to talk about provisioning for the winter holidays, but I assure you the food industry is already loaded and zooming in. Several years ago I realized that from October 1^st to Thanksgiving was the prime time to buy for coming festivities. It’s the period offering the largest supply, most variety and the deepest sales on items that will be needed. Baking supplies, from the basics; flour, sugar and shortening to specialty ingredients such as candied fruits and decorating sugars, packaged goods including mixes, canned sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and cider and frozen products like vegetables, pasties, ice cream and, yes, turkeys all will be at their best prices.

It’s smart to begin paying attention to the market flyers now, because, contrary to traditional belief, these prices don’t hold through December. They will hike again the week after Thanksgiving. About eight years ago I became aware of the fact that food prices most frequently went up after holidays. For example, chicken thighs on sale cost $0.68 last spring, $0.78 last summer and now, since Labor Day, are $0.98 per lb. I’m not sure if the reasoning is that the consumer will have forgotten the pre-holiday price and accept the new one as normal, or think it reflects an ‘out of season’ status, though with modern food transport, that term is irrelevant unless applied to local goods.

In the case of the winter holidays, the past few years the December prices reflected the September ones and the permanent hikes came in January. So please start to think ahead if you anticipate being involved in any food activities over the coming holidays. Doing so will let you amortize them, saving not only money, but time as well. It’s also a great stress relief, in the midst of a busy season, to realize that certain things are ready and waiting.

I’m not advising you go wild buying food. Anyone who has read my book How to Control Food Bills is familiar with the Diet for the Dollar Food Plan and knows my first warning is against overstocking, especially speculative overstocking. Items tend to gravitate to the back of the shelf, expire and become a waste of space and money. I believe that organized planning and informed shopping are key and a LIST is the most valuable tool to managing any situation involving food preparation.

So get a pen and paper and answer four questions, omitting any that don’t apply.
1) Are you solo hosting a holiday dinner?
2) Do you plan any cooking projects for the holidays, cookies, nuts, cheeses etc., either for personal consumption or as gifts?
3) Do you plan to entertain over the holidays?
4) Will you be obligated to provide a finished dish for events? (A communal dinner -include Thanksgiving- a church or organization bazaar, a club or office party and don’t forget the kid’s class or team parties.)

Normally, I like to take things one-at-a-time or at least in order, but because the sales on the items you’ll need will be appearing intermittently in the same time period, you need an over view, a master list which includes ALL the ingredients of everything you plan to make in proper quantity, no matter how insignificant they seem, even garnishes. Be sure to check the amounts of required items you have in stock too. Before I learned formal organization from Chefs’ Training I made many mistakes in that area. I remember a snowy trip to an all-night market for lack of 1/3 cup of molasses. Not fun!

Answering “Yes” to questions #1 and #3 will involve the most work, planning, effort and expense, so let’s begin with #1. Write DINNER on your paper and start to write down the different dishes in order of service. If your menu is filled with traditional family favorites it’s a big help, the outline is pre-set. If you’re starting from scratch, or a newbie, it’s even better that you’re starting early. You have time to decide your financial boundaries, weigh your options and choose the recipes, but you still should start a list even if it’s filled with question marks.

Don’t be afraid of question marks either. My menu is traditional, but I still leave a couple of slots open in planning each year, usually one in each category. Small changes freshen the menu and keep interest alive. For example, I serve four hors d’oeuvres, my two cheeses, a kids’ favorite and then one of seafood which changes annually. At dinner, the green vegetable and its garnishes are always different, and I began to make my own cranberry salsa three years ago.( It was voted a keeper!) Dessert consists of my cookies and three cakes, a Yule log, a fruit cake and a surprise. The traditions are anticipated and appreciated, but the surprises bring the excitement and fun.

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The next heading on your paper will be PROJECTS, question #2. Here I list things I make only for winter holidays; Christmas cookies, nuts, crock cheeses and fruit cakes/breads. Perhaps you make, or want to make candies, preserves, spice mixes or other special items. List them and then begin to fill in the ingredient requirements, paying attention to amounts in relation to desired quantity. I calculate enough to provide for two meals plus any gifts I anticipate giving.

Heading #3 is ENTERTAINING. When it comes to throwing party, you know your social preferences and/or requirements , small groups, large ones, purely friends, business or other connections, casual, dressy, cocktails, dinner, dessert even after- event breakfasts. There are so many choices. The best way I can show you how to make one event play off another is to explain what I do and give you the general idea to apply to your situation, Also please check my blog of 12/29/16 on this subject.

My choice for holiday entertaining is to give a buffet on New Year’s Day and my affirmative answers to questions #1 and#2 make the planning and execution easier. I like a large turkey on Christmas and deliberately order one with a few extra pounds to provide meat for my Hot Chicken Salad to serve at the buffet. I use celery, onion and bread in my stuffing, I make almonds and I will have lemon juice on hand, so I can cross the requirements for a major part of my main entrée off the shopping list. This is true of other dishes as well. I buy the vegetables with those for the other meals. I double my Christmas eggnog recipe, add a package of fruit muffin mix to beef up the fruitcake, which is cut into squares, and with the cookies, dessert is finished. I usually get a ham on sale at Thanksgiving and lay in packaged items to make a couple more hors d’ouvers-this group likes gourmet flavored popcorn to nibble. All I have to buy fresh for the party are greens for a tossed salad and a few loaves of artesian bread. This kind of planning can be used for any type of holiday party and is so easy and simple!

If your answer to question #4 is “Yes”, it goes under the heading CONTRIBUTION. Not as connected as the others, it still should be resolved during this period. The easiest thing is to ask, when contacted, the number of servings required and if you can choose the food category. My first choice for a communal dinner would be a vegetable dish. They can be made ahead and reheated, some even cooked on site.(See posts 11/13/15, 11/3/16, 11/10/16, 12/15/16) For a club party, or bazaar, make an extra fruit bread, for an office, nuts and for kids, cookies (but also see 12/5/16, 12/2/15). Try to tie your contribution in with what you’re going to be doing anyway. It saves a lot of time in shopping, planning and especially in clean-up. If you anticipate being asked to contribute a ‘covered dish’ call the person in charge, explain you’re getting started early, and offer to bring a specific dish of your choice. They’ll probably agree, glad to have one less thing to worry about at this season. The important point is get this obligation filled during these weeks of shopping.

So here’s the way the list method works.
1) The first list has the headings for any questions to which you answered affirmatively. Under each heading you write the dishes you intend to or are considering making, in order of menu service for #1 and #3. Leave a’ ?’ in the space for any undecided dishes. Don’t just leave a blank which can be overlooked later.
2) On a second page, under the same headings, begin to list the ingredients for each recipe you have decided upon in required quantities, again in menu order. Include garnishes.
3) Compile a master list. Begin by combining common ingredients in correct total quantity. Start with the basics, flour, sugar, butter, eggs, broth, even salt and pepper. Check your supplies for anything on the list you might have but don’t check off an item because the container is there. Make sure the contents are sufficient. Once my menus are clear, I tend to group the things I want to buy by category, because that’s the way the market flyers are laid out and the sales often run, frozen vegetables, ice cream and toppings, cake mixes and frostings, condiments etc., it simplifies the searching. BUT before you do this make sure every ingredient is on the list in proper amount. To paraphrase: ”..make a list and check it twice…”

This provisioning technique is the one used by personal chef services and caterers. It guarantees immeasurable savings in time and stress. Imagine having to satisfy five clients a week, each demanding five entrees of four servings or covering two occasions with 400 guests apiece. The shopping can be a huge problem without a method to handle it.

This is not a budget plan. Since most items are bought per pound the monetary savings depend totally on when they are bought not where. You will save money if you follow the sales, that’s a given. You will save money simply by buying your holiday food supplies during this period rather than waiting until December. However, if you believe that time is money and eliminating stress invaluable then, when the holiday rush sets in, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank!

It may seem like a lot of work at first glance, but you soon get into a rhythm and let’s face it; is it easier to sit and write out a plan of action or to pay gas for many trips to markets, chasing up and down aisles? My Diet for the Food Dollar Plan in How to Control Food Bills shows how to get all the shopping done in about 6 trips, one per week. This approach to food shopping is great because it provides a safety net, especially for newbies. Moreover, it can be used to ease the planning for any holiday or special occasion so it really is worthwhile to give it a try.