Self Help | Dinner With Joy

Jan 10

Hello 2013

Here’s hoping you all had a nice holiday, had a chance to relax, catch your breath and get ready to face the New Year and apparently, 2013 will present challenges to be faced. It is now two days before the year ends and I sincerely hope there will be some last-minute agreements reached, but according to the news reports, that seems doubtful. If Congress fails to act, we can expect to see the consequences reflected in many aspects of our lives, not the least of which will be the cost of feeding our families. Read more

Dec 20

Sweet Endings

Like most children, making desserts was a big incentive in my learning to cook. For me the lure was Pecan Pie. For some reason it’s served in the South and in New England, but never in the Mid-Atlantic States and I love Pecan Pie! The old adage; “If you want something done right –or even at all— do it yourself” held true. The search for my ideal Pecan Pie started me on the road to exploring cooking at a young age and though I concentrate on “more serious” food now, I still find desserts the most fun, maybe because they’re the most appreciated offerings. Other courses can be received with approval, appreciation and even enthusiasm, but none make eyes light up the way desserts do. Read more

Dec 13

A peek at 2013

It’s nice to be validated, especially by official sources. It means your opinion has worth and kinda makes you want to stick your thumbs in your suspenders and strut a few steps. On the other hand, being able to say;”I told you so!” isn’t always so pleasant. It usually means something unwanted has come to pass. So I have mixed feelings writing this. The report from The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Department is out and I was right about anticipating a larger gain in food prices in 2013 than 2012. Last year they expected a rise of 3% to 4%. This year they’re forecasting price increases of AT LEAST 5%, pending the full effects of the drought, and no reversal in the trend until 2020 at the earliest. So hold onto your hats people, we’re in for a ride. No matter your financial position, you will feel the consequences. Read more

Dec 6

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‘Tis the season for gifting!

Two weeks ago I confessed that Thanksgiving really snuck up on me, but Christmas dosen’t stand a chance of doing that. From the moment I turned on the car radio Thanksgiving Day, I’ve been bombarded by Christmas music, especially in the stores. I hate to disappoint the promo departments, but starting this early on dosen’t put me in the holiday mood so much as it raises my anxiety level, particularly when I’m shopping, by reminding me I’m facing a deadline. So much to do, so little time!! Read more

Nov 29

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After the ball….er…feast

In my first posting on Dec. 17, 2011, I discussed ways to store and use leftovers from holiday dinners and mentioned two of my favorite recipes which are available on this site; one for Hot Chicken Salad and the other for Stuffing Soup. Over the months I’ve offered other poultry recipes, especially for salads, in which leftover turkey can be substituted. In fact I don’t believe there are any in which it can’t. Two weeks ago I discussed stripping and freezing the leftover meat from the cooked turkey and boiling the bones for stock. All of this information can be easily found on this blog site and can be very helpful but would be far too time and space consuming to repeat here. So please look it up. Read more

Nov 19

Happy Thanksgiving

I can’t believe how fast this year, especially the last few weeks have flown. I swear I’m still in Halloween mode. I promised to discuss stuffing and am really pushing the wire here, but perhaps a few of you have decided to follow my example and buy a bird for next month and are planning ahead, or are perplexed as to what to do now, or simply want to make notes for next year. In any case here’s some general advice on stuffing or filling or dressing whichever is your regional term for that favorite side dish we enjoy with our turkey. Read more

Nov 15

Let’s talk turkey

When I think of a turkey in its natural setting, I picture colorful autumn woods, falling leaves, pumpkins and acorns. I don’t visualize tropical foliage, sun-drenched fields, blue water and a cactus. We learn, as children, that the turkey is native to North America, but that covers a huge area. It turns out that the Aztecs in Mexico domesticated the turkey years before they introduced it to the Spaniards in 1591. Their counterparts in Massachusetts were still picking them out of trees when the Pilgrims arrived in 1630. To further disillusion you, the birds we prize today for their plumpness, are bred from a Dutch strain. Oh yes! And I saw as a child, when visiting a farm on a class trip, the birds grown for the markets are white, not brown. It seems the common, sedate turkey has a bit of mystique that would make it a good topic for True or False quizzes, from its history, through choosing, to preparing, to cooking to carving one. So let’s start from the top, bearing in mind that this discussion is “Roasting a Whole Turkey 101”. To widen it further would allow enough information to fill a book. Read more

Nov 8

When the frost is on the pumpkin…

In my area more than the frost is on the pumpkin. We’ll have to brush the sand off too! But wherever you live the calendar pages are turning and the path to preparing for the holidays is lighting up. I mentioned back in September, that I was drawing up my master food shopping list for the various “feasts” ahead. No matter what your situation, there are bound to be increased provisions to acquire and increased costs to be faced in the coming weeks. Amortizing both over a period of weeks, even months, reduces the stress on you and on your wallet and helps turn panic to pleasure. Pre-planning also allows you to recognize and take advantage of the best “deals” on different products as they appear. Read more

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