Many people are considering the merits of a Whole Food focus basis for planning their upcoming Thanksgiving meal. Of course, the most important aspect of Thanksgiving is truly the opportunity give thanks for the blessings in our lives and to share that sentiment while being able to spend time with family and friends, so any food choices should enhance that overall experience. Memories of Thanksgivings past are connected to our emotional perceptions of those times, so there are sounds, sights, smells/aromas, tastes, textures that all contributed to the sensory perceptions we have locked in our memory banks of those special
Category: Menu
Green Beans with Almonds and Rosemary
Sometimes called Green Beans Almondine, this is a classic vegetable side dish that has increased herb pungency and added punch to it with the inclusion of some fresh or dried rosemary sprigs. (Image of 1# of steamed green beans/haricots verts courtesy of webmaster ©2011).
Thanksgiving Menu Ideas
Our neighbors to the North in Canada already had their Thanksgiving celebration around the time of Columbus Day activities here in the USA. In the states, we’re now looking forward to celebrating our Thanksgiving time with family and friends this November. I don’t think it’s too soon to start planning ahead for that celebration. Read on for some suggestions if you want to get a head start on your planning for this year.
Holiday Baking – Does Your Choice of Flour Really Matter?
In the culinary arts, there are “formulas” or “ratios” for preparing baked goods that are the basis for any category of product. To create different varieties of cookies, for example, the basic formula of ingredients is tweaked. This series on holiday baking will focus on some of those ingredients and how they affect your sensory perception of the finished baked good product, starting with cookies. Today’s blog post will look at one key ingredient: flour. With so many flour options on the market, you may wonder if your choice of flour really might matter when it comes to baked goods in
Read MoreHoliday Baking – Does Your Choice of Flour Really Matter?
Savory Cheese Rolls
I use the Red Star Yeast Savory Cheese Rolls recipe. This is a batter dough method yeast roll recipe, so requires NO kneading! Once the dough has risen in the bowl, you beat it down, fill muffin cups, allow the dough to rise again, then simply bake it off. If for some reason you don’t like celery seed, but do like fennel seed, then you could probably add 1 tsp dried Herbs de Provence to this roll recipe in place of the celery seed if desired (and IF you aren’t making a bread stuffing recipe as well for the Thanksgiving Holiday–bread stuffing
Holiday Baking – Very Easy-to-Make Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookies
Want a cookie recipe that is EASY to make & that virtually any one can make for the holidays? (or any other time for that matter!) These work quite well for many a cookie exchange, too.
Read MoreHoliday Baking – Very Easy-to-Make Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookies
Herb & Spice “Holiday Check-Up”
A blog reader sent in an email and asked, “How can I tell if I need to replace any herbs and spices before I start doing more cooking and baking during the holidays?” So I thought just in case anyone else would like to do an herb and spice “holiday check-up” of their collection, I’d offer some suggestions to help anyone do just that to make the most of any holiday cooking and baking efforts. Time to especially use your senses of sight, smell and taste!
Holiday Baking – Cookie Making Tips
If you are making any type of drop sugar cookie recipes up this holiday season, here are some easy to remember tips to keep in mind…
Flavorful Gift Baskets for the Holidays
Sometimes a gift basket can be the just right gift to give to others at holiday time. Santa Face with “Fuzzy Fleece” beard is the “Applique Santa” design (Single 3) from www.adesignbylyn.com used with permission. (Fuzzy Fleece is also sometimes known as Silky Fleece). You can pick a basket size from small to extra large and include in it whatever suits your fancy and seems appropriate for the sentiments you wish to convey to the recipient at holiday time, no matter what the holiday may be. Contents of a gift basket can be whimsical to practical to inspirational.
Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pie or pumpkin custard is a classic ending to a holiday meal. The perceived textures of the pumpkin pie or custard as well as its perceived flavor profile can vary enormously from recipe to recipe. Several factors beyond whether the pie or pumpkin custard is served warm or cold will influence those sensory perceptions. The actual pumpkin source used, whether or not there is any grated carrot, etc. in the recipe, the ingredient choices creating the custard filling, as well as the specific spice choices made including the age and pungency of any ground spices used will all affect the