Gourmet Food on a Budget — Ever Forward, Ever Flavorful
Recipes and tips for foods you might want to serve for Winter holiday celebrations, special occasions, or just because you want something a little fancy.
This Spicy Cranberry Sauce is very easy to make and will delight your guests. It’s very tasty with the seasonings of the season and goes very well with whatever you serve. Freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and allspice combine to make a great side dish for your meal.
This recipe for Oyster Cornbread Dressing has been in my family for generations. There’s a reason for that – it’s damn good. The oysters do not taste fishy, they just give the stuffing umami which takes it over the top.
A long time ago, when Trader Joe’s was close to me, I tried a sample of their Roasted Vegetables in Balsamic Butter Sauce with a dollop of creme fraiche. I loved it. Ever since then, when I would visit the store, I would always get a few bags to put in my freezer. But, you know, sometimes you’re at the store, not Trader Joe’s, and you really want those vegetables with no time to go and get them. That’s when you get the stuff you need and make your own. Now, I’m going to share with you my take on these wonderful roasted vegetables with balsamic butter sauce.
For years, I have been thinking about making a gingerbread house. When I was growing up in Germany, the bakery downstairs had an amazing nativity set in their display window. All people and animals were made from marzipan, the buildings were made of gingerbread, and the snow was spun sugar. It must have taken them days to make it all. My mother would get me a marzipan apple if I was really good.
A few years ago, at a garage sale, I found a castle shaped Nordicware bundt pan. It languished on my shelf until I had the brilliant idea to use it to make a gingerbread cake. There is no need to assemble anything, so no need to make royal icing. Piped buttercream works perfectly. This cake tastes better if it can sit for a day without being disturbed.
Christmas gifts from the kitchen are wonderful to give to your friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers. Yes, it takes a little of your time, but the recipients will love it because it shows that you spent time and effort making the gift. It’s also great to have on hand if unexpected guests arrive, they can always go home with one of your homemade gifts.
I graduated from Immaculate Heart High School in Hollywood, California. So did Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex. You know, when one of the girls gets married to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and the wedding is shown on live television, you have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning to watch. That was the first time I made scones because I wanted something to celebrate and have with my winter forest tea. I have always been biscuit challenged, they come out flat as a pancake. It seems, however, that scones, which are in the biscuit family are not beyond me, and actually come out pretty good.
Blue Cheese Stuffed CeleryA few years ago, Saveur magazine featured a recipe for Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery from one of my favorite restaurants, Musso and Frank, in Hollywood, California. Musso and Frank originally opened in 1919 and has been in the same place on Hollywood Boulevard ever since. It has been a popular hang out for the entertainment industry since it opened. The history of the restaurant is fascinating. My mother would take me there for my birthday, and I loved it.
The Nesco makes a great Honey Baked ham, whether you’re just warming one up from their store, or making your own. I hope you’ll try my Nesco Honey Baked Cola ham.
I found this recipe on the back of the Zulka brown sugar bag. The cake looked great on the package, I happened to have apples in the refrigerator, and I wanted to try something new.
The instructions on how to make the cake on the bag make no sense, therefore, I changed it to the traditional method of creaming the butter and then creaming the butter and sugar together. Okay, so you don’t know what creaming is? It’s very simple. Put room temperature butter into a large bowl, and then beat it with an electric beater until it is nice and smooth. If you don’t have room temperature butter, you can cut the butter up into small pieces and then cream it. The best way to beat is with a stand mixer, but a hand mixer will do just fine. Don’t try this with a whisk, it’s too difficult.
This is a very moist cake, and may take quite a while to bake. The original instructions said 40-55 minutes, mine was in over 80 minutes, your mileage may vary.
Cream Cheese Cranberry Stuffed Celery is a healthy and easy appetizer to make. It’s great as an after-school snack or something to do with all that leftover celery. A little sweet, a little savory, it’s a perfect appetizer for the holiday season.