Holidays - Page 18 of 30 - The Good Plate

Gingerbread Fortress Bundt Cake

A Great Alternative to Gingerbread Houses

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.

Spiced Pancake Mix and Other Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen

Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen

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.

Pizza with Red Sauce and Tomatoes

I came home from work and I really wanted pizza. I don't really like commercial pizza because it has so much salt, and it's relatively expensive when you compare it to what you can make at home.

It's easy to make at home. The dough comes together in about 10 minutes, and then you can sit and relax for an hour while it rises. I preheat the oven to about 450 and get all the ingredients for my pizza and have them at hand. I had some leftover pieces of cheese, leftover canned whole tomatoes, leftover pizza sauce, and some leftover garlic butter. All that stuff went into my pizza. The juice from the tomatoes became the best Bloody Mary I have ever had in my life.

I like to make my own red sauce, and I like fresh tomatoes on my pizza. I used to use fresh plum tomatoes, but now I discovered that I like the whole canned San Marzano tomatoes much better.

Quick Warm Scones for a Breakfast Treat

Quick Warm Scones

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.

Your Guide to a Stress Free Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving Guide is not only for that big holiday, it can be used for any celebration you are considering hosting. You are, after all, the best host. You can absolutely do this. Be sure and get my book, Talking Turkey, which will help you with planning and timing.

Bacon Wrapped Spicy Ham Roll Stuffed Chicken

Bacon-Wrapped Spicy Stuffed Chicken with Ham Roll

When I posted this on Instagram, a lot of people said it looked delicious. I told them it was, and I wasn't lying. The recipe is based on Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken, which my good friend, Maria de la Rocha had posted quite a long time ago. I had been meaning to make it, but when I actually looked at the recipe, I realized there were some changes I could make to make a better dish.

Spane's favorite appetizer is what I call Spicy Ham Rolls. It's basically ham slices rolled up with cream cheese and chopped jalapeño. I got the recipe from a girl I worked with that had given her leftovers from a party she had had. When I make them, they are gone immediately!

If you make this, you can use whatever barbecue sauce you like, or you can use the one in the recipe. If you really don't like jalapeño, you can omit it and use bell pepper instead.

Grilled Shrimp Salad

Grilled shrimp salad is easy to make, even in the winter, or in an apartment without a grill. You can add spices to make it just for you.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery

A 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.

Seefood and Bows (Seafood and Farfalle)

That's no misspelling when I made this dish the first time, I wanted to give it a catchy name, hence Seefood and Bows. It's actually Seafood and Farfalle, an Italian bow-shaped pasta.

I use a light lemony dressing over this. What makes the dressing stand out is the
Sunny Paris seasoning blend from Penzey's spices. You will find yourself using this wonderful spice in all kinds of foods. It stars shallots and chives, plus pepper and herbs.

You can use almost any shellfish, but I prefer shrimp and crab. No need to bust the bank, Krab works just fine in this, and you don't need much. If you want to go fancy, you can add lobster or King crab.