Chat Doggie Bag
There were lots of leftovers from yesterday's installment of What's Cooking; here are a few assorted questions I pulled from the chat platter to add to the holiday conversation:
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.: I need to plan an appetizer-only buffet for Christmas Eve. How does one put together a selection of appealing appetizers?
Dear Saratoga Springs, without knowing the size of your party or any possible dietary issues, I will offer general rather than specific thoughts. A couple of considerations:
How much money do you want to spend? Are you keen to do high-ticket items like beef tenderloin, lobster or caviar or do you want to save a few bucks, with more emphasis on dips, light items or a meatless menu?
Anyone coming who doesn't eat meat, shellfish, dairy? Count those heads and do a mental inventory of who eats what. Include at least one item on the lineup that accommodates your special friends or even better, choose dishes that appeal to as many palates as possible.
What's your schedule like? Do you have only Saturday the 24th to prepare like a boomerang or can you work at a more leisurely pace? Consider your work-life balance as you design the goodies . . . and on that note, have you got anyone to lend a hand or chop a few onions? Don't be afraid to delegate!
In a blog post last week, I offered a handful of app-like possibilities; see if any of these appeal. A few books come to mind while you do your research: "Vegetarian Appetizers" by Paulette Mitchell, "Cooking for a Crowd" by Susan Wyler, "Hors d'Oeuvres" by Gillian Duffy. Got additional ideas for resources? Please share in the comments area below.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a good vegetarian magazine please? I was thinking of a gift subscription for a friend, but I have no idea what publications are out there or, more importantly, which are worth the price.
The long-running name in the veg magazine arena is "Vegetarian Times" which is offering online gift subscriptions of $19.95 for 10 issues. For more emphasis on trends (dining, travel, shopping), check out a relatively new pub called "VegNews," which is going for $20 for six issues. Less familiar to me is "Veggie Life," which is offering one-year subs for $17.97. Please feel free to add to this list in the comments area below.
Pittsburgh, Pa.: My husband plans to make chocolate-covered pretzels as holiday gifts for friends and workmates. Can we simply melt chocolate chips to coat the pretzels? Is there a better method for success?
Pittsburgh, please tell your husband that he will likely end up with a clumpy mess if he simply melts chocolate chips for his pretzel project. The process of melting chocolate for dipping purposes is called tempering.
What this means is that you need to melt your chocolate and get it to a temperature of about 112 degrees. This means you need an instant read thermometer. Thing is, in order for chocolate to stay nice and smooth for dipping those pretzels, the temperature needs to stay pretty constant. That means reheating chocolate from time to time, but it doesn't mean big blasts of heat. Chocolate is temperamental and will let you know when it's cranky. So use low heat. This usually means NOT melting in the microwave. I tend to melt chocolate in a makeshift double boiler, with a few inches of water in a pot, covered with a bowl that fits snugly on top.
There's a whole big world out there beyond chocolate chips. May I suggest trying some more intense-flavored chocolate bars. I know that Ghiradelli bars can be found in big supermarket aisles, to name one example.
I highly recommend "The Art of Chocolate" by Elaine Gonzalez, which is a lot more accessible for home chocolate dippers than the title suggests. I have used it as a reference for the past several years.
More chatting to be done tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 8, at 1 ET. Holiday hoopla will be the topic du jour.
By kimodo |
December 7, 2005; 11:25 AM ET
| Category:
Chocolate
, Entertaining
, Gifts
Previous: A World of Gingerbread |
Next: Eating Books
Posted by: Veggie in DC | December 8, 2005 10:37 AM
Sorry I was not more specific in my original question. Christmas Eve is a small gathering -- 6 adults including 1 No Dairy/No Meat, but Will Eat Eggs/Seafood. Prep Time is mainly the day of, but there is time to do a little prep the day before. Nothing to fancy or pricey, family enjoys a good crab dip, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs. It seems like a random mix of things and I was wondering how to deliciously tie everything together and offer enough food/variety so that no one goes hungry.
Enjoy your online chats/blog and the Post's Food Section very much. Thanks for all the inspiration.
Posted by: Saratoga Springs, NY | December 8, 2005 01:59 PM
I'm interested in the recipe you mentioned at the end of today's chat. I was going to make the Dec. issue of Cooking Light's Cherry Chutney Cheese Torte for my office party, but your recipe sounds even better.
Also, for the person looking for a birthday cake - the same magazine has a Peppermint Ice Cream Cake that I can't wait to make!
Thanks! Love the chat and the blog!
Posted by: apple salsa and brie recipe | December 8, 2005 02:50 PM
Kim, thanks for this blog!!
I also would like to know about the apple salsa with brie on baguette slices recipe that you mentioned at the end of Thursday's chat. It sounds like a good candidate for an app that can be served at a party warm, and still good at room temp. Any other ones of those you like this season?
Posted by: Laura | December 8, 2005 05:39 PM
an alternative to choc covered pretzels: Take mini pretzels, rounds, or those cool square pretzel "grid/chip" things. Spread a layer on a cookie sheet. Unwrap a whole bunch of chocolate kisses (or Hershey's Hugs) and place one on each. Pop 'em into an oven that's not too warm - 175 - 200 degrees - for just a few mins, until the chocolate totally softens, but doesn't melt into a blob. Take them out, press another pretzel on top to smoosh down the soft chocolate. Cool & store. Dare you to eat just one!
Posted by: Meg | December 20, 2005 01:30 PM
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I grew tired of Vegetarian Times when it switched, maybe 5 or 7 years ago, from being a magazine about *cooking* to being a magazine about cooking, health, beauty, exercise, etc. I think Veggie Life is a much better (and less commercial) magazine, particularly if you're really looking for a cooking magazine!