Holiday food tips are available in abundance from such Food Network faves as Mario Batali, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Paula Deen, and others offering to help you prepare an impressive holiday meal.
A sampling:
Rachael Ray
Keep it simple and cook only what you know. Let people help, but maintain control of the kitchen. Don’t freak if something goes wrong – snap a photo and have a laugh over it. Let kids set and/or decorate the table. Put out playing cards, games and photo albums to keep the conversation going while you’re in the kitchen.
Alton Brown
Simplify. Ask for help. Have friends bring a dish, thereby avoiding exhaustion before the meal even starts. Slow down; if you don’t want to wash a mountain of fine china, use paper plates (recyclable, of course). The grill is just the tool to add flavor to a wide range of holiday foods. And by cooking outside, you can cut down on the traffic and chaos in the kitchen.
Bobby Flay
If you’re having guests outside of your immediate family, ask them what their favorite foods are and try to include them on your menu. Ask about dietary restrictions and food allergies. Make a grocery list so you only have to make one stop at the store.
Mario Batali
Plan ahead. Build prep lists. Plan food that is simple to prepare. Plan food that serves well after resting. Having everything come of the stove or out of the oven at the same time is difficult at best.
Robin Miller
Take advantage of convenience items at the market, such as cubed bread for stuffing (regular or seasoned), bagged salad mixes, pre-chopped vegetables (for crudites plates), cheese and fruit platters, freshly prepared salsas and dips, baked hams and rotisserie chickens, and angel food and sponge cakes for fast desserts.
Paula Deen
Start saving fruit peelings to store in the freezer to make potpourri. Use fresh artichokes to make votive candle holders. Use fresh bundles of asparagus to make taper candle holders.
Sandra Lee
Fill lidded glass jars with white glass ornaments, white sugared almonds and vanilla yogurt-covered candy, and group on a table or mantle for a white Christmas. To give as gifts, tie a white organdy bow under the lid and tuck a sprig of fresh greenery underneath.
The Green Guide recommends several tips for handling leftovers. Be careful not to overload the fridge, so that there’s enough room for cold air to circulate. Turkey should be carved off the bone and stored separately from stuffing and gravy.
Try to eat turkey leftovers within four days; stuffing and gravy within two. Leftovers can also be frozen for two to six months.
When reheating leftovers in the microwave, put them in ovenproof glass or ceramic containers.
