Silicone baking pans. These are the latest thing and they are very easy to use. Silicone baking pans are also quite easy to clean. You can make muffins, cupcakes, bread loaves and so many other items quite easily using silicone baking pans.

Cookbooks. Every new cook needs cookbooks; this is where they get their inspiration. Even if cooks create their own recipes, often they begin with a formal recipe. Try a classic cookbook such as the Joy of Cooking that goes from soup all the way to desserts. Or one of the themed cookbooks such as Top Chef Season 4 that gives recipes from this season’s popular chefs on Bravo’s television show, Top Chef.

Aprons and accessories. This is another popular gift because every cook should have good materials to use while cooking — and many wind up scrimping on these things so they’ll have money to spend on ingredients. Get them a good classic apron to protect their clothing. Also get them oven mitts and gloves so they can take things out of the oven and microwave easily.

Spices and fresh herbs. This is a great gift idea for so many new cooks. You truly can taste the difference when you are cooking with fresh spices and herbs. Treat them to some wonderful new spices and herbs they’ll enjoy. Building up your library of spices and herbs can take any cook awhile. They’ll appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness.

You can add little treats to your caramel covered popcorn if you want to make this even more extreme. Try adding mini chocolate chips to create a chocolate and caramel sensation that will have them coming back for more. Note: be sure to place out plenty of napkins as the chocolate chips may melt a little in people’s hands. Shredded coconut or chopped nuts are great alternatives if chocolate is not a popular favorite.

With colder weather, many families are snuggling up to watch movies or simply to have evenings at home. It is great to be able to serve special treats every once in awhile. The best thing about caramel covered popcorn is that it is easy to make and everyone just loves it.

To learn more about making caramel covered popcorn, watch this video:

Potato Latkes are a popular holiday favorite for Hanukah. These crispy potato pancakes are enjoyed by both adults and children. Often served with either applesauce or sour cream.

The potato latkes are made at a high heat on your stove and are made very quickly. Once you start making them you realize just how quickly you’ll be able to create the potato latkes! They fry in a little oil in the pan on the stovetop.

It can take a little practice to make the “perfect” latke — that combination of a crispy outside and soft creamy potato inside. But it seems that everyone who tastes a potato latke simply falls in love with them at first bite!

Try watching this video to learn some potato latke making tips!

]]> http://blog.foodclassics.com/2008/12/make-potato-latkes-for-hanukah/feed/ http://blog.foodclassics.com/2008/12/new-years-day-brunch/ http://blog.foodclassics.com/2008/12/new-years-day-brunch/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:52:17 +0000 admin http://blog.foodclassics.com/?p=89 While New Year’s Eve parties are popular, a New Year’s Day brunch is gaining in popularity with many. You can easily hold a New Year’s Day brunch as an Open House style of event where people can drop by within a certain time range. This is a fun way to gather with your friends and family and often costs a lot less than holding a New Year’s Eve party, as less alcohol will be consumed.

There are so many fun “brunch-y” types of foods you can make. Many people love frittatas or even to have a make-your-own omlette station. Muffins and croissants are also ideal classics to be found at any brunch. The best brunch has a variety of foods for guests to choose from. You often don’t need to serve large quantities of food. If your brunch has delicious foods with variety — you’ll please many people.

Another excellent option is to look towards some fusion cuisines. Try making mini egg rolls or sushi to add an Asian element to your brunch. Or create mini burritos for a Mexican flavor. Guests will welcome these fusions of cuisine and this is a great way to try out some of your favorite dishes as brunch foods.

Brunch is a great time to serve coffee, espresso, mimosas and herbal teas. You’ll want to have some variety when it comes to beverages. Some guests will be eager to reach for a mimosa and others will be just as happy to see an espresso on New Year’s Day. Espresso machines today have gotten so inexpensive and easy to use that just about everyone can serve espresso with their meals simply.

Wishing you a Happy 2009!

The biggest “tip” to buying a great holiday gift for a cook is knowing what type of cooking they like to do — and giving them a gift that compliments this type of cooking. If they love to barbecue, then give them a barbecue cookbook or barbecue sauces. Or if they love to bake, some new baking pans could be ideal. There are so many things you can do in the kitchen that knowing exactly what type of cooking they do is very helpful.

Cookbooks are one of the most popular gifts you can give a cook. It seems like new cookbooks come out daily — that’s because they do! You can find wonderful cookbooks on every topic quite easily at your local bookstore. Cooks are addicted to cookbooks and will appreciate the gift of a cookbook. Try the Top Chef Cookbook for something original — or a regionally themed cookbook for popular favorites.

Cooking magazine subscriptions are also a great gift idea and are very reasonably priced. Even if your cook subscribes, this gift could extend their cooking subscription — something they would appreciate. Cooking magazines are a great way to learn new techniques and read interviews with the hottest innovators in cooking.

Cooking tools are an ideal gift for every cook. You can find large cooking tools or tiny tools. Try a classic cast iron frying pan — something cooks simply lust after. Or even a rolling pin and some cookie cutters in fun shapes. Tools last a long time but passionate cooks often wear their favorite tools out much quicker than the typical cook will. New tools are an ideal choice.

This isn’t completely true. Guests don’t expect you to entertain them the way Siegfried and Roy can fly tigers through the air in their act. But they do expect to be welcomed into your home and hope that you will serve food and drinks that are appetizing.

For some parties this will mean having a full bar. But other parties you can simply serve a champagne toast at midnight. You’ll know your guests and what they enjoy the most. Another option is to make a champagne punch using fruit juice, gingerale and champagne. This is a very sweet way to enjoy your Happy New Year toast!

The best New Year’s Eve cocktail parties have lots of little yummy snacks that people can enjoy — with plenty of variety. don’t just serve “chips and dip.” Try serving nachos with cheese and guacamole. Or crispy wontons with a sweet duck sauce. Look for appetizers that will be popular favorites. Try to find appetizers that will compliment the style of your party — if you are doing a 1950’s retro party, then serve classic h’ors deourvres. Or if you are doing a black tie style cocktail party, you’ll want only the crème de la crème appetizers like crab cakes and shrimp puffs.

Fondue is also a fun option for your New Year’s Eve party. Guests can enjoy dipping pretzels, fruit and pieces of bread into chocolate or cheese and enjoying the different tastes. Having several types of fondue can be lots of fun.

Remember that appetizers are an important part of any New Year’s Eve party to make sure that guests don’t overindulge in alcoholic drinks.

Easy Appetizers Everyone Loves for the Holidays with Hanukah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve/Day right around the corner, many cooks are discovering that they need to serve appetizers to their guests.

Having a short cocktail and appetizer hour is a great way for your guests to socialize in a relaxed way while you put the finishing touches on the meal. Many cooks appreciate having this extra time in the kitchen to prepare the meal. Here are some easy appetizers that everyone loves.

Spinach dip in bread. This is an easy appetizer that has been around for years. Make from frozen spinach and sour cream, you simply cut the center out of a round loaf of bread. Cut that round center into small square chunks for everyone to dip into the spinach dip. Add the spinach dip into the center. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cheese and crackers is a classic appetizer that can be quite simple but still very delicious. The key is finding the right cheese and the right crackers. Try a cracker with sesame seeds or peppercorns on it. This is also the ideal time to try a different type of cheese. Get a fresh goat cheese or gouda cheese, something you don’t normally have.

Pigs in blanket. Some cooks might shudder at the sight of these little appetizers, but these are one of the most popular appetizers you can choose — and they are literally one of the easiest things you can make. You’ll need mini franks, croissant roll dough and mustard. Simply heat them in your oven and they’ll be ready to serve in minutes. They’ll also disappear in minutes!

Many cooks enjoy making their own broth. We agree that a homemade broth can be delicious, but this process often takes at least an hour or so to add into your cooking time. Starting with a pre-made broth and then seasoning to taste can save you a lot of time to make great soup. Your grocery store should offer Swanson chicken broth, among other types of pre-made broths for you to select from.

Adding spices to your broth is a great way to make it taste delicious and add your own homemade touch to it. You can also add V8 juice to give it a hint of vegetables and a slightly spicy taste.

To your warming broth, you’ll want to add:

• 3-4 chopped carrots
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 3-4 celery sticks chopped
• White meat chicken pre-cooked in small pieces
• Spices of your preference
• A little salt and pepper

Bring the soup to a boil and then set to simmer. As your chicken is pre-cooked, your soup simply needs to simmer long enough for the vegetables to soften and cook thoroughly. Covering your soup will quicken this process.

Makes six generous sized servings!

Making Hoppin’ John is relatively easy. Begin by putting olive oil and chopped onion into a pan. Add spices to taste. Most people like to add ham or other types of meat to their Hoppin’ John. Some people prefer to make their Hoppin’ John spicy and others like them mild. Add your black eyes peas to the dish. Serve over rice and greens.

This is an ideal dish to serve for your New Year’s celebration to share with family and friends. Who wouldn’t want to start the year out with an extra bit of good luck?

Learn more about making Hoppin’ John by watching this video:

]]> http://blog.foodclassics.com/2008/12/classic-new-years-dish-hoppin-john/feed/ http://blog.foodclassics.com/2008/12/great-snacks-to-leave-for-santa/ http://blog.foodclassics.com/2008/12/great-snacks-to-leave-for-santa/#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:42:31 +0000 admin http://blog.foodclassics.com/?p=79 In many households, leaving a snack for Santa is considered one of the most important things you’ll do for the Christmas season. Why, every child knows that Santa has a long, busy night ahead of him bringing toys to children all over the world. It is simply good manners to leave him a little snack as he stops in your home!

Milk and cookies is one of the most classic snacks to leave for Santa. Many would think that children would decide on this snack because it is a snack that they would enjoy. So they would logically decide that Santa must enjoy cookies and milk as well. Rather smart of them!

Freshly baked cookies and a frosty cold glass of milk are the best option. We suggest gingerbread cookies as the ideal cookie to leave for Santa.

Gingerbread cookies are a classic Christmas and Santa would certainly agree with this choice.

Another option is to leave Santa a snack that expresses something about your family to welcome him into your home. Perhaps your family eats vegetarian foods only. You could make Santa vegan style cookies! Or homemade vegan muffins. Or half a vegetarian sandwich might be the ideal snack.

Many families also leave a few carrots or some hay for the reindeer. You could also consider leaving them sunflower seeds or some other type of nuts. We know that Mom and Dad, er “Santa” will enjoy eating this snack in the middle of the night. Your children will be thrilled to see that empty plate and have that solid proof that Santa was indeed at their house the night before!

Our site of course… FoodClassics.com

I also recognize that there are other great sites out there to find Christmas cookie recipes, like:

• Christmas-cookies.com - As you can see, this website is all about Christmas cookies. Lots of different varieties here. You can easily find traditional cookies and lots of new modern twists on the Christmas cookie.
• Food Network’s Christmas Cookies Newsletter
• Martha Stewart Living – Christmas Cookies -  You can count on Martha Stewart to know a lot about Christmas cookies. Get her take on Christmas cookies at her website. You are sure to learn a lot here.
• Epicurious – Christmas Cookie Recipes - Everyone loves Epicurious and this is a great place to find delicious Christmas cookies for this holiday season.

Find Christmas cookies that everyone will enjoy. The only challenge? Narrowing down which ones you’ll serve!