The Chef's family holiday tips.

With the holidays coming up I though I might throw a few pointers out for all you none Chef's out there.
Holidays at my place are crazy. My husband finds at least 10 crazy ideas he wants to try, along with the typical turkey dinner, the kids are running around, and I have to pick up when ever my Chef moves to something else. The end result is great, and while we have a method to the madness most people don't.

Food

• Be realistic (since my husband is not)- Don't bite off more than you can chew, or try something new without at least one run through. I found a recipe once for a supposed amazing gravy. I followed the recipe to a T only to find out it tasted awful.

• Think simple and sheik- One of my biggest hits at any party is my asparagus cigars. There pretty easy to make and best yet you can make them 3 days ahead and keep them in a freezer.
  

Take a bundle of asparagus and cut off the ends. If there really thick take a peeler and take some of the skin off. In fact x that peel them all the way up to the tip. They'll absorb the marinade better and cook faster. Then cut the asparagus in half so you have more to go around.

1. Take the asparagus and place them in a zip lock bag.
2. Add a good 5 seconds worth of balsamic vinager, 3 crushed and chopped garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Let it sit in the marinade for at least 1 hour

You'll need a box of phyllo dough. Make sure to keep a lightly damp paper towel over your opened package to keep it from drying out. Cut the phyllo into long strips. Watch how wide you make them because you want your asparagus to peak out at both ends.
Melt some butter and grab a can of Parmesan cheese.
Pyllo dough has no butter in it, so you create layers with it putting the butter inbetween making it crispy and ultra yummy.
Brush butter along your strip of phyllo and sprinkle the cheese on as well. Then take your asparagus and roll the phyllo around it creating at least 4 layers.
If your not freezing them for later heat the oven to 350. Pop them in and bake till golden brown.
They are addictive so be forwarned.


DESSERT

• If your making cookies make the dough ahead and keep them in the freezer. As long as you make sure to get as much air out of the bag, or wrap them well they can last up to 6 weeks. You can also roll them into logs so when you pull them out there easier to cut and are already preformed for you.

• Don't skimp out on main ingredients. If your making plain chocolate chip cookies it's okay to buy eggs, milk, butter, flour, and sugar cheap. Just make sure you go out of your way to get the good chocolate. It's the star of the show, and getting the bags on sale is going to show in taste. You'd be suprise how buying a good chocolate will completely change your cookie. Do the same with cocoa powders, dried fruit, flavoring, and spices.
  

• Use parchment paper when baking cookies. You won't have to clean everytime you want to bake more, and it helps to trasfer them to a cooling rack.
  

• If your cake looks less than great, or your cheesecake cracks in the oven DO NOT DISPARE.
  

Bring 8z of heavy cream to a boil and dump it over 8oz of semi sweet chocolate.
Stir the 2 together and toss in 2oz of butter. You just made a ganache you can pour over the almost disaster.

• Sugar Cookies boring you? Then make a huge batch and seperate them into smaller ones. Add different extracts, or maybe even some citrus peel and your completely changed it into something edgy.

I like to take my sugar cookie dough left overs and add lemon zest with a little orange blossom water. Think high end tea party, they are ungodly delicious.

Just remember to take things in stride. So what if it's a little darker than you want, doesn't necessarily mean it's burnt. If it has a crack, hide it. You'd be suprised how many times my cheesecake was less than perfect. After a can of dulce de leche and a few nuts I changed it into a plain ruined cheesecake, into the ultimate Dulce cheescake. Taste check throughout to avoid a toss out, and remember to salt hot items at the end because once it cools you might find it's too salty. Hoping your holiday endevours foodie you guys up.

Stay tuned for cheesecake 101 later this week, and my ultimate guide to gingerbread house making.