Columbus Dispatch
Nov 3, 2015
By Lisa Abraham
With less than three weeks to go before the annual holiday cooking marathon begins, it's time to get organized. Review all the calendars: work, school and social. Don't forget smaller events such as the scouting outing or the book-club holiday fest. Make a list of which events call for which foods.
By Lisa Abraham, The Columbus Dispatch
With less than three weeks to go before the annual holiday cooking marathon begins, it's time to get organized.
Review all the calendars: work, school and social. Don't forget smaller events such as the scouting outing or the book-club holiday fest.
Make a list of which events call for which foods.
Open the pantry and cupboards; examine the refrigerator and freezer. Take stock of what you have -- and what you don't -- then form a battle plan for Thanksgiving through New Year's.
The key to not being a harried host?
"Advanced planning," said professional organizer Shirley Collins of My Little Organizer, based in Pickerington.
You might not be cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but maybe you take the apple pie to Grandma's house every year. If so, now is the time to make sure that sugar, cinnamon, shortening and flour can be found in your cupboards.
Collins, who counts kitchen organization among her specialties, advises clients to make a thorough inspection of their pantries.
Large pantries can be problematic, she said, because food gets pushed to the back and is sometimes forgotten.
Items expire, which is wasteful, or the disorganization results in overbuying. Collins has organized pantries in which she would find, for example, seven bags of sugar.
"They can't find things, so they just go out and buy more."
When you know what you have and what you need, go shopping and stock up -- it's not too early.
"The last thing somebody wants to do is to have to go to the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving," said Jay Yardley, executive chef at the Kingsdale Giant Eagle Market District in Upper Arlington. "It's really about stocking your kitchen and being prepared."
Although fresh foods such as meats, fruits and vegetables will always need to be purchased just a few days before use, he said, almost everything else can be bought in advance.
"If you are doing your shopping in categories," Yardley said, "it cuts down on the nightmare and you'll have to do less shopping -- really just for the fresh foods."
Here's a general checklist of items to think about.
BakingAccount for flour, sugars (white, brown and confectioners'), spices, extracts, baking powder and soda, cans of evaporated and condensed milks, pumpkin, chocolate morsels and nuts. (See a recipe for Chocolate Phyllo Cups.)
Snacks, condimentsIn the pantry, store crackers, flatbreads and jars of nuts for snacking; and herbs and spices for cooking. Jars of sauces and condiments (pesto, cocktail, salsa and mayonnaise) and dry dip and dressing mixes mean appetizer ingredients are always at hand. Cans and jars of pickles, olives and other relishes also have long shelf lives.
Freezer foods.
-*-A large bag of frozen shrimp is a holiday lifesaver, Yardley said, because it lasts for weeks and thaws quickly in cold water. Plus, you thaw only as much as you need at a time.
-*-Frozen puff pastry dough turns simple ingredients into quick holiday appetizers. (See a recipe for Pesto Pinwheels.)
-*-Collins recommends using the freezer to stock up on homemade items, too.
Now is a good time bake Christmas cookies, she said, so they are frozen and ready to go in December.
The same goes for items such as meatballs, lasagna and other party fare that freezes well.
Fresh foodsEven a few fresh items -- such as potatoes, onions or bags of cranberries -- are fine to buy now if stored properly.
"Cranberries last forever," Yardley said.
Dairy productsSome dairy items purchased now -- such as cheese and sour cream -- will remain fresh for weeks (just check their dates to confirm their shelf life), he said. (See a recipe for Cheesy Chicken Spread.)
Paper productsThe holidays, Collins said, are the time to take advantage of warehouse stores to stock up on napkins, paper plates, cups and other party needs.
AlcoholBeer, wine, pop and mixers, Yardley said, can be stored in a spare refrigerator or an unheated garage and will be fine through the holidays.
Proper preparation eliminates stress, and also enables cooks to handle unexpected entertaining situations when they arise.
If friends stop by unannounced, nuts, olives, cheese and crackers make for fine munching.
If the kids forget to mention that they need cookies for a club meeting at school the next day, a brownie mix on the shelf should cover it.
Because even the best-prepared cooks can use a little help with a marathon, the Dispatch Kitchen has pulled together a few tasty holiday hacks to quickly cover emergency entertaining needs.
Recipes
[email protected]
@DispatchKitchen
By Lisa Abraham, The Columbus Dispatch
With less than three weeks to go before the annual holiday cooking marathon begins, it's time to get organized.
Review all the calendars: work, school and social. Don't forget smaller events such as the scouting outing or the book-club holiday fest.
Make a list of which events call for which foods.
Open the pantry and cupboards; examine the refrigerator and freezer. Take stock of what you have -- and what you don't -- then form a battle plan for Thanksgiving through New Year's.
The key to not being a harried host?
"Advanced planning," said professional organizer Shirley Collins of My Little Organizer, based in Pickerington.
You might not be cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but maybe you take the apple pie to Grandma's house every year. If so, now is the time to make sure that sugar, cinnamon, shortening and flour can be found in your cupboards.
Collins, who counts kitchen organization among her specialties, advises clients to make a thorough inspection of their pantries.
Large pantries can be problematic, she said, because food gets pushed to the back and is sometimes forgotten.
Items expire, which is wasteful, or the disorganization results in overbuying. Collins has organized pantries in which she would find, for example, seven bags of sugar.
"They can't find things, so they just go out and buy more."
When you know what you have and what you need, go shopping and stock up -- it's not too early.
"The last thing somebody wants to do is to have to go to the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving," said Jay Yardley, executive chef at the Kingsdale Giant Eagle Market District in Upper Arlington. "It's really about stocking your kitchen and being prepared."
Although fresh foods such as meats, fruits and vegetables will always need to be purchased just a few days before use, he said, almost everything else can be bought in advance.
"If you are doing your shopping in categories," Yardley said, "it cuts down on the nightmare and you'll have to do less shopping -- really just for the fresh foods."
Here's a general checklist of items to think about.
BakingAccount for flour, sugars (white, brown and confectioners'), spices, extracts, baking powder and soda, cans of evaporated and condensed milks, pumpkin, chocolate morsels and nuts. (See a recipe for Chocolate Phyllo Cups.)
Snacks, condimentsIn the pantry, store crackers, flatbreads and jars of nuts for snacking; and herbs and spices for cooking. Jars of sauces and condiments (pesto, cocktail, salsa and mayonnaise) and dry dip and dressing mixes mean appetizer ingredients are always at hand. Cans and jars of pickles, olives and other relishes also have long shelf lives.
Freezer foods.
-*-A large bag of frozen shrimp is a holiday lifesaver, Yardley said, because it lasts for weeks and thaws quickly in cold water. Plus, you thaw only as much as you need at a time.
-*-Frozen puff pastry dough turns simple ingredients into quick holiday appetizers. (See a recipe for Pesto Pinwheels.)
-*-Collins recommends using the freezer to stock up on homemade items, too.
Now is a good time bake Christmas cookies, she said, so they are frozen and ready to go in December.
The same goes for items such as meatballs, lasagna and other party fare that freezes well.
Fresh foodsEven a few fresh items -- such as potatoes, onions or bags of cranberries -- are fine to buy now if stored properly.
"Cranberries last forever," Yardley said.
Dairy productsSome dairy items purchased now -- such as cheese and sour cream -- will remain fresh for weeks (just check their dates to confirm their shelf life), he said. (See a recipe for Cheesy Chicken Spread.)
Paper productsThe holidays, Collins said, are the time to take advantage of warehouse stores to stock up on napkins, paper plates, cups and other party needs.
AlcoholBeer, wine, pop and mixers, Yardley said, can be stored in a spare refrigerator or an unheated garage and will be fine through the holidays.
Proper preparation eliminates stress, and also enables cooks to handle unexpected entertaining situations when they arise.
If friends stop by unannounced, nuts, olives, cheese and crackers make for fine munching.
If the kids forget to mention that they need cookies for a club meeting at school the next day, a brownie mix on the shelf should cover it.
Because even the best-prepared cooks can use a little help with a marathon, the Dispatch Kitchen has pulled together a few tasty holiday hacks to quickly cover emergency entertaining needs.
Recipes
[email protected]
@DispatchKitchen
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