What are you cooking or baking today?

StarSong said:
Yes. 24 full size pizzas. A big crowd will graze throughout the evening. It's a little hard to describe, but I'll do my best:

Our kitchen includes a 38" X 74" peninsula. My mise en place is staged on the counter adjacent to the peninsula so it's at hand but not in my working space.

I stand near the corner of the counter and the peninsula, with the long end jutting to my right and more counterspace to my left. I make pizzas while facing an eating area with a high top table and 4 stools, and just behind that is our DR, which is fully open to the rest of the house, so I can see & hear what's happening there as I stretch and dress the pizzas. My back is to the rest of the kitchen.

I need roughly 8 minutes to prepare a pizza. My husband runs the oven, where it likewise takes about 8 minutes to bake the pizzas at 550°. Good parties wind up in kitchens and these are no exception. Guests area always happy to hang with us as we work.

Most guests are repeat offenders :cool: who know their way around the kegerator, wine, other liquor and glasses. Our son-in-law shows new folks where things are and pours their first drink for them. We also fill a large water dispenser just off the dining room, along with disposable cups and a marker.

The main areas of our house are laid out in a circular floor plan that includes the kitchen, family room, and living room, so kids and adults frequently stream through the kitchen. The kegerator is in an attached garage with a door to it just off the foyer, so people end up gathering in the garage, too.

As pizzas come out of the oven, they're set to cool on the stove top for a couple of minutes, then lined up on side of the peninsula in front of where I'm working. One of our kids or other long-term guests usually slice the pizzas when they've cooled slightly.

The dining room has a 9 X 4 glass table that seats 10 adults comfortably. That's where the cookie decorating takes place. Our daughter usually oversees that aspect of the party for us. I make cutout sugar cookies for the parties - since this will be a large one, I made 300-350 of them yesterday across about 35 different shapes.

Anyone who makes cutout sugar cookies can tell you, that's a lot of work. A lot. Now you know what I mostly did yesterday. We have more different sprinkles than you could imagine, having amassed them over 20+ years of pizza/cookie parties. Many have been gifted to us.

When guests leave, each family leaves with the cookies they've decorated plus a 50 piece assortment of the 8 other kinds of Christmas cookies I make during the season. Sometimes with pizza, too, depending on what's left over on my counter.

The main areas of our house has seating for 36, plus we have folding chairs scattered here and there. A lot of the kids hang in the toy room (converted from a bedroom) or other guest bedrooms down the hall. On their way down the hall, while avoiding their parents' watchful eyes, canny kids stop by cookie trays and and grab a couple of fistfuls.

Pretty much anything goes for the kids at our parties, and on the rare occasion when we notice parents scolding their children, unless it's truly warranted, we smilingly remind them that their children are also our guests, and we want them to have a good time, too.

Our own bedroom is in another area of the house and isn't used during the party. The two bathrooms in the main area of the house have always been sufficient, but if they're both in play our family knows to use the the master bathroom.

I hope that helps give you an idea of how these parties work. It's loosely controlled mayhem, but an absolute joy for us. Most repeats guests tell us it really doesn't feel like Christmastime to them unless they've come to one of our parties that season. The same is true for my husband, me, our children and now our grands.
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Such amazing preparation. Wish I was invited. I would not need to eat, but would just love to watch all the wonderful, huge goings on. I made one pizza Chrismas eve and it took me most of the day. Thank you for explaining exactly how you mange this yearly with gusto!
 
My dish for today is Chicken Curry with rice.
Simple recipe using stock on hand - though I did by one large skinless chicken breast.

I large chicken breast diced into uniform cubes
Minimal oil for light frying.
1 large onion diced
2 cups frozen vegetables - whatever is in the freezer (I used peas, beans and broccoli)
3 large potatoes - diced, skin on.
1/2 cup dried fruit - I had and used dates
2 Tbsp stock powder (I used vegeta stock powder)
1 heaped Tbsp curry powder (or paste) of your liking.
1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic (to your taste)
1 tsp Ginger Powder (to your taste)
Pinch salt (I used coarse sea salt) if you use salt.

Gently fry cubed chicken and set aside.
Fry onion till softened, add garlic, fry for a few minutes
Add curry powder, ginger, fry a few minutes
add frozen vegies, fry on higher heat few minutes.
To 400 ml boiling water, mix 1 heaped Tbsp stock powder, add to mixture.
Bring to boil, add potatoes, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes
Add chicken and dried fruit. simmer 10 minutes. (add more hot water if required)


Serve with boiled rice and garlic bread.
 
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Bretrick said:
My dish for today is Chicken Curry with rice.
Simple recipe using stock on hand - though I did by one large skinless chicken breast.

I large chicken breast diced into uniform cubes
Minimal oil for light frying.
1 large onion diced
2 cups frozen vegetables - whatever is in the freezer (I used peas, beans and broccoli)
3 large potatoes - diced, skin on.
1/2 cup dried fruit - I had and used dates
2 Tbsp stock powder (I used vegeta stock powder)
1 heaped Tbsp curry powder of your liking.
1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic (to your taste)
1 tsp Ginger Powder (to your taste)
Pinch salt (I used coarse sea salt) if you use salt.

Gently fry cubed chicken and set aside.
Fry onion till softened, add garlic, fry for a few minutes
add frozen vegies, fry on higher heat few minutes.
Add curry powder, ginger, fry a few minutes
To 400 ml boiling water, mix 1 heaped Tbsp stock powder, add to mixture.
Bring to boil, add potatoes, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes
Add chicken and dried fruit. simmer 10 minutes. (add more hot water if required)


Serve with boiled rice and garlic bread.
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I like curry but never tried making it because of having no instincts for balancing ingredients and seasonings, so your recipe is greatly appreciated.

Since DH & I don't eat meat, I'll sub tofu for the chicken, but have all other ingredients and spices on hand, including dried apricots and cranberries, so I'll use some of both.

If you have any helpful hints for a curry-making newbie, I'd love to know them.
 
StarSong said:
I like curry but never tried making it because of having no instincts for balancing ingredients and seasonings, so your recipe is greatly appreciated.

Since DH & I don't eat meat, I'll sub tofu for the chicken, but have all other ingredients and spices on hand, including dried apricots and cranberries, so I'll use some of both.

If you have any helpful hints for a curry-making newbie, I'd love to know them.
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Use a large wok or frypan.
Take time to cook the onions over a low heat.
Defrost the frozen veg before tossing into pan.
Fry the tofu separately and set aside, add at the end.
Tinned tomatoes can be added.
To thicken the sauce, add yoghurt or cream or even fine chopped almonds. (I use a blender to roughly chop the nuts, just a few seconds, do not want a paste)
Add salt to taste last.
Freezes well so make a double batch?
 
StarSong said:
If you have any helpful hints for a curry-making newbie, I'd love to know them.
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Start with a teaspoon full into your sauce. Taste. Add more and taste more. Depending upon the brand, it may be a lot of colour and not a strong flavour. Give it a little while to develop.

Sunkist said:
I'm making a couple of pans of hardboiled eggs 😁
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Everybody loves devilled eggs when I make them. There never seems to be enough.
 
Jules said:
Start with a teaspoon full into your sauce. Taste. Add more and taste more. Depending upon the brand, it may be a lot of colour and not a strong flavour. Give it a little while to develop.


Everybody loves devilled eggs when I make them. There never seems to be enough.
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I could just about eat them any day of the year. It doesn't have to be special occasions.
 
Sciguy said:
It’s much lighter than stolen - which is quite dense. It’s like a brioche bread with candied fruit (traditional) or chocolate chips.
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Good description. For the record, panettone is pronounced panna tone' eh.

I haven't had braciole in over 12 years (when I stopped eating meat), but it sure is a tasty dish.

Am assuming some of your roots are Italian, Sciguy.
 
Babs2u said:
Wow. Never heard of that. Do you have a recipe or i should probably just google it.
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Here you go. Hope you enjoy it.

Recipe: Green Olive Soup
Date: 1990

2 cups pitted or sliced green olives (no pimentos)
1/2 med. onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
6 Tbsp. flour cooked with 3 Tbsp. olive oil to make a roux
black pepper, to taste
4 shots hot sauce (we use Frank's)
1/3 cup dry sherry

Soak olives in cold water for one hours. Drain and coarsely chop. Heat a 4-quart pot and add oil, onion, garlic and 2/3 of the olives. Saute until onions are translucent. Puree mixture with one cup stock.

Add remaining stock to pot and simmer 20 minutes. Add cream.

Whisk in roux and simmer stirring constantly until thickened.

Add pepper to taste with remaining chopped olives, hot sauce and sherry. Heat to serving temperature.

Garish with sliced olives and croutons.

NOTE: Soaking the olives takes out the salt which is an important step. Sometimes the olives can vary in salt & you may want to add salt when it's done if it's too flat.

Also, the hot sauce doesn't make it spicy, but it just adds a certain flavor. Frank's hot sauce is something I use in a lot of recipes when I need hot sauce because its not overpowering.

To puree, I use a blender stick which makes less mess & clean up.
 
Lilac said:
Here you go. Hope you enjoy it.

Recipe: Green Olive Soup
Date: 1990

2 cups pitted or sliced green olives (no pimentos)
1/2 med. onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
6 Tbsp. flour cooked with 3 Tbsp. olive oil to make a roux
black pepper, to taste
4 shots hot sauce (we use Frank's)
1/3 cup dry sherry

Soak olives in cold water for one hours. Drain and coarsely chop. Heat a 4-quart pot and add oil, onion, garlic and 2/3 of the olives. Saute until onions are translucent. Puree mixture with one cup stock.

Add remaining stock to pot and simmer 20 minutes. Add cream.

Whisk in roux and simmer stirring constantly until thickened.

Add pepper to taste with remaining chopped olives, hot sauce and sherry. Heat to serving temperature.

Garish with sliced olives and croutons.

NOTE: Soaking the olives takes out the salt which is an important step. Sometimes the olives can vary in salt & you may want to add salt when it's done if it's too flat.

Also, the hot sauce doesn't make it spicy, but it just adds a certain flavor. Frank's hot sauce is something I use in a lot of recipes when I need hot sauce because its not overpowering.

To puree, I use a blender stick which makes less mess & clean up.
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This sounds delicious.
 
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