I'm extremely proud to share my very first newsletter with you just in time for this special time of the year! If your house is anything like mine, you're probably gearing up for some serious cooking and getting ready for lots of family, friends and flavour. And since food is a big part of the holidays, this newsletter is crammed with lots of useful stuff for your kitchen. Whatever you end up cooking though, remember: The best part of the holidays is sharing it with your friends and family!
Kids First...
Harness what I call the 'Tom Sawyer' effect and get your whole family involved. Make it fun and add special touches like my delicious Mulled Apple Cider (check it out in the recipe section). Try giving your younger kids a 'grown up' challenge, something they can achieve and be proud of like decorating cookies or peeling veggies. Your older kids can do a bit of googling and come up with a new holiday dish that they can shop for and make themselves – under your expert guidance. The key is to make it seem like it's not work, so that next thing you know, everything is done and everybody has something to be proud of!
Create New Traditions while Carrying on the Old…
The holidays are a time for traditions both old and new, and getting everybody involved adds to the fun. Be creative and try something new like hosting a cookie baking party, a tree trimming party or my favourite, a dishwashing competition! At the same time, celebrate your annual traditions. It adds to the anticipation and makes your celebrations unique to your family. Make sure everybody enjoys them though - my brothers and I actually avoided my Mom's Christmas Eve fish chowder like the plague!
Keep it Simple...
Sometimes it's easy to lose focus and bite off more than you can chew. The best gift you can give is to be relaxed and enjoy yourself. You don't have to tackle 20 different things to fill the table. It's OK to do a few things really well and add some store bought flourishes. It's also a good idea to plan ahead and try and get as much done in advance as possible so you can enjoy the Eggnog on the big day!
Mulled Holiday Cider
This steaming aromatic cider is a wonderful addition to any holiday party. Its fragrant goodness will permeate your home with seasonal cheer as your guests ask for seconds and the recipe!
View the Mulled Holiday Cider recipe
How to Brine a Turkey
What's the secret for your best tasting, juiciest holiday turkey ever? Brining! A centuries old trick that the pros use. It's simple and it really works by encouraging the tightly wound proteins in the meat to uncoil, bump into each other and form a web of sorts that sets with the heat of the oven trapping moisture.
Learn more on how to Brine a Turkey
Yule Log
A Yule log is essentially a sponge cake roulade tricked out to resemble a real log. It's a traditional holiday dessert and very easy to make. You may use the following recipe for Chocolate Icing or your favourite icing for the filling and frosting - just flavour it lightly with cocoa powder or chocolate so it will resemble bark. If you like, double the icing recipe and use it for the filling as well or simply use two cups of cream whipped with brown sugar and vanilla for the filling.
View the Yule Log recipe
One of the best things about Christmas is the traditions that make your family's celebration unique and memorable. One of our family favourites is a story that Gabe and I read before sleepy time every Christmas Eve - when we wouldn't dream of turning in without leaving a snack for Santa and the reindeer. I hope you and your kids enjoy it and that it becomes one of your Christmas traditions too!
Read the Christmas Story
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Chef Michael Smith