Party hearty this holiday season

Article content

Suddenly – it’s party season!

Time to start the gift wrapping and menu planning.

As well, now’s a good time (if you haven’t already done so) to figure out if the holidays meals are going to be formal sit-down affairs, buffets or open houses spread throughout weekends – especially as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve both fall in the middle of the week.

Not to worry – it just means the real festivities start the weekends before and end on the weekends afterwards. We suspect party season is going to stretch well into the first weekend of the new year, when 12th Night (known as the Epiphany or the end of the traditional 12 days of Christmas) falls on January 5, 2025.

What to do? Planning is the key to success. Write (or text) a list and start shopping now – especially when you see items on sale that can be put in your freezer.

This is the year of gathering and grazing – with the holidays in between the weekends, open houses are most likely the way to go, with friends and family dropping in for drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

For ideas, especially on foods that you wouldn’t normally consider serving during the holiday season, take a stroll through your favourite supermarket or grocery store and you’ll see the diversity of the dishes being offered this year – foods that are as adventurous as they are exciting.

We’re talking zesty, spicy, with exotic ingredients.

So, what’s hot this year?

“Bite-sized flavours are taking centre stage,” says Allison Jones, executive chef for the famous PC Test Kitchen. “When we think of the holidays, we often think of more traditional meals that take a ton of time to prepare, but this year, more people are turning to things like passed appetizers and snacking boards for their seasonal events.”

Jones recommends getting creative – like a seafood-inspired charcuterie board: “A seacuterie” that’s “simple to make, cost effective and full of incredible value.”

This year, tempt your taste buds with adventurous food choices, especially when office parties are on the horizon, notes Fahim Ahmadi, vice president of marketing and development for Toronto’s Naan Kabob.

“Rather than opting for traditional choices like pizza and wings, there’s a growing demand for (foods) that are versatile, nutritious and (also) cater to diverse dietary preferences and restrictions,” said Ahmadi, adding the holiday season is perfect to try new dishes and recipes that compliment traditional meals.

“The holiday entertaining season is going to be a long one this year, partly as Christmas and New Year’s fall in the middle of the week,” says Kiran Mann, CEO of Brar’s, one of Canada’s largest vegetarian food brands, famous for their variety of sweet and savoury offerings, including samosas and milk cakes.

“Many people will be having open houses throughout the party season, where menus will be based on smaller dishes, but bigger variety,” she adds.

Mann says the holiday season also “opens up both hosts and guests to be more adventurous with the food choices, allowing hosts to offer up non-traditional dishes alongside traditional dishes … that’s the fun and beauty of entertaining this time of year.”

So ready, set and – go party! Just don’t forget the Number One rule for anyone doing the hosting: Have yourself a very merry holiday, too.

Prepare your dishes ahead of time, factor in how many guests you’re expecting, make sure you know of any food allergies or sensitivities or food choices (vegans, vegetarians and meat), have plenty of fresh water on hand to keep your guests well hydrated and keep your alcoholic choices short and sweet, accommodating the designated drivers, too.

After all, this special party time only comes around once a year.

Here are a few recipes to get you going.

SAVOURY BISCOTTI

Recipe courtesy Chef Valeria Necchio for Grana Padano PDO. Grana Padano is a hard aged cheese from Italy that has a lovely nutty flavour and a distinct grainy texture, perfect for these cookies. Makes about 30 cookies.

2.8 oz. (80g) Grana Padano, (or any other hard aged Italian cheese) grated

6.3 oz. (175g) plain flour, sifted ·

1 oz. (30 g) superfine polenta flour

1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder ·

1/2 tsp (2 ml) fine sea salt

3 eggs

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

2 Tbsp. (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil

2 oz. (1/4 cup or 23 almonds) whole almonds, salted

Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix flour, polenta, baking powder and salt. Add the grated cheese and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs with milk and olive oil. Combine wet ingredients with dry and stir until you have an even mix. Add almonds and work them into dough, then bring everything together into a ball.

Divide dough in 2 and shape each piece into logs, about 3 cm wide and 1 cm thick. Transfer them to lined baking tray. Brush with the remaining egg whisked with a drop of milk.

Bake logs for 25 minutes, until golden on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool ever so slightly before slicing into biscuits (about 1 cm wide). Scatter biscuits on baking tray and return to oven for 10 minutes, turning them halfway through.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

HOMEMADE HUMMUS WITH PESTO

Nothing like a fresh, health dip to get the party started! Serves 4-6. Recipe courtesy Hamilton-Beach (Hamiltonbeach.ca.)

2 cloves garlic

2 green onions, white portions and half of green top

1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained, reserving 1/4 (60 mL) cup of liquid

1/4 cup (60 mL) tahini (sesame paste) stirred

3-4 Tbsp. (45 ml-60 ml) olive oil

2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil

1/4 tsp. (1 ml) cumin

Dash cayenne pepper

Salt/pepper, to taste

1/4 cup (60 ml) jarred pesto

1 Tbsp. (15 mL) toasted pine nuts

Pita bread or vegetables for serving

Using S-blade and with food processor running, drop garlic cloves and onion in food chute. Add beans, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Continue to process until mixture is smooth, adding enough reserved liquid from beans to reach desired consistency, and scraping bowl as needed.

Place into serving bowl and garnish with pesto. Top with pine nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

PLUM PUDDING CASSEROLE

Halifax’s Chef and cookbook author Craig Flinn turns this traditional holiday dessert into a centrepiece show stopper that tastes like a Christmas morning! Serves 14. Courtesy Eggs.ca.

1 ½ cups (375 mL) seedless raisins

1/2 cup (125 mL) currants

½ cup (125 mL) chopped candied cherries

¼ cup (60 mL) mixed citrus (mix of lemon, orange and lime) peel

1 orange (juice and zest)

¼ cup (60 mL) brandy or dark rum (optional)

1 ½ cup (375 mL) fine, dried breadcrumbs

1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar

1 cup (250 mL) sifted flour

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

1 tsp (5 mL) EACH cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, clove, grated nutmeg, salt

¾ cup (175 mL) melted butter

1 apple, peeled, cored and finely grated

½ cup (125 mL) chopped almonds

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk

⅓ cup (75 mL) molasses

In a medium-sized bowl, combine raisins, currants, candied cherries, citrus peel, orange juice and zest and brandy or rum. Let mixture stand for a minimum of an hour, or overnight (optional step, if brandy or rum is used).

Preheat oven to 300F (150C). In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine breadcrumbs, brown sugar, sifted flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, cloves, grated nutmeg and salt.

Combine macerated fruit mixture and dry ingredients together and mix well. Add melted butter, grated apple, chopped almonds, eggs and egg yolks, buttermilk and molasses. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.

Grease a 9 x 12 x 3 inch (23 x 30 x 8 cm) glass baking dish or casserole dish. Pour mixture into dish, spreading evenly using a spatula. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil, tucking in edges to seal it. Place casserole dish in a larger roasting pan. Pour boiling water into pan until it reaches halfway up sides of casserole dish. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until pudding is fully cooked in middle. It should be firm to the touch and a wooden skewer should come out clean when inserted in centre of pudding.

Remove casserole dish from roasting pan. Let pudding rest for 30 minutes before serving. If making it in advance, gently reheat it in oven on low heat, or microwave it in its dish. Serve warm with your choice of sauce or ice cream.