COOKING: Prepare your holiday feast

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DOUG BENZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

November 19, 2009

By Shayna Raichilson-Zadok The Tonawanda News Thu Nov 19, 2009, 01:33 PM EST

With so much going on in the world today, I feel it is especially important to gather with friends and family this year to celebrate Thanksgiving. Of course, what would Thanksgiving be without the lavish, delicious feast? By very essence, the Thanksgiving holiday is the meal itself. It is one of only a few days each year where you are expected, no, required to eat copious quantities of delicious, rich, luxurious, calorie-laden food ... spectacular!

I know that there are certain requirements. Almost every table in America will feature turkey in one form or another (maybe a tofurkey). Most families will also serve mounds of mashed potatoes, candied yams (with or without marshmallows), stuffing and pumpkin pie.

How about giving your Thanksgiving feast a little twist this year? Add something new to your old tried-and-true recipes. Try some of the below ideas to either enhance or substitute for your current dishes.

And as always, please remember to send your food or party planning questions and comments to bohemianhostess@yahoo.com.

• Turkey: Try going with just the breast this year. More people enjoy this part of the turkey, and you won’t have the carcass to deal with. Sure, there are a lot of people that turn the bones into soup, but there are just as many who simply toss the bones away.

• Stuffing: Use a mix of cornbread and pumpkin bread as the base of your favorite stuffing recipe. Another twist is to make individual serving stuffing cups. Just bake you stuffing in muffin cups.

• Root Vegetables: Roast some of these delicious seasonal vegetables as a great side dish. I like them apple cider-glazed with brown sugar.

1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste

Whisk together the cider, brown sugar, salt and pepper, in a baking dish until sugar is dissolved. Toss roost vegetables to coat. Cover and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until veggies are golden and tender.

In a small skillet, toast the walnuts or pecans until just brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and add the butter, and a pinch each of cinnamon and salt. Stir until nuts are coated. Remove from pan and lay out on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet to cool. Break the nuts apart and sprinkle over the veggies before serving.

• Dessert: Make a pumpkin cheesecake instead of a pumpkin pie. Do individual sweet potato pies in mini muffin tins for a bite-sized alternative.

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