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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-12-24, Page 47THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008. PAGE 47.(NC)—Making the right menuchoices for your holiday get-togethercan make yours a festive soiree toremember. And let’s face it, theholidays are best spent revelling with family and friends, not in the kitchen surrounded by pots and pans. Homegrown Ontario’s holiday menu planning tips will help you get food on the table quickly, leaving you with time to enjoy the party. • Make a list and check it twice –take the time to write out yourmenu well in advance of your party.While you’re at it, write out yourgrocery list – this will prevent last minute scrambling. • Keep it simple – plan your dinner menu to be as simple as possible, choosing items that can be prepared well before your guests arrive. This way all you need to do is warm up your dishes and serve. • Practise, practise, practise – tryevery recipe you plan to make foryour party at least once beforeserving it to guests. Having alreadymade the recipe once before will reduce the time it takes to re-create it. • Mix it up – plan to serve a combination of hot and cold foods so that you don’t have to spend too much time fussing over the stove as your guests arrive. • Get out the slow cooker – in themorning before starting your day,simply add ingredients into yourcooker and set the temp to low.This will free up your entire day and allow you to get any last- minute party prep done. By the time you get home dinner will be ready and all you’ll have to do before guests arrive is set your decorative holiday table. • Order ingredients in advance – call your butcher and place yourorder for Homegrown Ontarioturkey or veal scaloppini a few daysbefore your party to ensure he/shewill have the quantity you need as some shops need time to acquire certain cuts. More great ideas on how you can make your holiday meals unforgettable with Ontario produced meat and poultry can be found online at homegrownontario.ca. Voices of angels - and others The primary students at Grey Central Public School lent their voices to a number of songs during the annual school pageant last week. (Bonnie Gropp photo) Easy tips for marvellous holiday menus Uncle Mark “25” December 27 Happy Birthday from Payton and all the Gillis family Auburn 519-526-7759 Family Restaurant & Truck Stop We wish you all a most wonderful holiday and a very happy new year MERRY CHRISTMAS Hours December 23 ~ close at 2 pm December 24, 25, 26 ~ closed December 31st ~ close at 3 pm January 1 ~ closed (NC)—The turkey is the show- stopper of most Canadian holiday feasts – some even say that carving the turkey is the most important part of the entire meal! Canadian entertainers need not fret about making a turkey blunder at the dinner table this holiday season. The secret to successfully carving a turkey lies in the tools – especially a quality knife. “A razor sharp knife is essential to a perfectly carved turkey,” says Fred Kabakos, marketing manager for Wiltshire Cutlery. Kabakos shares his steps on how to carve a turkey like a pro: 1. Cover the turkey with foil and let sit for 15 minutes. 2. Always cut the dark meat first (it will stay moist for a longer period of time than light meat). 3. To determine where to make the first cut, run your knife along the bottom of the turkey to find where the thigh bones meet the body. 4. Place the knife in the joint and separate the thigh from the rest of the body on each side. Repeat this procedure to separate the drumstick from the thigh and the wings from the body. 5. Cut the thigh and leg meat into thin slices and layer on your serving platter. 6. Cutting parallel to the breast, carve thin slices off one side of the breast. 7. Layer these pieces on the serving platter in a fan-like design. 8. Garnish your serving platter with all the trimmings and enjoy! See you in 2009! The knife’s the secret to carving your holiday turkey Happy 19th Devin December 25 and Happy 17th Larissa January 4 Love your family TURKEY WITH WINE-SIMMERED FRUIT STUFFING 10 diced, oatmeal bread slices 1 cup (250 mL) white wine 1 large Granny Smith apple 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped, dried apricots 1/2 cup (125 mL) golden raisins 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter 1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion 1 cup 250 mL) chopped celery 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped, toasted pecans 1/2 tsp (3 mL) salt 1/4 tsp (1 mL) coarse black pepper 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) chicken broth 1 Butterball Turkey (15 lb/6.8 kg) 1. Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C. Spread bread on bottom of shallow baking pan. Bake until browned (20-30 min) stirring occasionally. 2. Place wine, apples, apricots, cherries and raisins in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until wine is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool slightly. 3. Melt butter in large skillet. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir for 8 minutes until tender. Remove from heat. 4. Add fruit mixture, pecans, salt and pepper to skillet and stir. 5. Place mixture in large bowl and add bread and broth. 6. Prepare turkey as per package directions. 7. Place turkey, breast side up, on a flat rack in a shallow baking pan. 8. Fill neck and body cavities with stuffing. Rub turkey with vegetable oil. Place a small piece of foil over skin of neck cavity and over exposed stuffing. 9. Roast for about 4 1/2 hours, or until thermometer reaches a minimum 165°F/75°C in the centre of the stuffing and 180°F/83°C deep in the thigh. Note: Cover lightly with foil after 2 1/2 hours to prevent overcooking the breast. 10. Let turkey stand for 15 minutes before removing stuffing and carving. Recipe from the Butterball Kitchen www.butterball.ca – News Canada ON $6.00 THURSDAYS Drop into either of our offices any Thursday with your word classified (maximum 20 words) and pay only $6.00 + GST (paid in advance). That’s $1.00 off regular rates. The Citizen