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Home My WebLink AboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-12-18, Page 20Page 4A—Crossroads—D.ec. 18, 1985 Jack McGaw learns what's hot and what's- not on the video camera scene, when he tests . out thevarious brands of camcorders — self- contained video cameras that allow instant replay, Jack spoke with two author- ities who gave their evalu- ations of the various cameras. Then, Live It Up had three volunteers put the camcorders to the test. 'Lights, camera action' .. . which camera will win the Live It Up seal of approval? See it Dec. 23 on LTV. Other people's children Who will help? Chil- dren are the last link in the pattern of pov- erty. The USC breaks the pattern with fam- ily projects to boost income, raise living standards, provide training and family planning information. Registration number 006 4758 09 10 LEN'S MILL STORES WABASSO SHEETS - $600 $8.00 $10" $12®0 Single Double Queen King 130 Moore S., WATERLOO 45 Cross, GUELPH 215 Queen, HESPELER FESTIVE FAR E—This festive cocktail party fare is as delicious as it is beautiful. The offerings include Asparagus Tree Wrapped with Prosciutto, Caramel Brie, Scallops with Pesto, and Curried Cashew Nuts. The word for yule pd'rty fare is 'simpIek By Maureen Clancy. Call it a cocktail party, an "open house" or' a cocktail - buffet. Or just say — in the spontaneous and lively spirit of the holiday. season — "drop by between 5 and 8." A practical, and adaptable form of holiday entertaining, the cocktail party lends itself both to champagne and nib- bles for a few friends and to extravagant, once -a -year bashes where the host gets to catch up with folks he rarely gets to see. And it all can be done with minimal demand on the kitchen. The most frequently heard advice from caterers and professional party givers is o offer simple fare. • Keep drinks "neat" and unembellished; keep cock- tail nibbles easy -to -eat and straightforward (which does notpreclude sumptuous). -Today's fare is served with SEWING MACHINES &. KNITTING MACHINES CH6OSE FROM: *• White * Elna * Singer * Husgvarna * Janome New machines with stretch from 5188.96 Used machines from $49.95 Small deposit will hold for Christmas. Chargex and Master Card Sew & Save Centre 149 Downie St., Stratford. 271-9660 Open every night till 9:00 p.m. .y style on unclutteredtrays and platters, with fanciful crowning touches such as a single, colorful flower or some exotic leaves as back- ground. It's also imaginative and unusual. For cocktail parties of 30 people or more, there should be six or seven different hors d'oeuvres — some hot, some cold and with a variety of, textures. Include both the substantial and the "frilly'; the rich, sumptuous bites as well as morsels that diet= conscious revelers can also enjoy. One of the thorniest ques- tions in cocktail party plan- ning is "how much?" Martha Stewart, author of "Entertaining," suggests planning for up to 20 tidbits per person. If the fare is heartier, she revises the number downward. Stewart also notes from experience that the greater variety of hors d'oeuvres she offers, the more excited guests get about the food and the more they eat. The drinks at a holiday cocktail party also deserve some thought and imagina- tion. In addition to supplying the traditional liquor's and appropriate mixers, the thoughtful host will add some unexpected treat to the bar, such as a bottle of won- derful old Scotch, or crystal bowls of the, eggnog, punch and Glogg that fairly shout Merry Christmas! Since white wine remains a popular cocktail party drink, 'hosts should choose the bar's white wine careful - It's the Christmas Season! KING FASHIONS' EVENING Sequinnte presses Evening Purses Rhinestone Earrings Velvets. • • CHRISTMAS GIFTS! •' Lingerie Scarves • Sweaters • Coats. • • Complimentary Gift Wrapping • TO ELMIRA A 1/r 1110E w', UNIVERSITY AVE. 253 King St. N. , Waterloo 886-61770 "You'venever seen anything like it Al University Ave Lots of free parking. Open daily at 930. Mon. -Wed till 6 Thurs. & Fr, rill 9. Sat. till ly. Ideally,it should be dry, with only a hint of fruitiness. Chardonnay is a perfect choice; fuisses and fumes are also' appropriate. Champagne is another fes- tive way of celebrating the holidays with friends and families; iced vodka is a stylish accompaniment t� any hors d'oeuvre, especial- ly those that include caviar. And, of course, non-alco- holic drinks should be offer- ed, not merely as an after- thought, but as an elegant, refreshing alternative. Joy and merriment are a 'natural part of all holiday gatherings. The following recipes will add a delicious "spread" to the happy occa- sion as well: . CURRIED CASHEW NUTS 2 tbsps. clarified butter 1 cup raw cashews 1 tsp. curry powder Salt to taste Melt butter in frying pan. Add nuts and curry powder. Fry until lightly browned. Drain on paper ' towels;. sprinkle with salt to taste. MUSHROOM PATE 1 cup cooked and seasoned mushrooms, , domestic or any combination of wild 4ozs. cream cheese • .1 scallion, chopped 1 tbsp. cognac Process with knife blade in food processor until smooth. Shape' into mushroom. Garnish with sauteed mush- rooms and parsley. Serve with melba toast, sliced bread or whole grain crack- ers: ' CARAMEL BRIE 1 (2.8 Ib.) wheel of Brie (60 percent. butterfat) 2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup water 12-16 walnut or pecan halves Put Brie on rack over large sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Combine sugar and water in heavy saucepan and melt sugar, swirling pan from time to time. Do not stir. When mixture begins to boil, cover pan to allow condensa- tion to drop back down and melt crystallized sugar on side of pan. Uncover pan after 3 to 5 minutes and continue cooking over high heat until sugar becomes a deep golden color. The temp- 'erature of cararnershoultitw' hard crack, 300 F. Immediately pour car- amel over cheese to cover top evenly, allowing excess to drip down sides. You may have to tilt cheese a little to spread caramel evenly. Be very careful not to touch hot caramel. Press nuts around perimeter, if desired. The caramel will harden quickly. Serve within an hour. Serves 38. From "Hors d'Oeuvres" by Martha Stewart. t wit's end by Errno Bombeck r There is no delicate way to say it. My social life is some- where to the right of a sedat- ed parakeet. It happens. The Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgeralds of their time who vowed 36 years ago to let the good times roll have turned into Ma and Pa Kettle. During the last 20 years, it has bean an uphill fight to get my husband out of his run- ning shoes and into hard soles. This madcap who used to bounce around a dance floor like a ping-pong ball and have confetti in his bath- robe pocket, is now reduced to a TV remote switch and deep breathing by 9 p.m. Most of the time, women SCALLOPS WITH PESTO 3-4 scallops per person Court bouillon (recipe fol- lows) 3 cups pesto: 1/2 cup pine nuts 4 cloves garlic, peeled 3-4 cups fresh basil 1/2 lb. freshly grated Par- mesan cheese 11/2-2 cups olive oil To make in food processor, grind all ingredients until fine with / cup of olive oil. Add remaining oil and pro- cess until smooth and creamy. Court Bouillon: 4 cups water 1/4 cup vermouth 1 small onion (chopped) 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. salt 3 whole peppercorns In large pot, combine all court bouillon ingredients and simmer 10 minutes, then add scallops. Poach scallops in court bouillon for 2 minutes; Drain circle in top of scallops. Fill with pesto and surround with thin slice of carrot done with potato peeler_ ASPARAGUS TREE (Wrapped With Prosciutto) Allow 2 to 3 asparagus stalks per person. Trim and peel each stalk. Blanch until just tender (2 to 4 minutes) in large kettle•of boiling wa- ter. Immerse into ice water, drain and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut prosciut- to into thirds lengthwise and wrap around stems of asparagus. Arrange in shape of a Christmas tree, CAPONATA (Italian Eggplant Appetizer) Olive oil 1 medium eggplant, unpeel- ed and cut into 1 -inch cubes 1 large onion, chopped 1 cup chopped fennel or celery 1 garlic clove, minced Handful of toasted pine nuts 3/4 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup tomato sauce 3 tbsps. capers 2 tbsps. vinegar Pinch of sugar ' Salt and freshly ground pep- per • Lavash and -or Italian bread Heat oil in large skillet over'high heat. Add eggplant in batches, and saute until golden, adding oil as needed. Drain well on paper towels and set aside. Using same skillet, saute onion, fennel, garlic and pine nuts, tossing lightly. Reduce heat to medium and add olives, tomato sauce, capers, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper to taste Lcook briefly_ over medium heat. Add egg- plant and simmer until egg- plant is tender, but fennel is still crunchy, Allow to cool slightly, then cover and chill well before serving with lavash or Italian bread. Makes 6 to 8 servings. HERB AND THREE CHEESE QUICHE v2 Ib. cream cheese 3 tbsps. all-purpose flour. 4 eggs 'i2 cup sour cream Salt and pepper to taste i cup milk 1 cup light cream 4ozs. Swiss cheese, grated 1 bunch chives, chopped 4-eu-pctroppd-laarsey 1'2 cup chopped scallions 3 tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese In mixing bowl blend cream cheese, flour, eggs, sour cream-, salt, _ pepper, milk and cream. Set aside. Sprinkle Swiss cheese in pastry -lined 11 -inch quiche dish. Add chopped herbs and Parmesan cheese. Fill with custard mixture and bake in preheated 375 F oven until custard sets, about 45 minutes. are the social animals who plan dinners and movie dates, buy season tickets to concerts, organize bowling and tennis games and keep them on the move. Then one day the non-social ani -males become militant. They rebel. "Are we going out again? I feel like I'm on a treadmill. How do you expect to work every day and keep up this pace all night? Don't you ever get the desire to just stay at home and relax? I suppose next month you'll want to go out again!" For me, it gets tougher and tougher to sell my husband on a social outing. He's at that time of his life where his heart will take no surprises. If it's a movie, he wants to know if he's going to like it. If it's a party, he wants to know when we're coming home. If it's a game, he wants to know if the score is going to be close. If it's a lecture,"he wants to know if it's worth staying awake for. If I mis- lead him, I am held per- sonally responsible and points are mentally racked up against me. . They say you can always tell how exciting your life is by the hour you get into your night clothes. Sometimes we have to change our pajamas because we dribbled our din- ner onto them. I cannot tell you the times we have said to startled guests who just drop in unexpectedly, that we both have flu. The other night as I sat needlepointing in my nest of pillows and his recliner body was draped over the recliner chair, the phone rang. He jumped back to reality and said, "Who coup be calling at this hour?" "I don't know," I said. He hesitated before he picked it up. "They don't call to tell you you've won the lot- tery at 8:30 at night. It must be bad news!" There are some people who tell me I should be flattered that my husband wants to stay at home. These are the same unstable people who believe age has nothing whatsoever to do with the way you feel. I always knew a man's home was his castle. I just never thought he'd pull up the drawbridge at 5:30 in the evening. Break Into Some Big Money Try selling in the Classifieds Place your ad today A natural gas water heater is the fast, economical way to guarantee that you'll always be in hot water. A Natural gas heats almost 4 times faster than electricity. A Natural gas is the most economical fuel you can use. A Natural gas is safe, clean, and dependable. Best of all, you -can rent a • natural gas water heater for as little as $3.35 per month - on your gas bill. It all adds up to economical hot water on tap - 24 hours a day! Call us today and we'll put you in hot water - - BROOKS PLUMBING & HEATING 435 Binning St. West Listowel, Ont. N4W 1G7 BOB B ORS 291-4706 uihun tins HEATING O DEALER M�i►llie� RELISHES Processors of The Finest Food Products O ZUCCHINI RELISH o CORN RELISH o CHILI SAUCE We are pleased to announce the arrival of RHUBARB SAUCE TRY SOME! It's excellent on any type of Pork, Fowl preparations or use as a dip, topping, or glaze. Exciting to experiment with. NOW AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL FOOD STORES. SAVE! During Our -Annual Pre - Christmas Sale starting Nov. 30 U / _OFF AlL TABLE 0- FLOOR & SWAG LAMPS • 20 % Off LAMP SHADES • Also save on some sale tagged ceiling fixtures.. See Our Special Corner with gift ideas for under $30.00. Some Gift Swggestions: Rockwell Framed Prints Solid Brass Registers (4x1 0) Solid Brass Switch Plates Solid Brass Lamp Finials • Why not buy a gift for the home A 36" polished brass, 4 teak blade, revers- Ing- mb-tor Cerlirrg Fan,_oumplete- wttw�r afloraF schoolhouse globe at $9995 • FIBRE OPTIC LAMPS Sale ends Christmas Eve — Shop early for best selection. LIGHTING CENTRE ) an <� � 44company. 133 Regent St. 192 10th Street Stratford Hanover 273-0650 364.31 21 9