So far, we’ve given you two traditionally lucky foods to eat on New Year’s Day - black eyed peas and cabbage.  You might want to add a little bacon, sausage, ham hock or any other pork derived meat to what you are cooking.  Pigs are seen to be the luckiest animal because, unlike chickens who scratch backward or cows that stand still, pigs root forward.  Most of the recipes we’ve given so far already have pork in them, so you should be set.

However, a Spanish tradition says to eat twelve grapes at midnight.  The story goes that you should say the months of the year between eating each grape.  If the grape is sweet, that month of the year will be a sweet one.  You could cheat tradition a bit with a Spanish White Gazpacho made with grapes and almonds.  Say the month names if you want to, but there won’t be any sour grapes in your batch!!

If you want to make or keep a little chunk of change this coming year, you’ve gotta eat for it.  Tradition says that you should eat cabbage on New Year’s Day if you want prosperity for the coming year.  Your bunch will be the wealthiest on the block when you make our “not just cabbage” recipes.  They are so easy and delicious, the cash will be just an added  bonus!

Black eyed peas are a holiday staple on New Year’s Day.  They symbolize luck, humility, prosperity…all things that never hurt to have a little extra of.  If you want a traditional-style dish, you can check out our Southern Black Eyed Peas. We’ll be making our peas in a slightly more gourmet style with this award winning recipe for Black Eyed Pea Hummus. It is so delicious when it is served with pita chips and some red pepper escalivada. Try it out - you’ll feel like your luck came early this year!

Tomorrow may be your last big meal of the year.  It might be your last big meal for a while depending on what your New Year’s resolution is.  So knock yourself out.  Have all the holiday treats you wish!  But after it’s all said and done, you may feel a little….sick.  Just dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water for a home remedy that will have you back for seconds in no time!

There is some nostalgia that comes along with eating canned cranberry sauce with it’s cylindrical shape and ribbed sides.  However, there is so much more to this condiment.  We have created a Persimmon and Cranberry relish that will blow that canned stuff out of the water.  Try it out by clicking here.

Oh, and if you just have to have the traditional cranberry, you can melt a small amount into the simmering liquid.  When it is cooled, the result will be a gourmet version of an old classic.

If you are having company over the holidays, maintain peace in the house by keeping the natives fed.  We have lots of breakfast recipes on LearningHowToCook.com, but one of our favorites is this recipe for super fluffy Pancakes.

A couple of tips:

*Put small bowls of “pancake enhancers” out for your guests to choose from - blueberries, chocolate chips, chopped nuts - whatever you have.  Everyone loves pancakes, but you can allow your guests to put their individual touches on their own breakfast.

*Put your batter into a squeeze bottle; a recycled ketchup bottle washed well works perfectly.  This will keep those drops of batter off of the top of the stove.

For holiday entertaining this year, a good host/hostess should plan for everything.  In addition to having a variety of liquors and mixers on hand, you should plan for the non-drinkers as well.  Instead of offering your guests a plain soda or water with a twist of lemon, you might think about having some of these “Mocktails” in your repertoire.

*The combination of sparkling cider and fruit puree makes a festive “champagne” cocktail.  We like peach for bellini and raspberry for a Mrs. Clause.

*Muddle mint and limes with simple syrup, then top it off with club soda for a virgin Mojito.

*For a holiday brunch, a spicy Virgin Mary will do the trick.  Mix all of your favorite Mary ingredients, just omit the vodka!

*Mix up a batch of Meyer lemon lemonade.  You can mix it with lemon-lime soda for a great virgin cocktail (and with limoncello for a potent potable).

The best thing you can do for the designated drivers, Mommies-to-be and anyone else that just doesn’t drink alcohol is to make it just as or more special than the cocktails you are offering imbibers!  Think stemware.  Think garnish.  Your guests will love you for it.

Question:  What is Trussing and why should I do it?

truss is to secure poultry or other food (usually meat) with strings, pins or skewers so the food maintains a compact shape during cooking.

For fowl (Chicken, Turkey, Duck) - this slows the cooking of the breast meat so that the breast and thigh meat reach temperature at the same time.  Learn How by clicking here.

For stuffed and rolled cuts (flank steak, leg of lamb) - trussing holds the roll together.  Several lengths if butcher’s twine can be tied around the roll at 2-inch intervals.

For roasts - trussing will hold the roast in an even shape.  If one end of the roast is larger than the other, you can even it out by hand and then tie it to hold it in shape.  This will ensure uniform cooking throughout.

The kitchen can be a really stressful place in a restaurant.  At one restaurant we chef’d, a young cook came to work for us by way of a very respected restaurant in New York.  He took on any task we threw his way.  He was not one of those cooks that had to be watched.  His skills were manicured and he breathed a new life into the kitchen.  Until one day…we gave him the task of cleaning 20 pounds of chestnuts.  He quit at pound 14.  From that day on, if there was a task we thought a cook couldn’t handle, we called it a “chestnut”.
So we aren’t making a good case for the chestnut.  But anyone, and we mean ANYONE, can clean a pound in a flash if they have the steps down.

1.  Score the pointed end of the chestnut to make an “X” with a paring knife.  We like to hold the knife blade flat and firm against the point and use a rocking motion.  Make sure to score all the way through the shell.
2.  Place the nuts in an ovenproof skillet or on a baking sheet.
3.  Roast the chestnuts in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  (There are a lot of variables here.   The size of the nuts, how fresh they are, how accurate your oven temperature.  The best way to know if they are done is when the tips of the “X” cut start to peel back.)
4.  Let the chestnuts cool just enough to handle.  Peel them from the score.  The shell will have turned brittle enough to peel away.

Once they are roasted, you can employ the “what can I do to help” people to peel them for you.  They will be delighted and you will have your kitchen all to yourself!

Related Recipes

Chestnut Soup
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts
Bacon and Chestnut Stuffing

The holidays are coming, so we’re gearing up to cook a ham. If you have questions about what type to buy, how to cook the ham or what to put on it to make it the most delicious, check out our crash course Ham 101 on LearningHowToCook.com!