Secrets of puff pastry revealed
By Sandra Hoopes, December 2011
Foods Editor
It’s no secret that wintertime is packed with all types of parties. From the holiday cocktail party to the Super Bowl bash, the reasons to celebrate don’t stop until the last Valentine has been opened. These parties can be a lot of fun; unless, of course, you’re the one doing all the cooking.
Don’t get stuck in the kitchen and miss your own party or settle for the same old “chips and dips” routine that everyone serves. You could hire a professional chef to impress your guests, but that can be expensive. Why not cater your own party like a professional with a few tips on how to cook with puff pastry?
Puff pastry is a flakey dough that is so versatile it can be made into everything from appetizers to desserts. It is perhaps the most difficult dough for a bakery to make. Luckily, it is available in the freezer section of almost any grocery store.
When choosing puff pastry dough, read the ingredient list and try to choose a brand made with real butter. Puff pastry dough made with vegetable oil is a good alternative if you can’t find dough made with butter, and it is actually great for vegan dishes.
Twice baked potatoes, twice the holiday fun
By Ryan Dreesch, December 2011
Sports Editor
Being from a single parent family, one learns to fend for oneself to avoid the microwave cuisine as often as possible. This potato recipe is a favorite of mine during the fall months due to the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas stretch of family gatherings worthy of a delicious side dish for an inexpensive price. All this twice-baked potato recipe calls for is an hour and 30 minutes of time and some care. Here’s what is needed to prepare this recipe:
• A bag of large potatoes, russet style are the best; the bigger the better (five potatoes makes four overstuffed servings );
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1/2 cup of milk; 2 percent makes creamier potatoes, and skim milk makes a healthier meal;
• 1/2 cup of butter, again regular makes creamier potatoes, and fat-free makes healthier potatoes;
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, American is usually the standard, but jazzing up the potatoes is a matter of cheese preference. Muenster is a good alternative due to the color and texture it carries once melted;
• 1 tablespoon of diced chives;
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil to lightly cover each potato (this helps cooking time and to crisp the potatoes);
• A pan lined with tin foil will prevent a messy cleanup and help crisp the skins;
• 1/2 cup of sour cream to top the finished potatoes;
• A frying pan and five pieces of bacon, depending on how many people are being served; and
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A mixing bowl to mash the potatoes and combine the ingredients.
Valley couple brings vegan ethics to holiday table
By Bonnie Barnard, December 2011
Staff Writer
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Photo courtesy of Michele and Lonnie Whittington |
How does a family celebrate Christmas without a turkey or ham on their table? Without whipped cream piled atop their pie or figgy pudding? What is Christmas without butter and eggnog? For some families, eating compassionately trumps tradition. The Michele and Lonnie Whittington are one such family and they are part of a growing number.
This Christmas, the Phoenix couple can be found officiating Sunday church service at Creative Living Fellowship on 7th Street and McLellan. Michele is the senior pastor and will speak to the metaphysical meaning of Jesus’ birth, while Lonnie, a newly ordained minister, will lead the congregation in announcements. After a full morning, they will return to their nearby home for a quiet day.
“Although I’m vegan, Christmas is still about the food. The food we eat is ammmazing,” Michele rolls her m for emphasis. “We will light some candles in the kitchen and dining room for ambience, turn on some background 70s holiday music, and I will sit at our ample table replete with holiday wear drinking a glass of organic red wine. Lonnie and I will talk or sing as he prepares the meal.”
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