Carolié has hand-picked 28 of her favourite recipes from her Art of Cooking Recipe book to assist you with your festive menu planning. If you do not have a copy of this popular book that consists of 1001 recipes, be sure to order your copy of either the hard copy recipe book or the CD asap to qualify for the current special offer.
“If you do not have your menu for Christmas planned yet, I invite you to be my guest and share mine – family favourites from “Art of Cooking” which will not let you down! May you and also your culinary Christmas celebrations be blessed!’ – Carolié
Art Of Cooking Festive Recipes
Below are recipes from Carolié Fusion Festive Ideas collection. It includes recipes for festive drinks, starters and festive baking, from bread to biscuits and phyllo creations! Carolié’s tips for entertaining during the festive season are at the bottom of the post.
- Apple Rosé Welcome Drink
- Pikelets (aka flapjacks, crumpets or “Flappertjies”)
- Ricotta and smoked salmon/ham topping or dip (Scandinavian)
- Spicy Ricotta and almond/chickpea topping or dip (Southern American)
- Aniseed Bread (Moroccan)
- Festive Phyllo Fantasies (Moroccan) from Art of Cooking, Volume 2, page 795
- Cinnamon and sesame crescent biscuits (Moroccan)
- Prince William’s Chocolate and Cookie Groom’s Cake (English)
Festive Entertaining Tips
- “Time” does not stand still and once again it is “time” to make culinary preparations for the festive “time” ahead. May these appetising recipes become part of your festive menus.
- “Fine dining” can be taken too seriously. Cooking and eating should be about discovery and enjoyment, not analysis and criticism” What a pleasure!
- “Good food” results when you master the art of preparing and serving the most enjoyable meals using basic ingredients that are available and affordable and within the unavoidable boundaries set by “time” and budget
- Realistic enterprising cooking means to find out more and comply with healthy trends. Include “slow release energy” foods such as vegetables, non refined grains, legumes and pulses and learn to incorporate them in interesting ways.
- Avoid overly processed food that is hardly identifiable and replace it with fresh produce including dairy, fish, meat, grains, colourful vegetables and fruit
- Select meat and dairy products and cooking methods that limit but not completely exclude fat. Remember to include crisp and tasty raw ingredients as often as possible as snacks and salad to experience the full benefit from the bounty of fresh produce, available at a good price when in season!
Carolié de Koster/FOODLINK (caroliedekoster@gmail.com/foodlinknz@gmail.com)