When we think of planning a big meal, we’re reminded of this great quote credited to American humorist Calvin Trillin  - “The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” Wonderful! How many of us sometimes feel like we’re magicians constantly concocting new ways to serve up the same old dishes to our family. It is not easy coming up with new things to make!

We came across this great idea for a 7 course meal and thought it would be fun to try to make something a little different and a bit more complicated over the weekend as a special meal, just because.

It’s hard to believe that Labor Day weekend is here,  just when we were getting into our summer groove.  But the truth is fall is our favorite season. There is something about the crispness in the air, the beautiful colors, and the tempation to spend more time indoors cooking and relaxing.

Fall is also a great time for a roadtrip, maybe to some place historical or even the beach if it’s not too cold. Our families have found September and October to be a perfect beach season. The weather is still nice and the beach is much less crowded. It’s like having your own piece of paradise all to yourself.  Here’s hoping we all can make the time for a much-needed family getaway soon!

Well, when it comes to eating fish packed with nutritious Omega-3 fatty acids, anytime of the year is fish season. We’ve just noticed that in summer we tend to eat more fish around here - probably because we have the grill out more and it’s one of our favorite ways of cooking fish.

As a matter of fact, a few of the Dad’s here went out fishing with the kids at the local lake for Father’s Day - and while they didn’t catch anything worth keeping, it was a perfect morning. So everyone decided to have fish for dinner & we went with tuna steaks, flounder and shrimp - delicious! 

I always like learning a bit about the different descriptions and nuances of common cooking expressions.

These are just a few of the practical definitions I came across about some of the common terms and cooking methods you’ll find in recipe books.

Stirring – Moving the spoon or knife round and round, in ever widening circles, until ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Beating- Cutting down with a spoon or other utensil from the top to bottom of a mixture and then bringing the utensil up to the surface, then passing over and down again turning the mixture over and over with the objective being to combine air with the mixture making it light.

Cutting and Folding- Usually applies to the process of incorporating beaten egg whites or cream into another mixture without destroying the bubbles that have already been formed. Generally done by using a spoon or knife to cut down to the bottom of the dish, turn, bring to the top and then fold over the mixture brought to the surface, repeating the process until ingredients are completely blended.

Au Gratin – To serve a dish covered with cracker or bread crumbs, buttered and browned in the oven. An example would be to mix 1 cup crumbs with 1/3 cup melted butter, spread over a hot dish (usually a cooked dish mixed with sauce) and then set it in the oven long enough to brown the crumbs.

Boning – Removing all bones from fish or fowl, leaving only flesh. In boning a fowl, the flesh is removed from the bones in one piece.

Tossing- Moving small articles around in the frying pan in which there is melted butter or seasonings so that the articles may be uniformly covered by the butter or seasoning. This can be done by gently shaking the pan as if popping corn or by quickly turning the articles over with a utensil.

Do you love the smell of fresh-baked bread or homemade cookies filling your  home?  Is there anything better than warm bread and butter or dipping chocolate chip cookies in milk?  And baking isn’t just about the enjoyment of the dish, but it’s also about the sharing of it - whether it’s sharing in the enjoyment of creating it or sharing in the enjoyment of eating it.

Fill your kitchen with the right tools for baking your favorite creation.  Here are some basic baking items every baker should keep handy for their next project.

On Carving Meat

To carve meat properly, you’ll need a carving board, thin sharp knives and a fork for holding the meat. To be appetizing, be sure to cut the meat across the grain in thin, even slices. Here are some tricks for cutting specific kinds of meat.

Fillet of Beef- Begin at the thick end and cut the fillet into thick slices. Cut transversely or directly across.

Round Steak- Cut in narrow strips across the grain, from the outer edge of fat to opposite side.

Leg of Lamb – Let the leg rest on the platter with the outer side upward and the small round bone to your left. Press the carving fork down into the meat at the 1^st joint, above the end of the round bone on the left. Then, starting at the top of the central portion of the roast, cut in slices don to the bone until the large bone is reached – then proceed to run the knife to run it along the bone, loosening the slices.

Roasted Turkey or Chicken- Place the turkey or chicken with the drumsticks to carver’s right. Insert the carving fork at the highest point of breastbone. First cut the leg and second joint furthest from you, then the wing in the same way, moving onto the leg and wing on the other side. Proceed to cut thin slices lengthwise the breast, one side at a time.

Baked Fish- From a whole fish, the head is removed first. Then run the knife through the flesh along the backbone cutting as close as possible. Cut the half turned towards you, or the top half, in thick slices and then turn the dish around and cut the other side.

These are some basic tips for setting a formal table.

• Linen should be immaculate and all china, glass and silver should be glistening
• The plate marks the center of each place setting (any decorations on the plate should place the sitter)
• Allow a minimum of 25 inches length for each place setting space (30 inches is preferable).
• Allow 15-16 inches in depth for each place setting (so, for example, all glasses, plates, etc. are set inside an imaginary line 15-16 inches from the edge of the table).
• Placement of silverware: Knives and spoons are placed at the right (the knife should be closest to the plate with the cutting edge turned toward the plate), forks at the left (with tines facing upwards). The silverware should be set ½ inch from the edge of the table with the 1^st one to be used farthest from the plate.
• Glasses are set to the right of the plate, near the point of the knife.
• Bread plates are set on the left at the point of the fork, with a spreader laid across it.
• Napkins are placed to the left of the fork
• Salt, pepper and water carafes should be placed between on the table every two place settings.

While the chance to do something this fancy is rare for most of us, it’s fun to know how it’s supposed to look when it’s done right. Now, we just need to remember when to use what piece of silverware for which course! It’s worth a visit to Emily Post for more table setting and etiquette information.

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