by Bev Bennett
Think of a supermarket’s holiday meal as the plain white T-shirt. It covers the essentials, but with some adornment, it can be a knockout.
Accessories include nuts, herbs, olive oil, cheese, wine and/or spirits, honey and fruit.
1. Start with appetizers, the course that sets the tone.
Your simple but elegant opening gambit is fresh figs, stuffed with a little cheese, maybe Gorgonzola or Camembert, and wrapped in sliced prosciutto. You can heat it just until the cheese melts, says Julie Jones, Ph.D., who works with the California Fig Advisory Board.
2. Dinner Rolls
Dinner rolls don’t have to be an afterthought, not if you follow a tip from Missy Chase Lapine, author of the upcoming book, “The Speedy Sneaky Chef.” “I always warm them, no matter what. It makes them taste better,” says Lapine. She recommends heating rolls in a conventional oven, not a microwave.
For another layer of flavor, brush the rolls with olive oil, sprinkle with a little coarse salt and chopped rosemary, before putting them in the oven.
“It gives [the roll] a wonderful homemade taste,” adds Lapine.
3. Gravy Upgrade
Switch to an elegant fig and Port reduction in place of the gravy, suggests Jones.
If you prefer an easy approach using the gravy that comes with the prepared meal, you can enliven the flavor. Pour the gravy into a small saucepan. Add a generous pinch of minced fresh sage and a splash of dry vermouth. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until your company crowds the kitchen.
4. Toasted Nuts
We all know nuts are delicious, but they’re even better after toasting.
“If you’re serving nuts of any kind, toast them in a dry skillet for two to three minutes, adding a little rosemary,” says Lapine, who recommends herb-toasted nuts as an appetizer.
5. Spruce Up Veggies
Although you may not expect guests to clamor for vegetables, you can change that.
Stir minced chives into the mashed potatoes; drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over baked squash, sprinkle toasted nuts on green beans or broccoli and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on baked potato wedges.
