Submitted by: agcomm, Thu Nov 20 09:45:32 1997 Prairie Fare: Tweaking Those Holiday Traditions Graphic accompanies this column in hard copy and is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/graphics/pf112097.gi f Many people think of the holiday season in terms of images. Colors of red and green or perhaps green and blue or even blue and silver. Picturesque visions of powdery snow adorning mighty evergreens. Delightful cherubs whose faces glow with excitement and whose eyes project an inward twinkle. But me, I like to imagine a seemingly endless buffet of hors d'oeuvres and other appetizers--the kinds you can jab with a toothpick or fork or pick up with your fingers. I fantasize about meatballs and pickled herring and shrimp cocktail and liver sausage. I see myself eating deviled eggs and stuffed mushrooms and bite-sized cheese balls covered with smoky diced almonds. I can almost feel the home-fried tortilla chips snap in my mouth, which begins watering as I reflect upon the creaminess of refried beans made with lard, the salsa fragrant with cilantro and the guacamole brought to life with lime juice, garlic, cilantro and an assortment of spices. My mind's eye ambles farther down the buffet line. I smile at the array of hot dips. One features chopped artichokes, red bell pepper and feta cheese, surrounded by chips of raw pasta that's been fried to a delicate crispness. Another is a mixture of ground bison, green peppers, onions and a Kansas City-style barbecue sauce. A third contains blue cheese, chopped broccoli and crumbled crispy bacon. A Chile Con Queso sits nearby, embraced by a wreath of fresh, crisp vegetables. Beyond the dips lie empanadas, savory Mexican turnovers, followed by Reuben balls--each sporting a crunchy outside from its hot-oil "bath" and its inside oozing all the ingredients of a Reuben sandwich: sauerkraut, corned beef and Swiss cheese. Positioned near the Reuben balls are two decorative bowls, one containing Russian dressing laced with horseradish and the other a full-bodied homemade mustard powerful enough to scorch those nose hairs you can't reach with the tweezers. Accompanying the empanadas and Reuben balls are dolmas, stuffed grape leaves. Egg rolls are also part of the offering, teamed with sweet and sour and hot chili sauces. With room on my imaginary plate for just one more morsel, I spot the phyllo bundles, a flaky, pastry-wrapped combination of cream cheese, sage, walnuts and Italian-style prosciutto ham. Wow. Aren't the holidays great? Of course, I've never been to a buffet that's featured all this food. I've produced a few Christmas and New's Year Eve line-ups that, when combined, might come close. But common sense and my inability to afford an expanded wardrobe are two key reasons why I attempt moderation during the holidays. Moderation is the reason for making sure that what you do eat during the holidays is truly enjoyable. Now, everyone has favorites, and I wouldn't suggest tampering with tradition during the holidays. Or would I? Last year, I decided not to make oyster stew for Christmas Eve. Instead, I put my shucked oysters and some heavy cream into a buttered baking dish and used chopped spinach, crumbled bacon, grated Swiss cheese and sliced green onions as toppers. Voila. A version of Oysters Rockefeller. If you've never treated guests to a buffet anything like what I've described, maybe this is the year. You don't have to wait until New Year's Day to start new traditions. Here are a few ideas on how you might tweak your own favorite finger foods. Substitute equal amounts of fresh ground pork and ground ham for the beef in your meatball recipe; add some chopped, dried cranberries (you'll have to eyeball this the first time). Then switch sauces: use a honey-Dijon barbecue sauce. Forget about putting your cocktail weiners in barbecue sauce. Instead, put the little dogs on a bed of sauerkraut. Set the baking dish on your buffet line, and let your guests help themselves. Of course, you'll have a supply of cocktail buns nearby. Yes, that's right. Mini hot dogs. Why do you think they call 'em cocktail buns anyway? Space limits me from offering more suggestions, but you should be getting the drift by now. Double check your recipe books or go to the Internet for more ideas. Meanwhile, here's my recipe for guacamole. What better time to serve this green mixture of tongue-tantalizing taste and texture than during the holidays? Guacamole Yield: about 3 cups Ingredients: cup fresh-squeezed lime juice 5 medium-sized ripe avocados 2 to 6 garlic cloves, minced (quantity depends on personal preference) teaspoon ground chili pepper teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons each--salsa or picante sauce (preferablyhomemade), chopped fresh cilantro, minced green onions, white sugar salt, fresh-ground black pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste Procedure: Squeeze limes and place juice in a bowl large enough to hold avocados. Wash avocados and then halve one at a time. Remove seed and spoon out green pulp into bowl, making sure to cover completely with lime juice each time. Be careful not to allow any bits of skin to remain attached to pulp. When all the pulp has been scooped into bowl, mash well. Add remaining ingredients, mix together and place into a container just large enough to hold guacamole; the container should have a tight-fitting cover. Exposure to air is what causes guacamole to discolor, so minimize exposure when storing and serving. You may want to put a layer of plastic wrap over the guacamole when you store it. Serve guacamole with crisp corn or flour tortilla chips. Feliz Navidad. What's Your Take on This, Julie? This tasty Mexican-style dip with its festive green color can complement a colorful spread of appetizers. Try adding some chopped red peppers to make it even more colorful. A 2 tablespoon serving of guacamole has about 75 calories and 6.4 grams of fat. A serving also provides about 17 percent of the daily vitamin C recommendation, mainly due to the vitamin C-rich peppers. To keep fat content in check, consider serving guacamole with baked tortilla chips instead of deep-fried. Avocados are a rarity in the fruit world because they contain a fair amount of fat. A medium-size avocado contains about 300 calories and about 31 grams of fat. Like any plant product, though, avocados are cholesterol-free. The avocado has been known by many colorful names such as the "alligator pear" due to the appearance of its flesh and as the "custard apple" and "midshipmen's butter" due to its texture. A ripe avocado will yield to gentle pressure. Hold at room temperature until the avocado reaches the right softness to eat, then refrigerate up to three days before using. The holidays are a prime time for trying foods from other cultures and starting new traditions. With parties and baked goods at their most plentiful, it's often difficult to manage healthy eating and avoid the usual holiday weight gain of five pounds or more. To manage the multiple temptations of the season, have a light snack such as toast, yogurt, fruit, or cereal and milk before going to parties or setting the table for your guests. Decide in advance how many appetizers you will have, and don't park yourself close to the appetizer table. Gather your goodies in a napkin instead of on a plate to avoid choosing the dripping, often fat-laden appetizers. If you're the cook, taste-test with a very small spoon. Difficult as it may seem, enjoying the tastes of the season in moderation often means fewer New Year's resolutions for weight loss. ### NDSU Agriculture Communication Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136 Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187