December 12, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 13 (ARA) - If preparing the holiday feast falls upon you, the pressure is on to get it just right. Whether you’re faithfully replicating treasured family recipes, or want to put a new creative spin on seasonal culinary customs, achieving success with the food you offer can define a happy holiday experience for all. Want to try a menu item that’s completely new? Don’t choose the morning of your gathering to attempt replacing everyone’s favorite pumpkin pie with that new pumpkin crème brûlée. Make sure you have mastered any new dish before springing it on your guests. If you’re going to create a new tradition, you need to be prepared to knock it out of the park. If food that is entirely new and unexpected is too risky to attempt, or just not acceptable for the traditionalists around your table, try livening up classic standbys in a subtle, yet transformative way. Try something derivative of the classic recipes loves: Transform turkey with an herbed basting butter, or Tips for elevating the traditional holiday meal use ready-made spice blends such as curry, barbecue, or southwest chili seasoning as dry rubs, or for adding stealthflavor updates to the gravy. Roast the meat entrée on a bed of seasonal herbed vegetables, including carrots, parsnips, shallots, and fall mushrooms. This step will add moisture and flavor that may rival hours of traditional butter-basting. When the meat is done, puree the roasted vegetables to create a healthier take on traditional gravy, or try serving them whole right along the entrée as a side dish that saves time and oven space. Elevate the flavor of plain white russet potatoes by including buttery turnips, creamy-textured celery root, sweet fennel bulb, nutty cauliflower, and seasonings such as parsley, garlic, and chives. For dessert, use a bit of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and sugar, or a dusting of clove, nutmeg, and sugar to create a flavored whipped cream for the traditional pumpkin pie. All traditions evolve, but if something derivative is still too extreme, slip in a subtle twist that improves upon the original. Every traditional food or recipe has likely gone through many incremental changes, even to the point that the dish has probably changed substantially over time. It makes perfect sense to question outmoded preparation techniques or unhealthy ingredients, so don’t be afraid to slip in subtle twists to any time-worn recipes. For instance, your mother or grandmother may very well have relied upon synthetic (and even unhealthy) imitation vanilla flavoring. Real vanilla is a much better investment in quality and flavor and could make a remarkable difference in your baking. If the vanilla is organic and certified Fair Trade, that’s even better. Likewise, simply cleaning out the spice cabinet and replacing all those aging seasonings with fresh organic spices will do wonders to improve the flavor of any standard family dishes without transforming them into something unrecognizable. For more creative meal tips and a great selection of premium herbs and spices, including organic Fair Trade vanilla, visit www.frontiercoop.com.