TigerChef

Holiday calories don’t count- right? The orange spiced buns bake together to form a heavenly beautiful round flower-like cake- a great way to end a holiday meal. Want to serve them as individuals? No problem. Instead of baking them in a round pan, place them on a large cookie sheet, leaving a 1-1/2” space between each bun.

Ingredients:

¾ cup orange juice
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup warm orange juice
4 1/2 tsp dry yeast
5 to 6 cups flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsp grated orange rind

Directions:

In a 2 qt saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. ...continue reading

A big part of pulling together all of the elements of holiday affairs is Planning (with a capital P!), and caterers, of course, are the ultimate planners. Everything in our business has to work in synch. A beautiful table, often the focus of the event, takes definite planning and forethought. This season when you are planning table settings for a holiday event, think disposable tableware for unmatched elegance and practicality.

Disposable Tableware for the Holidays

The holidays are, in fact, a particularly good time to use disposable dinnerware and disposable tableware. So many events at this time of the year are off-site, and disposables definitely cut down on clean-up time and also avoid breakage. From disposable glasses, such as champagne flutes, wine glasses, and parfait cups for dessert, to disposable serving bowls in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, disposables offer a great way to add pizazz to your tables. Other disposables that are attractive and handy are disposable cocktail shakers and ice buckets. All of these quality disposables offer strength, as well as beauty. Consider mixing in some of these peripheral items, even when you don’t choose to do a completely disposable affair. ...continue reading

What would a Thanksgiving meal be without a cranberry something-or-other? Combine cranberry with a good piece of meat and you’ve got yourself a delicious dish that is wonderful for your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons onion soup mix
1 cup water
6 slices of minute steak

Directions:

Combine the cranberry sauce, soup mix and water. Pour mixture over steaks. Place in a 9 x 13” aluminum pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Tip: To use this recipe for a whole roast, use a 3 to 5lb roast and double the sauce recipe. Bake in a large Dutch oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Every time I bite into an apple, no matter in what form, I am reminded of and fascinated by the variety of types, tastes and applications of this one particular fruit that is available throughout the world!

On today’s menu: Apple Turnovers.  They look especially attractive on a tiered serving dish with other apples miniature and will create the perfect festive look. For an even classier effect, they can be made into miniature sizes by cutting smaller dough squares and of course, use less filling in each one.

Ingredients:

1 package 5” pastry dough squares

Filling:

3 large Cortland apples
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons boiling water ...continue reading

Anyone who has ever hosted a Thanksgiving, Christmas, and/or New Year’s meal can attest to the fact that by the time it came to the actual meal, they were too stressed out and tired to benefit from all the time and effort they put into getting everything ready. The preparations do tend to be somewhat stressful and draining with all the running around “like a chicken without a head” in our attempt to make sure that everything gets done and no detail is left out. How does preparing for the big bash without all the stress sound to you? Think it’s impossible? Think again.
 

1. Probably the most important and de-stressing step you can take in order to have a stress-less preparation stage is planning ahead of time. Anything that can, should be bought (and made) ahead of time. There is no reason for you to wait until the week of the holiday to buy your accessories and supplies you need to create your centerpieces.
2. Any dish that will taste just the same whether it is made the day of or defrosted the day of should be prepared in advance. Most soups freeze very well, not to mention desserts. These courses can be prepared well ahead of time, even as much as two weeks beforehand. Just about everything else can be made a day or two ahead of time, stored tightly in proper containers, and refrigerated. The only foods that need to be made the day of are foods that are perishable, i.e. salads. Even those foods can be prepared in advance - just leave the dressing for the last minute!
3. If anybody offers to make something, never turn them down. Pride aside, no matter how capable you may be one dish off your list will spare you some precious time, whether it may be 10 minutes or an hour. Every minute makes a difference. ...continue reading
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This soup may be a bit time-consuming for an everyday meal, but when it comes to Thanksgiving or any other special occasion, you’ll be happy  you took the time to make it. Aside from being delicious, the butternut and acorn squash soup is very healthy and, as an added bonus, is completely fat-free! It’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, and is a great source of protein. The good news is that it freezes very well, so feel free to make it in advance and freeze it too have ready on that festive occasion.

Ingredients:

2 small to medium butternut squash
2 acorn squash
1 large onion diced
1 cup barley, soaked and rinsed
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, optional

  ...continue reading

Ever wondered how the rest of the world celebrates their New Year’s Eve? What are their New Year’s traditions and beliefs? Well, I was curious so I did some research and boy am I amazed. Thought I should share it with you. Here goes:

In Spain, the Spaniards celebrate New Year’s Eve by eating grapes. They invite several friends over for a late dinner. Late meaning 9:00 in the evening at the earliest! A few minutes before 12:00 a.m., they bring out the dessert which consists of bunches of grapes. With each ring of the midnight bells, everyone eats one grape. This tradition which has been passed on for many generations is meant to carry with it some good luck for the New Year.

In Colombia, it is the custom to construct a dummy representing the closing year. Each family member donates some clothing that is no longer worn to make the dummy. They then stuff it using straw and firecrackers. Every participating member then takes a piece of paper and writes down a bit of bad luck or some fault that they would want to free themselves of. At 12:00 am on the button, the dummy is lit and left to burn until all that is left of it are ashes. The old year’s faults and bad luck is thought to disappear together with the dummy.

 In Greece, it is a tradition to serve New Year's Bread at 12:00am on January 1. They place either a coin or a charm inside this special bread. At exactly midnight, the head of the family slices the bread and distributes it to each family member, in age order. The member who receives the piece of bread with the coin or charm is believed to be showered with good fortune throughout the New Year. ...continue reading

Having a hard time deciding what to buy your loved one, a close family member, a good friend or that special neighbor for the Holidays? Well, we at TigerChef.com, have decided to try and help you out with a random survey made amongst our friends and co-workers. Here are some suggestions that you may find useful.

1. 'Personalization is the key. My closest friend always makes picture boards. Using her creative talents, she arranges photos that include herself and the person she is making it for. She actually once put together a CD for me with six of

   

   my most favorite tracks on it.’
2.  ‘My children made a “Lifetime Book” for us for our 40^th anniversary. They got all our buddies- some of whom we had not been in contact with for quite some time- and family members - to write down a personal reminder of a little memory that we shared together. They also got a great deal of pictures to go along with the memories. Thrilled? An understatement! We were extremely emotional since we had never realized that so many people think so highly of us and that we had touched so many lives that significantly.’
3. ‘No matter what time of year it is, if you see something, buy it- particularly at sale time. That way, when the holiday rolls around and it’s present time, you can shop in your own closet first and you will discover a nice amount of gifts you can choose from. Trust me, it saves you a big headache.’ ...continue reading
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