Ingredients:

a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) Chocolate frosting
round, red lollipops (we used a Blow Pop)
m&m’s candies
black decorators’ gel frosting
pretzels
red shoestring licorice

Procedure:

To make one, first frost a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with chocolate frosting. Unwrap a round, red lollipop (we used a Blow Pop), trim the stem slightly, and stick it into the center of the cupcake for Rudolph’s very shiny nose. For eyes, set 2 M&M’s candies in place, then dot them with black decorators’ gel frosting. Carefully break large thin pretzels into antler shapes (this may take some practice!) and insert them into the top of the cupcake. Finally, add a short piece of red shoestring licorice for a mouth.

Ingredients:

sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
pepper to taste
chicken
2 cups vegetable oil, for deep-fat frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Procedure:

For the sauce, stir together the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce, and a pinch of pepper to taste. Set aside. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place flour and panko bread crumbs onto separate plates and season with salt and pepper. Place the beaten egg in a medium bowl. Dip flattened chicken pieces first into flour, then egg, and lastly bread crumbs. Fry breaded chicken breasts in preheated oil until golden brown and no longer pink in center, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. Slice chicken into thin strips and top with a drizzle of sauce and a sprinkling of sliced green onions. Serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Ingredients:

6 medium cucumbers
1 (8-ounce) container red pepper hummus
1(8-ounce) container lemon hummus
chopped chives for garnish

Procedure:

Create decorative stripes on the sides of the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler (for wide stripes) or a citrus zester (for thin stripes). We did a combo of the two, as shown above. Cut the cucumbers crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out the seeds to form a well, about 1/3 inch deep, in each slice. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the red pepper hummus into the wells of half of the cucumber cups, mounding it slightly. (For a fancier look, use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe in the filling.) Repeat the process with the lemon hummus and the remaining cups. Sprinkle all with chopped chives. Makes 20 servings (about 64 cups).

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon margarine
100 grams (0.22 pounds) bacon, cut into small pieces
2 onions, hacked
1 garlic, pressed
300 grams (0.66 pounds) cabbage, cut into strips
200 grams (0.44 pounds) celery, cut into pieces
250 grams (0.55 pounds) carrots, cut into slices
500 grams (1.10 pounds) potatoes, cut into slices
pepper
½ teaspoon dried or 1 teaspoon fresh thymian
800 grams (1.76 pounds) smoked rips
1 dl (3.4 fl. ounces) white wine
¼ teaspoon soup powder (instant soup)
4 tomatoes, pealed, cut into slices

Procedure:

Heat up the margarine in frying-pan. Add bacon, onion and garlic and stew. Add cabbage, celery, carrots and potatoes, cover and steam until the vegetables falls in. Spice with pepper and thymian. Place rips within the vegetables. Add white wine and soup, cook on low heat for about one hour. Add tomatoes and cook for 10 more minutes.

Ingredients:

30 individual frozen mini phyllo shells, thawed
3/4 cup mayonnaise
6 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 (1 1/4 -ounce) packet taco seasoning mix (3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Toppings:
grated carrot
shredded lettuce
minced cilantro
minced green bell pepper

Procedure:

Heat the oven to 375º. Place the phyllo shells on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the shells until they turn light golden, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, seasoning mix, and lime juice. Spoon the mixture into the phyllo shells. Top with the garnish of your choice. Arrange the tarts on a serving platter and keep them chilled until ready to serve. Makes 30 tiny tarts.

Ingredients:

1 pound jar grape leaves or fresh grape leaves
1 pound lamb, ground or cut into very small pieces
1 cup rice, rinsed
2 medium onions, very finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoon salt
2 cups tomato juice mixed with 1 teaspoon oregano

Procedure:

Thoroughly wash out salt from grape leaves in jar, then set aside. If using fresh grape leaves, dip the leaves in boiling water, then drain and use. Prepare stuffing by combining all remaining ingredients, except 1 teaspoon of the salt and tomato juice. Place approximately heaping tablespoon stuffing, depending on size, on wide end of each leaf, then roll tightly, making sure to tuck in ends when rolling. Continue until all leaves are rolled. Place any extra leaves on bottom of a saucepan, then arrange rolls over top side by side in alternating layers. Sprinkle remaining salt over top, then pour tomato juice over rolls. Cover with inverted plate, then add enough water to barely cover plate. Bring to boil, then cover. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour or until meat and rice are done. Serve hot as main course or for snacks.

Ingredients:

1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow or white cake mix
parchment paper or aluminum foil
12-inch wooden skewer
3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons water
3 teaspoons vanilla, peppermint, or lemon extract
food coloring in green and other shades of your choice
candies for ornaments (we used Runts candies)
1 tube yellow decorators’ icing (not gel icing)

Procedure:

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions using an electric mixer (this yields a firmer cake), then bake it in a 9- by 13-inch pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Let the cake cool completely. Place the cake on a cutting board and use a long, sharp knife (parents only) to shave off the rounded top. Carefully flip over the cake and cut it into 7 squares, as shown, setting the extra aside. Cut the bottom half off each of the 2 smallest squares and set them aside with the other leftover cake pieces. 3. Stack the cake squares from largest to smallest on a serving platter, setting each one at a 45-degree angle to the one below it. Trim the skewer so that it’s just slightly shorter than the cake, then stick it down through the stack to help keep the squares together. To prepare the glaze, stir together the confectioners’ sugar, water, and extract in a medium bowl until smooth (it should be about the consistency of honey). Set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture, then tint the remaining glaze with the green food coloring until it reaches a shade you like. (We used about 1/8 teaspoon, or about 12 drops.) Pour the tinted glaze over the cake from the top, using a rubber spatula or butter knife to gently spread it over the cake as needed. 6. To make the presents, divide the remaining icing among 2 or 3 bowls and tint each with a different shade of food coloring. Cut the extra cake pieces into small squares, then set them on a wire rack with a plate or waxed paper underneath. Pour the glaze over the squares. Let the icing set for a few minutes, then use a spatula to carefully move the presents to the base of the tree. Decorate the tree with candy ornaments, then use the tube of decorators’ icing to add a frosting garland to the tree and frosting ribbons and bows to the gifts. To serve, remove and cut the layers one at a time. Makes 18 to 20 servings.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2 cups cooked rice
brown gravy
4 eggs
Shoyu, ketchup, etc.

Procedure:

Make 4 patties from ground beef. Fry or broil until well done. Fry eggs sunny side up or over easy. Serve 2 scoop rice on platter; place hamburger patty on rice and 1 egg over hamburger. Pour gravy over everything and add desired seasoning.

Ingredients:

cupcake
white and red icing
mini marshmallow
shredded coconut
blue and pink gel icing
red candy

Procedure:

Frost the cupcake with a layer of white icing. Add the red frosting hat, curving it around the side of Santa’s face, and a marshmallow pom-pom. Sprinkle on a ring of coconut to make Santa’s beard and hair. Draw on his eyes and cheeks with gel icing, then top it all off with a red candy nose.

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus
500 grams butter
30 ml. white vinegar
5 egg yolks
10 m.l Paperbark Smoke Oil
5 grams Dijon mustard
salt

Procedure:

Take two saucepans. In one, melt the butter. Half fill the other saucepan with water and heat to a simmer. When the butter has melted, remove and reserve the melted butter leaving the cream behind in the saucepan. In a stainless steel bowl which fits over the saucepan of simmering water, add the egg yolks and mustard and using a fine whisk combine well then continue beating with the bowl over the simmering water until the mixture lightens in colour and begins to thicken. This can take a good 5 minutes. At this point, remove the bowl from over the simmering saucepan and place it onto a coiled towel to hold the bowl while you slowly pour the melted butter into the mixture, starting with just a trickle and continue to whisk continuously. As the mixture begins to really thicken up, use a little of the vinegar to thin the sauce down and continue to add the butter until it is all taken in. To finish, whisk in the Paperbark smoked oil, taste the hollandaise and add salt, if required. Transfer the hollandaise sauce to a sauce boat, cover with plastic wrap and store in a warm place until required.