A skateboard for Tommy, a sweater for Sue, a lump of coal for bad Johnny, what’s that … oh, boo hoo.
Yes, it is that time of year again. Time to do the shopping. You know, this time of year, no one really likes going shopping. It’s one thing to deal with the crowds when you’re picking out cool gifts and things, but putting up with being a human pinball just to pick up some onions and things? Forget it.
So, how do you spend less time in the store? Easy. It will take you a little time at home, but you can sip on a little holiday cheer while you’re jotting things down. First, write down your menu with everything you need for each dish. Sounds like too much extra work? This does a couple of things, saving lots of time and frustration later.
First, it tells you exactly what you need to buy, which is the obvious goal. It also gets your brain working so you’re already coking the meal in your head but without any stress of missing steps or ingredients or time restraints. Once you have your menu, simply write the ingredients in a list and as you start needing the same ingredients for another dish, simply add it on and put a star for each dish it’s needed. This way you know that, for example, butter is needed for five dishes. You don’t need the full 5 lbs., but they don’t sell it by the stick usually and you will have extra if needed and can always freeze the leftovers.
Once the list is complete, shuffle it around a little so all your veggies are together, all your dairy together, etc. this will really cut down how much time you spend at the mercy of the mob. You can see at the bottom, I still included writing down the things I already have in the kitchen and I can this way add them easily to the list if I see I don’t have enough to cover the menu. Now, when it comes time to start cooking, you have already done it in your head, probably more than once, and you’ll find it much easier and more organized than just jumping in and trying to figure it out. Happy shopping.
Menu
Turkey
Gravy: 1 lb. mushrooms, 1 stick butter, 32 oz. chicken stock, sherry, flour
Seasonings: salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning
Green bean casserole
1 lb. beans, ½ lb. mushrooms, ¼ stick butter, 6 oz. chicken stock, flour, 2 T bread crumbs, 2 onions (for fried onions plus a little for sautéing with mushrooms), 4 oz. greyer
Squash
2 Squash, 1 stick butter, maple syrup, nutmeg, sage, poultry seasoning
Potatoes
5 lbs. potatoes, 4 oz. cream, 1 stick butter, nutmeg, 4 oz. feta cheese
Cranberry sauce
1 bag cranberries, 2 oz. orange juice, sugar
Eggnog
6 eggs, sugar, 1 qt. milk, vanilla, nutmeg, 8 oz. heavy cream, dark rum, bourbon or whiskey
Stuffing
10 breakfast sausages, 1 loaf white bread, 1 stick butter, 2 celery sticks, 2 carrots, 1 onion, sage, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, 4 oz. chicken stock
Shopping List
42 oz. chicken stock***
Fresh nutmeg
1 bunch sage**
1 bunch rosemary**
3 bunch thyme**
Poultry seasoning
1 can breadcrumbs
1.5 lbs. mushrooms**
1 lb. green beans
3 onions**
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 butternut squash
1 bag cranberries
5 lbs. potatoes or 10 potatoes
1 pt. heavy cream**
2 lbs. butter*****
4 oz. feta cheese
4 oz. greyer
6 eggs
Orange juice
10 sausages
Maple syrup
Sherry
Rum or booze of choice
1 loaf white bread
Items on hand
Flour, sugar, salt, pepper, milk, vanilla
Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. For more information and archived copies of Stir it Up, visit chefsmitty.com. Smitty welcomes your questions and comments at smitty@chefsmitty.com or (530) 412-3598.
