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Brian Reeve, home cook
Start holiday prep early--Plan your menu a few weeks before the big day.  Buy non-perishable ingredients a week before.  Freeze stuff like cakes and pies the weekend before.  The earlier you plan, the less tired you'll be, and you can enjoy your friends and family.  

 

Question--Last week, I recommended substituting crushed cereal for bread crumbs when coating pork chops or chicken before frying.  Curlie from New Jersey asked, "what kind of cereal?"  Curlie, I use Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal to add a hint of sweetness.  You can also try corn flakes.  Click on saltandpepperchefs.com to get my pork chop recipe.  

 

 

Chef "Tee" Terrell Danley, restaurant owner/culinary instructor

Popcorn is a great holiday snack--Make it the old fashioned way with corn oil in a pan and a lid.  It tastes much better than the microwave version, and the aroma is amazing.  Butter and salt are great traditional toppings, but experiment with others like pepper, steak seasonings, garlic or Parmesan cheese.  If you make too much, set some aside for holiday decorations.

 

  

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Chef Lauren Von Der Pool, vegan/raw food cuisine expert

Yams--I just love them.  Mashed, roasted, in a pie or soup, the holidays wouldn't be the same without them.  High in fiber and Vitamin C, yams are as sweet as candy, but they have a positive effect on blood sugar because they actually stabilize it.  Even though yams and sweet potatoes are different, yams are generally referred to as sweet potatoes in the United States because of their similar taste and appearance.

Learn more about Von Der Pool's exotic vegan and raw food cuisine at vonderpoolgourmet.com.

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Do you have a culinary question or tip to share? 
Email your questions and tips, along with your city and state, to  drakeel@drakeelenterprises.com.  We will do our best to publish as many as we can.

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