Crinella Family Cookbook
Our Grandparents' Favorites
Anti Pasti
Soups
Salads
Pasta
Vegetables
Fish
Poultry
Meat
Wild Game
Sweets
Brunch or Luncheon Dishes
Odds & Ends
Sour Dough
Other Breads ETC
Entertaining Ideas
Table of Contents
People
Family Photos
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Happy Holidays
No one wants to step on the scale January 2, to find out that 10
pounds have been piled on during the holidays. Unfortunately, our
traditional holiday menus were developed when people worked very hard
10 or 12 hours a day and could consume 6,000 calories without gaining
an ounce. If we eat even half of that amount nowadays, with our more
sedentary life styles we will put on a lot of weight.
Whether you are hosting a dinner party, cocktail party or brunch, It
is thoughtful to include several dishes that are not loaded with
calories and fat.
Most of the recipes included in the Crinella Family Cookbook have
had their caloric content reduced as much as possible.
Our family never spent much time having drinks and hors d'oeuvres
before lunch or dinner. As is the Italian custom we might serve "a
little something while we
wait a few minutes." At the most, we could have had a short glass
of wine, carrot sticks, celery sticks and a cube or two of Vella Dry
Jack Cheese, some anti-pasto, or a small square of frittata. Even on
holidays people often arrived for meals from the golf course,
horseback riding or hunting and were very hungry so a few minutes meant
exactly that. It you arrived more than fifteen minutes late, everybody
would be at the table as it was considered a great rudeness not to be
prompt.
It would seem like terrible waste to fill up on dips and chips
when a meal of roasted pheasant or ravioli was waiting. Nowadays,
I like to serve
a few well prepared, simple items and a glass of wine to guests
before dinner. And I do not like to delay serving dinner no matter
how merry and
interesting the conversation.
Whenever possible for holiday dinners, I roast a selection of
vegetables for low calorie choices. It is easy to do and roasting
brings out the flavor
so that nothing else such as butter or a sauce need be added. I get
a pan, put some olive oil on the bottom, peel and add the vegetables.
This time
of the year I will use cubed pumpkin or butternut squash, carrots,
onions, potatoes, bell peppers, beets and put the pan into the oven at
about 380 degrees. Or sometimes, I just spray the pan and vegetables
with cooking spray and use the left over vegetables the next day as a
salad dressed with vinaigrette. After twenty minutes I might stir the
vegetables a little, add a clove or two of garlic and some salt and
pepper and roast until done.
A sprig or two of fresh rosemary is also nice and in the last 15 minutes
I sometimes add some good olives or even capers. My friends and
family love vegetables cooked this way and we never even stop to think
we are
eating something that is so low calorie. Roasting usually takes
about an hour and
fifteen minutes.
Another thing I like to do is serve salads that are not loaded with
highly caloric dressings and ingredients.
My winter salads usually have curly endive or escarole and simple
vinaigrette dressings. I might add some chopped scallions, cucumbers,
roasted tomatoes or maybe even grapefruit slices or grated carrots, or
chopped roasted vegetables for flavor or color. I will roast tomatoes
in the winter for salads to intensify the flavors as the tomatoes we
get are usually very bland at this time of the year.
I think desserts should really be smallish portions, more like little
tastes. As a hostess I never am offended when
someone just asks for a small portion of dessert or none. And, as a
guest, I always ask for a very small portion of dessert. Most of my
desserts are made from fruits................in the winter I might poach
pears, or grill pineapple slices, in the summer the fruit is fresh. I
decide on my dessert as
a balance against the heaviness of the preceding courses. No doubt
about it, pumpkin and mince pies are loaded with calories so I think it
is good to serve something light as well such as baked pears or apples
for those guests who are watching their diets.
Here are some great dishes that are light on the calories.
I would like to wish each of you a very Happy Holiday and to thank you
for your continued support of Crinella Winery.
Ramona Crinella
CEO/Chairman
Crinella Winery
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