Column Reprint: Holiday Gifts
‘Tis the season to send food! If it hadn’t occurred to me yet, my mailbox would remind me. Sheaves of catalogues arrive daily, selling everything from cheesecakes to petit fours to caramel corn. I love the age-old tradition of giving gifts of food. They’re always the right size and the right color. They don’t take up storage space, at least not for long. They require no dusting. And who ever has enough goodies, with all those holiday guests dropping in?
But I refuse to give junk food. I have a reputation to uphold! Anyway, I love those folks, or I wouldn’t be sending them gifts in the first place. I want to give them treats they’ll enjoy, yes, but without undermining their health.
Homemade delicacies are even more traditional than commercially-made fare. But again, I won’t give people I love sugar and white flour. I do have some terrific recipes for sugar-free cookies*, but they don’t ship well. (I have, however, hand-delivered a selection of sugarless cookies to my diabetic father-in-law.)
Fortunately, once you look past the dancing sugar plums there are plenty of options for healthful holiday treats:
* Fruit -- In my youth, a Florida relative would send a crate of superb pink grapefruit every Christmas. They tasted like sunshine, and always vanished as if by magic. I have often sent Harry and David’s wonderful pears to friends, always to rave reviews. There are even fruit-of-the-month clubs; a year’s subscription will keep your dear ones thinking of you all year long.
* Cheese –– My Aunt Cat, a Vermonter, sent us a five-pound block of Cabot’s superb extra-sharp cheddar last Christmas. Talk about a welcome gift! Cheese assortments and cheese balls have become gift-giving cliches for a reason: People love them.
* Smoked turkey, Spiral Sliced Ham, or both –– During the hectic holidays, who wouldn’t love to receive a company dinner that takes no thought or effort?
* Surf & Turf –– Frozen lobster tails and filets mignon, ready to cook. Not an inexpensive gift, but tres impressive!
* Smoked Salmon –– I was surprised one year to find a smoked salmon shop among the holiday kiosks at the local mall. It seemed such a good idea that I bought top-quality salmon for a couple of people on my list. Great for holiday snacking, and what a wonderful addition to a festive brunch!
* Coffees and Teas –– Coffee and tea are not only favorite beverages, they’re America’s biggest sources of antioxidants. An assortment of top-quality coffees and teas, plus a pretty mug or two, makes a welcome gift.
* Wine –– We only drink it because it’s good for our hearts, really! From a single bottle with a bow around the neck, to a case of this year’s vintage to be stashed in the basement to age gracefully, wine is a healthy and elegant gift.
* Nuts –– Who wouldn’t love a tin of roasted, salted giant pecans, or a sack of fresh-roasted peanuts? Nuts are my choice for homemade gifts, as well. I roast and season nuts myself, then pack them up in pretty Christmas tins, and ship them to my distant dear ones. This is what I’m sending this year. Shhhh! Don’t tell!
Curried Buttery Cashews
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups raw cashews
2 teaspoons salt or 1 tablespoon Vege-sal
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pinch cayenne
Preheat oven to 350. Put your butter in a big roasting pan and put it in the oven while it preheats.
In a few minutes your butter should be melted. Pull the pan out of the oven, add the cashews, and stir until they're evenly coated with the butter. Return to the oven, and roast for 10-12 minutes, stirring 2-3 times while they roast.
While the cashews are roasting, stir together all the seasonings in a little dish.
When your cashews are a pretty gold, pull 'em out of the oven. Sprinkle the seasonings over them and stir till they're evenly coated. Store in a tightly lidded container. Oh, who am I kidding? These will never stick around long enough to go stale!
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20 servings, each with: 166 Calories; 14g Fat (73.0% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 235mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat.
(This recipe appears in The Glycemic Load Diet Cookbook, my new book from McGraw-Hill. Great gift for any diabetics, pre-diabetics, or just plain low carbers on your list.)
Notes: Find raw cashews at your local health food store. They can be awfully pricey, I know. If your budget is tight, look for raw cashew pieces for less than half the price of raw whole cashews. Vege-Sal is also available at health food stores. It's salt flavored with powdered dried vegetables. The flavor is subtle, but I think it improves a lot of recipes.
* See my books.
