By LINDA BURNS

We’ve made that yearly trade of lively blooming plants and balmy summer temperatures for the early sunsets and chilly autumn nights.

Therefore, it seems only fair that we should have a little reward from our kitchens.

Food should be healthy — most of the time — and food should be of good quality. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. All kinds of occasions for party food pop up during this season, and it is time to shake it up a bit.

One way to do that is to go back to the classroom.

 

Class act

Lisa Diemer of Stroudsburg fulfilled a personal dream when she opened Kitchen Chemistry in Stroudsburg. She now has a venue to showcase her talents and love of everything in the kitchen.

Not only can you find the tools and unconventional ingredients at Kitchen Chemistry, you can take a class, make your food under the guidance of a pro and walk out with your creations.

“The classes are interactive — not just me demonstrating. Then, students can go home and get their families involved with what they’re making in the kitchen. It’s not just the food. They create memories they’ll have for a lifetime,” Diemer said.

The list of class topics is extensive. “I’m almost afraid to tell people everything we do. I like to see what they want and gear the party or class towards that,” Diemer said.

 

Little tricks, big treats

You get a lot of bang for your buck when you buy smart. Multi-tasking tools can make you look like a kitchen pro.

“Large cake-decorating tips and plastic baggies can be used to make cream cheese rosettes on food platters. It’s very easy, and the possibilities are endless with these tools: stuff tomatoes, make your mashed potatoes look all fancy on the plate, fill deviled eggs,” Diemer said.

To do so, snip off a ½-inch corner of a large zip-close plastic bag. Attach a cake-decorating tip. Place the plastic bag (tip down) into tall cup or bowl for support and add your filling. Twist the top of bag closed. With a few practice “squeezes,” find the right pressure, and you’ll be perfecting pretty treats in minutes.

 

Serve it up with style

Think you don’t have what it takes to churn out party-worthy platters? Or, you literally don’t have large platters and bowls to accommodate party food. No problem.

“During the holidays, serving dishes are always at a premium. It always seems you don’t have enough or you don’t have the size needed,” said Marilyn Frable of Kunkletown. “Take a look in your grocery store, especially the produce department, for vegetables and fruits that can be used as serving dishes. Fall works great for this with the addition of various sizes of pumpkins available. I’ve used them as a serving bowl for salads and served dips in smaller ones.”

According to Frable, a culinary course instructor at the Monroe and Main campuses of Northampton Community College, sometimes, the vessel can inspire the menu.

 

Think outside the box, bowl

“Dips served with veggies can be placed in hollowed-out peppers, acorn squash or even a head of cabbage. If you can get cabbage that has all the extra outer leaves still attached, rather than the stripped-bare one a lot of grocery stores carry, (it) makes an extremely festive bowl. Fruit dips can go in hollowed-out lemons, oranges or grapefruit or melons,” she said.

 

Easy and elegant

Frable stocks her fridge and pantry so she is always ready for easy entertaining.

“I always keep boxes of pre-baked phyllo shells (available in the frozen-food section) and wonton wrappers on hand during the holidays for a quick way to make hors d’oeuvres or a small, sweet bite. The phyllo shells are ready to be filled with anything savory or sweet, hot or cold, so they are very versatile,” she said.

The phyllo shells offer a tiny “just right” bite. For a slightly more “edgy” presentation, it will only take a few minutes to turn wonton wrappers into appetizer vehicles.

The wonton wrappers can be placed individually in lightly oiled (or non-stick spray) mini muffin pans and baked at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes until golden. After cooled completely store them in a zipper bag until ready to use. These also can be filled with a hot or cold filling for a small bite.

“Remember the filling doesn’t have to be something you made. It could be deli chicken salad dressed up with some dried cranberries and toasted almonds or anything that strikes your fancy at the deli counter,” Frable said.

 

So cheesy

Diemer has been teaching classes in all things related to the kitchen for 10 years now. Cheese making is offered in her store, and there are a few surprises.

“We use things in a way you wouldn’t usually think of using them. I use the silicone muffin molds (we have one in autumn shapes now) for setting the cheeses. We teach students how to fill the cheese ball with any number of different fillings before setting into a pretty mold. They look great on the table,” she said.

Diemer added, “I love to teach and share ideas about everything in the kitchen. It’s the heart of the home.”

 

Marilyn’s Meringue Ghosts

Yield: About 24 cookies

Frable says: The kids love this one. Every ghost is different and unique.

 

Ingredients:

2 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 teaspoon miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Procedure:

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl with electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until meringue is very stiff and glossy, and sugar is dissolved. Reduce speed to low, beat in vanilla just until well mixed.

Use a disposable decorating bag or gallon-size resealable food-storage plastic bag with a 1/2-inch hole cut in bottom corner. Spoon meringue into bag, twist top to partially close bag.

Squeeze bag to pipe meringue into 3- to 4-inch ghost shapes on cookie sheets. Using a plastic knife, drag the meringue to a point at the bottom. Place three chocolate chips on each ghost for eyes and mouth.

Place cookie sheets on center rack in oven; bake two hours. Remove from oven; place parchment paper and cookies on wire rack. Cool completely, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove cookies from parchment paper.

 

Pumpkin Dip

Yields: About 4 cups

 

Ingredients:

1½ (12 ounces) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

 

1 (15-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Procedure:

In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Gradually mix in the pumpkin. Stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, orange juice and vanilla until smooth and well blended. Chill until serving. Serve in hollowed-out oranges or a small sugar pumpkin. Serve with cinnamon graham crackers, apple or pear slices.

 

Frable’s Festive Peppermint Cones

By: Marilyn Frable

Frable says: By changing the extracts and using a different topping, you can change this easy dessert into countless different treats.

 

Ingredients:

8 to 10 sugar cones (ice cream cones)

1 bag (10 to 14 ounces) white candy coating

Red sugar for cookies

½ container cheesecake filling

½ to ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract, to taste

Crushed candy canes or starlight peppermint candies

For serving:

Large serving bowl, such as a trifle bowl

Granulated sugar to fill bowl

Special tools:

Serrated knife

 

Procedure:

Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper and set aside.

Gently cut about 1 inch off the top of the cones, using a sawing motion with serrated knife. Don’t worry if they are jagged.

Melt the white chocolate candy coating according to package directions. Dip the cut edge of a cone into the melted white chocolate, letting the excess drip off, then dip it into the red sugar. Place on the waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Repeat until all are completed. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Mix peppermint extract into the cheesecake filling. Use a disposable decorating bag or gallon-size resealable food-storage plastic bag with a ½-inch hole cut in bottom corner. Spoon filling into bag, twist top or zip to partially close bag.

Place granulated sugar in serving bowl.

When chocolate is set, remove cones from refrigerator. Pipe filling onto cones, starting at the out edge and swirl around like ice cream on a cone. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and place in sugar for serving.

 

Marilyn Frable’s Snowman dip holder Ingredients:

1½ loaves of frozen bread dough

Favorite dip

2 sliced black olives plus a few bits of black olive

A few tops of a leek or large green onion

A few sprigs of parsley and few grape tomatoes

 

Procedure:

I have a snowman cake pan that I use to bake bread according to package directions.

After cooling, I hollow out his stomach for the dip.

I decorate him using olive slices for his eyes (just place a little dip on the back of the slices, and it acts like glue).

Use a baby carrot, attached with a toothpick, for his nose.

Some bits of black olive can be used for the coal for his mouth.

I take the tops of leeks or large green onions and slit them down the length, drop them in boiling water for 2 or 3 seconds (this makes them bendable), then make a bowtie and hatband for him.

Add parsley and tomatoes to his hat.

Treats: No big tricks needed | PoconoRecord.com.