THE HERALD COOKBOOK December Unusually delicious Yule desserts from Poland LAST MINUTE PARTY TORTE MARZIPAN ratlowJ Cook until leaves side of pen Roll almond neon Art surface to thick net Cut out small heart shape Or aHo small or vegetables Paint with appropriate food coloring of coal as de nim for example with red sugar strawberries and ot potatoes Decor Homemade candy terrific way to sweeten the season Melt chocolate chips in coaled with Silver Stone surface Add two cops of Spread chocolate mixture between and over out U1IBV fine Combine in a T with sugar and Sprucing up for holiday bonappetit Before weve tasted a morsel of a meal been set before us we have a pre conceived notion of bow the food t going to taste and whether we are lo enjoy For taste only one acton determining pleasura ble Equally important are aroma and appearance which combine to offer the dinner the manifold joys of First the of the food a a cooks wafting out of the kitchen to stimulate appetite Then the sight of It arranged on a platter or on individual plates out in an attractive fashion an eye for color shape and pattern There arc as many ways of presenting food attractively at there are imaginations No one way correct basically what looks pleasing works However there are many variable to keep in mind which do ultimately affect the appearance of a dish among them the plate or bo wl in which it served partic ularly color shape and pat tern and its color and shape as wen as that of those foods which surround it Composing a dun of food Like composing a to determine the rangement of form and hue In which everything will show to its ben advantage Most of do this instinc tive at least tosome degree when we cook What lacking however a and refinement of the conscious artist meal whether it is the plot of sandwiches or an elaborate excursion through hour nihil should be a feast involved White the daily dinner table should look at tractive the holiday buffet should look Utile of There are many ways- meat of them not terribly m- plcx of ensuring this and one of the best resources for the novice at food prorata- nan is the recently published volume Crown Publishers Inc by Molly and Irene Sax What and Sax do m pages liberally scattered with line drawings is to make the reader visualize food and conceptualize what are in es sence settings Tor it They shy away from the catering hall look theirs not a book in which to the howto of ice seal re Rather they will ell you what color plate best comple ments the food question what will look and taste good and what will serve as an They suggest innovative treatments of standard food such as serving crackers in a holiowedoid or brawn bread and using sprouts rather thin the standard lettuce base forhorsdoeuvres Many of their idea are simple deceptively so of the I cant believe 1 never thought of thai variety In this category fall inch sugges tions a bedding grapes mixed green and purple of course on ferns or leaves which as easy to do as it Another in this vein which goes a long way toward visual ap peal is a single radah inirt- carved which u set down on a singleportion id of dark greens way off and Sax devoted sev eral pages to dressing the home general andlhetablc in particular for Christmas celebration Among the ideas they share wuh their reader decora the front door with made from fruits and nuts and brightening the mantelpiece with a glowing candle nestled in a pineapple Traditional Christmas cookies they suggest make for a sitdown meal Christmas a the one occa sion in their book where no holds are barred They advo cate red and green all over and of pine holly and abounding Lots of candy canes and popcorn balls add to the festive atmosphere For Christmas unlike the other days of the year nothing ever seems to be loo Siple and Sax suggest gar the holiday bud with seasonal greenery not holly or em and de scribe a fanciful winter dio- of pine needles to one side which has been sprinkled with confectioner sugar snow A final sug gestion from the authors of dramatically iced bottle of clear spirits they mention vodka and aqua vit which has been placed Candy a perennial day favorite and the home made variety best of all If you never played Inner before you It want an informative book to turn to which not only the recces thai only half of it but which also gives copious background on candy making techniques One such book is fir C Dover Publications Ruth Pttmsh Erne The book outlines cooking temperatures for various types us well as giving an overview of differ candy categories the necessary equipment basic ingredients Recipe chapters tempt the potential confectioner with Fondant Fudge Penuchl and Operas and Nougat Maple Candies and Popcorn Candxs to name a few Reprinted below from CanJ and C mi are recipes for two sweet treats Molasses Pop Com Balls and Caramel Walnut Squares both perfect offerings for Christmas get MOLASSES FOP CORN BALLS LARGE RECIPE tablespoons butter qoarti popped torn W teaspoon salt SMALL RECIPE Two drops of oil lemon may be added to the syrup Cold water tett when syrup reaches slightly brittle Yield large recipe of balls twenty two and onehalf dam CARAMEL WALNUT SQUARES tablespooM butter Mix molasses syrup and vinegar In a saucepan and cook stimng occasionally to prevent burning until the tern persture is reached After is reached constant will be neces When done add butter and stir only enough mix Slowly pour the cooked syrup over the sailed popped com and mm well Form into balls with the hands using as lank pressure as possible I teaspoon vanilla salt pound sugar cup chopped walnuts Mehlhc butter add the cur syrup condensed milk and Mix and add the salt and sugar Knead in the chopped nuts Press into a lightly buttered pan cool remove from pun cut Wo Yield weight about CARAMEL SYRUP t cup sugar cup or more boiling In a frying pan or heavy aluminum saucepan heal the sugar over a very tow flame sitmngconstantly with a wooden spoon until it is melted to a syrup Remove from the flame and add the water slowly while Return to flame and to I rsalhn syrup If there arc any lumps add a little more water and boil rt until the lumps dissolve Caramel syrup may be used for waffles or griddle cakes either as rt mixed an equal amount of com syrup One fourth teaspoon or vanilla may be added If it is lobe used for this purpose the water must be added the melted sugar when it is a very I golden brown It is alio used as a flavoring in candies custards ice cream and other desserts If it to be used a a flavoring male nit the sugar must be heated until it it a deep golden brown before adding the water in r a strong the boiling a finished the product must be thin syrup If not to he used keepinncov red jar About W cup mply milk which sprig of evergreen and water to fill are added The whole thing put in the frceicr for several hours At serving simply peel the carton away from the iced liquor for instant drama and tabktoo glamour And have yourself a very merry 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