Anton's Holiday Dining Guide is a special supplement published by Anton Media Group

The Barefoot Contessa Shares Tried And True Dinner Ideas

Even Ina Garten, America’s most-trusted and beloved home cook, sometimes finds cooking stressful. To make life easy she relies on a repertoire of recipes that she knows will turn out perfectly every time. Cooking night after night during the pandemic inspired her to re-think the way she approached dinner, and the result is this collection of comforting and delicious recipes that you’ll love preparing and serving. You’ll find lots of freeze-ahead, make-ahead, prep-ahead, and simply assembled recipes so you, too, can make dinner a breeze.

In Go-To Dinners, Garten shares her strategies for making her most satisfying and uncomplicated dinners. Many, like Overnight Mac & Cheese, you can make ahead and throw in the oven right before dinner. Light dinners like Tuscan White Bean Soup can be prepped ahead and assembled at the last minute. Go-to family meals like Chicken in a Pot with Orzo and Hasselback Kielbasa will feed a crowd with very little effort. And who doesn’t want to eat Breakfast For Dinner? You’ll find recipes for Scrambled Eggs Cacio e Pepe and Roasted Vegetables with Jammy Eggs that are a snap to make and so satisfying. Garten’s “Two-Fers” guide you on how to turn leftovers from one dinner into something different and delicious the second night.

And sometimes the best dinner is one you don’t even have to cook! You’ll find Garten’s favorite boards to serve with store-bought ingredients, like an Antipasto Board and Breakfast-for-Dinner Board

that are fun to assemble and so impressive to serve. Finally, because no meal can be considered dinner without dessert, there are plenty of prep-ahead and easy sweets like a Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie and Beatty’s Chocolate Cupcakes that everyone will rave about.

For Garten, “I love you, come for dinner” is more than just an invitation to share a meal, it’s a way to create a community of friends and family who love and take care of each other, and we all need that now more than ever. These go-to recipes will give you the confidence to create dinners that will bring everyone to your table.

Garten is a New York Times bestselling author, the host of Be My Guest on Discovery+, and host of Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, for which she has won five Emmy Awards and a James Beard Award. She lives in East Hampton with her husband, Jeffrey. —Clarkson Potter

What’s In Season

As the temperatures drop, many people start to crave the flavors of winter. While the season is filled with tempting favorites like pumpkin, pecan pies, and caramel apples, it can also be a time to take advantage of fruits and vegetables that are in season and exceptionally flavorful.

One of the best things about seasonal winter produce is that it is often more affordable. In addition, winter produce has a great variety of colors and textures that you can add to your meals throughout the winter.

You don’t have to stick with the same fruits and vegetables that you’ve always known.

During the winter, there is a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in season. The difference between winter produce and summer produce is that the fruits and vegetables that are in season during the winter are harvested in colder weather, which allows them to stay fresh longer during the colder months.

The vegetables that are in season during the winter are also much more flavorful than their summer counterparts. Many people assume that when it’s cold outside, their produce options are limited, but in fact, winter fruits and vegetables are a great way to add a variety of flavors to your favorite dishes.

Selecting Winter Fruits and Vegetables

Pay attention to the skin, it should be firm and smooth. And, of course, it should not have any signs of decay. The color of the skin should be rich, and most of the time dark hue. Avoid the ones that have a powdery feel. Remember to wash them before using them.

Storing Winter Produce

The best way to store them is to keep them in a cool, dry place, try storing them in a cardboard box or a paper bag, and keep them away from the sunlight.

The refrigerator and freezer are great places to store your seasonal winter produce. Just make sure that they are away from the door, in a place that is not in the way of the air circulation.

Benefits of Winter Produce

One of the most valuable things we can do for our health is to add more fruits and vegetables to our diet. Most people don’t know the benefits of eating winter fruits

and vegetables for your health and overall well-being.

These fruits and veggies are high in vitamins, nutrients, and minerals and can help you stay healthy and active throughout the winter.

The immune system is the body’s defense mechanism against diseases and illness. It helps fight against any foreign substance that enters the body. One of the best ways to keep your immune system healthy and strong is to keep it well-nourished and full of nutrients.

The winter fruits and vegetables can also help fight against viruses and bacteria and help prevent diseases and illnesses. Cranberries contain a substance that helps prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract and causing infections. And cranberries can also fight against bacteria and viruses in your body and help prevent the development of cancer cells.

WINTER PRODUCE TO TRY

There are many options available when it comes to choosing the fruits and vegetables that are in season in the winter. These fruits and vegetables are rich in flavor, and they can help you stay healthy and active.

1. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are harvested from September to March. They are small, cabbage-like vegetables that are part of the cruciferous family.

2.

Beetroots

It is a root vegetable that is rich in nutrients. Beetroot can be eaten raw, baked, boiled, roasted, or sautéed.

3. Parsnips

Parsnips are one of the most popular winter vegetables. They belong to the carrot family and can be cooked in a variety of ways.

4. Rutabagas

Rutabagas are root vegetables that are

Here We Come A-wassailing

BY CHRISTY HINKO chinko@antonmediagroup.com

While preparing my menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I got distracted and started reading through all of the recipe cards in my personal recipe box, many which are passed down from friends, cousins, aunts and grandmothers over the past 40 years. They are all tried and true and many conjure satisfying memories and peaceful, happy times. All of the recipe cards bring a smile to my face, no matter how many times I study the ingredients and directions. I have started making little notes on the cards, whose recipe it is, where it came from, my own adjustments and even comments on the final product.

There’s one in the box that always makes me happy to see at Christmastime though. It is my aunt’s recipe for wassail. I can still see the saucepan simmering on the gas stove in my aunt’s house. I remember the smell of the warming apple cider and the freshness of the grated lemon. And once it was ready and served, it was a treat to stir the wintry concoction with my very own cinnamon stick.

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harvested from October to November, but they are easy to find till March. They can be eaten raw, cooked, or baked.

5.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are high in fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. They also contain beta-carotene and lutein, which can help prevent cancer and heart disease.

Wassail is a beverage made from hot mulled cider, ale or wine and spices, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, an ancient English Yuletide drinking ritual and salutation either involved in door-to-door caroling and charity-giving or used to ensure a good harvest the following year. There are many variations of the beverage, including adding fresh apples, oranges, ginger and clove.

6. Apples

Great source of fiber and a great source of antioxidants. Apples are a great way to keep your immune system strong and healthy.

7. Cranberries

Cranberries are a great source of antioxidants and they help fight against bacteria and viruses in your body. Cranberries can also help fight against and prevent the

MAYBE CHRISTY’S AUNTIE’S WASSAIL

6 c. apple cider (apple juice will do as well)

1 cinnamon stick (additional sticks for garnish, optional)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

18 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. grated lemon peel, optional

In a large saucepan, bring cider and cinnamon stick to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for five minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for five minutes, uncovered. Pour into handled mugs or teacups. Use additional cinnamon sticks as stirrers/ garnish. Makes approximately 16 (half cup) servings.

development of cancer cells.

8.

Grapefruits

Grapefruits are sweet and tangy fruits that are a great way to add flavor to your dishes. They are a great source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and can be a great way to add variety to your dishes.

Eating seasonal produce is also one of the most eco-friendly things you can do for the

planet. Why? Because you’re not eating produce that has been shipped from far distances. Also eating seasonal produce helps to eliminate food waste.

Visit www.gobble.com to read the full version of this feature which includes more seasonal fruit and vegetable suggestions.

—Courtesy of Gobble.com

Lunch In Old World Charm

Fuel your holiday shopping at Davenport

Press

BY CHRISTY HINKO chinko@antonmediagroup.com

There are very few places remaining on Long Island that make you forget your time and place and transport you back to a simpler time in history. Davenport Press Restaurant in Mineola is one of those magical treasure spots.

The Davenport Building was built in 1896 as the Nassau County Trust.

In 1924 it became the Davenport Press and remained a printing press until 1978 when its present owners converted it to a restaurant. The Davenport Building is rich with history. The dining rooms’ exposed interior brick are lined with shelves of antiques. And the subtle rumble of the train passing by just feet away from the building is charming and adds plenty of character to this dining experience.

Forget the hustle and bustle of the commercial and mall spots while doing some holiday shopping. Head over to Davenport Press Restaurant, approximately five minutes away from Roosevelt Field Mall, for a truly satisfying lunch. The decor and architecture is a must-see on any Long Islander’s local travel list.

To start, enjoy a specialty cocktail such as the espresso martini with Van Gogh espresso vodka, Bailey’s Irish cream and coffee ($13) or a glass of wine from the comprehensive regional wine list.

The wait staff is attentive, friendly and knowledgeable about the dozens of items on the menu. Many of the employees

have been with Davenport Press for decades and in some instances, since nearly the day it opened its doors. There’s a great attribution to the establishment when its staff has such tenure.

Appetizers

Try the sweet glazed coconut shrimp or the Little Neck clams (oreganato, casino-style or on the half shell). The clams are shucked freshly when ordered. Another specialty appetizer that is an occasional daily special is the grilled octopus brought in fresh from Portugal. It’s perfectly grilled with a little bit of char. A pleasant surprise with this appetizer is

Dsvenport’s French Onion Soup Christy Hinko

Pork Loin

that it is not only the tentacle, but a portion of head cavity that is also perfectly grilled and full of flavor.

Soups & Salads

You can never go wrong with a classic wedge salad topped with bacon and chunky bleu cheese dressing or a classic Caesar with house-made dressing, garlic croutons and Parmigiano cheese. And not every restaurant gets this classic right, but do choose the onion soup au gratin. It is a classic soup, rich and flavorful, packed with onions and French bread and the delightfully melted and toasty Swiss cheese blanket.

Sandwiches & Entrees

Lunch sandwiches include burgers, a grilled steak or chicken sandwich on a Portuguese roll and wraps (jerk chicken, vegetable and tuna) served with hand-cut fries.

Lunch entrees are served with a seasonal side dish. Currently on the lunch menu is a variety of shrimp, steak, chicken, pork, veal and pasta dishes.

While there is not a written kids’ menu, there are several off-menu options for the littles in your party. Tried and true buttered pasta, cheeseburger or chicken tenders with fries are the way to most kids’ hearts and tiny tummies.

If you are a true foodie, you will likely have trouble making a quick decision from this expansive menu. In addition to its permanent menu, Davenport Press offers a wide variety of daily specials based on market demand and availability of specialty menu items.

Desserts

Dive into a delectable chocolate mousse, pecan pie,

cheesecake, tiramisu or rice pudding to round out the meal.

Davenport Press Restaurant is located at 70 Main St. in Mineola, just steps away from the Mineola train station. Come cozy up by the large fireplace for a delicious lunch, dinner or mid-shopping cocktail. The adjacent streets have some minor construction in progress, but are not obstructing access to the restaurant or its parking lot.

Davenport Press is open for lunch on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner on Mondays through Thursday from 4:30 to 10 p.m., on Friday from 4:30 to 11 p.m., on Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

Visit www.davenportpress.com or call 516-248-8300 for menus, reservations and more information.

Black and white cheesecake

Fresh blueberry and custard-filled Napoleon Photos by Christy Hinko

Veal Meditteranean