The Elite NYC chef reveals her 7 secrets to whipping up the perfect homemade Christmas menu on a budget...from the surprise ingredient to transform your sauce...to the $5 store-bought sauce that will enhance your vegetables
A house full of hungry friends and relatives can be intimidating for even the best home cooks, especially on Christmas Day. .
And during this busy holiday season – with its sky-high grocery prices – feeding the whole family while enjoying the perfect turkey can seem almost impossible.
And during this busy holiday season – with its sky-high grocery prices – feeding the whole family while enjoying the perfect turkey can seem almost impossible.< /p>
And during this busy holiday season – with its sky-high grocery prices – feeding the whole family while enjoying the perfect turkey can seem almost impossible. p>
But elite NYC chef Lauren DeSteno says with a little planning, you can make the process easy and, dare we say, enjoyable .
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Altamarea Group executive chef DeSteno, who has helmed some of America's most exclusive restaurants, from Marea from Manhattan to Ai Fiori, reveals the seven secrets of the professional cooking virtuoso.
1: Prepare your vegetables and save your sanity
< p class="mol-para-with- font">Trained chefs prepare as much as they can before seating a single guest. Home cooks should do the same.Make a list of all the dishes you're making for the meal and the ingredients, then get to work. You can wash, peel, slice, dice and grate most of your vegetables up to three days in advance and they will stay fresh. Store everything in plastic bags or Tupperware. If you're worried about something, simply dampen a paper towel and lay it on top.
Don't cut your onions, shallots, or herbs until a day in advance. cook.
Making macaroni and cheese? Grate your cheeses three days in advance.
A house full of hungry friends and relatives can be intimidating for even the best home cooks, especially on Christmas Day. .
And during this busy holiday season – with its sky-high grocery prices – feeding the whole family while enjoying the perfect turkey can seem almost impossible.
And during this busy holiday season – with its sky-high grocery prices – feeding the whole family while enjoying the perfect turkey can seem almost impossible.< /p>
And during this busy holiday season – with its sky-high grocery prices – feeding the whole family while enjoying the perfect turkey can seem almost impossible. p>
But elite NYC chef Lauren DeSteno says with a little planning, you can make the process easy and, dare we say, enjoyable .
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Altamarea Group executive chef DeSteno, who has helmed some of America's most exclusive restaurants, from Marea from Manhattan to Ai Fiori, reveals the seven secrets of the professional cooking virtuoso.
1: Prepare your vegetables and save your sanity
< p class="mol-para-with- font">Trained chefs prepare as much as they can before seating a single guest. Home cooks should do the same.Make a list of all the dishes you're making for the meal and the ingredients, then get to work. You can wash, peel, slice, dice and grate most of your vegetables up to three days in advance and they will stay fresh. Store everything in plastic bags or Tupperware. If you're worried about something, simply dampen a paper towel and lay it on top.
Don't cut your onions, shallots, or herbs until a day in advance. cook.
Making macaroni and cheese? Grate your cheeses three days in advance.
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