From Thanksgiving to Christmas and the New Year, the holidays are a special time for everyone as we connect with family and friends and loved ones, to focus on what each person is thankful for, for giving gifts and for celebrating new beginnings. This Christmas, celebrate with your most important people by sharing a peaceful, loving meal around the holiday table, as few events are as intimate, as memorable, and as powerful toward building a beautiful and lasting relationship.
If you’re like me, you spend most Christmases flitting from one family member to the next, eating here, exchanging gifts there, and to be honest, it gets tiring, no? Why not play host this year and cook for everyone else? Sure, it’s tough work, but if you love cooking like I do, there’s few things as therapeutic than cooking a large meal for special people. Maybe it’s the mindfulness approach that helps me enjoy the process of cooking so many dishes, or perhaps it’s simply the love I am able to share with my family by way of taste and nourishment.
The holidays can be quite stressful, especially when you have many sides of the family coming together, and so many dishes to make, and so many gifts to create or to buy, and often times it’s money rather than time that piles on the many stresses of life, but I’m here to tell you that no matter the cause of the stress, it all depends on how you react, process and move forward. During the holidays for me, it’s often a combination of all of the above, and my best way of dealing with the stress is to not let it toil in my mind for longer than a brief moment, as I refocus toward the positives, toward what means the most, because at the end of the day, do you really care if a few tiny things didn’t go as planned (I mean, honestly, do they ever?!)? No, you’re going to remember the smiles of your children, the hug of your parent, and the community you all shared together.
If you’re holidays are like something out of the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, then all the planning in the world may not be enough for you, but for everyone else, some thoughtful planning ahead of time can make all the difference. I often prepare as many dishes as possible the night before, so that I can refrigerate them and then simply serve or heat and serve when the time comes. And then the morning of, I keep things simple, focusing on the big meats, like ham and turkey, and then leading up through until dinner, I prepare a starter here and a side dish there, ultimately working up to the final hour of cooking so that I am continually on top of everything. Because if you wing it, you may be stressed to the teeth and things will simply not turn out how you wanted them to.
The holidays can be quite stressful, especially when you have many sides of the family coming together, and so many dishes to make, and so many gifts to create or to buy, and often times it’s money rather than time that piles on the many stresses of life, but I’m here to tell you that no matter the cause of the stress, it all depends on how you react, process and move forward. During the holidays for me, it’s often a combination of all of the above, and my best way of dealing with the stress is to not let it toil in my mind for longer than a brief moment, as I refocus toward the positives, toward what means the most, because at the end of the day, do you really care if a few tiny things didn’t go as planned (I mean, honestly, do they ever?!)? No, you’re going to remember the smiles of your children, the hug of your parent, and the community you all shared together.
If you’re holidays are like something out of the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, then all the planning in the world may not be enough for you, but for everyone else, some thoughtful planning ahead of time can make all the difference. I often prepare as many dishes as possible the night before, so that I can refrigerate them and then simply serve or heat and serve when the time comes. And then the morning of, I keep things simple, focusing on the big meats, like ham and turkey, and then leading up through until dinner, I prepare a starter here and a side dish there, ultimately working up to the final hour of cooking so that I am continually on top of everything. Because if you wing it, you may be stressed to the teeth and things will simply not turn out how you wanted them to.
The night before, I take stock of my kitchenware and I plan ahead, and often times must do several rounds of dishes, sometimes having to wash them under my gold bathroom faucets as the kitchen becomes burdened, as I finish one dish and move on to the next. But the good news is, that there is an end in sight, eventually. For most of my holiday cooking, I focus on working around a single main pan that is multi-functional and easy to clean as it can save me a ton of time and issues. Kyocera is my goto brand for this versatile cooking tool, and I prefer their 12.5” Ceramic Coated Nonstick WOK w/ Lid, because beyond being easy to clean, Kyocera’s WOK is large, versatile, and ideal for all sorts of cooking styles: braising, pan frying, roasting, searing and stir-frying. It’s flat bottom with high-sloping sides is fantastic for cooking quick and for containing your ingredients while you run around cooking like a madman.
The 12.5” WOK by Kyocera has stainless steel handles that are ergonomically designed to ensure a save and comfortable cook, with safe lifting options. The snug fitting tempered-glass lid has a steam-release vent and makes for even more possibilities. When it comes to cleaning, Kyocera features their proprietary ceramic nonstick coating technology that is far more impressive than many other brands that I’ve used and tested over the years, as it’s scratch resistent, offering the cook (or dish washer) a quick and easy surface that washes clean with such ease. The base of the WOK is made of a heavy aluminum and a stainless base that provides the chef with a highly effective thermal conductive surface resulting in quick cooking with even distribution, which is so important when you must stay on schedule and cook the dish the right way the first time.
If you would like to learn more about Kyocera, click here.
Article written by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen – Main photo by tlimphotography via Flicker – Product photos © Kyocera
If you would like to learn more about Kyocera, click here.
Article written by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen – Main photo by tlimphotography via Flicker – Product photos © Kyocera
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