‘Tis the season for entertaining, and when family and friends come to call, it’s a good idea to have some quick and easy tricks up your sleeve just in case they arrive hungry. When most cooks think of phyllo dough, they think of baklava and/or spantko pita and other time-consuming recipes. Here’s a family secret shortcut for cooks-in`the-know: mini phyllo tart shells.:

These arc sold in the freezer section (yeh! that freezer) and are oh-so-easy to use. Always - always keep .them on hand in your freezer for when you need to whip-up a bunch of hors d’oeuvre or fast desert. (Just toast them in the oven - directions on the box - - and add the sweet or savory filling of your choice. ( or his)

                              Here is just a sample of filling ideas:

                              Savory

                    chicken or tuna salad

                    chunky guacamole

                    salsa

                    chutney and cream

                    cheese

                    cranberry sauce, brie

                    and pecan halves

                              (baked for 5 minutes

                              in a 350 F oven)

                    smoked salmon and horseradish cream

                                                                                  Sweet

                                                             ice cream

                                                             fresh fruit and sorbet

                                                             fresh fruit and whipped cream

                                                             pudding

                                                             custard

                                                             chocolate-dipped strawberries and

                                                                                                      whipped cream

Another fancy food with a secret shortcut: crepes.

For many cooks, crepes and omelettes belong in the same group: tasty foods that are better left up to the professionals. Not any more!

Ready-made crepes can be found in the produce section and then kept on hand for a breakfast or desert emergency. (You know how they happen)

For a savory holiday brunch. Fill crepes with a mixture of scrambled eggs, chop-ped ham, and cheese. For a sweeter breakfast, try a fruit filling like apples or

bananas that have been cut into bite-sized pieces and then warmed in a saucepan on the stove with some melted butter and sugar. . Or stack them with your favorite flavor of jam and whipped cream in between. (There ‘s just something about whipped cream that turns any breakfast into a festive occasion. Try It!)

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