"ChristmasTree" news and stories

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• It's Christmas Eve -- if you haven't bought a present for your gourmand better half; well, we're here to save you with these last-minute ideas.
• Risking one's life by consuming food from dubiously hygienic vehicles was the big food deal of 2009.
• If you're too tuckered out to make a grilled cheese after the gift-buying crunch --and who isn't? -- cook up this oven-made version.
• A Christmas Dining Miracle -- brunch on a Friday!
• When holiday candies depart from traditional flavor and hue, do you skip the seasonal aisle?
• We won't tell if you cheat on your (gingerbread) man with gingersnap palmiers this Christmas.
• Chef Aarón Sanchez is developing a taco town.

While naysayers might argue that sushi has little or nothing to do with the Holiday season, there are those who realize that Christmas is a hearty mix of culinary delicacies and cultural inclusion. After all, this is the holiday that regularly brings together roasted birds and flaming puddings, egg-based drinks and chocolate monstrosities. In the grand scheme of things, claiming culinary purity at Christmas is like trying to find religious justification for the Easter bunny: while it's fun to watch, the process is completely hopeless.

Besides, there's something just plain fun about sushi. The bright colors, intense contrasts, and exciting flavors seem perfectly tailored to a season that welcomes surprises and is noted for its flamboyance. However, even those who question the seasonal appropriateness of raw fish will have to acknowledge the joy of seeing plastic chunks of seafood hanging from a tree. With that in mind, I am pleased to present the wonder of sushi ornaments. Available in cooked egg, shrimp, salmon roe and special roll shapes, they will add a note of culinary adventure to your tree, while reminding your friends and family that Christmas is a time for love, togetherness, and raw fish.

(Incidentally, for an extra note of verisimilitude, you might try leaving an open can of wet cat food near the tree. While the overall effect might be a little off-putting, you're sure to enjoy the spectacle of watching your family members line up to sniff the ornaments. Happy Holidays!)

Here's a Christmas twist on a classic snack, caramel corn.

I got it from a the Busy Cooks section of About.com, where they have a bunch of recipes for food you can serve at your tree trimming party. Does anyone have tree trimming parties anymore? That sounds like a great thing to do, though I haven't had a bunch of people help me set up a tree in years. I'm not quite sure (except for the Gingerbread Caramel Corn) what makes these recipes - including Beer Cheese Soup, Asparagus Tarts, and Crockpot Artichoke Spinach Dip - tree trimming-ish, but they sound good nonetheless.

I love the smell of pine needles and the ritual of getting a tree, but each year I feel a little sad over throwing that lovely tree away (to be recycled, of course). On Blogging Baby, J.D. Griffioen recommends using a large rosemary bush, cut like a Christmas tree in December and then planted in your garden in January. It's festive, it smells good, and it will flavor your roast chicken and turkey all year long.

It's a great idea, and though I doubt I'll ever give up the pine tree, it would make a great secondary tree for the kids. And maybe I can get them into gardening while I'm at it.

If you purchased a new rosemary bush every year - soon you'd have enough for a whole hedge. And you'd never lack for rosemary skewers or spring chicken with rosemary and lemon again.

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