I was hoping he would be happy. I appreciate him as a friend and I was grateful he has been supportive this year, but it felt like giving him the pie was too much (for him, not for me ). when really, I give other people pies, and custard tarts , and other stuff, and it’s just fine.
Yes. Love to and from dogs and cats and even squirrels is much simpler. Turns out my dogs like brioche. 
All your apps sound wonderful and I was glad to see gravlax on the list! (I am not opining on the desserts because no sweet tooth.) If you are doing all that I would do apero for your bready thing as it is easier than the other options and handy to transport. Nagi on RecipeTin Eats published a cheese, herb garlic one that I thought might be excellent using TJ’s zhoug.
Thanks!
I have two batches of “regular” gravlax in the freezer, but will likely make more of the beet-tinged one, because it is so pretty for festive occasions! Now that I’m thinking about it, I’ll just get it done early. (Also, I keep resisting the urge to buy a slicer, maybe this time I’ll buckle 
)
Apero breads are easy to make, eat, and travel with for sure. Great idea on swirling zhoug through – I might swap that with chimichurri and do it for the travel one (my aunt doesn’t like cilantro ). My local friend is facing her first holiday with a kid missing (youngest just started work, doesn’t have Friday off and has to work Saturday) and as he was my regular tester when he was younger, I am going to avoid anything he particularly loves so as not to make things worse for mom by reminder – no apero bread, no orange olive oil cake, no tuna spuma, and some more.
The puff pastry spirals are actually quite easy both to make and to transport , and timely as the puff is “seasonal” at the moment at TJs (but usually isn’t after, and even occasionally right before, Thanksgiving, go figure). Filling can range from no fuss to a little work – for eg sauce and cheese are low effort, kheema or curry beef (the kerala version, or the chinese/malaysian version) require making the filling in advance. But big hits, so it’s worth the effort – for some groups anyway 
I thought I remembered a festive beet-tinged gravlax!! You are very kind to your friend!
I am so impressed by those who plan and make multiple appetizers, multiple desserts, and gifts. I usually heat a couple of boxes of jalapeño poppers to nosh on while I swill bloody Marys in the morning and Amontillado or whatever is going with dinner in the afternoon as I cook. Usually it’s enough to draw a little company into the kitchen. Dessert is usually just pecan pie and pumpkin pie. Brother in law has a friend who is a caterer and makes boxes of wonderful cranberry walnut bars, but she is laid up recovering from pretty serious surgery. I might make something else to fill the void. If I do, it will not be cranberry walnut bars. A). No one could match hers. B). I don’t want the BiL to get all maudlin. He is already predisposed that way.
As the host, you have the main meal to keep you occupied / busy.
As a guest who is family or a close friend and also a food enthusiast, I enjoy participation (and anticipation) in elements where I will not interrupt the flow of the host’s menu (my contributions and others’ are both encouraged and factored in, in these cases). Folks who don’t lean that way just come and eat, in these cases.
There’s a thread about unwelcome additions to a dinner party from guests – can’t find it right now, maybe someone else will.
Slicers are pricey and I’ve only seen places that use very sharp knives to thinly slice the salmon.
Those puff pastry spirals are a big hit with everyone … herbs like dill, parsley, cilantro.
If you mean slicing knives, there are two I have been eyeing, both on Bernal’s new vintage. One is a 13.25" carbon steel Au Nain, and the other is a 13.5" stainless Nogent. I prefer the former, but I would be fine if you would put me out of my misery with either.
Any recommended brand or recipe? Sounds like a great snack during dinner prep.
And there are those guests whose addition requires the use of your oven!
No particular band…whatever HEB stocks.
Cream cheese is my pick, but I won’t turn down brisket.
Even the frozen, breaded ones are good. Whatever you pick, it pairs well with a bloody Mary. I like fifty fifty V-8 and Clamato with splashes of Worcestershire and Melinda’s Bhut Jolokia, a squeeze of lime, a shake of celery salt, gin or vodka, and celery for stirring. Easy enough to repeat.
We had a regular, now out of state, who insisted on making their own dressing, in addition to ours. Yikes. Knives, spoons, bowls, baking dish, oven…holy moley.
I had a relative who, when I still hosted, insisted on bringing their “special” cranberry sauce every year. (No sugar! Not because they don’t eat sugar, but rather because they like it that way!) I believe that this concoction is inedible for most people. (Well at least for me.) This relative would bring like 2 quarts of the stuff…we’d put it out, maybe a tablespoon would disappear, and then we’d make a show of putting it in the fridge and we’d throw out like 2 quarts of it the next day. I always felt awful about wasting it and argued that we should tell said relative to just not do it, but my wife insisted that it made them happy to bring it, and that I not say a word and just go with the flow… 7 years since the last time and I’m still not feeling like going with that flow. Oh well…
I feel your pain. BTW leftover cranberry sauce is an excellent foundation for mostarda, super tasty on leftover turkey or ham.
Ive also used it in bread pudding and swirled into quick bread (think banana bread but with cranberry)
Thanks for sharing. Wow, I like the Texas version of jalapeño poppers in your linked picture way better than the frozen, breaded version we see in these parts. Now I wish it was still summer when I can pick as many jalapeños as I can use. Well, you have given me something to look forward to making.
I also have a peanut and tree nut allergic child, and your mother-in-law sounds dangerous. I would be frustrated as heck and I applaud you for continuing to make nice with someone who values appearances above the health of your kid. I had somewhat similar experiences with my parents when they lived nearby and my child was small. My parents knew about the allergies, and yet every time we dined out, my dad would offer my child food off of his plate without ever bothering to ask the servers what the food contained and whether it would be safe for the kid or not. So although the intent was more clueless than malicious, the effect was the same. I sometimes wondered whether my child would have to go into anaphylactic shock in front of my dad in order to get the message across. Family! Can’t live with him can’t live without em.
OTOH, I was talking to a family friend who told me that she has a grandson who has a nut allergy, so nuts are not allowed in the house, for eating or cooking.
I don’t even understand family questioning critical health-related things. Sorry that @Autumm2 and you have had to deal family interactions with potentially life-threatening consequences for your children.
Culturally, I could understand if grandparents were from a place that doesn’t have these kinds of allergies (that it now appears were exacerbated by medical guidance in the western world) – for eg I never knew what a peanut allergy was, nor what an epi pen was, until my nephew was diagnosed with an egg allergy as a toddler and had a little friend with a range of allergies that meant that playdates were stocked with epi pens.
But even then, once a child is known to be at risk, willfully ignoring that and endangering their life is just unfathomable.
(My nephew outgrew some allergies, and had allergy shots & exposure therapy for others, and I do hope your kids can avail of the old-is-new research to mitigate theirs as well.)
