Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a question about cooking foods at different times and temperatures when you only have one oven. This is always a dilemma when cooking a large meal, especially during the holidays.

For my last holiday meal, I had a ham that had to be cooked for so many hours at a certain temp. I had two casseroles that both had to be cooked at a different temperature and for a different amount of time. Then came the dessert; it also had to be cooked at another temperature and time.

What is the best way to do this and still keep the food hot and tasty? I really don’t like to cook ahead and microwave food, but this seems to be the only option. I have a warming tray, but it’s not big enough for this many dishes. I also don’t know how long food should be kept on one. — I Want Good Holiday Food, in North Carolina

I Want Good Holiday Food, like thousands of other people, I know this dilemma all too well. This is what I have done in the past:

I cooked the main dish first and placed it in the microwave to keep it warm. Then I cooked the second item that had the shortest cooking time, and when it was done, I covered it in foil and placed it on top of the stove (which was warm).

Then I went on to the third item. When it was done, I placed the main dish in the oven to keep it warm. The second dish was still warm at this point, but I put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to heat up while the rolls were rising in the oven, next to the main dish. (I think I might have to get a toaster oven after the holidays, and you might consider buying one as well.)

Next year, you could serve a cold dish such as a chilled fruit salad or a frozen dessert such as ice cream, which you can dress up with toppings. In addition, next year, I think I should ask Santa for four new ovens, a pair of roller skates, and a postholiday vacation to the Bahamas!

By the way, anyone who says that people can’t work magic has never seen someone cook a huge dinner and work out a seating arrangement for a large group. — Heloise

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READING ENJOYMENT

Dear Heloise: In response to Marvin Tiffany, in York, Nebraska, at 81 years of age, I, too, prefer a physical newspaper before breakfast. I’m recently widowed, and my husband and I liked to read the paper while we had breakfast. We would share the sections and talk about the news, the letters to the editor, and your column of course.

Reading the paper on a small screen, a mobile phone, or a desktop computer is very impersonal. There is no interaction or communication, and even though my beloved is no longer with me, I can still comment and know that he is with me in spirit. Long live physical newspapers! — Valerie G., in Tucson, Arizona

Valerie, I know what you mean. I always loved Sunday mornings when I would buy a thick newspaper at the donut shop and two of their large, warm cinnamon rolls — one for me and one for my husband. By the time I got home, the coffee was made, and I could spend a relaxing morning reading the news. Now it’s all cellphones and computers. Welcome to the 21st century! — Heloise