• Food processor
• 2 14-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained (reserve the liquid)
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/3 C Tahini (sesame seed paste that is sold in jars at stores such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, health food stores, and middle eastern delis)
• 1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In the food processor bowl, place garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, olive oil, and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Begin processing the mixture, slowly adding the reserved liquid from the garbanzo beans until a smooth creamy texture is achieved. Give it a taste and re-season with salt, pepper and cumin as desired. Serve in a bowl alongside the crudité (raw veggies) and drizzle the top with a touch more olive oil.

***

When deciding on which hors d'oeuvre(s) to serve, pick something that could be served warm or hot. The key is to choose hors d'oeuvres that can be prepped ahead of time and then heated in the oven right before they are served, and remain delicious at room temperature.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS HORS D'OEUVRES
(makes 20 – 24 hors d'oeuvres)

• 20-24 fresh mushrooms, stems removed and reserved for another use
• 1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, softened
• 3-4 strips of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or minced very fine

Preheat a broiler to low.

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, bacon, green onion and garlic and mix well. Spoon equal portions of the mixture into mushroom caps and set on an un-greased cookie sheet. Broil the mushrooms for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked through and the cream cheese is brown and bubbly.

Vegetarian Hint: Simply leave out the bacon.

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When it comes to holiday-themed adult beverages, a favorite is something known as Wassail (pronounced either WAH-sul or wah-SAIL). Its history is both Anglo-Saxon and Germanic. It can best be described as a spiced, alcoholic punch that is served warm and is associated with the Christmas holiday. Here's a simple recipe for a delicious Wassail.

WASSAIL
(serves 25 to 30)

• 6 C dry red wine
• 1 C dry sherry
• 1/2 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 C orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• 2 C pineapple juice
• 1/2 C water
• 1 C sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks

In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Add sugar and cinnamon sticks and allow to simmer for five minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.

In a larger pot combine wine, sherry, lemon juice, orange juice and pineapple juice. Heat over a medium flame until the mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the sugar syrup and add the syrup to the wine mixture. Stir to incorporate.

Keep warm over a low flame and serve in small cups.

You've got the party pieces, so all that's left to do is execute. Don't make it a big deal! What is a big deal is that you use these holidays to connect with family and reach out to friends you haven't seen for a while. And don't forget to be good to yourself. It's been a long year and you deserve it!

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Kirk Leins has been cooking his entire life. No stranger to professional kitchens, he currently devotes most of his time to cooking instruction, food writing, and producing television. Kirk also provides his services as a personal chef in and around the Los Angeles area. He has made several TV appearances on both the national and local level, and is the Executive Chef for YOU Magazine. Sign up for Kirk's free newsletter and cooking blog at www.NoTimeToCook.com.