Virtual party food: Julie Van Rosendaal gives some snacky recipes for you to make this holiday season

The holidays already look very different this year, with our traditionally packed December schedules devoid of the usual Christmas performances, cocktail parties, work gatherings and open houses. 

Virtually every holiday event involves food — and traditional recipes that are typically pulled out only at this time of year.

For a lot of people, being in the kitchen cooking is something they look forward to over the holidays just as much as the eating part. But even though you may not be opening your house to the same number of people, food traditions are something we can hold on to.

If you enjoy cooking, cook it all and freeze the excess, or pack it up (to-go containers are inexpensive at the dollar store or wholesale club) and share on the doorsteps of friends and neighbours. (It's not leftovers if they haven't eaten it already — it's just a prepared meal!) 

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As for the house parties, being shoulder to shoulder with friends and relatives will be missed, but that doesn't mean we have to miss out on the food, too.

There's no reason there has to be an actual party to make party food. One of my favourite things during the holidays is having a fridge full of party food leftovers.

This year, I'll likely drop some snacky things, like a cheeseball and crackers or a box of phyllo triangles or samosas (which can easily be divvied into boxes of two or five or 10, depending on the size of the receiving household) on friends' doorsteps with a party playlist and have a couch gathering without having to dress up or even clean my bathroom.

Pimento Cheese Ball

You could really make a cheese ball using whatever cheese (or cheese ends) you have in the fridge, relying on softer cheeses to make it moist and malleable.

Pimento cheese, a cheese spread that's traditional in the southern states, is in heavy holiday rotation at our house, and makes for a perfect ball.

Recipes vary but have similarities. Most contain old orange cheddar and extra-old white cheddar. Some call for cream cheese (which is a good idea if you plan to shape it into a ball). And there's a range of quantities of mayo — I keep it low so the mixture doesn't get too soft.

Some recipes call for the spread to be topped with chopped pecans, so it makes perfect sense to roll the ball in them to coat. Chill to firm it up before rolling.

• 4 oz (½ pkg) cream cheese
• a generous 1/3 cup packed pimentos (a 4½ oz jar)
• 6 oz extra-old white cheddar
• 2 oz old (orange) cheddar
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• a few shakes of Worcestershire
• ¼ tsp onion or garlic powder
• pinch cayenne or red chili flakes
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans

Preparation

Combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheeses and pimentos in a food processor and pulse a few times to begin chopping them.

Add the mayo, Worcestershire, onion or garlic powder and cayenne and process until the mixture has the texture of tiny-curd cottage cheese, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.

Continue to blend if you want it smoother. If the mixture is too soft, chill it to firm it up, or add more firm cheese until it's stiffer. 

Roll the mixture into a ball on a piece of plastic wrap, wrap it and refrigerate until firm.

Put the pecans on a plate or in a shallow bowl and roll the ball in them to coat. (I do this just before serving, to keep the nuts crunchy.)

Offer with crackers.

Serves about 8.

Broken Crackers

It happens all the time — I have some good cheese, or make some sort of spread or dip, and I rummage around the cupboards for a box of crackers but come up empty.

Fortunately, crisp-flaky homemade crackers are just about the easiest thing in the world to make, and you can customize the quick dough (flour + oil + water) with finely chopped nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and fancy salt — whatever you have, and like. Break the giant cracker into rustic pieces that look very hip, like something you'd pay many dollars for in a gourmet shop.

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose, whole wheat, barley or other flour (or a combination)
• 1 tsp to 1 tbsp dry herbs or spice blends (I like za'atar or an everything bagel blend)
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• seeds, such as sesame, caraway or flax, or finely chopped/ground nuts (optional)
• 1/3 cup canola or olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• flaky salt (such as Maldon, or from a grinder)

Preparation

Put the flour into a bowl, add a big pinch of salt, any finely chopped fresh or dry herbs or ground or crushed spices you think would be delicious, and a spoonful of seeds (if you want them).

Add the oil and water and stir just until the dough comes together. Knead it a few times and let it rest while you preheat the oven to 375 F.

Roll the dough out very thin — about 1/8-inch, as evenly as you can — on an ungreased baking sheet. I often roll them on the bottom of an inverted baking sheet, so that the rim doesn't interfere with my rolling, or roll them out directly on a silicone mat, then transfer the mat to the baking sheet.)

Sprinkle with flaky salt and roll again to help it adhere. Poke all over the surface with a fork, if you think of it, to prevent them from puffing up.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until deep golden. Cool completely and break apart into large pieces.

Serves about 6. 

Phyllo Veggie Samosa Pockets

Samosa wrappers are worth seeking out, but this spiced potato filling is also delicious in phyllo pastry, if that's what you happen to have in your freezer. (Phyllo is made of just flour and water, and you brush between the layers with melted butter or oil.)

I like using boiled potatoes for samosas, but you could also use 2-3 cups of frozen hash browns, and feel free to play around with any spice blends you like and/or have — this is just what I used.

• canola oil or ghee, for cooking
• 2 tsp mustard seed
• a few dried curry leaves, crushed (optional)
• 2-3 potatoes, boiled and chopped (peeled or not)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (or a few green onions)
• 1 jalapeño or other small chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• salt, to taste
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
• a handful of cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 pkg phyllo pastry, thawed
• ½ cup butter, melted

Preparation

To make the filling, heat a generous pour of oil or ghee in a large skillet set over medium-high heat, and cook the mustard seed and curry leaves for 30 seconds to a minute, until they start to pop.

Add the potatoes, onion, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin and turmeric, season with salt and cook until the onion is soft and any excess moisture has cooked off, and the potatoes start to brown.

Add the peas and cook for a few more minutes, then add the garam masala (if you're using it) and cook for another minute. Set aside to cool slightly and preheat the oven to 350 F. 

When you're ready to make triangles, unroll your phyllo pastry and pull off two sheets onto a clean work surface. Roll the rest back up in the plastic liner, or cover it with a tea towel and work quickly.

• Check out Julie Van Rosendaal's full interview on the Calgary Eyeopener below:

Fold back half the top sheet and brush the bottom layer with melted butter; close it and do the same on the other side. (This is easier than brushing a sheet and then perfectly placing another on top, but do it however it works for you!) 

Cut the stacked sheets lengthwise into four strips.

Place a spoonful of filling at the end of each and fold one corner over it diagonally, then continue folding, making a triangle-shaped package. (It doesn't matter how you do this, as long as the filling is contained!)

Transfer to a baking sheet. If you like, the filled pockets can be frozen, then taken from the freezer, placed on a baking sheet and baked directly from frozen, adding a few minutes of baking time.

Once they're all filled, brush the tops of the triangles with whatever butter is left — or use oil — and bake for about 20 minutes, until deep golden.

Makes about 1½-2 dozen pockets.