Consider three tips for making your holiday party a
stress-free success.
Entertaining in Tandem
Three
Steps to Stress-Free Holiday Parties
By Susan Thacker
Are holidays "the most wonderful time of
the year"; or are they times of stress--a hectic pace of
endless shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, and
cleaning? Who has not thought, "Oh, to be a child again"
(especially at holiday times)? Christmas and Hanukah
should be joyous seasons in which are made lifetime
memories that connect loved ones without all the
pressures.
Susan Thacker, author of Supper Swapping- Cook Four Days
a Month with Chefs' and Restaurants' Easy Recipes,
provides three steps to easier holiday dinner parties.
She believes that holiday responsibilities are sometimes
self-imposed and plans do not have to be "all or
nothing". One of the ideas in Supper Swapping is to
"entertain in tandem" by hosting a dinner party the same
night as a friend and splitting the cooking.
Abandoning the festivities is not the solution to
reducing holiday stress, according to Susan; sharing the
workload with a friend and making simple, do-ahead
recipes at leisure is. Below you'll find her tips and a
do-ahead recipe from Houston’s Post Oak Grill (taken
from Supper Swapping, a cookbook with easy recipes from
chefs and owners of restaurants around the country such
as Ferrara Bakery & Cafe in New York and Joe’s Stone
Crab.)
Step 1 "Entertaining in Tandem" Sharing planning
of menus, shopping for groceries, and dividing cooking
duties with a friend who will host a dinner party on the
same night can cut party-giving stress in half. Cooking
may be done either separately in each respective kitchen
or together in one kitchen (the latter arrangement is
more fun).
Step 2---Selecting Do-Ahead Recipes---Careful
selection of a menu that avoids difficult recipes,
especially those having to be made the day of the party
is a second stress reducer. Using freezable dishes for
half the menu and choosing additional recipes that may
be made the day before (see recipe for Blueberry
Vinaigrette from Post Oak Grill in Houston) are two more
great "tricks of party planning." Many dishes are better
the next day because flavors meld. (Susan Thacker
recommends freezing Chicken Curry Suzanne on page 118 of
her cookbook- from Florida’s top rated restaurant,
Chalet Suzanne).
Step 3---Thinking in Terms of Moderation---Often
the happiest holiday memories include simple meals.
Susan commented, "I remember being at my grandparents'
small Victorian cottage with a houseful of cousins. One
cold evening we gathered around the floor furnace to
warm our hands. Then my grandmother called us to dinner.
She had made a large pot of navy beans and homemade
rolls. It was a simple time and a basic menu, but truly
a loving memory of my extended family together at
Christmas."
Serving one appetizer, an entree, a salad, and a side
dish and buying the dessert and the bread will further
simplify the party-giving and make the cooks true
minimalists!
Furthermore, decorations can be streamlined each year.
Drawing attention to a few beautiful focal points using
in-home lighting instead of an abundance of knick knacks
throughout the house and going overboard only on candles
will create a relaxing atmosphere for the guests (as
well as for the hostess).
The person who takes control of her party plans, rather
than letting those plans take control of her can
experience the childlike joy of the holidays. Using
these simple tips will help everyone (family, friends,
and hostess) enjoy the holidays while helping to create
lasting memories (without all the stress). Supper
Swapping is available at bookstores nationwide,
1-800-431-1579, or www.supperswapping.com.
Available on Amazon
Do-Ahead Blueberry Vinaigrette from Post Oak Grill
(Houston, Texas)
from Supper Swapping cookbook (Yields 1 Pint)
1 shallot, minced
1 cup blueberries
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients in an electric blender. Puree
until smooth.
Blueberry Spinach Salad with Toasted Pecans and Blue
Cheese
from Supper Swapping cookbook (Serves 4)
8 cups baby spinach (a 5 ounce bag is about 5 cups)
1 cup blueberries
½ cup pecan pieces, toasted
½ cup (2 ounces) blue cheese, crumbled
radicchio leaves, for a garnish
Measure ingredients the day before and assemble the day
of the party. Divide the spinach between the plates.
Garnish each plate with radicchio leaves. Top spinach
with pecan pieces and blue cheese. Drizzle desired
amount of Blueberry Vinaigrette over each salad when
ready to serve.
Susan Thacker is Author of newly released Supper
Swapping - Cook Four Days a Month with Chefs' and
Restaurants' Easy Recipes. Supper Swapping was
selected as the featured weekly book on the nationally
syndicated Dr. Laura radio program in Jan. 2005 during
the first month of it's release.
Available on Amazon
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