"Holiday Entertaining"
December 17, 2009 - Volume 1 - Issue 24
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Let the Celebration Begin!
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It's
nice that many different traditions celebrate in some way this time of
year. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just the
Winter Solstice, all customs call for celebration and being with
friends and family.  And
together, in just a short time, we'll celebrate another New Year and
the start of another decade. (It seems that we just rang in the new
millennium!) Whatever your celebratory plans are, we suspect they will
involve sharing food and good times with others. Building upon our
November "Do-Ahead" issue, this newsletter focuses on hors d'oeuvres
and beverages as the beginning of a party, or as the party itself. We
finish with three recipes for delicious beginnings to a wonderful
celebration! Our best to you and yours in this holiday season!
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Holiday Countdown
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Nibbles & Noshes!
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We
know several of you that would prefer a meal of appetizers instead of
big entrees and sides. There are many advantages and occasions where
this style of entertaining is just the right approach. Such an affair
can be quite formal or very casual, or anything in between. Consider a
party of nibbles and noshes in these situations:
- The number of guests invited exceeds the table seating available
- The timing of the party is late afternoon, or late evening, i.e., not at a meal time
- The party's activities or purpose don't lend themselves to a sit-down affair
- The guests will be coming and going during a window of time
Create Variety
-- A party of appetizers allows guests to eat as little or as much as
they would like. Especially appealing is the ability to try a wide
variety of foods one bite at a time. Everyone is sure to be pleased.
Choose a variety of appetizers featuring different flavors. Make sure
that your choices are not biased to one food category. For example,
make sure that not every appetizer contains mayonnaise, or seafood, or
olives, etc. While each occasion may vary, experts recommend planning on six to eight appetizers per person for each hour of the party.
Warm or Cold?
- Logistically it's difficult to have more than two or three hot
appetizers. Shuffling too many trays in and out of the oven keeps you
from being with your guests. Consider using a warming tray, a chafing
dish, or a small slow cooker to keep your appetizers warm. Ev en
at this time of year, it's important to keep cold appetizers cold. Use
nested dishes that can be filled with ice to keep dips, shrimp and
other cold appetizers safe and crisp fresh.
Presentation
- Creating beautiful presentations of appetizers is half the fun of a
cocktail party. Bring out your unique serving dishes for the occasion.
Use washable dinnerware for the occasion; it's a great sustainable
choice, and not that difficult to clean-up. An eclectic mix of plates,
napkins and serving dishes lends to the festive nature of the event.
Garnish your tables and platters with themes of the season:
- Add
green to serving dishes with a sprig of evergreen, boxwood, or holly;
fresh cranberries add color and an ornamental look when nestled in the
greens.
- Bring sparkle to the platter with small, glittery ornaments.
- Use hollowed out vegetables or fruits to hold dips and spreads.
- Curl small lengths of ribbon and scatter them between the hors d'oeuvres.
Serving Logistics
-Appetizers may be placed on a table, or served by a roaming host or
hostess, or both. Spread out the food locations to minimize congestion
in any one area of the room. Use several small platters for the hors
d'oeuvres instead of one large platter. The smaller platters will fit
more easily in the refrigerator and line up better on a buffet table.
Small platters can easily be replenished by simply exchanging the tray
with a full one. 
Serving Gear -
Equip guests with small appetizer plates and have plenty of small
cocktail napkins available. If the appetizers are not appropriate as
finger food, offer toothpicks as part of the food's presentation, or
have a separate toothpick holder nearby. Small cocktail forks,
spreading knives, or demitasse spoons may also be useful depending on
your menu choices.
Cleaning Up
- Set up your party for success with a clean-up plan. This includes
providing a space with a tray for guests to set aside their used plates
and glasses. The tray of dirty dishes can be whisked away as needed
keeping the room neat and the kitchen countertop uncluttered. Have
small plates available at the serving table to hold serving spoons.
Have garbage receptacles inconspicuously available. If easily
available, guests will naturally clean up after themselves; don't leave
them hanging without any options for discarding their items.
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Party Beverages
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The
type of event and the time of day will direct the beverages served at
your party whether it's a formal or informal occasion. If your event
has a theme, choose beverages that complement the festivities. Then
decide the extent of your bar.
 Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Always provide several non-alcoholic choices for your guests. Have
sodas and water available as part of your bar. Other great
non-alcoholic drinks for the season include all types of coffee drinks,
teas, ciders, and hot chocolates.
Beer
- The vast number of exquisite microbrews make the serving of beer
totally acceptable at both casual and more formal events. Set up your
cooler with choices between ales and lagers. Seasonal brews, some for
autumn and others for winter, are a great complement to many holiday
foods.
 Wine
- Have both red and white wines available. Choose a dryness that
complements the hors d'oeuvres being served. Glass stemware makes any
wine better - avoid any temptation to use disposable wine glasses.
Ideally choose stemware that complements the wine. Wine charms help
guests identify their glass. Plan on 1 bottle of wine per hour for every four guests.
A Short Bar
- A basic simple bar can be set up with the addition of vodka and
whiskey to the beer and wine choices. Have mixers such as orange juice,
soda, tonic, and cola ready along with lime and lemon slices. Plan on having extra glassware available when serving drinks - at least two per guest.
A Full Bar - Add the following to the Short Bar list above: gin, tequila, rum, bourbon, vermouth, sherry and brandy.
 Winter Drinks
- The winter season begs for eggnogs, wassails, mulled ciders/wine, and
gloggs. These drinks don't seem to make sense other times of the year,
so enjoy them thoroughly now.
Champagne Drinks
- Champagnes and sparkling wines will certainly be part of the New
Year's season. Enjoy champagne with a toast to family and friends. Have
extra champagne ready for brunch mimosas. Champagne flutes hold the
bubbles much better than coupe style stemware.
Cordials
- The holidays seem a perfect time for indulging in specialty cordials.
The sweet sips seem to invite lingering and relaxation. Cordial glasses
are fun, stylish pieces that are fun to collect and use. They also make
perfect containers for bite-sized desserts.
Punches
- Holiday punches are a simplified alternative to a bar. Clearly
identify which punch bowl is spiked. To keep ice from diluting the
punch, freeze portions of the punch in decorative molds ahead of time
and use instead of ice.
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Top Ten Tips for Stress-free Entertaining
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You
have permission to relax and enjoy your entertaining! Diane Phillips,
the Diva of Do-Ahead, is back again with ten, (ok, eleven), tips for
stress-free entertaining. Read them twice, then put them to work!
(Thanks for sharing, Diane!).
 De-Stress #1: Keep it simple---simple food is much more approachable for you to prepare and for your guests to eat.
De-Stress #2: Don't challenge your culinary abilities.
De-Stress #3: Make food that can be prepped ahead and then needs only last minute attention.
De-Stress #4:
Keep d�cor simple, river rocks, sea glass or shells in low vases with a
few flowers rather than ornate d�cor helps everyone feel at ease with
an inviting ambiance rather than over the top styling. This will save
you time and money.
De-Stress #5:
If something goes wrong, keep your cool! What's the worst that can
happen? You can call for pizza and it will be a memorable evening
regardless of the food because you kept your cool.
De-Stress #6: Meet
your guests at the door-no one feels welcome when they enter someone's
home and no one is there to greet them. Make sure to make people feel
welcomed, by taking their wrap, asking if they would like a drink and
guiding them to the entertaining space where everyone is gathered.
De-Stress #7:
Hire a bartender if you are serving a full bar - you can't concentrate
on great food and drink orders at the same time. Hire them for a few
more hours to clean up and do dishes too.
De-Stress #8: Give
yourself permission to hire out parts of your party. Order veggie
trays, desserts and breads if you need to - I call these "mental
health" hires - they help you to keep your cool and sanity; and, there
are some things that you may just not want to do.
De-Stress #9: Keep lists: (a) Invitees and RSVP's, (b) Food to be served, (c) Shopping list (check out www.dianephillips.com for a downloadable shopping list and blank calendar for planning)
 De-Stress #10: Relax and have fun-none of your guests will have fun if you are stressed and crazed, so relax and enjoy your time together.
De-Stress #11: If
extra people show up, don't panic, just be prepared. Always have extra
salad greens, cheese and rice on hand. You can stretch salad servings
with extra greens, but then raid the fridge and add fruit, cut up
veggies, marinated artichoke hearts, olives, and cubes of cheese. A
few wedges of cheese will stretch out the appetizers if you are serving
them. Arrange them on a platter, with small sour pickles, olives, or
grapes and orange wedges along with crackers or baguettes.
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Smart Holiday Entertaining Tips
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Tip #1:
Color code your punch. If you have a number of children around, it may
be easier to have a second punch of a different color in order to
direct them appropriately to the non-alcoholic choice. 
Tip #2:
Remember to have plenty of ice available for chilling drinks and for
use in drinks. Parties can challenge even the most efficient built-in
freezer unit. Make ice ahead or buy bags of ice. Bring out the summer
coolers to keep back up stock ready and cold.
Tip #3: Serve "dessert
shooters" in cordial glasses with a demitasse spoon. Try a chocolate
mousse topped with a swirl of ganache, a mini-trifle drizzled with a
raspberry coulis, or a gingerbread pudding cloaked in cr�me anglaise.
Tip #4: Keep in the fridge a
selection of cheeses that can be turned into a cheese platter. Keep
handy a set of cheese knives to match the cheeses - this will turn a
plain platter into something quite a bit more elegant.
Tip #5: Have a plan ready ahead of time for getting guests home  if need be - a designated driver, or the phone number for a taxi.
Tip #6:
Keep in the pantry a selection of crackers, gourmet dips, specialty
mustards, and other nibbles that can be accessed in a jiffy for an
instant party.
Tip #7: Spills are bound to
happen. Anticipate the situation by having an "accident kit" ready.
Include paper towels, club soda, sponge or whatever tools needed for
your situation. Deal with the spill quickly while minimizing any
disruption. Ease the guest's feelings by being prepared and calm in the
moment.
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Q & A's
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 Q: What is the origin of the term hors d'oeuvre?
A:
The word is French in origin and translates literally as "separate from
the main body." Or, food that is served before the main course of the
meal. Hors d'oeuvres may be the only food in the case of a cocktail
party. In French, the word hors d'oeuvre is both singular and plural;
here we feel compelled to add an "s" when speaking of multiple hors
d'oeuvres.
Q: What's the difference between canap�s, tapas, meze, antipasto and hors d'oeuvres?
A: All of the above are forms of appetizers. The term hors d'oeuvres is a broad term encompassing many styles of appetizers. Tapas is the Spanish word for appetizers, while meze is Turkish, and antipasto is Italian. Canapes are small, bite-size, open-faced sandwiches.
Q: If brought a bottle of wine as a hostess gift, should the wine be served immediately?
A:
A gift of wine is a great hostess gift especially when presented
festively in a wine bag or package. The gifted wine may be used that
evening if already chilled appropriately, or simply accepted as a
"replenishment" to your wine collection.
Q: What is the difference between champagne and sparkling wine?
A:
All champagnes are sparkling wines, but not all sparkling wines are
champagnes.  Champagne is bubbly from the Champagne region of France. By
law in Europe, only products from this region may use the word
champagne. In the U.S., it is not illegal to use the word, just
considered bad form. Dissolved carbon dioxide is responsible for the
bubbles in the sparkling wine. A semi-sparkling wine is called a
"frizzante."
Q: What is a wassail?
A:
A wassail is associated with medieval times in Northern Europe. The
term "wassail" is said to be a contracted form of the early English
phrase "be healthy." Today, a wassail is more like a mulled cider,
(with or without alcohol), steeped with cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice,
cardamom, and ginger and apple slices.
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Cookbook Review
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Perfect Party Food by Diane Phillips. Copyright 2005. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA.
A James Beard Foundation Book Award Nominee
 The
Do-Ahead Diva is back again with great ideas and suggestions for
stress-free entertaining. Every recipe in the book is a "Do-Ahead," and
we all know that that is the key for smooth times in the kitchen
especially when entertaining! This book is perfect not only for this
season of entertaining, but all year long. Ms. Phillips spans the
entire repertoire of occasions with the inclusion of simple cocktail
parties and afternoon teas, to formal black tie dinners and everything
in between. The chapters are organized by food category including two
chapters on appetizers, followed by Party Salads, Sides, Poultry, Fish
and Shellfish, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Sauces, Sweet and Savory Breads,
Breakfast and Brunch, and Desserts. We especially appreciated the
ending chapter on menu planning and the couple dozen suggested menus by
specific occasion. With Diane's guidance, each of us should feel quite
enabled to entertain in style with scrumptious food while also enjoying
the party because it's all done ahead!
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Recipes for Parties
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Recipes excerpted from Perfect Party Food
by Diane Phillips. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA.
Copyright 2005. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights
reserved.
Smoky Blue Dip
 This
is one versatile dip that has just the right amount of flair and
uniqueness. The chunky pieces of creamy blue cheese melt in your mouth.
We tried both potato chips and vegetables with this dip and were most
satisfied with the results. We can easily see this dip working well
with buffalo wings or other spicy nibbles.
Click here to view the full illustrated recipe.
Click here for a printable version of the recipe.
Cranberry-Walnut Cheese Ball
 This
cheese ball gets a bit of a twist in this rendition of a classic
appetizer. We love the frosty white color of the cheese contrasted with
the cranberries and parsley for a decidedly holiday look. Oh, and the
taste was marvelous as well! It makes sense to have a couple of these
cheese balls or cheese logs in the refrigerator for impromptu parties
and dropovers this time of year.
Click here to view the full illustrated recipe.
Click here for a printable version of the recipe.
The Crabbiest Spread of All
 If
you love seafood dips and spreads, this one will be your new favorite.
Loaded with crab, the accompanying flavors complement well. This spread
is also quite versatile; it may be served cold or warm. Use it to top
individual canap�s or, as the author suggests, in a hollowed out bread
bowl. It's a great holiday treat!
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Click here to view the full illustrated recipe.
Click here for a printable version of the recipe.
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Wassail! Be healthy and well! Happy Holidays and best New Year's wishes!
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Lorraine, Katie, and all of the Staff at Beyond Pots and Pans
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