Entertaining loved ones is a joy and privilege, but let's be real, it can also be a thankless chore and huge (and expensive!) pain in the you-know-what. (Like how I'm trying to clean up my language for the internet?!) Well, during this holiday season of joy, I'm here to offer you just a few ideas to help minimize the oy.
Just to manage expectations -- I'm no Martha or Ina, and I am the LEAST creative and artistic person I know, so don't get too excited here. But, I am my mother's daughter (and if you are reading The Book, you'll know what that means); I feel that a nicely laid table can enhance the dining experience (and potentially lessen the emotional blow of a lackluster or poorly-made dish -- hey at least the table looks good!). Plus, it allows me to use the dishes and whatnot that I already own and rarely take out. Unlike my mother, though, I could not care less about how others make up their table or how well the food turns out when I'm invited over for any occasion, so don't make any assumptions!
Here are a few things I do to enhance the time I have with my guests and minimize the pre-get-together stress of hosting folks. It all comes down to: Plan, plan, plan!
Decide up-front what you would like your guests to bring.
If you are hosting, think about what dishes you want but don't want to make yourself. Don't be shy to ask a guest to bring something you know they make well and you enjoy!
If you enjoy making everything, or have everything covered, be prepared to have some ideas in mind for those folks who ask what they can bring. Wine, beer, cocktail napkins, crackers, etc. are all good ideas and can come in handy in the future.
Set the table in advance. Unless you have pets or kids which are likely to mess things up, your tableware will not get dusty in a week, and that's a huge to-do which can be out-of-the-way.
Choose or (better yet) take out the serving vessels AND serving utensils! I have been known to add post-it notes to these dishes so I don't scramble when it's time to get the whatever on the table. There's nothing worse than not being able to find a serving dish or serving spoon for the thing which is ready to go to the table!
Heat (or re-heat) the main course dishes while enjoying cocktails/ hors d'oeuvres.
When guests arrive, have the oven set to 350 degrees F and slide in whatever needs to be warmed. If you think cocktails will take more than 30 minutes, set the oven to 325...
Don't forget to turn on and use the warming drawer on your stove (if you have one)!
In terms of pre-dinner noshing, I am here to tell you that, as much as I love celery to be part of a crudite platter with dip, almost nobody (except me) will eat the celery, no matter how great the dip is. Carrots and bell peppers are the veggies which go. (sigh)
Think about serving buffet style. While it does not make sense for all hosted meals, buffet-style allows folks to make up their own plates away from the dining table(s), which can offer some advantages:
People take what and how much they want without everybody watching.
There is less spilling likely on the dining room table.
By not having all the food on the table, there is more room to add your holiday decor.
When serving buffet-style, don't forget that condiments and sauces go on the dining table -- ideally at both ends.
Wondering what I'm cooking up for my upcoming holiday dinner get-together? Well, the menu for our Hannukah dinner this year includes an artichoke pie with homemade sourdough crackers to start (and maybe some crudite -- no celery -- with hummus). The main course will be my grandmother's brisket (not her recipe, but it tastes like hers), latkes, and garlic-roasted green beans. Obviously, we will have sour cream and homemade applesauce on the table. For dessert, I'm planning on making a bunch of things (with the intention of giving some out as holiday gifts for friends after the dinner): chocolate peppermint ruggelach, iced hannukah cut-out cookies, mini flourless chocolate cakes (one guest is gluten-free), and I'll be making dippable (non-filled) mini donuts to be served with warmed strawberry jam and chocolate espresso sauce for dipping.
I hope these tricks and insights are not a big "DUH" for everyone and that you can take at least something away from this post. I'd love to hear any time-saving entertaining tricks you guys have. So please feel free to write them in the comments here and share with the other readers.
Happy Holidays!!