We’ve been on vacation for the past few weeks, doing a
little relaxing and reflecting on our year. It’s been a big year, and we’ve
learned a lot. More on that
later this week.
In the meantime, New Year’s Eve is coming up in a few
days, which means parties and potentially opening your home to your family and
friends to celebrate the coming year. And
to many, it means stress and anxiety.
We want to put
an end to that. Stress over
entertaining, that is. Not
parties.
As with everything in life, our message is be nice to yourself. Don’t think that every little detail
has to be perfect. You’ll
drive yourself crazy. Just
dim the lights, light some candles, put on great music and meet your guests at
the door with a drink and a big smile. Your
joy will put everyone at ease, and you’re guaranteed a great party.
If you need a
little more help than that, here are a few of our tips for easy and fearless
entertaining.
1. Determine a budget, and plan your
menu accordingly. You
don’t have to spend a fortune to carry off an elegant, delicious party everyone
raves about. Low-budget and
big-punch items include things like grilled vegetables, antipasti platters and
bruschetta with simple homemade toppings. We have a few recipes for you,
below. And don’t be too
ambitious! Make three or
four items and then take a little help from the deli section of the grocery
store, with a selection of a few artisan cheeses and bowls of good-for-you
olives and nuts.
2. Consider allergies or dietary
restrictions, but don’t stress about it. We ask guests to let us know if
they have specific dietary restrictions, and we always serve at least one
vegetarian and gluten-free option, just in case. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed and
you have guests with specific allergies or aversions, ask them to bring a dish
to contribute! Friends will
be more than happy to help.
3. Create a drink station. Create a pretty drink station away
from the food, so that everyone is not all bunched in the same area. And when it comes to drinks, there are
several ways to keep costs down. One,
ask each guest to bring a bottle of wine or nonalcoholic beverage in lieu of a
hostess gift. Set a price
limit if you want, so guests do not feel obligated to bring an expensive
bottle. Two, decide on only
one signature cocktail. This
has two advantages—it limits the number of spirits you need to buy for the
party, thus reducing your cost. It
also allows you to make large batches of the cocktail ahead of time, making
serving easier. Please
don’t plan on mixing cocktails one-by-one! You’ll be at the bar all night
long. Make sure you provide
interesting and delicious nonalcoholic options as well, including lots of
pitchers of water to keep guests hydrated!
4. Use white serving platters. It’s the secret all great restaurants
know—food looks best on a white background. And arranging food on big
platters—even if it’s just cheese and crackers—makes it look fancy and
festive. You can buy very
inexpensive plain white platters at discount stores like Target and
TJMaxx. And if you really
want to get fancy, put little place cards next to each with a description of
the food. That also helps
to identify foods for anyone who may have allergies or dietary restrictions.
5. Be organized! You know
how much we love lists. Make
a complete grocery list of all of the items you will need for the party. Check them off as you purchase
them. Try not to leave all
of your shopping for the last minute. Pantry
goods can be purchased days and weeks ahead of time. If you have children (or spouses!) who
might be tempted to snack on things like nuts, chocolate or crackers, you might
want to hide them until the party. Just
don’t forget the hiding place!
6. Don’t forget the bathrooms. Make sure your guest bathrooms are
stocked with toilet paper, fresh soap and clean towels. A discretely placed plunger is not a
bad idea either, just in case.
7. Candles, flowers and good music can
cover a lot of flaws! It’s
really true. If the vibe is
great, people will remember a great party. Use white, unscented votive
candles. They are
inexpensive and easy to replenish—and they won’t tip over if accidently
bumped. Keep flower
arrangements simple—all one color is usually best, arranged in a short glass
vase. Short, square glass
vases can be purchased very cheaply at floral supply shops. And don’t forget the music. Ask a friend with great taste in music
to create a playlist for the party, and then ask them to make sure it keeps
playing!
8. Create a timeline. While this may seem like a silly step,
we find it’s essential for making sure everything gets done on time, before the
first doorbell ring. It’s
easiest to start from the time of the party and work backwards, beginning with
what needs to be prepared or finished at the last minute to what can be
prepared hours or days ahead of time.
9. Prep as much of the menu ahead of
time as you can. Cut up
the vegetables, make the dressings, bake the desserts… Look at your recipes and think about
what can be made days (or even weeks) before the party.
10. Relax! If you’re not having a good time, your
guests won’t have a good time. And
if anything goes wrong, just laugh. It
will make a great story.
Here are a few recipes for easy, make-ahead small
bites for your next party.
Bruschetta Bar with Ceci Beans & Tuscan Greens
A bruschetta
bar is a great way to serve easy, inexpensive and yet delicious appetizers for
your holiday
party. Bruschetta
is basically just grilled bread and is a base for an endless number of
delicious
toppings, from the traditional tomato and basil to the ceci beans
(garbanzo beans) and Tuscan greens
(cavolo nero kale) featured here. Be sure and choose great-quality bread
with a good crust and chewy
center. These
can be served hot-off-the-stove, but are also great at room temperature—perfect
for a
make-ahead party.
Serves 8
4 - 1
inch-thick slices great-quality crusty bread
1/4 cup olive
oil
Sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
Brush each
side of the bread with the olive oil. Sprinkle
with sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste. Grill bread, about 1 minute per side,
until grill marks appear and bread is
toasted. Rub one side of the bread with the
garlic clove. Cut each
slice of bread in half on the
diagonal. Set
aside until ready to top and serve.
Ceci Beans (Garbanzo Beans) Topping
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic
clove, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon
hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon
chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons
black olive tapenade
1 cup cooked
ceci beans, still warm*
2 tablespoons
cooking liquid from beans
2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons
fresh basil, torn or sliced
Zest of one
lemon
Sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil
in small skillet over medium-low heat. Add
garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until
garlic starts to soften. Add red pepper flakes, rosemary and
black olive tapenade. Fry
until
fragrant.
Pour olive oil mixture over cooked ceci beans. Add balsamic vinegar, cooking liquid,
fresh basil
and lemon zest. Toss
together, mashing some of the beans slightly with the back of your
fork. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as
necessary.
Spread topping over grilled bread, drizzling with
extra olive oil if desired. Serve
warm, or at
room temperature.
Tuscan Greens
(Cavolo Nero, or Dinosaur Kale) Topping
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red
pepper flakes
Sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bunch Tuscan
kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Zest of one
lemon
¼ pound
parmesan or ricotta salata
Heat olive oil
in small skillet over medium-low heat. Add
pancetta or bacon and cook until fat is
rendered and pork is beginning to
brown. Add garlic and red
pepper flakes and cook about 30
seconds, until garlic starts to soften.
Add kale, salt and pepper and cook, adding a little
water if necessary, until kale is wilted and
tender, about 5 – 10
minutes. Season with nutmeg
and lemon zest. Top grilled
toast with greens
and shavings of parmesan or ricotta salata.
Polenta Coins with Mushroom Sauté
Polenta
coins—or cups--make a great vehicle for any sort of filling, from mushrooms to
braised
meats. Make the
polenta up to two days ahead of time and then reheat in the oven right before
the
party starts. This recipe is a great option for your guests following a
gluten-free eating plan.
Makes about 16 - 24 polenta
2 cups polenta
8 cups
water* or low-sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons
butter
½ cup grated
parmesan cheese
1 ½ pounds
mushrooms, sliced (any varieties you like)
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup
shallots, minced
¼ teaspoon red
pepper flakes
2 sprigs of
thyme, leaves removed
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/4 teaspoon
black pepper
¼ cup dry
white wine, or dry sherry
1 tablespoon
butter
Add chicken stock to a large sauce pan and bring to a
simmer. Whisk in polenta, being careful to
avoid splattering corn meal. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender,
whisking frequently. Add
butter and parmesan cheese.
Line a
deep-rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Pour polenta onto tray and spread
evenly to 1
inch thick. Allow to cool at room temperature; transfer to
refrigerator and chill until set, at least
two hours.
When chilled and set, cut circles into the polenta
using a 2’ cookie cutter, or cut into
squares. Scoop out the centers of each polenta
circle with a teaspoon, being careful not to make a
hole in the bottom of the
circle. When ready to
serve, reheat coins in a 250 degree oven until
warm.
In the
meantime, make the mushroom sauté. Add
the mushrooms to a large, dry skillet set over
medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the
mushrooms begin to caramelize. Remove
mushrooms from pan.
Reduce heat to
medium and add the shallots and red pepper flakes. Cook until the shallots are
translucent. Add the
mushrooms back to the pan, with the fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Add
wine and cook until liquid is
reduced to about a tablespoon. Remove
from heat and stir in
butter. This
can be make a day ahead and reheated before serving.
Fill warmed polenta cups with mushroom sauté and serve
warm or at room temperature.
*If you want
to make this recipe vegetarian, use water and season well with sea salt.
