Holiday Meals – Planning for Success!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Hello everyone, Kylie here :o) It’s well and truly that time of year – yes! – tis’ the season for much feasting!! And for many of us, with all that feasting comes much stress. For today’s blog post I will be attempting to impart some of my tips on “how to plan’’ your cooking for such an occasion(s). Whatever family get-together or party you are planning, on the day, it should be all about spending time with loved ones, having FUN and creating memories! Repeat after me – it is NOT about stressing over the little things, being stuck in the kitchen – alone, and being totally overwhelmed to the point of tears. (Trust me – I’ve been there too!!)

“A party should promise good fun, good company and good food. A light heart takes care of the fun, good friends take care of the company and a few good recipes take care of the food.”

Quote by Margaret Fulton – an Australian food icon.

I have loved cooking for as long as I can remember. My first ‘cooking all by myself’ memory is when I was pre-school age and my dad showed me how to make him a coffee. Ingredients: Hot water, instant coffee, two teaspoons of sugar and a dash of milk. Directions: Mix together, be extra careful not to burn yourself and now that you’ve mastered that you can make Daddy a coffee whenever he asks! LOL!! Well, from then on I was hooked. I helped my Mum out with all sorts of delicious (and not so delicious things – she’s a fantastic cook, don’t get me wrong, but serving up a pickled cow’s tongue is not something a 9 year old gets excited over!) What also helped lead me to my culinary path was the fact that I realised, very early on, that offering to make desserts, cakes, biscuits (cookies) all by myself was a great way to actually get to eat them (with four kids my Mum didn’t always have the time – so I was more than happy to oblige and taste test along the way!) In my late teens I was obsessed with dinner parties. I would use my family as willing guinea pigs. I would cook for special occasions and not-so-special occasions. I would excitably plan every little detail and for me, the whole dinner party would generally last a week – from end to end. Because “PLANNING” is the key to a successful and ‘relatively’ stress-free cooking event!

So what have I learnt?

• Plan, Plan, Plan – it’s more fun if you are organised – now this doesn’t necessarily mean that you must have a formal step-by-step 100 point plan  – it really depends on the event itself and how much time you have leading up to the day. But to have a clear plan – even in your head – prior to the day, will save you time and energy in the long run.
• Initial considerations: What type of party do you want to have and then consider the When, Where, and Who. That will lead you to the How.
• Determine a budget.
• If you have decided to host a very large party, consider catering options and other professional services to prepare, cook, serve and clean up and any combination in-between.
• Start your menu planning early. Think about the amount of time you have to prepare and cook, both before and on the actual day. The equipment you have available – it’s no good buying the biggest turkey if it won’t fit in your oven. Equipment also includes your serving ware – china, glasses, cutlery, specialty platters, glass dessert bowls – the list is endless. Friends and relatives can help with this too or you could consider renting items if you don’t wish to make a purchase for something you’ll never use again. The skills you have and whether you’ve cooked that recipe before – it’s best to stick with what you know but if you really want to tackle that croquembouche to impress your guests then it might pay to practise well before the big day.  My advice is – keep it simple – good food doesn’t need to be complicated!
• Think about whether you’d like guests to make a dish and bring it along. This is a great option for those that don’t have a lot of time to prepare a complete dinner party. Ensure everyone knows what the final menu is and what’s ‘expected’ of them. Or, you could opt for a ‘Potluck’ dinner – that always makes things interesting!
• Consider any food allergies and intolerances that your guests might have and look for options.
• Opt for seasonal produce – it’s fresher, tastier and more often than not – cheaper!
• A well-balanced menu is best, so think about the recipes you’re choosing in terms of cooking methods, flavors, textures, appearance and temperature – are you opting for the same style throughout? Try and mix it up a bit – it will help you manage your preparation and cooking, and above all, it’ll keep your taste buds happy.
• Read the ingredients carefully. Do you know what Vanilla fleur de sal is? Can you buy it locally? Can you afford to pay the $20 for a small container? Will you only need to use a small portion and the rest will live in your pantry never to be opened again?!
• Once you’ve chosen your menu – organize all the recipes for easy reference. If I have quite a few I will often photocopy them and put them in a folder along with any other notes and lists I make regarding the dinner party. This is much easier than flipping through a pile of cookbooks every time because you accidently lost the page. Or if you get the recipe from the internet it’s very easy to print and file!
• Don’t forget about drinks!
• Have a back-up plan should some dishes turn out a disaster. Example – dessert – that could be something as simple as flavoured pots of ice-cream and some interesting toppings – make your own ‘ice-cream bar’!
• Prepare a rough timeline for the upcoming weeks. Read through each recipe – both the ingredients and directions. Highlight and/or write notes on what can be prepared in advance – how long and also what can be frozen. Also make a list on when best to shop for your ingredients and whether you’ll need to order any specialty produce. Write a list of ingredients for each shop and double check you’ve included everything including weights/portions and the like.
• I also LOVE cookbooks and food magazines that already feature a detailed menu. (This is how I started out and I still like doing it this way, even if I change it around a bit!) Generally they will include, along with all the recipes, a preparation timeline and a shopping list. And sometimes, a suggested wine to pair with each course may be included, which is a nice bonus as well as a timesaver. Now see, by using a pre-planned menu the hardest part of the preparation is already done for you – you just have to follow it and cook, cook, cook! They also have some great ideas that you may not have thought about doing.
• Refer to your ingredient list and stock up on pantry items like flour, sugar, spices, and other non-perishables. This can be done well in advance.
• Storage! Very important! Consider the refrigerator and freezer space you have and whether you need to re-organize and make space etc.
• Up to three or so weeks in advance prepare any dishes – whole or part – that can be frozen. Be sure to label and date them. It’s surprising how similar frozen items can look – especially meat. Also some pastry items can be made ahead of time and stored in airtight containers in your pantry. These days most recipes will provide additional information like whether it is suitable for freezing and how best to store. For example – Blueberry Mango Tartlets with Strawberry Sauce – Pastry cases, filling and sauce and be made a day ahead. Storage: Pastry cases, in airtight container. Filling and sauce, covered in refrigerator. Freeze: Pastry cases suitable. Microwave: Not suitable.
• With one week to go make sure that you have bought all the non-perishables on your ingredient list. If it is a small menu then leave this and just do the one grocery shop along with the perishables.
• As the day approaches, prepare a more detailed timeline (running sheet) for the actual day.  Write down all your tasks (food and non-food) in a logical order with approximate timings. Why not take the opportunity to delegate different tasks to family members. Following this ‘checklist’ on the day will make life so much easier! You know what you have to do and when to do it so you can track your progress. Plus everything is written down so just check it off as you go – the likelihood of forgetting to do something will be minimal. And that equals less STRESS!! And be flexible as even the best laid plans don’t always work out!
• A couple of days before, organise all those non-food accessories like washing and ironing the tablecloth, finalising table decorations, checking that the new punch bowl that you bought especially for the occasion has been washed and is ready to go, etc, etc.
• Take out the frozen items and start defrosting in the refrigerator a day or two prior.
• The day before – this is the best time to buy perishables like green salad leaves, fresh seafood etc. Start preparing and cooking as much as you can to lighten the load on the actual day. Refer to your recipe information and timeline for guidance. Examples - make your mousse dessert to allow it to set overnight, make sauces, marinate meat, slice/chop some vegetables (e.g. onions ok but not potatoes as they will start browning if cut too long in advance and storing them in water will just leach all the vitamins etc.) , etc. Always store prepared ingredients separately in sealed containers and in the refrigerator – all dependent on what they actually are.
• Set the table the night before and start chilling any drinks that have been in storage.
• On the day – follow your running sheet! Remain calm! And Bon Appétit!  :o)

My only other tip is TAKE PHOTOS – if you can’t do it yourself have someone else do it – even get the kids to practice their photography! Candid shots are great!! Take photos of family and friends cooking as well as enjoying the meal. Take photos of the food itself. I now realise that I rarely do this and I’d so love to have more pictures of the family dinner party “events” I organized over the years – the disasters and the successes! To me sitting around a table with family and friends, enjoying great food and conversation, is what makes memories! And those are the memories that I would love to scrap more of!

Here is a layout that I created with the only photos (pre-digital too) I could find of one of my earlier “Dinner Parties”.  I mainly used this week’s Product Spotlight kit “Autumn Chic” – it’s on SALE until next Tuesday.

Best wishes to everyone for the upcoming holiday festivities! Enjoy the planning, the cooking and the eating!

Denise will be back tomorrow with a wonderful hybrid project for you all! Bye for now! :o)

KylieFood Stuff, Inspiration, Uncategorized 4 Comments