IT’S ALL IN THE PLANNING
When preparing for an evening of entertaining guests with food and drinks, it’s much easier for you, the host, to know you’ve done as much planning and preparation as possible before the ‘event’ – when your friends or family arrive, you then won’t have to spend all of your time in the kitchen, away from the action! Follow these very simple tips for getting ahead before the date.
Get the date in the diary. Everyone has such busy lives, so this can often be the hardest part of the planning!
Know your crowd. Who are you inviting and what style of food do they like? Are there any dietary requirements or vegetarians? Any menu should suit your guests and the night in you’re planning, to have all bases covered. Most recipes in this book have been written for four to six people, but can easily be upped for a larger crowd, or halved for an intimate dinner for two.
Plan the menu and what you will be drinking. This is the fun part. Either follow each themed menu fully, mix and match from each or add your own touch. All is perfectly acceptable. It is about sharing time and food with your loved ones and bringing people together.
Make a shopping list. As well as stocking your fridge with all the ingredients, this can also include simple decorations and/or flowers, platters and serving pieces – and this need not break the bank. Many superstores now stock beautiful collections of dinnerware that you’ll be proud to display all your tasty food on.
It is okay to cheat a little. In addition to the delicious dishes in each menu, there is no harm in buying other ready-made sides or nibbles to make it easier for you. A mix of homemade and bought offers a nice balance.
Feeding a large crowd. No need to get in a flap, as you have prepared for this. All the menus in this book have some dishes or elements of the recipes that can be prepared in advance. As the host, you want to be all about relaxed entertaining. Choose a selection of dishes that can be made in advance, with fresh or warm additions on the day. And, when a lot of hot dishes are being prepared, stagger their cooking times – where possible – and try not to overcrowd your oven, as this changes cooking temperature and times.
Plan a cooking schedule. Work out what can be made ahead and frozen, what can be cooked the day before or on the day, and what can be bought prepared and ready to serve.
Opt for a ‘buffet’. With this style of entertaining, some of the work is done in advance, which allows you to spend time with your guests. The benefit for guests is they can choose what they would like to eat and in what combination. There are some suggestions for drinks, but the choice is really up to you – why not serve some of your guests’ favourite drinks to keep them entertained while you’re finishing the food?
Make enough. When making some dishes, make extra so that you can serve second helpings. While there is sometimes a bit of extra work in doubling or tripling a recipe, it’s rarely double or triple the effort. Plus, you can always enjoy any leftovers!
Keep it separate. It’s best to store all components separately. Slow-cooked items can then be reheated gently, and if serving with vegetables, they stay fresh and crisp. Having stackable plastic or glass containers helps with storage, and when strapped for capacity, freezer bags save space.
Enliven with fresh ingredients on the day. Whether it is green herbs, a crisp salad, toasted nuts, shaved cheese or bright vegetables – a pre-made dish can be enlivened with a suitable garnish or fresh addition. Not only is it aesthetically appealing but it’s great for texture and nutritional value.
Consider any potential entertainment. That need not mean hiring a performer or purchasing unnecessary equipment, but pre-selecting music or games that all can share can be a fun addition to any gathering. Each menu in this book lends itself to a certain type of theme, so why not embrace it fully and pick your music or games to match?
Get help with cleaning and other small tasks before and after the party. Tidying up is the less fun part of the evening, and being responsible for every aspect of the party isn’t always practical as ‘host’, so don’t be afraid to delegate small jobs to loved ones. Why not ask one friend to offer round the canapés, another to make sure no-one’s glass is empty, enlist some help to collect up dirty dishes and, for someone who knows how to set the party mood, charge them with the task of party playlist organizer.
THE ELEMENTS OF A PERFECT PARTY
Setting the table and how to keep things fresh
• Just to make life easier for you, set the table before your guests arrive, whether it’s for a help-yourself buffet or a more formal setting. That includes glasses, napkins, salt and pepper and serving ware.
• For fresh ingredients such as salads, crudités and fruit, it is best to prep beforehand and store separately wrapped in clingfilm/plastic wrap or in airtight containers in the fridge. To maximize freshness, replenish in batches – there’s no need to bring all the food out at once.
• The same goes for breads and dips – put out half and then top up. Nothing is worse than dried-out bread or crusty dips. Also, it’s good to keep back some food just in case some of your guests are running late.
• When serving food at room temperature remember it should be kept like this for a maximum of 2 hours.
Creating a balance of different foods
• The key to all these menus is the balance between different types of foods such as raw/cooked, hot/cold. Even if a menu is based around one main ingredient or foodie theme, it is this balance that will create an interesting meal and keep you, the host, relaxed.
• Whether it’s a starter/appetizer, main or dessert, in most cases it is good to introduce different elements.
• If vegetables are served raw, keep crisp and fresh and, unless pre-washed, wash and thoroughly dry them.
• For anything cooked, again serve in batches – in fact, it’s more economical this way. If it’s not all eaten, then you can reserve the rest for supper or work lunches.
• For warmed food, some dishes are delicious warm but can also be eaten at room temperature. It is with these dishes that you can serve fresh, crisp raw sides.
Decorating and making your tables and platters fun
• Decorations need not be extravagant; a hint of glam and elegance is great, but not if it breaks the bank. Some carefully positioned candles, attractively folded napkins or handwritten namecards or menus will add just the oomph the table might need.
• The best decoration is the best-quality ingredients you can find. Use them in an eye-catching salad, serve them as crudités or have a bowl of gorgeous vegetables or fruit to nibble on – nothing is more beautiful.
• To keep the gathering and the table relaxed, don’t be tempted to overwhelm your guests with too much at the table. A pretty vase of flowers, a bowl of beautiful lemons, pots of fresh herbs or a few lovely succulents add an understated yet decorative touch.
• Let the food celebrate itself. A table that has mixed fruit with vegetables, jugs/pitchers of drinks, breads, nibbles, flowers, ambient food on platters and warmed food on boards, plus the company of your friends and family, will make a perfect gathering.
FREEZER AND STORE CUPBOARD/PANTRY ESSENTIALS
The items below form a great list of what you might want to keep in your freezer, fridge and cupboard/pantry. Many essentials are included in this book – from seasonings and garnishes, to party nibbles – and are handy ‘go-tos’ for livening up an everyday dish.
Freezer
• Soups
• Pre-made casseroles
• Pizza dough, after its first rise
• Ice – ALWAYS
• Frozen berries
• Smoothie mixes
• Frozen prawns/shrimp
• Good-quality stock
• Flavoured butters
• Broad/fava beans
• Peas
Store cupboard/Pantry
• Sea salt flakes
• Ground black pepper (or peppercorns in a grinder)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Flavourless oils for baking and frying
• Flavoured oils for dressings, such as walnut, sesame or chilli/chili
• Vinegars: balsamic, red-wine, apple cider, sherry
• Spices and dried herbs
• Dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes
• Soy sauce
• Miso
• Dijon mustard
• Wholegrain mustard
• Capers
• Worcestershire sauce
• Sriracha or other hot sauce
• Honey
• Canned beans
• Grains
• Rice
• Tortilla chips and/or breadsticks
• Passata/tomato pureé and/or sun-dried tomato paste
• Kalamata olives, green olives
• Artichoke hearts
• All sorts of nuts
• All sorts of seeds
• Chocolate
• Green tea
• Wine, beer or spirits of choice (including any mixers)
Fridge and fresh
• Citrus: oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes
• Onions, white and red
• Potatoes
• Leafy greens
• Garlic
• Spring onions/scallions
• Tomatoes
• Fresh herbs
• Parmesan cheese and/or vegetarian option
• Feta cheese
• Greek yogurt
• Hummus (or other popular dips)
• Eggs
