How to Make Holiday Entertaining Fun
Both Jackie and I are at work all day, running our five restaurants and other business concerns, but we don’t give up on entertaining during the holidays. Spending time with family and friends is just too important, in fact, it’s good for the soul.
Here are a few ways to make holiday entertaining easier and make it fun:
1. Try to take some smart shortcuts.
Pick up part of the meal from your favorite restaurant or prepared-foods counter. For example, shrimp filling for tacos takes about 10 minutes to cook--and no one makes this dish better than my wife, Jackie--but homemade tortillas are much more time consuming, so we stop by our favorite Mexican restaurant on the way home and grab two or three dozen for $5.
2. Make a special cocktail.
I like to pass cocktails as soon as guests arrive, because the minute you put a drink in someone’s hand, the mood turns festive. I don’t mean just a typical drink, like scotch and soda, but a cocktail matched to the menu or the season. If I’m serving garlic greens on toasts, for example, I pick up on the theme by passing a classic Italian cocktail like the Negroni. Or I might make a simple homemade Bianco, by steeping a few sprigs of rosemary, mint, and thick strips of lemon zest for a few hours in a couple bottles of Sauvignon Blanc. Voila, your own herbal appertif!
3. Set your feast out on big platters, rather than plating up individual courses.
Jackie and I have a collection of beautiful platters picked up from our travels around the world or received as gifts from family and friends. If we’re serving buffet style, we use the big platters and lay them out on our big kitchen island. When serving family style at the table, it’s really important to use smaller platters or oversized dinner plates so people can easily and more comfortably pass the food around the table. There’s a real communal feeling about holding a platter while your table-mates help themselves and continue the process all the way around the table.
4. Let your friends help in the kitchen.
Years ago, I got into the bad habit of treating entertaining at home like we were at the restaurant. Whenever someone would offer to bring a course, or make the salad, or bring dessert, I would say “oh no, I got it,” and dinners would end up being orchestrated in a way that stifled the essence of an intimate gathering with friends. Nowadays, if someone offers to bring a favorite dish, or wants to jump in on the kitchen prep, I say “go for it.” When your guests feel included, it’s more fun for everyone.
Check out Tom's favorite kitchen products in the Kitchen & Home Gift Guide.
Comments