Party Pep Talk
Ready. Set. Invite.
By Marie Elium
A successful party is like a good recipe: Invite guests who mix and mingle, serve interesting food, offer easy-to-serve beverages, and add music to keep the vibe festive.
Holiday parties have a different feel and expectations. The guest list often includes family members, which can create its own issues. Foods tend to be traditional must-haves: In our family, that means lasagna, seafood, sweet potato casserole dotted with marshmallows, and the weird cranberry salad that almost no one eats yet enjoys a vigorous fan base.
If you’re gearing up to host a holiday party, that says a lot about your approach. Confident party givers plunge in with aplomb honed over decades. Like my late mother, they rely on muscle memory, invite a crowd, and leave the dishes for the next morning.
For the gearing-up folks, we asked Cleveland personal chef Laura Cotton to weigh in. A veteran of the food business for 26 years, she cooks weekly for several clients. She loves to entertain, but doesn’t do it for hire, although she has extensive experience serving large groups through her social and volunteer involvement.
May I Get You A…?
First up: the food allergy/sensitivity/preference question. Vegan. Shellfish, nuts, flour: the list is endless and on the face of it, daunting. Many people with severe allergies bring their own food. Often, they’re just happy to be invited and don’t make a fuss about what’s offered.
“When I host something, I say, ‘Do you have any dietary restrictions?’ Ask, ‘What can you eat?’ rather than what they don’t eat,” she says. It puts a positive spin on the question and provides an opportunity to make simple adjustments to the menu.
On the subject of simple, keep it that way if cooking seems overwhelming or isn’t your strong suit. Buy prepared food, like a turkey breast or appetizers, transfer it to your own plates, and use fresh herbs, cranberries and other garnishes for a party-perfect look.
Or, make one dish that you excel at and can assemble ahead of time, and invite others to bring their favorite foods. The holidays are a great time to host a tried-and-true potluck. Spread butcher paper on countertops and label the foods for an easy and easily identified buffet.
Cotton’s other key points:
- Prep your dishes. “You want to enjoy your guests rather than be stuck in the kitchen.”
- Be mindful of food safety. Keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold.
- Instead of a cookie exchange, get together with friends and make appetizers for the holiday season. Each person leaves with an assortment of freezer-ready apps that can be used as needed over the next month or two.
- Provided you are comfortable with disposable products, there’s nothing wrong with using sturdy paper plates, quality paper napkins, cups and flatware. Many of the nicer disposable silverware items earn their place on the holiday table.
- Speaking of space and not enough of it: Add a small table on risers to the end of a kitchen island or counter to get a few more spaces. Go ahead and stretch the card table(s) into the living room. Do whatever it takes; no one’s judging the accommodations.
“The holidays are different,” Cotton says. “It’s all about being together, not necessarily about providing a five-star meal.”
Thrive editor Marie Elium loves to host patio parties and dining room potlucks. Her indoor and outdoor tables seat eight comfortably; 12 in a pinch.
