Entertaining Tips

Preparation Tips

The No. 1 tip is prepare, prepare, prepare. Always do as much as you can in advance and here are some other tips to keep you safe and healthy:

• Sit down and plan a menu before going out to get your ingredients. The better you plan and get organized, the greater your chances of success.
• Cook with seasonal ingredients. Most people's appetites revolve around the weather; therefore your menu should reflect the current season you are cooking in. For example, braised or slow-cooked meats with root vegetables in the fall and winter; grilled or seared fish with bitter greens and citrus flavors in the spring and summer seasons. Ingredients taste better when they’re in-season--and so will your food.
• Make sure your menu is completely balanced. Just as pairing wines from course to course requires balance, so does menu planning. For example, if your first course is on the sweeter side, then your second course should employ citrus for balance in the entire menu.
• Think about what equipment, utensils and amount of space you have to work with before you buy all your ingredients. It is important to envision how you are going to tackle and execute your prep work and overall menu, also taking into account how many people you are feeding, as certain menus do not fare well with large groups.
• Not everything has to be homemade. Take advantage of all the wonderful pre-made foods available today. You can find everything from bagged lettuce to salad dressing to dips and spreads to desserts at your local grocery store, gourmet food shop or bakery. In fact, you can even order a precooked turkey online!
• Streamline party planning by choosing menu items that prepare easily in advance.
• Herbs and spices should only sit in your pantry for six months. If they're in an airtight, dark container in a dry space, they can probably go for a year, but if they have no smell and they resemble sawdust then you're going to want to pitch them.
• Look at how much cooking you can do with the equipment you have. When you're planning your menu, make sure you have all the equipment that you will need.
• Stick with what you know, trying a new recipe or dish for the first time when you're hosting a big party is enough to make anyone sweat. If you want to try something new, give it a practice run beforehand, or simply stick with tried and true recipes that you can rely on.