Issue Date: December 14, 2003
Party for less
Five professional secrets to stylish entertaining that won't break the bank.
For many of us, the halls aren't decked until the party's been planned and the invitations are in the mail. That's why surveys -- like the annual American Express Retail Index on holiday shopping -- show our entertaining budgets climbing even as gift buying plateaus. But unleashing your inner Emeril doesn't mean you have to Bam! your budget. Here are tips from some entertaining pros.
Send evites. It's possible to spend three figures on invitations alone (I know this from experience). Instead, gather everyone's e-mail addresses and send evites (evite.com). The invitees RSVP online, saving them, and you, phone time.
Serve brunch. The later in the day you entertain, the more food and alcohol your guests will consume. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., you can base a meal around inexpensive pancakes or French toast with fabulous toppings, and even if you offer mimosas, many guests will pass on the champagne. "I love brunch," says Food Network favorite Rachael Ray, author of the new book Get Togethers: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals (Lake Isle Press, $18.95). "It's very affordable, because you're just making eggs, but if you throw in some smoked salmon and crème fraîche, it can be very fancy, too." If you invite friends for an open house at 3 or 4 p.m., you can go the hors d'oeuvres-and-dessert route. After 6 p.m., however, no one makes dinner plans, says Andy Pforzheimer, owner of two Barcelona tapas restaurants in Fairfield County, Conn. "They're eating at your house."
Plan your menu carefully. The prices on items we tend to think of as holiday fare -- filet mignon bought in mid-December, lobster purchased right before New Year's Eve -- often go through the roof, Pforzheimer says. Go for other entrees instead. Pam Anderson's fruit-stuffed pork loin in this issue is a perfect example of elegance on a budget -- an 8-pound roast costs less than $25 and serves 16 people. Also, keep your guests' food preferences in mind. If everyone is on Atkins, don't spend a bundle on delicious breads and candied sweets. Buy beautiful vegetables and roast them instead.
Limit the bar. Serving your own house cocktail -- a Carrie Bradshaw cosmo or ultra-trendy mojito -- is a much less expensive proposition than providing a full bar. "I like to make a snappy holiday cocktail," says special events wizard Colin Cowie. "When you make a great drink, it jump-starts the party." Or, if your guests are wine drinkers, try sangria, which you make with inexpensive whites or reds. Sangria's other ingredients -- soda, fruit, juices and brandy -- obscure the vino's pedigree and allow it to serve more people. Round out your offerings with non-alcoholic drinks, beer and wine.
Organize a tasting instead of a meal. Jonathan Pratt of Peter Pratt's Inn in Yorktown, N.Y., notes that many wine stores will do in-home tastings/lessons for small groups. "For the flat rate, it could be a hell of a time," he says. Speciality retailers (think cheese, chocolate, caviar or smoked-fish purveyors) also will advise you on what to purchase and even organize a tasting. That way your party has a fun focus, and your guests get to mingle and learn something new, too.
Jean Chatzky is author of "Talking Money" (Warner Books, $24.95). Brian B. Reid contributed to this report.
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For an easy and economical winter brunch dish, be sure to try my USA WEEKEND colleague Pam Anderson's strata. Add a fruit salad, sausages or ham, juices and coffee, and you'll be the host with the most.
Orange Brunch Strata With Cranberries & Walnuts
12 ounces (1 1/2 boxes) cream cheese, at room temperature (you may substitute reduced-fat cream cheese)
1 1/2 tsps. finely grated orange zest and 1/4 cup juice from a large orange
9 large eggs
3 cups half-and-half
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsps. vanilla extract
12 to 13 slices fluffy white bread (not dense artisanal or country-style bread)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup orange marmalade
With a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and orange zest in a medium bowl, adding 1 egg at a time, to form a lumpy batter. Beat in half-and-half, sugar and vanilla. (Batter will still be lumpy.)
Spray a 13-by-9-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Line pan bottom with 6 slices of bread, cutting some slices into strips to form a tight fit. Pour 1 cup of the egg mixture over the bread, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cranberries. Make another layer with remaining bread. Slowly pour remaining egg mixture over bread.
Cover with plastic wrap, then lightly weight the strata, such as by setting a pie plate on it (or lightly pressing on it with your hand a few times), until bread has almost completely absorbed the milk mixture. Refrigerate at least several hours or overnight.
Remove plastic and bring to cool room temperature before baking. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle strata with walnuts and remaining cranberries, lightly pressing them into the bread. Bake until strata is firm and puffy, 35 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm marmalade and 1/4 cup orange juice in a small saucepan. Remove strata from oven and let stand for 8 to 10 minutes. Cut into 12 portions and serve immediately with warm orange sauce.
Serves: 12.
Per serving: 443 calories, 11g protein, 45g carbohydrates, 24g fat (12g saturated), 1g fiber, 311mg sodium.
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