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Issue Date: November 12, 2006
10 strategies for stellar holiday parties
Experts dish on how to make your holiday gatherings -- from Thanksgiving through New Year's -- the best ever.
By Natalie Ermann Russell
Entertaining during the holidays can be bittersweet. You cherish spending time with your friends and family, especially these days, when life seems its most hectic. But there's all that work: the prep, the cooking, the cleaning, the houseguests. Because parties are meant to be fun -- and that means for the host, too -- we asked people in the know to share their holiday entertaining wisdom. Season's eatings!
Giving a makeover to your table can be inexpensive -- and easy!
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1. Shortcuts are your friend.
Even if you are a staunch foodie, don't be afraid to take a stroll down the frozen-food aisle to flesh out homemade fare. Even the pros do it. "I've [served] cheese-jalapeño poppers from BJ's [a warehouse store]," says Carolyne Roehm, author of "A Passion for Parties." "And everyone loved them, even those with the most sophisticated palate."
Paula Deen, host of "Paula's Party" on the Food Network and author of "Paula Deen Celebrates!", swears by Sister Schubert's frozen yeast rolls from the grocery. "I know I can trust her," Deen says of the Alabama-based baker. "Yeast breads have a chance of falling and failing, so I like to take that risk out of my meal." (You can order the rolls online at ssrolls.com.)
2. Prep, prep, prep.
For stress-free party execution, plan early: Up to a month ahead of time, make sure you have enough plates, napkins and silverware. After you've planned the menu, label platters with recipe names on Post-it notes so you'll have time to find more serving dishes if needed, suggests Lucinda Scala Quinn, food and entertaining editorial director at Martha Stewart Living.
3. Mix and match.
If you don't have enough napkins, plates or utensils, think "complementary," not "matchy-matchy." Use colored dish towels in lieu of fancy cloth napkins, suggests Kristin van Ogtrop, managing editor of "Real Simple," which just released the book "Real Simple Celebrations." "They are surprising and inexpensive, they hide stains better, and they're big. Plus, they add that element of fun," she says.
Roehm keeps a collection of plain glass plates on hand. They cost just a few bucks each, and they take on the personality of your décor. "It's like having a pair of basic black pants," she says. "You can create different looks with the same piece."
Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey's chef and author of "Back to the Table," applies the same theory to white tableware: "One can never have too many white dishes. They are so easy to add to, and they go with everything."
Refashion unused thank-you notes into Turkey Day invitations.
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4. Maximize kitchen space.
If you have five dishes that need to be in the oven at the same time, Deen suggests investing in a countertop roaster for about $40. "Or you can cook the turkey outside on the grill, in a smoker or in a turkey fryer," says David Joachim, author of "The Spaghetti Sauce Gourmet"."
You could even order takeout from your favorite restaurant to augment your holiday menu. Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons in Savannah, Ga., will make up containers of dressing or mac and cheese to be baked at home. Still homemade, just not technically made in your home.
5. Start with tradition, then get creative.
There's nothing wrong with sticking to your old standbys, but change can be good. One idea? Give your Thanksgiving turkey a makeover. "I like to make a 'drunken' turkey," Roehm says. She marinates it in an entire bottle of bourbon in a large pan and lets it sit in the fridge for 24 hours with bourbon-soaked cheesecloth over top. She then seasons it as she normally would and bakes it with the cheesecloth still in place. The result: unbelievably tender meat. For just a few guests, skip turkey and use capons or Cornish game hens, stuffing them in the traditional manner.
Or, try this new twist on an old favorite: "My friends and family always want my pumpkin pie because it has a hazelnut base and less sugar than a regular one," says Mireille Guiliano, author of "French Women for All Seasons." (Online Bonus: Guiliano's recipe.)
6. Set the mood with unique invitations.
For Thanksgiving, van Ogtrop suggests repurposing unused thank-you cards into handwritten invitations. Simply add your own "Please join us to give ..." right before the printed "Thanks" (the card must say just "thanks" to work), then write the party details inside. Or, she says, for a Christmas or holiday party, take a snapshot of your family holding a sign that says something such as, "Join us for a holiday fete!" That way, she notes, "You'll have an invitation and a holiday card."
7. Give your table a makeover.
To make a festive centerpiece, pile fruits, especially in-season citrus, into a glass compote, hurricane jar or any other glass vessel. Van Ogtrop recommends the bright combo of clementines and peppermint balls. It's inexpensive, plus kids can take home a little bagful at the end of the night. For New Year's, the key is sparkle. She suggests using an inexpensive wardrobe mirror from a home-improvement store as a table runner. "If you start with something that's reflective, you've got a leg up in terms of beauty," she says. "Put candles on it, sprinkle it with confetti -- it'll double the light and the beauty."
8. Get creative with place cards and party favors.
Van Ogtrop suggests giving each guest at an intimate New Year's gathering a lottery ticket, choosing the numbers based on important dates in their lives. "It's a nice thought, and it's about the future," she says.
Roehm tends to give classic books or CDs, wrapping them to act as a decorative element on the table and labeling them with names in lieu of place cards.
Or, think "nature" for place cards. Danny Seo, author of "Simply Green Parties," takes a walk around his backyard, then personalizes whatever he finds -- smooth gray stones, fall leaves, terra-cotta shards, big feathers -- with alphabet stamp letters and ink.
9. Serve a signature cocktail.
"It's a great way to [lower] the cost of alcohol yet provide something festive and fun," says event planner Jono, of Jono Productions. "I've done this for many celebrity parties."
"I like to tailor the drinks for the season," Quinn says. For Christmas, she says, boil equal parts sugar and water, turn off the heat and drop in sage leaves to steep for about an hour. To serve, fill each 12-ounce glass with ice, 2 Tbs. of sage-flavored simple syrup, 1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice and 1 ounce vodka. Top with club soda, and garnish with a few fresh cranberries and sage leaves speared on a toothpick.
10. Encourage conversation.
At a sit-down dinner, Joachim suggests setting up a tasting menu: Serve small portions of several dishes, or offer different soups in tiny cups. "Ask guests to comment on their favorites and why," he says. "Think of it as an extended sit-down hors d'oeuvres party."
Or, play a game. "When adults hear 'games,' they groan," van Ogtrop says. "But when you get the idea in front of people, they're more enthusiastic." Try this: On slips of paper, write questions like, What's your biggest career regret? What was your first job? Who was your first kiss? Then, put them in a bowl. When there's a lull, set out the bowl and let them go at it. "We spend so much time with family members," she says, "but we often don't really know that much about them."
Cover photograph by Brian Leatart for USA WEEKEND
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