There are loads of convenience products on the market that promise to make having parties easier, but how many of them really make you look like a rock star? Seriously. There’s a lot of crappy tasting ‘gourmet’ food out there and tons of useless gadgets and gizmos. But for every 5 or 10 of these false promises only one or two really great items exist that can make a self-catered party more stylish and delicious.
For me, perfect items in this category look and taste homemade; they’re such great quality that people may think you made them yourself and even it they know you didn’t, they still think you’re brilliant for knowing about such smart products.
Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps are a product that falls into this category. Sure I could make them, but why would I when she’s done the hard work for me? Likewise, All the Best Cheese Straws taste as better than many homemade versions I’ve tried. Now I have a new item to add to my party pantry: Tipsy Skewers. Perfect for Caesars, great in martinis and even lovely to serve at stand up parties with charcuterie (try wrapping each skewer in a whisper thin slice of salami – delish!)
Do you have any items that you keep on hand for adding panache to parties and get-togethers?
Lord knows the life of a hostess is never easy. From shopping and cooking to cleaning up both before and after the party, it’s a job that is only rewarded by seeing your friends eat, drink and be merry. And by a few vodka shots before and after the guests arrive (or is that just me?)
While dinner parties are pretty easy to serve since all you have to do is put the food on the table and every one sits down to eat, parties such as Super Bowl, Oscar Night and the like where everyone sits around the TV are much more difficult to serve. After all, who wants to interrupt the view of the entertainment by standing up to circulate the food?
That’s why instead of putting out big platters of snacks, I like to make little snack cups that give everyone a variety of things to nibble on. This idea is also great for crowded stand-up parties where the snacks can languish on out of the way side tables.
Are you planning a movie night or other TV-centric party before the winter ends? If so, what will be on the menu?
So, it’s almost Super Bowl Sunday. What will be on your menu? The ubiquitous chicken wings, beer and chili are fun, but as Canadians, we’ve already had that party menu for Grey Cup, right?
So, why not mix things up a bit and show off how clever you are by having soup for Super Bowl? It’s easy. Just borrow a bunch of bowls from your friends and make a bunch of different soups. Set up a soup buffet. Make some homemade bread and a big salad and you’ll score a touchdown!
Need some soup recipes? Check out this roster from my repertoire:
• French onion
• Carrot Coriander Soup
• Parsnip Lemon Soup
A while ago, I opened up a dialogue on facebook about loot bags. I wondered whether loot bags were necessary for a 13-year-old boy’s birthday party. (In my day, 13 was definitely too old for loot bags but these days, they seem to be the norm even at adult parties.)
The response to my question was pretty much universal: almost everyone agreed that loot bags must be part of the party budget and everyone who read my cousin Charlene’s suggestion to give each guest a movie pass loved it. So, that’s what I did. Fortunately, the party was a small one since each pass cost $10!
Am I a curmudgeon or is that a lot of money for a gift to thank a kid for coming to a party? I’d love to hear other ideas for cheaper loot bags that older kids and adults will love. Got any to share?
Cranberry sauce is a perfect pantry partner that no host should be without at this time of year. Seriously: go buy some right now if you don’t have some already on hand.
Then, keep these ideas top of mind and you’ll be able to turn bought or frozen hors d’oeuvres into your own gourmet expressions in less time than it takes to light candles.
1. Stir chopped cilantro or mint into cranberry sauce along with a few dashes of chipotle sauce to make a super dip for coconut battered shrimp.
2. Blend cranberry sauce with orange zest and candied peel and spread it evenly over the cut side of a French stick that has been halved lengthwise. Sprinkle liberally with aged Cheddar and toast in the oven until cheese is molten.
3. Spread an even layer of cream cheese into a plate. Blend cranberry sauce with chopped green onion. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese and serve with crackers or tortilla chips as a layered dip.
PS: Looking for advice about making cranberry sauce? I’ve got you covered!
How do you like these precious little Foie Gras Canapés? Really, there’s nothing uglier than a smushed up slab of pâté an hour or so into a party. Not only does it lose its shape as people eat it, but eventually, an ugly crust starts to form on the surface. And, that my friends, is just nasty.
By scooping bite-sized bits of pâté onto crackers or toasts, you have an elegant appetizer to pass around. And, that helps you to mingle with your guests, too. It’s a magical system if you ask me.
Even if you don’t like to serve foie gras, you can still make a 60-second appetizer by using a mini-scoop and any creamy pâté. Heck, it would likely even work with salmon mousse!
How do you feel about pâté? Gourmet treat or cruel and unusual punishment?
The challenge: make a great looking appetizer that tastes fantastic in less time than it takes to wiggle into your party clothes.
The solution: Fruit and Nut topped Camembert
1 wheel Camembert or Brie cheese
Liquid honey
1 handful Back to Nature Raisins, Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Pecans and Apricots blend
Place the cheese on a platter and drizzle with some honey. Mound some of the trail mix on top. Drizzle with a bit more honey and serve with grapes, apple slices and crackers.
Need a wine match? Try an off-dry Riesling for white drinkers or a light, fruity pinot noir for a red choice. Can’t decide between red or white? Prosecco is a great match, too!
Now that you’ve seen my favourite party trick, tell me about yours!
As I have proclaimed perhaps a bit too loudly, I’m no longer a perfectionista. And, to prove it, I’m going to tell you that this Christmas, when my family gathers around my table for turkey, stuffing and Christmas cheer, I’m going to cut myself some slack and keep my side dishes super simple. Honest. On the menu will be green beans and super fluffy mashed potatoes with giblet gravy. That’s it. That’s all. I promise.
I’m a big fan of green beans and I think I make rather good ones. The best green beans are cooked in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes depending on their thickness. Any less time and they are too crunchy. Any more time and they get mushy and stringy. All that’s left is to drain them well and to toss with butter, sea salt and pepper.
What about you? Will your holiday side dishes be elaborate or easy?
My name is Dana McCauley and I am no longer a perfectionist.
After a couple of weeks away from home and work, I realized that I make a big deal of too many things. Take entertaining for example: I’ve been known to obsess over every detail before a party, staying up to all hours to get my house, the food and the table ready for a get-together. Last winter, I worked for two days to get ready for my Christmas Eve cocktail party and then stayed up until the wee hours of Christmas morning cleaning up. Was the party a wonderful success? Absolutely. Did my guests ooh and ahh over the food and the table? Certainly. Did I enjoy Christmas day? Not really. In fact, I had a pounding headache and a crick in my back that hurt when I stood or sat.
Refreshed from my holiday, I have a new outlook and attitude and I’m going to do my best to keep it up. See that table above? That level of detail was the old me. The new me eschews such finery! From now on guests will get what they get:
• If I have time to make something fabulous, it will be served. If I don’t, I’ll buy something.
• If my linen napkins are ironed and folded, we’ll use them. If not, paper will do.
• If someone offers to help with the clean up, I’ll gladly accept his or her help.
• And, from now on my larger parties are going to include a new budget line; I’m going to hire someone to help serve and clean up so that I can have my party, a good time and a clean house, too.
Do any of you dread entertaining because of all the schlepping and cleaning? If so, maybe you should join my new club.
If not, what strategies have you developed to help you enjoy your parties from the planning stages to unloading the dishwasher the morning after?
It seems that weddings are in the air for many of my young friends this year. Martin and I will have attended four weddings and as many wedding related parties in twelve months by the time Thanksgiving arrives.
I have to say that I’ve been impressed by the diversity of celebrations I’ve been asked to share. From traditional to quirky, the brides and grooms we know are letting their personalities shine through so that their weddings are anything but magazine layout knock offs. We’ve witnessed belly dancing and heard a bride pledge in her wedding vows to help her groom cope with the pain and anguish of being a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Good times!
At a recent engagement party with a Hawaiian theme, I was particularly impressed by Heather and Mike, an enthusiastic young couple who trekked to T&T, bought whole coconuts and cleaned them to create pina colada glasses for the guests. (That’s Heather and Mike holding their own well-earned drinks above.)
Although the hostess had already taken every necessary step to make the party a success, I loved that this couple spent the afternoon before their party wielding machetes, joined in a mutual goal to encase alcoholic beverages in thematically sound barware. After all, if a couple can band together on a creative project that requires this magnitude of violence and still smile at one another, their chances of staying together have to be pretty damn good!
Have you been to a wedding or engagement party that entertained you in unexpected ways? If so, tell us about it.
