The Easiest Hors d'oeuvres

     With Christmas upon us, you may be expecting guests, and unless you're a seasoned (no pun intended) hostess you may still be frantically trying to figure out what to serve. Or perhaps you'd just like to have something on hand in case friends stop by. Either way, these two platters are quite impressive, but quick and oh-so-easy.

     Served with sour cream, even cardboard tastes good, so don't be afraid of guests not liking this dish. When he was one year old, my son ruined his best pajamas eating caviar (or rather spilling it), and believe it or not, he just now, at age 18, asked for caviar with sour cream for breakfast. I had not even mentioned that I was about to write about it. Really delicious - plus it's festive, it definitely impresses, and it doesn't need to be expensive.

Caviar Everyone Can Love

sour cream

Carr's Table Water Crackers - by far the best for this application
grocery store quality caviar - red is more festive but the black has a better flavor

Arrange on a platter. 

That's it! Keep a jar of caviar in the fridge and you'll always be ready for surprise guests. Go through your assortment of bowls to find a small and a large one that will nest together nicely when the larger one is filled with ice (preferably crushed); this isn't necessary, but does keep the caviar cold and makes a pretty presentation. You can have another bowl on the platter for the sour cream, or you can simply spoon the sour cream directly onto the platter in a circle around the caviar bowl(s). Just be careful not to allow the crackers to touch either the sour cream or the caviar as they'll have soggy spots - yuk! Serve with a spreader for the sour cream and a tiny spoon, such as a demitasse, for the caviar. Not only will the tiny spoon ladle only tiny amounts of caviar thereby keeping costs down, but your friends that are new to caviar won't be overwhelmed by the flavor before they get a chance to appreciate it. A jar of caviar can go a long way for just a few dollars, so go ahead - splurge! Your guests will feel special and so will you.

Friendly Cheese Board

     One of the easiest hors'd'ouvres ever is a cheese platter, yet they're daunting to so many people due to the vast array of cheeses available.  It's also quite a versatile dish, being as appropriate after the meal as before. So it's worth getting comfortable with the idea; once you do, the execution is easy and it's impossible to do it wrong.

     Specialty cheese shops are often less expensive than your grocery store, believe it or not. Plus you get to sample before you buy. That's also the best place for advice on the varieties to present. Note that 'farmhouse' cheeses are mellower in flavor than factory-produced ones. Another source, especially during the holidays when the selection is better, is your wholesale club. Granted, they won't have the highest quality cheeses in the world, but they will have some delicious ones at good prices.

     One big wheel of cheese can be impressive by itself as the focal point of a cocktail party buffet. But if you decide to offer a selection of cheeses, then, as you've heard me say before, variety is all-important - different colors, different textures, different flavors. 

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How to assemble a cheese board -

I usually start with one cheese that catches my attention. Most recently it was a Stilton with Dried Apricots. Stilton has a fairly strong flavor but it was tempered in this case by the sweet fruit. So that meant I could go with a hard cheese, a soft cheese, something very mellow and perhaps something even stronger than a Stilton - just not another sweet or fruity pick. Since I was at a wholesale club at the time (limited variety) my selections to go with the fruity Stilton were an Applewood Smoked Cheddar, a soft, spreadable goat cheese with herbs, and a bleu. So the two soft cheeses were very different in strength and flavor, and the two firmer cheeses, while not so different in strength, offered fruity and smoky flavors. 

The cheeses you decide on need not be the most exotic or expensive. In fact, you may end up with a cheese on the board that you don't even like. Not to worry! Some people will like it. Cheese preferences are very personal, and you've committed no blunders as long as you're offering - yes, I'll say it again - different textures, different colors and different flavors. Arrange the cheeses in an appealing tableau on the platter, with the cut sides facing your guests. Add a knife or spreader for each cheese.

Add-ons -

A cluster or two of grapes are classic, but any fresh or dried fruit works well on a cheese platter. Fresh figs, whole and halved, are my new fave. Cherry tomato halves often work well.  Quince paste, I hear, makes a wonderful addition to a cheese plate. It's a bit sweet and has an interesting texture, which sounds like it would be good with brie/camembert or even cheddar. Sliced apples are, of course, wonderful with cheddars. Also, with a simple cheddar that you may have already cut into cubes, a mustard dip would be excellent. Toasted pecans are brilliant with blues, cheddars, and many other cheeses. Olives are also great additions to a cheese platter, and it's very easy to extend this into an antipasto tray by adding sliced cured meats, marinated artichokes, etc... 

Intersperse your cheeses and produce on your board with small slices of breads (baguettes and ciabatta work well) and/or crackers. Some items you'll want in small serving bowls, some items you can pile directly on the platter, board or slate. Don't forget to have picks available for dipping, spoons where warranted, such as for nuts, and appropriate cheese knives.

Don't be intimidated! As I said earlier, one wheel of good cheese is all you really need.

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     I have a new favorite platter that works beautifully for a cheese tray. It's white ceramic - most of my serving platters are, for the sake of versatility and simplicity. What makes it special is that it's very long (9.5in x 29in) and so while fitting nicely on the countertop-depth buffet, it still gives me lots of space so as not to crowd the cheeses. However, feel free to do a grouping of your own dinner and salad plates if you don't have a large platter. Wood or slate are also classic surfaces for serving cheese. Your local home center will often have a sale on slate tiles for 99 cents each. Can't beat that, and your "tray" can be any size you like just by using more or less tiles.

     Have knives appropriate for each cheese on the platter. That doesn't mean you have to purchase special cheese knives today; use what you have. But if you enjoy offering a cheese board, put cheese knives and maybe cheese labels on your Christmas list and let the elves do their thing. Another beautiful accessory for cheese platters is cheese leaves. You'll occasionally run across them in specialty kitchen shops or perhaps that cheese shop; they're paper printed and cut like colorful fall leaves that you use like doilies on the platter. 

        As for your leftover cheese, if there is any... Today I'm using my leftovers from last weekend to make another cheese tray for my weekly ladies' game day. If I still have leftovers, most will go in the freezer. They won't slice well after being frozen, but will crumble and grate and still taste wonderful when added to casseroles and omelettes. 

Stress-Free Entertaining

     It's been years since I devised a menu that was as easy to serve for a special occasion as this past weekend's early Christmas celebrations - even with back-to-back parties. (See previous post for menus.) Planning, and a balance between store-bought and homemade-ahead-of-time is what made this such an easy but still delicious Christmas weekend. With just a few preparatory steps you can eliminate so much effort and stress, so I'm going to walk you through how to plan and execute a special occasion gathering. If you're already in the thick of party preparation, just use what you can of the strategies below - every little bit helps, right? And remember that some of these pointers apply only to large, formal events; your gathering can be as simple and as uncomplicated as you like. If at any time during the reading of this post you feel overwhelmed by the task ahead, skip to the last paragraph! I'll post next about the easiest of hors'd'ouvres to make your festivities even simpler to prepare for.

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1. Menu planning
As soon as you decide to have a party/dinner, start planning your menu. Write down all your ideas then start eliminating those that are too labor intensive or costly. Move recipes that can be done ahead of time to the top of the list (or circle them if you're working on paper instead of the computer). Now re-write your list and give it another look based on foods that work well together.

Whether you're planning a desserts-only buffet or a full sit-down meal, you want to plan your menu to include foods that offer an interesting variety of flavors, colors and textures so that your buffet or plates are as stimulating to the eye as to the palate. You also need to offer a balance of types of foods. We all know what a balanced meal is, but when you're offering a supper of heavy hors'd'ouvres, for example, you want to balance your menu by having your "meats" include a meat and/or poultry dish and a seafood-based recipe, then start adding produce-based dishes. There seems to be an unlimited number of cheese-based dips and spreads suitable for appetizers or hors'd'ouvres, but don't let yourself put too many of them on your menu; too rich a menu doesn't make for good fellowship.

For eliminating work, determine which items on your list are readily available at grocery stores or bakeries; but if the quality's not high in the store-bought variety, make it yourself or eliminate it from the menu. What can you make ahead, even far enough ahead to freeze? Some homemade items that could add a special touch to the meal don't take much effort to make, but the effort's too great if it has to be done at the last minute and therefore stresses you out. In the previous post about my early Christmas weekend festivities, one such item was the Red Bell Pepper Butter. It's  absolutely delicious and obviously homemade, so the guests feel special knowing the "trouble" I've gone to for them. But how special would they feel if I was tense and snappish from trying to do too much at the last minute? So I made the butter a week ahead and popped it in the freezer.

Lighten up an hors'd'ouvres menu by opting for cheesy items that include veggies rather than meats (Artichoke-Spinach Dip with parmesan instead of Bacon-Cheddar Dip, for example). Also, use veggies such as endive leaves, cucumber slices and lettuce for the base of appetizers - examples: Lettuce wraps instead of tortillas, cucumber instead of crackers for smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers, and endive can replace tasting spoons, toast cups or numerous other bases for many savory meat or veggie fillings.

To finalize your menu, remember: different colors, different textures, different flavors, different food groups, even different temperatures. What do you have in the way of serveware? Unless you're willing to make a purchase, keep in mind what you have to work with to keep hot dishes hot and cold items cold.

One last thing to check - if you're having a meal as opposed to a cocktail party, variety is still important but double check your menu to make sure the variety isn't so disparate that you have flavors that actually clash with each other - you want your foods to complement each other. And don't forget to list your beverages in your menu.

Note: I often have an item or two on the menu that I figure would be great additions, but if I'm running out of time I know they can be eliminated.

2. Shopping
Check the contents of your pantry against the ingredients for each of your menu items, and make your shopping list. If you're cooking for a very large crowd or making multiple recipes that include the same ingredients, such as flour and sugar for holiday baking, make sure you have enough for all the recipes you plan to make. Repeat trips to the grocery store are definitely a stressor - if not for you, then for your husband. There are exceptions to every rule, and some exceptions to the "make a list and shop only once" concern menu items you can prepare early, and produce you want to pick up at the last minute so that it's as fresh as possible.

As for those items that you want to shop for at the last possible moment, reserve them ahead of time. Your butcher, baker, or produce manager will be more than happy to ensure that your ingredients or prepared items are ready when you are, and that they haven't sold out when you come back for your last minute items.

Also add to your shopping list item such as lettuce that you want to line serving platters, or use in other decorative ways. Trays lined with beds of uncooked rice or rock salt make beautiful organic presentations and help to balance curved items on a platter, such as devilled or quail eggs,  and halved cherry tomatoes.

How do you know how much to buy? Well, that's pretty simple when you're planning a full meal and you know how many are attending. For a cocktail party, the rule of thumb is eight hors'd'ouvres per person per hour. I completely ignore that rule, and am notorious for making too much food. But I love  leftovers and not having to cook for days after a party.

3. Serveware List
This is the step most people don't think of. Beside each item on your menu, note the plate/platter/bowl you're going to offer it in/on, and which serving utensil you'll use. For big parties I even get each item out and place them on the buffet to make sure I have enough space and know how to arrange everything. Keep in mind that you can get creative with your containers - I've been known to serve relishes and sauces from flower containers. The only restriction is to be sure that any container you use is safe for serving food, particularly if the food is hot.

Please do not skip this step. Definition of stress: you think you're ready because all the cooking's done - meanwhile guests are at the door and the veggies are getting overcooked while you're on the stepladder trying to locate Great-Aunt Alice's fish platter behind the Christmas tins in the cabinet over the refrigerator while your husband is busy mixing drinks and regaling the earlier arrivals with football injury stories - again.

Over the years I've accumulated hot plates, multiple crockpots, varying sizes and shapes of white trays, bowls that nest together when one's filled with ice (for shrimp, caviar, etc...), a chafing dish, a punch bowl and a 40 cup coffee urn, even a heat lamp (the kind used over a massive roast on a restaurant buffet) that I got for free with another purchase. Little by little over the years, if you like to entertain, you can acquire the supplies that will allow you to expand your menus. And many items like punchbowls, trays and extra crockpots can be found for next to nothing at thrift shops. (Be sure to give anything electrical a trial run before your event.) But one of the best ways to gather the equipment you'll need for larger parties or special recipes is to share with/borrow from friends.

And don't forget to include in this list what your guests will eat off of and drink out of. Do you have enough glassware? People have a tendency to get fresh plates/glasses when they go back for more. For large parties, you may even want to rent plates, glassess, linens. Check online or in the Yellow Pages for rental companies.

4. Decorating List
Most parties need a little decoration - it may be as simple as a few buds in a vase on the buffet or as elaborate as decorating the entire house for Christmas. But make a note of what you'd like to get done. If you'd like an arrangement on the dining room table, keep in mind that it should be low enough for the diners to easily see over to facilitate conversation among your guests. A simple and inexpensive line of votives and single blossoms work beautifully on a dining table if you're serving from a buffet, but a more compact arrangement is usually necessary if the serving dishes are on the table.

Do you have a friend, whether she's invited to the party or not, that has a garden full of blossoms or is gifted at arranging flowers? Ask for her help. Would you love to have a florist design an arrangement based on the theme of the gathering? Sculptures, mirrors, photos, attractive wooden boxes - anything in your home can be put to new use to decorate a table, buffet or even serve food from. Mirrors, by the way, can be gorgeous laid flat on the dining table, reflecting the flowers and candlelight. Produce can be used in many decorative applications. Anything goes as long as it fits your self-imposed budget and the general degree of formality (or not) of your gathering.

5. The Help List
For the largest of gatherings, you may need some hired help - or free help. Your children are great for this - they'll feel as special as your guests when you give them a special job to do and train them for it.  Teach them proper serving techniques if they're older and let them bring out course after course and serve formally. Or have them be the official greeters: welcome guests, take their wraps to the master bedroom if you don't have enough coat closet space, offer to take ladies' purses but certainly don't insist, and usher guests out to the patio or show them into the living room.

Hired help can be a little more daunting if you don't already know somebody to call on. If you happen to belong to a country club or know someone who does, you can phone and ask for wait staff or a bartender that would be off work the night of your event. What about inquiring of a favorite waiter or waitress at a restaurant you frequent? I had a friend who I occasionally paid to clean house for me, and when we had a particularly big party one time and asked her to help, I discovered she had an unknown talent for plating food beautifully.

Here's an important note - we found it cheaper and certainly more impressive to hire a bartender than to allow everyone to pour their own drinks. This works well in the South, but here in BC the laws are so restrictive now that you almost cannot serve alcohol at all without putting your house or retirement on the line, maybe even your personal freedom! For my husband and I personally, it doesn't really matter, we drink so little. But at some functions you want to be able to offer alcohol to friends or associates. Perhaps you should be prepared to offer rides home or at least phone taxis for your guests. If you were paying several young people, they could give your guests rides home in the guests own cars, as needed.

Parking is one other issue when you're expecting a big crowd. A rather inexpensive luxury you could offer your guests is valet parking if that's appropriate for your location. For one driver, perhaps your son or trusted nephew, $30-$50 would cover it. After all, a party only lasts a few hours. Just make sure their insurance or your own covers them. I once had a long narrow driveway up a steep hill, with very limited parking at the top. When we had parties, I let everyone park down below, and I had a driver running up and down the hill during the entire party.

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     Sound complicated? Well, obviously the larger the event the more involved planning and preparation will be. But if you're not yet comfortable with large gatherings, start small with close friends or family and just use the first couple of steps listed above. And remember, it's your party, so make it as simple as you like - the important thing is to enjoy yourself and enjoy your guests. So serve sloppy joes and Fritos on paper plates at the picnic table with a mason jar full of zinnias if that's what makes you happy. Or call a caterer. However you choose to do it, you're opening your home to friends and family and enjoying their company. Life is sweet.

Christmas Comes Sooner Up North

     Blogging has taken a back seat the last couple of weeks while Kevin's been home; we've been making a point of doing some fun and festive family activities and I've started cooking for the upcoming weekend. With my husband home from sea for just a couple of weeks, we're actually celebrating Christmas Day on the 12th, with a small Christmas Eve gathering the night before. There will just be six of us for Christmas Eve, with a supper of heavy hors d'oeuvres, and seven for Christmas Dinner the next day (different guests) - small crowds from an entertaining standpoint. Nonetheless, we have big plans. Here are my menus; perhaps you'll find some inspiration for your holiday festivities. 

Hors d'oeuvres Supper

Roasted Brined Pecans (placed strategically around room - great with drinks)

Buffet:
Roast Beef Roll-Ups (deli meat w/ red onion slivers, horseradish, bleu cheese crumbles)

Swedish Meatballs w/ sour cream sauce (yes, 2 beefs, but I'm craving these old family faves, and the
    flavors of the 2 dishes are very different)

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail (Barefoot Contessa) - w/ Crosse & Blackwell seafood sauce to save time

Pickled Baby Beets (recipe from famous north Georgia restaurant, made ahead)

Savoury mini-tarts - 2 veggie-based fillings for a later post - one delicata squash, one spinach

Cheese platter: Stilton w/ dried apricots, Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Herbed Chevre logs, grapes,
     cherry tomatoes, figs - perhaps with prosciutto

Beverage Buffet:

Mulled Wine

Sparkling Juice for the minors

Favorite cocktails of the 2 individual adult guests

Clausthaler alcohol-free beer for Kevin

Dessert Buffet for both events

Lane Cake - a Southern specialty - coconut, currant, pecan, candied cherry & bourbon frosting

Mini Jam Tarts - very Canadian/English

Lacey cookies - storebought

Chocolate Mini Dessert Cups (storebought) filled with Orange Chiffon (semi-homemade)

Homemade Cinnamon Candy (if I have time)

Christmas Breakfast

Egg Casserole (make-ahead)

Breakfast Sausages

Drunken Cantaloupe 

Mulled Cider

Mid-Day Christmas Snack Platter

Pepper Jelly on Cream Cheese served with seeded crackers

Roasted Brined Pecans

Christmas Dinner

Prime Rib Roast w/ Woodman's Creamed Horseradish

Oysters gathered locally by my husband, w/ Mignonette or Ponzu sauce

Party Potatoes (make-ahead mashed)

Cranberry Salad (congealed - made ahead)

Pickled Baby Beets (same as night before - made ahead)

Layered Salad (made 1 day ahead)

Roasted Onions w/ sage, pecans, balsamic vinegar

Lemon Brussels Sprouts (Martha Stewart on youtube - the only 'last minute' dish)

Seeded buns (storebought) with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Butter (made ahead)

     Email me if there's any particular recipe or instructions you'd like me to share. The email address is in the column on the right side of this page. I'll post after this weekend on the original recipes - savoury tarts,  jam tarts, and the roasted onions.