Easy Entertaining for Beginners

It has been reported that there were an estimated 2,221,000 weddings in the United States in 2008*. New nesters have settled into their new homes and started their lives together. This includes hanging out with friends and family. More than ever, people who have been out in the workforce all day decline to get back out in the hustle and bustle of traffic and crowds to socialize with friends in noisy restaurants. Look at the phenomenal success of the Food Network. People are interested in learning how to cook and how to throw great dinner parties that fit their budgets. There is a return trend to casual entertaining at home.

The problem? Many new nesters have never entertained in their lives and don’t know how to go about it. What’s more, they have little time to pull off elaborate entertaining and few have the budget to hire expensive caterers or personal chefs. It is easy to imagine a comfortable evening at home with delicious food and drink, great music and the laughter of good friends and family. The question is how does one pull it off with a small budget and little or no experience?

1. First of all, a beginner needs to disabuse herself of the notion that she has to be an accomplished gourmet chef to host a fabulous dinner party.

2. She also needs to avoid the opposite extreme in thinking that she will inevitably be a nervous wreck if she attempts at-home entertaining.

3. The novice host needs to focus on doing a few simple things well: She needs to concentrate on the food, the table and the relaxed, fun tone that she sets as host. The beginner does not need to focus on elaborate invitations, detailed decorations and complicated menus.

4. A beginner who paces herself in sensible planning, preparation and presentation gains confidence which leads to greater success and enjoyment of casual at-home entertaining. Simple time-saving tips like making a shopping list for recipe ingredients saves unnecessary last-minute trips to the store.

5. Once a host has chosen an unfussy menu, a call or e-vite is all that is necessary for a casual dinner party. A menu that can be prepared in advance is best for the beginner. If he/she has never prepared the recipes before, it is a good idea to divide the recipe in half and try it ahead of time. This gives more confidence on the day of the event.

6. Using items such as dishware, glasses and serving trays that the budding host already owns saves time and money rather than purchasing themed paper goods and decorations. A simple low vase of flowers and unscented candles add to the ambiance. Good music also sets the mood.

7. Two hours before the dinner party, the host should take time to get dressed and ready. As the guests arrive, each should be welcomed and introduced to other guests. With introductions made and a drink in hand, guests will immediately feel at ease.

8. The host sets the tone for the evening. Being poised and relaxed is a great start for an enjoyable time. Last but not least, a host should have fun and add his or her own flavor and style to entertaining. Guests will enjoy this most of all!

*WeddingReport.com

It has been reported that there were an estimated 2,221,000 weddings in the United States in 2008*. New nesters have settled into their new homes and started their lives together. This includes hanging out with friends and family. More than ever, people who have been out in the workforce all day decline to get back out in the hustle and bustle of traffic and crowds to socialize with friends in noisy restaurants. Look at the phenomenal success of the Food Network. People are interested in learning how to cook and how to throw great dinner parties that fit their budgets. There is a return trend to casual entertaining at home.
The problem? Many new nesters have never entertained in their lives and don’t know how to go about it. What’s more, they have little time to pull off elaborate entertaining and few have the budget to hire expensive caterers or personal chefs. It is easy to imagine a comfortable evening at home with delicious food and drink, great music and the laughter of good friends and family. The question is how does one pull it off with a small budget and little or no experience?
1. First of all, a beginner needs to disabuse herself of the notion that she has to be an accomplished gourmet chef to host a fabulous dinner party.
2. She also needs to avoid the opposite extreme in thinking that she will inevitably be a nervous wreck if she attempts at-home entertaining.
3. The novice host needs to focus on doing a few simple things well: She needs to concentrate on the food, the table and the relaxed, fun tone that she sets as host. The beginner does not need to focus on elaborate invitations, detailed decorations and complicated menus.
4. A beginner who paces herself in sensible planning, preparation and presentation gains confidence which leads to greater success and enjoyment of casual at-home entertaining. Simple time-saving tips like making a shopping list for recipe ingredients saves unnecessary last-minute trips to the store.
5. Once a host has chosen an unfussy menu, a call or e-vite is all that is necessary for a casual dinner party. A menu that can be prepared in advance is best for the beginner. If he/she has never prepared the recipes before, it is a good idea to divide the recipe in half and try it ahead of time. This gives more confidence on the day of the event.
6. Using items such as dishware, glasses and serving trays that the budding host already owns saves time and money rather than purchasing themed paper goods and decorations. A simple low vase of flowers and unscented candles add to the ambiance. Good music also sets the mood.
7. Two hours before the dinner party, the host should take time to get dressed and ready. As the guests arrive, each should be welcomed and introduced to other guests. With introductions made and a drink in hand, guests will immediately feel at ease.
8. The host sets the tone for the evening. Being poised and relaxed is a great start for an enjoyable time. Last but not least, a host should have fun and add his or her own flavor and style to entertaining. Guests will enjoy this most of all!
*WeddingReport.com

Happy Entertaining!
Patricia Mendez

Last year, my oldest son Martin and my daughter-in-law Cheryl decided it was time to take the plunge and host their first Thanksgiving feast for our family. I happened to be over when the turkey came home from the store and Martin asked me what they should do with it. I explained to them that they needed to:

1. Defrost it in the fridge in it’s original wrap in a pan for 2-3 days to thaw.
2. Take out the bag of giblets (liver, heart, kidneys) out of the large cavity of the turkey and (reserve for stock) before roasting.
3. Take out the neck in the opposite smaller cavity of the turkey (reserve for stock) before roasting.
4. To make it easier, I recommended that they not put the stuffing in the turkey, but rather bake it in a separate casserole dish.
5. I told them to refer to the “My First Thanksgiving” chapter of my book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners for further simple instructions and a detailed step-by-step checklist.

They thought that sounded easy enough. I got a call from Martin the night before Thanksgiving and he sounded a bit confused. He said, “Mom, I know you said the turkey neck would be inside the turkey, but ours is still on. Do I just rip it off?”

I knew immediately what he was talking about. I gently told him that the body part he was referring to was not the neck, but rather the tail of the turkey! He was a little embarrassed, but I told him not to be. Think about it. When the bird is alive, he is not laying on his back as he is in the neat packaging he arrives in from the store. He is the other end up. It can get confusing if you have never prepared a turkey and I thought it was a perfectly understandable mistake. I waited till I hung up to have a good laugh.

The next day as we were in the final 30 minute countdown before the meal, I showed them how to use an instant-read thermometer to see if the turkey was finished roasting. It was no where near ready and I could feel the doubting look in my turkey roasting abilities cross Martin’s face. Hmmm… follow the checklist in your chapter and everything will be finished on time?? I admit I was stumped. The stuffing was in the casserole, not in the turkey which can typically increase the roasting time. What in the heck was going on?

It ended up taking another full hour to roast. As Martin was readying to carve it for the meal, my daughter-in-law said, “Oh, by the way, I stuffed the turkey with some leftover ham I had in the refrigerator. I thought it might be good.” Ham! Now, that was original and my shaken confidence was restored.

Ah-Ha, there was a perfectly sensible reason the turkey took an extra hour to roast. There was about 4 cups of chopped up ham tightly squeezed into the cavity so the turkey took much longer to fully roast! I wasn’t going crazy after all. And you want to know the really funny part? The turkey AND the ham tasted pretty darn good. They did a great job and we had lots of fun.

Happy Entertaining!
Patricia Mendez

Thanksgiving is the one meal hosts can feel the most pressure about preparing. The entire celebration is set around the meal, the Thanksgiving feast! Messing it up could make for a household full of unhappy guests. Gulp! For a beginner, the pressure could be off the charts!

Let me start by saying what most cooking classes and books don’t tell you. Of all the meals you typically prepare in a year, this one can be the most labor-intensive. Preparing a Thanksgiving meal can be a lot of work. Every year, fantastic cooks and chefs are challenged to come up with a new take on what is a very traditional meal. They offer all types of variations and new recipes. However, since most people eat a Thanksgiving meal only once a year, they like the basics: turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls and pumpkin pie for dessert. So if you are a beginner who is cooking for a crowd, to keep it as simple and doable as possible, stick to the basics. The reason I tell you this is not to discourage you, but rather to prepare you. I like to know what I’m getting into ahead of time, so I can gird my loins for the battle!

Having said that, if you follow my previous advice of pacing yourself and being organized you can pull off a delicious, memorable meal for your family and friends. And you will have joined the millions of home cooks nationwide who stare in disbelief when a Thanksgiving meal that has taken 3 days to prepare has been consumed in 15 minutes flat! Take it as a compliment. Your family will enjoy your meal and your guests will have one more thing to be thankful for…you!

Happy Entertaining,
Patricia Mendez

When November arrives it has a way of jolting you into the reality that the holidays are right around the corner! Yikes, so much to do. This month in my blog posts, I would like to give you some easy holiday ideas for entertaining along with some recipes and tips for feeding a crowd.

I hosted an Easy Holiday Entertaining event at my home recently. The one thing that my guests agreed on was the fact that they are busier than ever in their lives. EASY Entertaining ideas are needed and have great appeal to them.

I think entertaining should fit your life. Whether you work full-time inside or outside your home, the thought of squeezing in a dinner party, Thanksgiving feast or Christmas Open House can be overwhelming. Here are a few timesaving tips:

1. If this is your year to host Thanksgiving or a New Year’s Eve party, be realistic and cut down on other things to make it managable for you. You don’t want the holidays to be a blur of exhausting activity that leaves you needing a week to recuperate.

2. It is ok to take guests up on their offer to bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert to a large meal like Thanksgiving. This can take some of the pressure off and you can concentrate on the main meal items.

3. It is ok to take guests up on their offer to help with clean-up after a large meal, like Thanksgiving.

4. It is ok to fill in your menu with some favorite purchased items that you know your guests will enjoy. You can pick up a mouthwatering dessert at a local bakery. Local warehouse stores are huge successes because they understand what their customers need. At the holidays they carry tons of delicious dips, fresh breads. pre-made food. Take them out of the store containers and serve on your serving pieces for a beautiful presentation of purchased food along with a few recipes that you prepare.

5. Do a few things and do those well. Concentrate on the food, table and the tone that you set as host. Forget the idea that everything has to be absolutely perfect. If you concentrate your efforts on these three areas, you will pull off fun and enjoyable dinner parties.

Patricia Mendez

I got some exciting news today. My book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners has been named an Award-Winning Finalist in the cookbook:general category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards sponsored by USA Book News. To view the winners and finalists go to: http://www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksawards2008.html.

I am continuing my virtual book tour during the month of October. Go to www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com to view a different interview/guest blog each day. I hope you can join me.

As always, with the holidays/entertaining season fast approaching, feel free to contact me with your entertaining questions and I will do my best to help.

Happy Entertaining!
Patricia

There are 3 main things that a beginner needs to concentrate on when entertaining family and friends.

1. The tone you set for your gathering as host.
2. The food
3. The table

All of the other bells and whistles of entertaining can be added and learned along the way as you gain some experience. But I would like to encourage you that you can host successful entertaining if you concentrate on the three basics above. You can create wonderful memories and connect with family and friends in a very effective way.

There is nothing wrong with meeting your friends in restaurants and that definitely has it’s place in our busy lives. But if you are doing that exclusively you are missing out. Socializing only in restaurants and happy hours is not quite the same as being invited into some one’s home. No big crowds, no waiting in long lines, no expensive bills. Just a chance to slow down in an intimate gathering with warm hospitality and good food. This is the gift you give to others when you host at-home entertaining.

Good question! Actually, you are at the beginning because you have the desire to learn to host casual entertaining in your home for family and friends.

You can boil down all of entertaining to three main things. And actually, only two of them are ABSOLUTELY necessary to pull off great dinner parties, barbecues, cocktail parties, luncheons, etc. Let’s talk about the first main priority of any host who wants to learn to entertain.

Any entertaining centers around hospitality. That sounds like and old fashioned word, but it literally means, “A cordial and generous reception and treatment of guests.” (American Heritage Dictionary) Whenever you entertain in your home, you are practicing hospitality. You desire to be cordial (friendly) and generous in the way you treat your invited guests that you are receiving into your home.

It is of the utmost importance for any host to understand that he/she is giving a wonderful gift to the guests of delicious food and warm hospitality. YOU as host, set the tone for your party. And understanding your role is essential for you to pull off off enjoyable and successful entertaining. Kudos to you for your desire to give such a wonderful gift to those near and dear.

Choices abound when looking for books and resources about cooking and entertaining. The Food Network has fueled renewed interest in cooking and home entertaining to an astonishing level. Television shows present celebrity cooks/chefs who give weekly creative ideas and know-how to viewers. Internet cooking sites and blogs are bursting at the seams with creative entertaining ideas and recipes available to their visitors.

How does someone new to cooking and entertaining assimilate all of this information? Is it possible for a beginner to wade through the phenomenal amount of material without being completely overwhelmed? Does the landslide of information on invitations, decorations, menus, tablescapes, theme parties, wine lists and party planning tend to discourage some rather than encourage?

While all of this information is a virtual cornucopia of lovely, fresh ideas, those new to entertaining and cooking need to concentrate on doing a few important things well rather than to make the mistake of thinking they need to master all of the above at the outset in order to be successful. In other words, beginners need to concentrate on the basics. They will gain skills and confidence and will be able to pull of enjoyable dinner parties from the very beginning. On to specifics in my next post.