Every year for the past 12 years, I've been throwing an Oscar party. Some years have been crazier than others, with up to 40 guests one year. That year, I made crab cakes, lamb meatballs, harissa carrot dip, and all manner of hot appetizers. While this may have been the peak of my culinary achievement, it created a very stressful day since everything needed to be hot when served.That sounds like a fun title for an autobiography: "Hot When Served."
I've learned a few lessons over the years about making entertaining cooking easier.
Lesson #1, and my biggest aha: don't serve very much hot food! It just sits there anyway, so even a hot dish is eaten cold. Make dishes that can be made ahead of time and taste great cold or at room temperature. Make one hot dish and serve it right when the party starts or even a little later so that people can have something warm. I made one or two dishes the night before and everything else the day of, and was pretty much done by 2pm.
Lesson #2: minimize prep and save space by preparing things with common / easy bases. The two bruschetta dips and spinach dip can share carb bases. Instead of serving the bruschetta spreads on he breads themselves, I created a carb platter so everyone could choose the base of their choice and not be constrained by the amount of bread I purchased.
This year, I took most of my menu from Food & Wine, which has a nice list of quick appetizers and 30-minute hors d'oeuvres. The menu with links to recipes are below. Everything was served at room temperature except for the chicken chili. A quick note: The snack mix recipe, from the dessert guru at Momofuku, was definitely a highlight of the evening and oh-so-easy-to-make. The milk powder is totally worth it and makes the recipe.
I've learned a few lessons over the years about making entertaining cooking easier.
Lesson #1, and my biggest aha: don't serve very much hot food! It just sits there anyway, so even a hot dish is eaten cold. Make dishes that can be made ahead of time and taste great cold or at room temperature. Make one hot dish and serve it right when the party starts or even a little later so that people can have something warm. I made one or two dishes the night before and everything else the day of, and was pretty much done by 2pm.
Lesson #2: minimize prep and save space by preparing things with common / easy bases. The two bruschetta dips and spinach dip can share carb bases. Instead of serving the bruschetta spreads on he breads themselves, I created a carb platter so everyone could choose the base of their choice and not be constrained by the amount of bread I purchased.
This year, I took most of my menu from Food & Wine, which has a nice list of quick appetizers and 30-minute hors d'oeuvres. The menu with links to recipes are below. Everything was served at room temperature except for the chicken chili. A quick note: The snack mix recipe, from the dessert guru at Momofuku, was definitely a highlight of the evening and oh-so-easy-to-make. The milk powder is totally worth it and makes the recipe.
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| Warm Olives with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon |
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| Green Bean Salad With Walnuts, Fennel, and Goat Cheese |
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| Spicy Spinach Dip with Pine Nuts |
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| Spicy Chicken Chili |
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| Bruschetta Duet |
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| Crab and Avocado Toasts |
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