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Fifteen Tips for a Faster, Easier Thanksgiving -- or Any Other Big
Holiday -- Dinner
1)Get
organized.
Write down the menu. Make a shopping list from the recipes. Then
shop as far ahead of time as you can. Also take into account what
dishes you’ll need for serving and eating, including glassware.
For example, next to the specific food, put the dish in which it
will be served. Don’t forget decorations, candles, linen, anything
you can think of.
2)Buy
a smaller turkey. We’ve
been conditioned to think that we need to have a Godzilla-sized bird
so we can eat leftovers for three weeks. But the rule of thumb for
portions of turkey is one pound per person. So if eight people are
going to be eating, a 10 to 12-pound bird will do just fine and
still provide leftovers.
3)Maybe
you don’t need a whole turkey. If
your family doesn’t like dark meat, why not buy a turkey breast
instead? It will be faster and easier to cook and carve.
4)Make
fewer side dishes. I’m
as guilty as the next person. I feel have to include not one but two
dressings, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, and so on. Pretty soon you’ve got 10 side dishes. Keep it to a
manageable 4 or 5. For example, one dressing, sweet potatoes or mashed
potatoes, a green vegetable like string beans or Brussels sprouts,
cranberry sauce, and perhaps a salad.
5)Have
guests bring a dish, decoration or beverage. I’m
cooking for my family this year but my mother and sister are bringing the pies.
Try to match up people with things they do best.
6)Keep
the beverages simple. Beaujolais
is an easy to drink red wine that won’t be overwhelmed by the
cacophony of dishes on the table.
(See my Beaujolais story.)
Sparkling mineral water and apple
cider are good non-alcoholic choices.
7)Minimize
the hors d’oeuvres. You’ll
actually be doing your guests a favor. The last thing they need is a
lot of food before dinner. A colorful platter of raw
vegetables with a simple dip and perhaps some mixed nuts or olives
are all you need. Pre-dinner munchies should be cold or room
temperature so there is no worry about making them at last minute or
keeping them warm. As with the dinner, keep beverages simple.
Sparkling wines are a good idea. Spanish cava is a good value.
Italian prosecco is refreshing and lower in alcohol.
8)
Simplify decorations too.
An attractive floral arrangement may be all you need.
9)It’s
ok to use some convenience items. I
love chestnuts but they’re a pain to peel. So I buy cooked and
peeled chestnuts in a jar. Canned chicken stock is perfectly
acceptable for gravy and soup.
10)Don’t
be ashamed to buy a few prepared items. Just
because you’re having guests, doesn’t mean you have to cook
every dish. For example, if you’re not a good baker or dessert
maker, buy the desserts.
11)Prepare
as much food ahead as possible. Start
as far out from the actual serving time as you can, then work up to
dinner time. For example, what dish can be done two, three, even
four days ahead? What can be the day before? The morning of? Most,
if not all, side dishes can be done ahead, then reheated. Some
dishes actually improve in flavor if made in advance. Leave as
little as possible to the last minute.
12)Consider
how the food will be cooked or reheated. You’re
not going to be able to reheat everything in the microwave oven. So
figure on doing one dish there, another in the oven, another on top
of the stove and so on. Remember, the turkey needs to rest at least
20 minutes outside the oven before carving. Use that time to reheat
some, if not all, of the side dishes.
13)Set
the table the night before. Having
the table set when you wake up on Turkey Day puts your mind at ease
and gives you a feeling that things are under control.
14)Assign
guests tasks. If
one person is particularly adept at carving, have him or her slice
up the bird. Another can open and pour the wine as well as putting
the other beverages on the table.
15)Splurge
on a house cleaner. You
don’t have to make every room spick-and-span, just the rooms your
guests will see like the living room, dining room, and powder room.
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