'Crappy dinner parties' and 2 other tricks to entertain over the holidays
These party tricks will help you put together a great holiday bash — with minimal effort
'Tis the season... to entertain.
Festive holiday parties are aplenty. But if you're bringing together friends or family, hosting a dinner party can be stressful — and not to mention a lot of work.
Fortunately chef and food writer Claire Tansey has some helpful party tricks to make sure your festive gatherings are easy to manage and — more importantly — fun.
"It's a great time of year. People are in a celebratory mood, and honestly the more parties we have, the better we'll feel," she told host Sheryl MacKay on CBC's North by Northwest.
"I call it lazy entertaining. It's the best."
1. Throw a 'crappy dinner party'
The holidays are all about bringing people together — but why go through the painstaking trouble of trying to make everything 'perfect?'
"I like to have a 'crappy dinner party' — but it's only crappy in name. It's actually really fun," said Tansey.
"You don't do any pre-cleaning, dinner is really simple, sometimes we even order in. No hostess gifts, no fancy outfits — it's really just about sitting down with your friends, making time, and having a good evening."
Just dim the lights, and make sure there's plenty of wine.
2. Build a charcuterie board
Lots of people love cooking, but nobody likes doing dishes — and the dirty plates, pots and pans can add up when you're cooking for a crowd.
That's where the charcuterie board comes in. Tansey says it's a simple centrepiece for a holiday bash.
"You just go to the Italian deli, you get all the sliced meat, the cheeses, the olives, the crackers and the bread," said Tansey. "Put that out, it's enough food that people can treat it like a meal."
"You don't even have to put out forks!"
3. If you're cooking, cook in advance
There's no fun fussing around in the kitchen while the rest of your guests have arrived and are settling in.
Tansey says putting together dishes that you can prepare a day or two in advance will give you time to relax with friends and family.
"I do something like a braised meat dish, a beef stew... something I can make a day ahead, it's still luxurious, it's still special, but I don't have to fuss with it at the last minute."
You can make your life easier with some easy sides — like sliced artisanal breads and a simple salad. And some good ice cream for dessert will finish it off.
"It's still a good dinner party, but you're not really working on it while your guests are there. You're just having a good time.
With files from CBC's North by Northwest