We have entered that time of year when entertaining becomes an all-consuming passion and people are desperate to showcase talents, spaces and creativity. Magazines, television shows and food columns (like mine) take the consumer through a minefield of do’s and don’ts.
We profess to have the best recipe for this or a “new” way to do that and much money is spent trying to reproduce or in some cases one up the experts. There is no doubt that most of us are experts. We create, innovate and produce techniques and dishes that wow your dinner guests or stamp your place as party central for the holidays.
We can take the form of party planners, caterers, chefs and restaurateurs. We market, cajole, sometimes shame our patrons into going the extra mile with regards to product and presentation. While some will genuinely enjoy the higher stakes game of holiday entertaining, preferring a full house and surprises at every turn, most of us could do with a little extra stress in our lives.
At this point I choose not to put more stress into the equation but to provide a sanctuary of comfort, peace and camaraderie. This choice comes with its own set of guidelines and also encompasses a certain amount of expectation and a fair amount of work. When a group is booking a holiday party at the Sage Rabbit or asking us to cater an event there is still a level of pressure that exists.
For some groups this is the party of the season and aside from company dinners and an occasional company picnic it is high profile and an important bonding experience. At this point the party planner needs to take themselves out of the mix and focus on the comfort and enjoyment of their guests.
Much like inviting a person to your house the optimum word that should cross the planner’s mind is comfort. Putting the guest at ease, pulling back the reins on your own need to promote and instead enabling the guest to settle in whether at your restaurant table or their very own home.
For most restaurants that frame of mind should exist every day. We are a service industry first and then within those parameters we market ourselves. During the holidays there will be times to showcase talents, but we still as an industry have to provide a sense of calm within the chaos, a physical, culinary port in the storm.
I can remember as a child walking through what seemed like a thousand department stores during the holiday season. The mindless trudge was made somewhat bearable because I knew that at the end of the day we would wind up at Crystal City Bakers or Sorges, settling into a leather booth and feeling safe, warm and at rest.
I think much like the holidays themselves, what drives people to do more, entertain at a higher level and put themselves in precarious partying positions is the same thing that creates outlandish lighting displays, huge trays of fudge, and gigantic bowls of Chex Party Mix.
The very act of excess is a neon sign of inclusion far less subtle than it could be. It cuts through the noise and the tumult of this time of year and still it creates an entirely different set of stress and confusion to deal with. Instead of a whispered word of invite it becomes a clarion call to gather and with it comes all the expectations of a gathering crowd; feed me!
Which brings us back to my original point; how to truly enjoy your holiday season. Well for starters, surround yourself with people you love and enjoy.
Thanksgiving is almost here, the most family holiday of the year and one at which many traditions are shared. That sharing of tradition is another key to success, mixing old and new foods, customs and even shedding some of the preconceived ideas that you feel you must do.
Sleep in on Thursday, when you used to rise at the crack of dawn to start the preparations. In order to do that plan and prep ahead like every good restaurant does. Mix in some new, “well tested” recipes with the ones you can do in your sleep. Don’t cook all week long, get take out, meet a friend for a drink, show off your favorite local spot to your out of town relatives. Measure your energy, and when you’re on empty, take a breather, a nap, a cup of tea, a couple of chapters in that book you started in July.
And have some party mix, telling yourself that all those whole grains are good for you.
Party mix my way
3 cups of Cheerios
3 cups of Wheat, Corn and Rice Chex combined.
1 cup of slim pretzel sticks
1 cup of roasted peanuts
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
1 /2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce
¼ cup of Pick a Pepper sauce
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp of chili flakePile the cereal, nuts and pretzels in a bowl and mix up. Melt the butter slowly so as not to separate it. Whisk in the Worcestershire, Pick a Pepper smoked paprika and chili flake until absolutely combined. Coat but don’t soak the bowl of mix with the butter sauce and place on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake in a 300 degree oven, stirring occasionally until the sauce has soaked into the mix. Season with salt while warm and enjoy.
Casual Crab Spread
1 lb. of cooked lump crab
½ lb. of room temperature cream cheese
Lemon juice
Up to 1 cup of your favorite salsa or cocktail sauce
Gently work the cream cheese and crab together until they are combined. Try not to shred the crab while you’re doing it. Add lemon juice to taste. Form a ball of the mix and then press a dent in the center to act as a well for your salsa. Chill just a bit and serve with a salted cracker.Rosy Red Cocktail sauce from The Sage Rabbit
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp. of ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 Tbl. salad oil
1-2 dried chipotle or 1 chipotle in adobo
1 cup of horseradish
4 cups of ketchup
Lemon to tastePuree the onion in the food processor and season with the cumin and coriander. Add salad oil to a sauté pan and gently simmer the onion mix until it is fragrant and soft. If dried, add in the chipotle with the initial oil if soft add towards the end of the simmering. Remove from heat, add back to the processor and then add horseradish and ketchup. Puree until smooth, finish with lemon.
John Foster is an executive chef who heads the culinary program at Sullivan University’s Lexington campus. A New York native, Foster has been active in the Lexington culinary scene and a promoter of local and seasonal foods for more than 20 years. The French Culinary Institute-trained chef has been the executive chef of his former restaurant, Harvest, and now his Chevy Chase eatery, The Sage Rabbit, in Lexington.
To read more from Chef John Foster, including his recipes, click here.