Planning a celebration, a preview of the Holidays!
November means the Holidays are just around the corner. We start thinking of the recipes we’d like to prepare and the menus we’d like to plan. But does planning a celebration and a multi-course meal make you nervous?
The following tips are guaranteed to simplify your life and ensure your holidays are spent enjoying the company of your guests rather than in the kitchen.
Plan your menu
In general, special menus include at least one main course, an entrée (hot or cold) or a soup (or both), a desert and an appetizer. Serve the appetizer with the aperitif as your guests arrive to ensure no one drinks on an empty stomach. For more elaborate menus, you may want to add a salad, some cheese and something sweet at the end of the meal.
Main courses tend to be selected according to the season, the availability of products, or even around a particular theme, special occasion, etc. For example, the meal could be planned around a hunting theme, a particular food such as mushrooms, or the coming holiday season. The choice you make will help guide your menu and provide ideas for decorating your table, choosing the right tablecloth, candles, flowers, etc.
November is the perfect month for preparing simmered or oven-baked recipes. Not only are they easy to make, they fill your home with wonderful aromas to greet your guests as they arrive.
Appetizer suggestion:
Traditional Cheddar terrine with herbs and olives
It’s a question of balance
Selected accompaniments to your meal usually depend on your choice of main course. For example, if you are serving a chicken pot pie or lasagna, avoid preparing a soup that has potatoes (another starch) and serve a simple broth instead. If your main course is served in a sauce, a dessert served with a sauce may not be the best option. Similarly, if you’re making carrot soup, select another vegetable to accompany your main course. In addition, the meal should include a variety of textures, colours and garnishes. Chicken with a sauce served with cauliflower and mashed potatoes doesn’t make the most colourful meal. It’s really a question of balance!
Prepare ahead of time
Many recipes can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for a few days, a few weeks or even frozen for a few months. For the sake of convenience, prepare your ingredients the day before and make the recipe on the day itself. Some recipes are even better when served the following day, giving the flavours a chance to come together deliciously. Prepare a cream soup ahead of time and simply reheat it the next day by adding a touch of cream, some cheese or a garnish of green onions. Some simmered meals, stews or similar types of recipes freeze very well and require no more than defrosting one day in the refrigerator before being reheated. Preparing recipes ahead of time will allow you to feel more relaxed and spend quality time with your guests. Plus, you’ll be happy to have a few frozen meals on hand once the frenzy of the Holidays begins.
Lake Memphremagog holiday meat pie
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