Stress Free Holiday Cooking

Getting Organized For Holiday Parties

Nov 24, 2008 Chris Albano

The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are almost upon us. The season is already underway. Friends and family will be sitting down at your table and these are the times warm and lasting memories are made of. But are you organized? Is it going to be a stressful time or one filled with joy? Here are some pointers on how to get organized quickly for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

• Mise en Place ( miz en plaaz ): The classic French term for “things in their place”, meaning if you get your ingredients, cookware and utensils in a neat and orderly fashion, your execution of any given dish or recipe will be that much easier. Stock your pantry with necessary essentials; scan through your recipes for required ingredients and cooking apparatus. This extra time is well spent in the beginning, to avoid scrambling later during cooking executions of your menu. Make a shopping list, prep list and have your recipe laid out if not familiar with it. If working a menu, look through the longest cooking processes first say desserts and baking and keep menial tasks for the interim. This process was originated by the French brigade of chefs and is used day in and day out with every professional cook. Even if improvising a tried and true recipe, think of how this will play out in the parameters of your prep and cooking time. Always have some type of game plan and stay focused, and you can easily create great recipes time and time again.

• The Prep List: The prep list is a list breaking down the recipe, ingredients and steps involved. Example for mashed potatoes: peel potatoes, milk, butter, salt and pepper. For the turkey: brine turkey, spice rub, roast turkey, basting bulb, ect… Make a list of your menu items and their ingredients and key processes and scratch them out as you complete them. Also this is valuable if you have any helpers when they ask what to do you can refer to unfinished or prioritized items. You can even start micro managing minor jobs days before your meal.

• Compile: The prep list is one thing, but also having a note book or folder with your recipes to keep them organized will help as well. Make notes of what works and what could have been done different. This is very important for future recipes and parties, having these notes to fall back on will help remind you of precedures and what worked best. Also having the notes written in your notebook or printed from your computer will keep the clutter of cookbooks and un-necessary items cluttered on your counter taking up valuable space.

• Get Organized: In addition to making the menu, buying the ingredients, prepping and cooking you have to think about how you are going to serve the items and keep them hot right before sitting down. It can be chaotic trying to re-heat many dishes in a small oven or on top of a stove with only four heating elements. So keep this in mind as well and try and think that if keeping something warm on a hot plate or in a crock pot will help un-clutter your stove at the last minute. Have serving trays and utensils ready to go as well.

With this strategy and your favorite recipes you are bound to have a killer gathering and you will be able to sit down and enjoy yourself. And that is the most rewarding feeling, creating this celebration and having the pleasure of interacting with friends and family.