you're invited...

i’m planning a holiday party for this weekend. if i had any sense at all, i’d worry more about what i was going to wear and not what i was going to cook. isn’t that what catering is for?!?

but, i am worrying about what i will cook. although, worry is not the right word. worry connotes something negative. i actually enjoy considering what would taste good, what things would go well together.

the dilemma of a party is all the work that goes into it. it’s not just the cooking. it’s cleaning the house, setting up the decorations, putting out the plates and wine glasses, or running out to the store because i realize i don’t have enough of those stupid wine glasses.

so what can i do to make my life a little easier, especially around this time of year? ask for help. i really don’t do that often enough. i take on the whole sha-bang from soup to nuts and wonder why i’m so stinking tired later on. this year, however, i asked guests to bring a dish and a favorite beverage. whatever i make will fill in the gaps. et voila!

i will make a few little noshes that don’t take much time. a charcuterie and cheese platter with toasted baguettes is always nice. although, i think i’d like to plan my hors d’oeuvres around a theme. each dish will have a focal point. goat cheese, for example. i love fresh goat cheese. it goes with so many different things. drizzle honey on it. pair it with sautéed mushrooms and thyme. figs, figs, figs. need I say more? frankly, i’m salivating already…

another consideration for this time of year is roasting or stewing. these are meals you can make ahead and put in the oven, keep on the stovetop, or in a crockpot. while the chicken thighs are simmering in their juices, i can take a shower and put on that little black dress that takes ten pounds of my ass. or while the pot roast is in the crockpot, i can set out the tableware.

regardless of what i end up cooking, the food will taste good and the conversation will flow. but only as long as i choose the right wines. hmmm…