Rising to the Occasion:
Tips for Seasoning
Your Meals with Soul
with Karen Mitchell-Wilcher
Simple Ideas for Savvy Entertaining
When the calendar reads November, it is time to recognize the
veterans. I am not just referring to our military veterans, but
those entertaining divas whose expertise really shines during
the November-December holiday season. You know the folks I’m
talking about are the ones that have their homes decked out with
seasonal gourds, and harvest colors for Thanksgiving, and by December
1st, the elves have been in to transform their place into a Christmas
cottage, with holiday menus planned and posted for entertaining
kids and adults throughout the festive season.
Now these entertaining veterans are not sipping a secret elixir
that gives them super powers, the key is organization and several
lists. Writing down your entertaining plans and the number of
folks you plan to include is the first step. Once you have that
on paper, think about your menus and how you can dish up an assortment
of recipes your guests will enjoy, are relatively fuss-free, and
remind everyone what a fabulous host you are.
One of my favorite menu choices starts with juicy oven-roasted
ham. Once you have the prepared meat make miniature sandwiches
featuring Rosemary
Biscuits, filled with thinly sliced ham. Serve these mini-sandwiches
with an assortment of condiments---honey or Creole mustard, herb
mayonnaise, and pepper jelly. Accompaniments for the bite-size
sandwich board may include midget sweet peppers, skewered pickles,
and sweet potato chips.
Fondue is another easy solution for the busy host. If you are
short a fondue pot or two, borrow from your friends---if you know
any new brides, you can bet there is a fondue pot at her place.
Start with Smoked
Cheddar Fondue served with cubes of hearty whole-grain toasted
bread, and lightly steamed broccoli. Add roast beef or chicken,
rice or couscous and all you need is dessert. For a sweet ending,
a dessert fondue of chocolate or caramel sauce, cubes of angel-food
or pound cake, and fresh strawberries will leave your friends
convinced that you are no doubt, the veteran diva to dine with.
