On the mark, set, eat!

– Christmas Prep

Make ahead cakes and other sweet treats (Photo by Cynthia Nelson)
Make ahead cakes and other sweet treats (Photo by Cynthia Nelson)

So, you’re hosting the big family and friends Christmas meal this year, for the first time. Yikes, right? Oh, the pressure – mostly that we put on ourselves. It is the first time we are hosting in such a major way and so we want everything to be perfect (at least by our standards). Don’t worry, you’ve got this.

First, let’s start first by facing the truth – The Christmas holidays can be brutal; they are not for the weak or faint-hearted. They are for the fittest, the strongest and the bravest. You have to possess certain qualities in order to survive, and still have the energy needed for January 2 when you return to work. You need to be an organizer, a shopper, an entertainer and oh, a cook.

If we’re not careful, the holidays can take the joy out of cooking, even for those of us who love to cook. We’re not only busy planning menus and shopping for ingredients but we’re also making the gift-list and checking it twice so that no one’s left out. We’re cleaning and decorating the house, squeezing in errands during lunch time, keeping our commitments to organize our social club’s party, helping out with the church’s annual Christmas luncheon and the staff party. Even thinking about it is exhausting. But I have a plan – a plan that works for me and I know that it can help you. Feel free to tweak it here and there to suit your circumstances and make it your own, just as you would a recipe.

Make ahead cakes and other sweet treats (Photo by Cynthia Nelson)

The big meal is usually on Christmas Day. For some people it is on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day – depending on how large the family is and which in-laws house you go to. Regardless of which day it is, it’s that one major meal gathering that you pour all your efforts and energy into, so here’s a game-plan.

Family & Friends – Make a list of the people you are inviting. As you go through the list of names, make a note of allergies, intolerances, and vegetarians if there are any. If you don’t know off the top of your head be sure to ask the person when you extend the invitation.

The Food – Stick with the traditional favourites such as ham, roast chicken, baked pork, lamb, turkey, stuffing, fried rice, chowmein, macaroni pie and potato salad but consider some that you’ve not made in a while, or, introduce a couple of new dishes. My advice would be to make the new dishes a couple of times beforehand, like a test run. Trust me, you don’t want to try making them for the first time the same day you plan to serve them; you don’t need the added stress if a dish does not come out the way you want it to.

If you don’t want to try new dishes, why not try a different method of preparing an old favourite. Add a new spice or a different herb. For example, instead of steaming your vegetables, you can try roasting or grilling them to bring out their natural sweetness. A squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt will give them a delightful combination of flavour – salt, sweet with a subtle hint of acidity at the same time.

Even a different way of presenting the food can make it feel special. Throughout the year when my mother would make baked chicken it was always cut into quarters, but at Christmas, she stuffed the chickens and roasted them whole. The presentation alone made it festive, yet it was the same chicken we had been eating all year round.

The truth is some people want to have their holiday foods the way they remember them. Family and friends visiting from abroad want to immerse in local food and the dishes they have not had in ages so it’s fine to have some fried fish, boil and fry ground provisions, and roti and curry as a part of your feast.

Shopping & Pre-ordering – Plan the meal in advance and shop early for your ingredients. The non-perishables can be bought way in advance, the perishables at least 2 to 3 days before the meal. Order the meat and poultry at least 3 weeks to a month in advance in order to have a timely delivery and ensure availability. If you have a butcher or meat place where you purchase regularly, that should be easy. However, remember, demand is high around this time so do not take for granted that what you want will be readily available. Trust me, pre-order the meats and remind the butcher each week.

Equipment & Furniture – Take out your large pots and pans, check and clean your cutlery. Now is the time to bring out the silverware, china and other special crockery.

The food is best served family style aka buffet. Do you have enough chairs and tables? Renting or borrowing is an option. Our family and my late aunt Betty’s always had Christmas breakfast together (they lived in the upper part of the house and we the lower) so the night before, my cousins would bring down their dining table and chairs and join them with ours so everyone would sit together. It stayed that way until Boxing Day.

Since this is your first time as host, you may not have everything, don’t be shy, ask your parents or relatives to borrow some of their equipment and furniture for the day.

Help – You do not have to prepare everything yourself. Let me repeat, you do not have to prepare and do everything yourself. I know it’s your first time as host and the inclination is to do it all, alone. Don’t. Get your family and friends to help. Your guests – those who can cook – can bring some of the side dishes even dessert, based on your menu. These days, I do not spend much time in the kitchen making big meals and even when someone else is hosting the big holiday meal, I insist on helping by preparing one or two of the dishes.  A menu is agreed beforehand with all the family coming for the meal and what they would bring. By organising things that way none of us, including the guests have to spend a long time in the kitchen on Christmas day. Oh, please don’t leave the men out assuming they can’t cook. Many men can cook and want to cook. It’s also a great time to create memories and pass on some traditions by having your children help you in the kitchen. Depending on their age, they can help you to peel, grate, butter the pans and even set the table, which used to be one of my early jobs.

Prep & Cook Ahead – It is not necessary to prepare everything on the same day of the meal. Most people do this and that is why they end up spending the entire day in the kitchen and then they are too tired to enjoy their guests and the gathering. Certain things can be prepared in advance. My mother always baked the ham, chicken and pork very late on Christmas Eve night. The vegetables were prepped the day before and refrigerated. Cakes and desserts were made at least 2 days in advance. Depending on what you are making, plan ahead and cook some things in advance so that on the day itself all you have to do is assemble or reheat. For example – prepare the macaroni pie the day in advance, cover and refrigerate in the dish in which it will be baked, bring to room temperature the next day and put in the oven. Or, bake the pie the day ahead, cool completely, cover and refrigerate, the next day bring to room temperature and reheat on low heat when something is baking in the oven. Rice for fried rice can be steamed, cooled and refrigerated as much as 2 days in advance before cooking.

Happy planning and merry eating.

Cynthia

cynthia@tasteslikehome.org

www.tasteslikehome.org