Christmas is fast approaching, and with it the long-awaited Christmas lunches and dinners. And it is that, although sometimes we are upset with going to certain celebrations due to the supposed obligation that this seems to have, it is true that the predisposition of all to celebrate lunch or dinner with those colleagues, friends, old friends or less close relatives , are noticeably increased.
That is why taking advantage of everyone’s willingness to meet again on the occasion of these dates, becomes the ideal seed to assess all the necessary aspects to organize these events in the best way, with coordination and forecast and with the sole objective that all and each of the attendees enjoy the celebrations in a special way.
For this we want to help you with 10 tips so that said organization is simple and dynamic:
1- Choose where and how the lunch or dinner will take place
The first step will be to decide where the gastronomic meeting is going to take place, since we can have dinner at home if it is with friends, or be responsible for preparing a dinner for colleagues in the office.
This will indicate the type of lunch or dinner to prepare, being able to make a complete menu seated if it is at home or a buffet or catering type if we celebrate Christmas in the office.
Of course, we will always have options such as using a local or rented house for this event, or even going to cooking courses in which, with the help of a chef, all the diners can prepare the menu together, enjoying beyond the tasting of the plates.
2- Make guest list
Whatever the choice of place, it will be very important to define all the guests who will attend or will be invited to correctly manage from the first moment the number of people for whom we will have to prepare the menu, or even assess the type of premises or homes to rent if this is the preferred solution.
3- Create a communication channel… and confirmation!
With the guests already defined, now it’s time to create a communication channel with all of them to be able to send them the invitation, receive confirmations or even assess dates if it is an event that has not yet closed in this regard.
Thanks to technology and its different low-cost (or free) applications, we can unify invitations and communications without the need to go guest by guest, thus multiplying a job that, even if carried out with enthusiasm, ends up tiring anyone.
And now you can do it with WhatsApp, which with the latest update you can create Surveys from an individual or group chat (by clicking on the clip icon) so that your friends can vote and thus decide dates, place of celebration, etc.
4- Ask about allergies and intolerances
Knowing the confirmed attendees, no less important will be to advance the knowledge of special needs motivated by allergies and intolerances. In addition to the importance that this has for the health of the diners, or as a means to make them feel more comfortable in the celebration, it is a step that helps us avoid experiencing intolerances at the last minute when we no longer have the capacity to react and everything this becomes nerves and stress for the organizer.
Even, as advice when we cook for many people, trying to avoid as much as possible some allergens such as dairy, eggs or gluten, helps to have a menu suitable for almost all audiences.
5- Plan the menu and purchases
Although it is important to define the needs of diners, it is no less important to create our well-defined menu well in advance. In this way we give ourselves a margin to be able to think about changes or improvements without being overwhelmed by rushing, and thus achieve a menu of 10.
And whether it is a menu sitting at the table with three courses, or a Christmas buffet-type bar, or even a catering with multiple preparations, having the menu in advance helps us to buy progressively, days before, without exposing ourselves to running out of any product that we need. force to change the menu in a hurry and of course to avoid paying certain price increases that occur at this time.
6- There is life beyond the “top ten” of Christmas products
One of the most common mistakes we make at Christmas is to become obsessed with tasting certain products that are sometimes not even in season for the mere fact of being considered special or high-quality foods.
With this, we are forced to pay high prices for products that are not even remotely in the best moment of consumption.
For this, we recommend using a visit to the market when defining the menus, assessing the prices that fall within a logic, and in case of excesses of some prices, replace these with others that are in season and that therefore have better prices. prices and of course quality. We can always help ourselves to get to know these seasonal products recommended by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation on its website: https://dietamediterranea.com/alimentos-destacados-de-diciembre-2/
Think that the menu will be valued more for all the heart you put into it than for the use of the products itself.
7- Cook in advance
As a result of a menu organized with time and purchases made in a staggered manner, we obtain the advantage of being able to prepare some parts of our dishes in advance, such as fillings, sauces or garnishes, having clean vegetables or proteins, which we can later freeze or can to save and not have to run at the last moment.
All these previous steps are going to have the positive consequence that we will only have pending for the last moment the finishing of the dishes, the assembly, or what is the same, the most pleasant and beautiful part of the kitchen, for what may be easier to find last-minute help among your own diners 😉
8- The assembly of the table
Do not leave the preparation of the table to the last moment either, because you can have surprises and run out of time. When you confirm the number of guests that will sit at your table, have the chairs you will need ready; confirm that you have enough crockery and even take a look and take advantage of those bowls or bowls that you have at home and that you never use; check that the tablecloth and napkins do not have any stains. If you check everything a few days before you will have time to wash what is necessary and arrive on time so that the table is impeccable.
9- Receive your guests with a surprise appetizer
It is a good idea to adjust schedules in case of possible delays. Propose to take it standing up, this will allow you to eat less and reserve yourself for the main courses.
10- Enjoy, relax and seek collaboration
And finally, with everything ready, worry exclusively about enjoying yourself, relaxing and thinking that if you are with people you really care about, nothing happens because of a forgotten detail or because you have the need to seek collaboration among your guests. What’s more, it will help you unite people even more at the event.
So, enjoy and have a good time above all.
And of course, if you need help or want to relax even more, you can always count on services such as a private chef, with whom you will receive help to work on your menu or even give him all the prominence.
You know, whatever it is, that you enjoy above all.
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About Jesús India
Jesús India is the executive chef of Orígenes Kitchen, and a lover of the popular cuisines of Spain and the Mediterranean