Ina Garten Shares Her Recipe for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving. During her recent appearance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, beloved Food Network star Ina Garten shared her secrets to hosting a relatively stress-free Thanksgiving. (And they don’t include hiring a caterer or making reservations!)
The bestselling cookbook author said Turkey Day is her favorite holiday because it involves a delicious meal and time spent with family and friends. While all that sounds wonderful, anyone who’s ever hosted the labor-intense occasion knows it requires some serious planning. Garten graciously offered suggestions that’ll keep a host or hostess from collapsing before the turkey hits the table.
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Ensure Your Menu Can Be Enjoyed By All
The former proprietor of the gourmet food store for which her television show is named, The Barefoot Contessa, said before she plans her menu she first checks with guests to see if they have any food aversions or intolerances. That doesn’t mean you can’t make your favorites, Garten notes. For example, if she’s planning to whip up her apple crisp but knows someone has a nut allergy, she’ll simply leave that ingredient out of the topping.
Though she’s certainly capable of it, Garten said she’d rather not make multiple entrees. Instead, she serves something her all guests can enjoy together. Preparing different dishes can cause some diners to feel as if they’re “at the kiddie table,” she added. It may also make guests uncomfortable if they think you’ve gone to a lot of extra effort on their behalf.
Keep Things Simple
The Brooklyn-born gourmand shared that some of the best culinary advice she ever received is: “Keep it simple.” Garten said she once prepared an over-crowded cheese plate when she was just starting out and a dear friend told her all she really needed was the wedge of cheese, a bunch of grapes, a bowl of apricots, and some bread.
Less is more when it comes to appetizers — especially when you’re preparing to serve a Thanksgiving feast.
“It’s easier and it looks better,” she noted.
When you’re putting together the menu, keep your kitchen limitations in mind. The self-taught chef said she plans one item that’ll go in the oven, another that can cook on the stovetop, and one or more that have been made in advance.
Don’t be Afraid to Accept Help
If someone offers assistance, accept it, Garten advised. If a guest is willing to bring a pie, let him. It makes your friends and family feel good to contribute, said the consummate hostess, who joked that she’s not afraid to put her company to work.
While she said she’d never allow a guest to do the dishes, the East Hampton native said she puts one guest in charge of making sure no one’s wine glass goes empty.
Allowing friends to help makes them feel included and part of “the A-team,” the cook said.
Find & Perfect Make-Ahead Dishes
Make-ahead dishes may be what you’re truly thankful for this holiday. It’s never a good idea to try a new recipe on a guest, so test them before the big day. Preparing a dish in advance gives you a chance to sample it first and determine if it’s Thanksgiving-worthy. This culinary equivalent of a test drive may also save the day if you find yourself missing an ingredient; or if a recipe doesn’t turn out quite right.
Having a few tried and true make-ahead dishes on the menu allows you to do two things; either prep ahead and then cook, or simply reheat. The Emmy-winning host suggests her Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding as a nice addition to your holiday offerings.
No one wants to open the door to welcome friends looking and feeling like a sweaty mess, Garten jokes. Having a few items ready to go can take some of the pressure off a host.
Bonus Tip: The Barefoot Contessa host has insight from when she owned her East Hampton store; the day after Thanksgiving customers flooded her shop in search of roasted turkey and stuffing. She realized people had no tasty leftovers at home with which to make turkey sandwiches; as a result Garten came up with an idea that her guests savor — literally.
Rather than make one Thanksgiving dinner, Garten prepares two; one for guests to enjoy together and one she divides into “doggie bags” to devour the next day. While this certainly doesn’t make the holiday less stressful for the host, it is a tradition guests will treasure.
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Hero (Top) Feature Image: © neirfy / Dollar Photo Club
First Body Image: Ina Garten photo courtesy the author