Being the host with the most just got easier thanks to these five catering hacks
Hosting, while a fulfilling undertaking, can also be incredibly stressful. If you consider the smorgasbord of dietary restrictions our friends and family adhere to, planning a menu that will please every palate and lifestyle can often feel like jumping through hoops.
This past weekend, my best friend and I had a bit of a boozy sleepover. Thought we see each other on a weekly basis, we felt it important to sneak in one last pow wow before we both head to our respective families for the festive season.
In university, I might've convinced her to skip the snacks altogether, reciting that 'eating is cheating,' but we've conceded that our bodied don't bounce back as easily as they would've in out late teens to early twenties. Now, we make sure to eat, alternate every glass of liquor with a glass of water, and down a last 750ml of H2O before bed to keep the hangover at bay.
I suggested we compile a grazing board or cheese, crackers and pickled preserves to keep our stomachs lines while we enjoyed countless flutes of sparkling wine.
Since Saturday, I haven't been able to get our platter out of my mind. I've been scouring the net for some of my favourite snack ideas so that when I head home I can slap together a spread that'll make things easier for my mama who always captains the catering ship.
If you also enjoy messing about in the kitchen, here are a few fool-proof grazing board ideas you can play around with:
Breakfast Board
I must confess, breakfast has always been a meal served a little too early in the day for me. By the time I'm hungry, it's always closer to lunch time, and I'm happy to spoon a bowl of cereal or treat myself to a stack of flapjacks any time of the day anyway.
This is why a grazing board works for me.
I can wake up as early or as late as I'd like, cut up a few seasonal fruits and pick at the platter leisurely. If you're responsible enough to start your day with a healthy meal, this is a great option for you too as most dietitians stress the importance of a decent amount of fibre, at breakfast, to kick start your metabolism and get your digestive system working. Any of your berries and melons will serve you best in this regard, so will a few member of the orange family - including grapefruit.
Every 'man' Offering
While it's ordinarily accepted that no single human being can please everyone, as a host, you must at least try. The every 'man' grazing board gets its name because there is a nibble to cater for every diet.
Flavoured crackers (salt & vinegar, I am told, is a juvenile flavour I should no longer serve), fruit slices, skewers of meat, and something sweet can all be incorporated onto one platter which provides an option for gluten- and lactose-intolerant eaters. Vegan guest are also taken care of, as well as those dedicated to keto diets etc.
You know your loved ones best, so you can substitute some of my elements with food items you think would best suit your company. These grazing boards are meant to be fun to put together, encouraging people to be interactive with their food and each other - especially at this time of year.
Plant-based Platter
A few years ago, I took a break from meat and other animal-based products for health reasons. Friends would bend over backwards to trying to cater for me at dinner parties, but I was still scraping cheese off veggie bakes and navigating through creamy stews.
Veganism has grown in popularity since. Grocery stores now have isles dedicated to dairy alternatives and meat substitutes, making it easier for hosts to cater for their guests.
In Tanzania, I tried beetroot hummus for the first time and it only deepened my appreciation for the taproot vegetable I once loathed. My recipe for the Moroccan-inspired dish is quick and easy. Serve it with an assortment of crackers, caramelised onion chutney and pickled preserves so your guests can tease their sweet and sour senses.
Classic Charcuterie
The Sibiya's are an unapologetic meat eating family. Bone cleaning competitions were a regular occurrence in our household, and it certainly wasn't because of the cash prize. A grazing board filled with a whole manner of cold cuts never lasts very long. My brothers tend to take it as a challenge to see how much of the protein they can absorb at any given time.
If your family is anything like mine, be sure to include as much ham, salami and prosciutto etc as possible. I've gave up on labouring over the accompaniments when my older brother muttered, "they just get in the way," one Christmas.
Some might enjoy freshly baked bread with their meat, a little dijon mustard certainly won't go amiss either.
BONUS: Salad
"Oh, a food writer. You must be a really good cook then,"
"I can compile a salad if that counts?"
Admittedly, when feeding other people, I tend to take the easy way out because I wouldn't be able to handle anyone not enjoying something I work really hard on. Salads, grazing boards and simple platters are much easier for me to do on the rare occasion that I do host, because it also gives me a chance to spend more time with my guests as well.
When it comes to throwing a salad together, you can stick to a basic garden salad or really push the boat out with a chickpea salad or a red cabbage and sweet corn salad. Level up a coleslaw by adding smokey grilled whitebait, or sprinkle some bacon atop a potato salad. Trust your palate to make the right decisions and you won't go wrong.
Food, from preparation to enjoyment, is supposed to be fun this time of year. As someone who has developed many recipes from happy accidents in the kitchen, I cannot stress the element of play enough.
Have a delicious festive season.
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