Then , “ The Virus ” came . It has caused suffering and fundamental changes , which we ’ re still tallying , and it caught up the holiday party in its flood .
This season , bolstered by vaccines , treatments and the glow of hope , you might be ready to get back to the holiday party . I know I am . But you may have forgotten how to throw one .
It ’ s natural , after what feels like eons of viewing faces in little boxes on screens and camping out in front of Netflix in jammies . Anyone could get rusty on the finer points of socializing after such deprivation .
Still , some people have very valid reasons to remain cautious about Covid . They may have health issues or other concerns that deserve respect , as well as individual decisions about masks .
But if you ’ re ready to throw a party and need a refresher , fortunately , you have me , bless your little takeout-stuffed hearts .
I state , without bragging , that the holiday parties which my husband and I have thrown for decades have been considered legendary . Things have happened that never could have occurred on Zoom . Some examples : A neighbor , attempting to impress a woman he ’ d just met , dashed home , put on his scuba gear ( including wetsuit ) and dove into the hot tub . She , having good sense , ignored him . He walked around dripping wet for a while before slinking home in embarrassment .
My attempt at matchmaking ended in disaster when I realized the next day that there had been two women at the party with the same first name , and I had fixed up a friend with the wrong one . The mistake didn ’ t come out until he opened the door for their date and didn ’ t see the woman he was expecting . ( A true gentleman , he said nothing and she never found out . They actually went out twice .)
The food table caught fire . Candles and paper tablecloths are a bad idea . ( Quick-thinking , hungry guests saved the snacks .)
Food is the most important component of any party , right after making sure the hot tub cover is locked . Here are tips to serving a festive mob which have worked for me .
1 . Decide whether the menu will be snacks and finger food or dinner-sized eats . For decades , my husband and I have offered a meal , preparing jambalaya , and red beans and rice , plus a couple of salads . We add a cheese board and bowls of salsa and chips , for random munching . For vegetarians and vegans , we keep the beans meat free .
2 . Cook what you enjoy cooking and buy what you don ’ t . There ’ s no shame in getting the food from a deli — or in making the party a potluck . The point is to get people together . But preparing at least a dish or two allows you to offer a little of yourself to your guests and gives you an excuse to bring out cherished recipes which conjure fond memories . A party is the perfect time for big-pot dishes , like chili or hearty soup .
If you enjoy making desserts , prepare those and outsource everything else ; even make it an all-dessert party . Desserts aren ’ t my thing , so guests kindly bring them , and we get everything from homemade pecan pies and sevenlayer bars to beautiful bakery-bought cakes . It all goes fast .
3 . When deciding how much to serve , presume that party guests will eat far more than average human beings . Consider the consumption level of a herd of wildebeests that has been starving on the savannah for a couple of days . That should be about right . Better to have too much than too little .
4 . Make as much as you can ahead of time . We cook the beans and most of the jambalaya the day before , refrigerate it , and reheat before guests arrive . The flavor is still good , and it helps save our sanity on the day of the party . 5 . It ’ s the holidays , so make it festive , even if it ’ s just taking the fried chicken out of the bucket and putting it on your mother ’ s Christmas platter . I bring out the poinsettia-printed tablecloths , to make the house ’ s same old space a little brighter ( and protect the table from smushed brownies or rice ).
I won ’ t lie — cooking the food for our party , the way that my husband and I do it , is a lot of work . But it ’ s manageable . And watching our different worlds of friends intersect , seeing some who rarely get together laugh and celebrate , feeling the joy in the room warms me more than a yule log .
Definitely worth getting out of the jammies for .
Debbie Moose is the author of cookbooks including “ Deviled Eggs : 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy ,” “ Buttermilk : A Savor the South Cookbook ,” “ Southern Holidays : A Savor the South Cookbook ” and “ Carolina Catch : Cooking North Carolina Fish and Shellfish from Mountains to Coast .” Reach her at debbiemoose . com .
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