Summer Entertaining: Tips for Throwing the Perfect Clam bake  

[ad#co-3]

Prep the Cooking Area Beforehand:

If you’re taking the traditional route, preparing for a clambake involves gathering stones and seaweed, digging a pit, building a fire, and layering the pit with the seaweed to create a cooking bed for the seafood. It’s a long process that unquestionably needs to be taken care of before the guests arrive. But, even if you are going a more modern direction, you don’t want people to stand around waiting for the party to start. Get your cooking equipment ready so that you can get the food started before anyone becomes too hungry.

 Go Disposable with Dinnerware:

At their essence, clambakes are very casual gatherings. Incorporate this feeling into your party by using disposable dinnerware wherever possible. Lay down newspaper on the tables to hold shells and keep cleanup easy. Use disposable plates and utensils. Carry any side dishes that don’t need to be steamed in takeout containers, which are also great for separating out individualized portions.

 Make it a Potluck:

Odds are that even if most of your food for the occasion can be cooked on the fire, you’ll want a few other bites to round off the meal – cocktails, dessert, a cold salad or two. Plus, any accompaniments like drawn butter or lemon wedges. If you’re going to be in charge of the seafood, make things easier on yourself by making the party potluck-style and asking each of your friends to bring a dish. You’ll end up with a variety of different foods to enjoy while only doing a fraction of the work.

Bring Activities:

The main focus of a clambake should be mingling, so you don’t have to go too crazy deciding which activities to bring. But, it never hurts to be prepared. If you have a speaker set lying around, bring those and use music to set the party atmosphere. When there are kids on the guest list, bring some baseballs to get an impromptu game of catch started. When in doubt, twister is perfect for breaking the ice and very easy to clean up.

Clambakes are the epitome of summer entertaining. There is something so special about enjoying the great weather with family and friends while reveling in seasonal delicacies. But, contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be at the beach to enjoy one. By using these tips you can throw a clambake anywhere, even in your own back yard.

For more summer ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Whether it’s for two people or twenty, hosting Thanksgiving dinner is a huge undertaking. After all, people look forward to this meal all year long. However, there’s no need to have a meltdown just yet – a little organization goes a long way towards managing pre-dinner stress. Below are four easy Thanksgiving organizational tips to make hosting this Thanksgiving a breeze.

Helpful Last-Minute Thanksgiving Organization Tips

Image Via: Better Homes and Gardens

 Compile One List:

The best thing about Thanksgiving is having a veritable smorgasbord of dishes at your disposal. But managing the several ingredient lists and cooking times needed to create that buffet can get tricky. Make things easier on yourself by grouping them all into one. About a week before the event, pull out all the recipes you intend on making and merge everything into a giant shopping list and step-by-step cooking guide. While this may take a bit of time to put together, it is well worth the effort. You’ll avoid emergency trips to the store or overcooking a staple dish.

Image Via: The Southern Weddings Shop

[ad#co-1]

Embrace Make Ahead Recipes:

There’s no rule that says everything eaten on Thanksgiving needs to be made that morning. Use the refrigerator to your advantage and start cooking in the days leading up to the holiday. Desserts and dishes such as macaroni and cheese will keep for a quite a long time, if properly stored. Then, the day before, work on assembling time-consuming ingredients such as caramelized onions or hardboiled eggs. That way, you’ll only have to worry about reheating these items on the big day.

Image Via: Food Network

Know Your Dishware:

Dishware is an often overlooked, but essential component of the Thanksgiving meal. All that delicious food has to be stored somewhere, right? The night before the big meal, take stock of your dishware and decide which pieces work for each recipe. Then, label them with post-it notes to avoid any confusion. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can also set your table before heading to bed. It will be one less thing to worry about in the midst of cooking.

Image Via: Fiskars

Go Pot-Luck Style:

If you’re truly overwhelmed by the idea of hosting dinner, don’t be afraid to ask for a little assistance. Call your guests and politely ask each of them a specific dish. Just be sure that you have a good feel for those on your invite list. Your vegetarian aunt will likely jump at the chance to bring a veggie-packed side dish, while it’s probably best to assign dessert to your friend who always manages to be half an hour late.

 Image Via: Strictly Simple Style 

There’s bound to be a certain amount of chaos when you’re hosting a holiday meal for others. However, there’s no reason it should obscure your ability to enjoy the celebration.  These organizational tips can help keep your Thanksgiving meal prep stress to a minimum.

For more Thanksgiving tips on Stagetecture, click here.

We are officially into the home stretch for Thanksgiving, and every year  cook my food days ahead of time to save time, energy, and food tastes so much better once it has been “marinating” all together!

Here’s one from the archives…

Original Entry #331, November 14, 2010

Aren’t we all looking for ways to make Thanksgiving less stressful? How about making parts of your meal ahead of time? In my house I make the collard greens, sweet potato casserole, and corn pudding weeks in advance. Today I found these great recipes from Martha Stewart for “Make-Ahead Meals”… get started now!

Simple Stuffing:

Serves 8

• 2 loaves Italian bread (about 10 ounces each), torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
• 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not browned, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, shallots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine, and cook until evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. To vegetables in bowl, add bread, parsley, and eggs. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine. Mix in half of broth. Continue to add in more broth just until stuffing is moistened but not wet (there should not be any liquid in the bottom of the bowl).
4. Just before roasting turkey, stuff it with 4 cups stuffing. Spoon remaining stuffing into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil, and refrigerate. When turkey is removed from oven to rest, place covered baking dish in oven, and bake until warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Sweet Potato & Sage Butter Casserole

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus 1 ounce (2 tablespoons), melted
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from 3 slices white bread, crusts removed)

1. Place sweet potatoes and potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water, and season with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 9 minutes. Drain; pass through a ricer into a bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add 2 tablespoons sage. Stir butter mixture and milk into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish. (Mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. Combine breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sage. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
4. Top potato mixture with breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling around edges and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. (If browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Easy Pie Crust

 

Pie crust is always needed throughout the holidays

Makes 2

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1. To make dough, mix flour, salt, and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
3. Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
4. To form pie-shell, on a floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin; carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
5. Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
6. Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

Try these make these make ahead holiday dishes to save you time… and energy!

For more Thanksgiving ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

 

Aren’t we all looking for ways to make Thanksgiving less stressful? How about making parts of your meal ahead of time? In my house I make the collard greens, sweet potato casserole, and corn pudding weeks in advance. Today I found these great recipes from Martha Stewart for “Make-Ahead Meals”… get started now!

Simple Stuffing:

Serves 8

• 2 loaves Italian bread (about 10 ounces each), torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
• 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not browned, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, shallots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine, and cook until evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. To vegetables in bowl, add bread, parsley, and eggs. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine. Mix in half of broth. Continue to add in more broth just until stuffing is moistened but not wet (there should not be any liquid in the bottom of the bowl).
4. Just before roasting turkey, stuff it with 4 cups stuffing. Spoon remaining stuffing into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil, and refrigerate. When turkey is removed from oven to rest, place covered baking dish in oven, and bake until warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Sweet Potato & Sage Butter Casserole

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus 1 ounce (2 tablespoons), melted
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from 3 slices white bread, crusts removed)

1. Place sweet potatoes and potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water, and season with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 9 minutes. Drain; pass through a ricer into a bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add 2 tablespoons sage. Stir butter mixture and milk into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish. (Mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. Combine breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sage. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
4. Top potato mixture with breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling around edges and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. (If browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Easy Pie Crust

 

Pie crust is always needed throughout the holidays

Makes 2

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1. To make dough, mix flour, salt, and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
3. Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
4. To form pie-shell, on a floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin; carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
5. Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
6. Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

Try these make these make ahead holiday dishes to save you time… and energy!

For more holiday ideas on Stagetecture, click here.