Entertaining
Made Easy
Sample
Welcome to the Sample 2008 edition of Entertaining Made Easy.
I ate my first new season mango last week, which was ridiculously expensive but a necessary ritual to confirm that winter is well and truly over. I hope you are all enjoying the joys of Spring produce, in particular asparagus, broad beans and strawberries! When entertaining, which I have been doing quite a bit of recently, I always incorporate seasonal produce into the menu. Seasonal foods are at their optimum, are inexpensive and travel less food-miles that out of season produce – three good reasons to go seasonal. Refer to our monthly “What’s in Season” column to find out what fruits and vegetables are currently in season.
life’ s a feast has received several pieces of publicity in the past few weeks, which is very exciting news. Our first piece was in the Sun-Herald’s “S” Guide, in an article titled “Follow your stars” which was about using your horoscope to indulge yourself. Apparently Taureans prefer the finer things in life, and “S” suggested that they engage our services. The second article was in my local newspaper, The Manly Daily, who wrote a lovely piece about what we do. You can view the Sun-Herald article on the life’s a feast website and the Manly Daily article is on my blog.
Speaking about my blog, thank you to all of you that have visited, particularly those that posted comments. For those of you that have not seen it yet, my blog, called Entertaining Made Easy, is full of articles, tips, recipes and ideas for entertaining at home. If you enjoy entertaining or feel you need some inspiration, it is well worth a look: http://lifesafeast.com.au/blog. Please feel free to post a comment when you visit!
This month’s newsletter feature articles include:
• The elements of entertaining
• Growing your own herbs
plus our regulars columns:
• What’s in season
• How to: mastering mayonnaise
• Food tip of the month
I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter. As always, feedback and suggestions are welcome.
Gail
Many people associate entertaining at home with stress, hard work and
very little reward. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The key
to successful entertaining is planning and organisation. Lists, checklists,
and advance preparation will ensure your occasion is seamless and will
allow you to feel like a guest at your own party, instead of a kitchen
slave.
A good place to start is to ask yourself the following questions:
Why
are you wishing to entertain? The reason may be to celebrate a birthday,
anniversary or occasion, or just an excuse to catch up with some friends.
This will play a part in the style and degree of formality of your party
or gathering.
How much is your budget? How much time do you have to
prepare the food? These criteria will influence the type of food you will
serve and the number of guests you will invite.
When will you hold your party or gathering? Both the
date and the time may be influenced by the time of the year.
Who will you invite and how many people? The number of
people will depend on your budget as well as your confidence with cooking
and entertaining. Your guest list will determine many aspects of your
event, including food, ambiance, location, etc.
Where will it take place – around the dining table,
buffet-style seated randomly around the home, outside on the verandah?
What style is the occasion and will there be a theme?
Will it be a formal three course dinner, a relaxed al fresco barbeque,
a stand-up cocktail party with finger food? What type of food will you
eat?
Once you have a clear picture of the type of event you will be hosting, it’s time to start making lists and getting organised!
Start with the guest list. Extend the invitations, making sure to ask of any dietary restrictions. As your guests reply, tick them off the list, noting their ability / inability to attend.
How
often have you bought a bunch of herbs, used a small amount then thrown
the rest away? Growing your own herbs is simple and there are so many
reasons to grow your own herbs: to save money, to prevent waste, the maintenance
is low and the taste is infinitely better than store bought herbs. Plus
it is extremely satisfying to pick fresh herbs that you have grown to
use in your cooking.
Spring is the perfect time to plant herbs. You don’t need a garden to grow fresh herbs – most will grow quite happily in pots or tubs.
You can grow herbs either from seeds or seedlings. I prefer to grow them from seedlings, because I am impatient and also I find I have more success with already established seedlings.
Herbs require a well-drained soil. Most herbs don’t like too much water, but won’t tolerate extremely dry conditions either, make sure the soil does not dry out. When your plants become large, prune the tops to keep them bushy and healthy. Fertilise occasionally with a diluted liquid fertiliser to ensure strong growth.
Happy gardening!
chives
will happily grow in a pot
new
season broadbeans
|
|
Vegetables Artichokes Asian Greens Asparagus Avocadoes Beans (broad & green) Choko Cucumber Garlic Lettuce Onions Peas (green & snow) Spinach and Silverbeet Watercress |
Making mayonnaise from scratch is quick, easy, you only need a handful
of ingredients and the taste is far superior to anything you can buy off
the shelf. However, homemade mayonnaise has a reputation for being temperamental,
so it’s important to follow a few simple guidelines to ensure success.
As homemade mayonnaise calls for so few ingredients, it's crucial to choose fresh eggs, good oil and freshly squeezed citrus juice. Be sure to bring all ingredients to room temperature.
It’s important not to add the oil too fast, because the egg yolk won’t be able to absorb it and the mixture will curdle or “break”.
Here is my recipe for basic mayonnaise:
This basic mayonnaise can be flavoured with other ingredients, for example:
-
Add garlic to make aioli
- Add grated lime rind and juice to make a lime mayonnaise
- Add capers, gherkins, shallots to for a tartare sauce
- Add fresh herbs to make a herb mayonnaise
- Add wasabi paste to make a wasabi mayonnaise
- Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco for a seafood sauce.
How
to fix a broken Mayonnaise
If the mayonnaise becomes “broken”, you will have a grainy,
thin liquid rather than a thick, glossy sauce.
thick
and glossy homemade mayonnaise
cous
cous is a quick and easy accompaniment
Cous cous
Instant cous cous is a quick and easy accompaniment to many dishes, and is a useful staple to keep in the pantry. Here is how to ensure your cous cous is light and fluffy every time.
Place the cous cous in a heatproof bowl. Add an equal quantity of boiling water or stock (eg 1 cup of liquid for 1 cup of cous cous) and a little butter or olive oil. Give it a quick stir and cover the bowl. Leave to stand for 5 minutes or until the cous cous has absorbed the liquid.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for future newsletters, please email us at news@lifesafeast.com.au. Your feedback helps us to produce a newsletter that is helpful and informative for you!
Contact life’s a feast
Phone: 0438 469 692
Email: news@lifesafeast.com.au
Web: www.lifesafeast.com.au
