I have a confession to make...
But I wonder if you'll be surprised.
Hi there,
How’s it going for you over there in your kitchen? Mine’s been busy, but even amidst the catering and recipe testing chaos, I’ve managed to do a bit of really lovely socializing. I met up with my friend Tarn for coffee and some treats at Poppy’s yesterday. We caught up about travel and work and food and when we landed on the topic of dinner parties, she offhandedly remarked, “Yes, we’re headed into your Super Bowl season, aren’t we?”
It’s true. We’re barreling straight toward peak hosting and gathering season—this week is the Jewish New Year, then before we know it, in quite rapid succession, we’ll have Halloween parties, Friendsgiving celebrations, Thanksgiving gatherings, Holiday festivities, and New Years soirées to host and attend.
As I sat with Tarn and pondered the chaos the next few months will certainly bring with them, I steeled myself for a wave of anxiety. But it never came. If anything, the only major emotion I can conjure in considering all the hosting I’ll be doing from now until the end of 2022 is…anticipatory excitement. And that’s because I have a confession to make.
The truth is, I’m an incredibly lazy host.
I’ve talked a lot about how I think it’s the host’s responsibility to set a warm, welcoming mood for a gathering. To me, this relaxed vibe will make or break your little event, and that’s my secret to a joyful hosting experience: I prioritize and protect my own mood so much that I’ll absolutely take a shortcut with the food, drink, or ambiance here and there to ensure I’m completely relaxed when guests arrive. So…
Let’s run down the corners I cut to make hosting feel doable and in turn, really enjoyable:
Skip the appetizer, or just assemble it. I’ll often do my best to time things so dinner is served very soon after guests arrive. Then all I’ll offer them when they walk in the door is a beverage. But if it’s going to be a bit of a wait before we sit down, I never focus my cooking energy on apps. I’ll serve a store bought chips/dips situation (tortilla chips and salsa, potato chips and onion dip, pita chips and tzatziki etc.) or maybe put out a little cheese, cracker, olive deal for noshing on. I do always put those store-bought goodies out in a bowl/on a platter to class things up a bit, but that’s the extent of my very little effort there.
An extremely low effort app. Batch the cocktail and let people help themselves. Honestly, when my guests ask what they can bring, I often say whatever wine or other drink they’d like to me to serve. So if I go to any effort on the beverage front beyond wielding my corkscrew, it’s to throw together a quick batch cocktail or little beverage bar. For past parties, I’ve done a spritz/spaghett station, a simple sangria, and I’m really excited about this freezer door martini for a future gathering.
Serve big fancy snacks and call it the main. I’ve done this many times for hosting endeavors large and small and I’ve literally never heard a complaint. And I’m not the only one; have you seen Ali’s tinned fish date nights? Same basic idea, which is, in short, serving potato chips for dinner is never a bad idea.
Big fancy snacks for 30. Make dessert semi-homemade…or even fully store-bought. Many of you already know (and dare I say love?) these brownies, but here are some other extremely low lift sweet treats I’ve served: store-bought ice cream cookie sandwiches, berries and homemade whipped cream, halva from my local middle eastern market, and Oreos but laid out on a nice plate to make them feel a little special (this is especially fun with seasonal versions of the classic cookie).
When all else fails, cut down on the guest list. Hosting one loved one is still hosting and I won’t hear otherwise.
And cheers to that.
I’m so curious, do you already cut some (or all) of these corners? Are there shortcuts you take to ease the pressure of hosting that I didn’t cover here? I’m extremely here for normalizing “lazy” cooking and hosting behavior and would love to hear from you —you know I think the kitchen should be comfy above all other things!
Okay, we’ve covered it. Wishing you a lovely, well-fed week ahead.
With love and a tip of my chef’s hat,
Erica
Want more? I’m so flattered! You can also follow me on Instagram or TikTok, or check out my tips-laden e-book collection. The newest addition, Meal Prep Made Simple, is available for preorder now!