Family dinners, parties with friends, gift exchanges, potluck meals — the holidays are one celebration after another. It can be a lot of additional work on top of everything else you have going on, especially when you’re playing host or hostess. Celebrating should be fun right?
In general, if you’re serving an entree, you should plan to have 6 pieces of appetizers per guest. If you’re only serving appetizers, plan to have 4-6 pieces per guest per hour. In terms of beverages, you should try to aim for the following: 1 bottle of wine per 2 guests; 3 beers per each; 3 servings of cocktails per guest; 3 servings of non-alcoholic drinks per guest.
Set the table with traditional holiday dishes. These recipes are perfect for celebrations with your favorite people.
Salmon Spread with Salmon Roe
Makes 3 cups
16 ounces smoked salmon, diced
12 ounces cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 ounces salmon roe
Toast points, for serving
Combine ingredients except the salmon roe and the toast points in a food processor. Use the pulse button to combine the ingredients without pureeing them. You want a bit of texture.
Scrape the mixture into a serving bowl. Top with salmon roe. Serve with toast points. This may be made one day in advance.
Beef Roulades
Serves 8-10 as an hors d’oeuvre or 4 as an entrée.
For the pesto:
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the flank steak roulade:
1/2 pound thin-cut bacon
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds flank steak
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Make the pesto:
Put the parsley, cheese, garlic, salt & pine nuts into a food processor. Pulse to combine then slowly pour in the olive oil & put aside.
Assemble the roulade:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF
Arrange the meat so the grain faces you horizontally, and if it is not squarish or rectangular, cut it to fit. Sprinkle on some salt and black pepper.
Spread a thin layer of pesto on the meat, leaving about 1/2 inch free on all sides of the meat.
Roll the roulade up and tightly tie it with 8 lengths of string, each about an inch apart.
Roast the roulade in a roasting pan on a rack for 15-25 minutes (130ºF for medium rare). Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice the roulade so each serving is wrapped in string and secure the roulades with toothpicks and remove the string.
The Experts
Benjamin Tanet and Carl Phyfer of Chez Nous. Benjamin started working at Chez Nous while in college then bought the business in 1991. While keeping the concept as one of the city’s original gourmet-to-go options, he has grown it further into a full-service catering operation. Since 2021, Phyfer has been working with the Chez Nous team with a focus on event planning and customer service.
What to Drink
Perelada 2020 Stars Touch of Rosé
Brut Sparkling (Cava)
This pale-pink sparkler offers aromas of apricot jam, pomegranate and toasted almond. Softly effervescent, it has flavors of nectarine, Valencia orange, rose petal and a touch of just-baked baguette that sail into a refreshing finish.
