Food
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The 7 worst foods to serve at a holiday party
user
‘Tis the season to be merry and entertain, but before you
send out the invites and deck the halls, check your food list
twice. If any of these goodies show up, you may
want to rethink the menu…
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Broccoli. It’s
delightfully festive to have green mistletoe hanging overhead and a
green fir tree glistening with lights, but quite another thing to
have a wad of green broccoli stuck between your teeth while you’re
discussing the latest Twilight
installment. We’re big fans of fresh
vegetable platters, but when going green, stick with snap peas,
celery, and green beans.
- Stinky Cheese. Many of your guests may
be cheese lovers, but for those who aren’t, “stinky cheeses” can
have them holding their nose all night long, or worse, heading out
the door for fresh air. Common culprits include Brie and
Camembert, Bleu, and the imfamous Limburger. Safer bets
include Jarlsberg, Cheddar, Havarti, fresh mozzarella, and salty
Grana or Pecorino.
- Cocktail Meatballs. We’re the
first to admit we can scarf down more than a few. But they’re
messy, and one of the nicest things you can do for your guests is
serve up no-drip, no-drop, no-spill foods. Plus, your
night will be a lot more stress-free when you’re not worrying about
marinara sauce on your beautiful ivory shag carpet.
- Fruitcake. The old school variety
gets a bad rap, and for good reason. It just doesn’t taste that
good – and with so many other tempting sweets surrounding you
during the holidays, why waste your
calories? We prefer to indulge in the
gourmet "cousin" of fruitcake – Italian panetone.
It's a light brioche bread with just the right
amount of dried fruit; it's much tastier and easy to find at
local grocery or gourmet stores.
- Salmon. A nice fish to serve, but
beware of when and how you cook it (we speak from
experience!). It can easily stink up your
whole home, and as with certain overly aromatic cheeses, not all
your guests will appreciate it. Try grilling the fish outside or
pick up a cold poached salmon from your local market, and serve it
with a drizzling of olive oil and fresh dill.
- Canned Olives. Don't serve
wimpy canned ones when big, meaty, fresh olives are available at
many grocery and gourmet stores (we can’t resist the Whole Foods
olive bar!). Offer several varieties of green,
black, or stuffed. Try plating them with thin sea salt breadsticks
and mini mozzarella balls.
- Tortilla Chips. These
cheap-and-easy chips have become a favorite staple at parties
year-round. But if you're even an ounce anal about
cleanliness, these little buggers will drive you crazy
every time you hear one of your guests chomping into them.
Scattered shards fly across the floor no matter how carefully
you're munching. We're not expecting anyone to swear
off tortilla chips (what would football season be without them) --
but for a swank holiday soiree, a better option is mini
crackers or bite-size crostini that allow guests to devour without
the mess.
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Related: tortilla, salmon, olives, meatballs, hors d'eouvres, fruitcake, cocktail party, chips, cheese, buffet, broccoli, appetizer
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Posted by laurarocks Thu Dec 3, 2009 1:26pm PST
How about serving things that only the host likes? My MIL always serves red grapes by the truckload and no one ever eats them! There are sometimes pickle spears as well. This has apparently been going on for years but she never takes them off the menu.
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Posted by janed Thu Dec 3, 2009 8:11pm PST
I really like bite size, finger food. Like boneless chicken bites instead of wings, and mini cheese cakes, instead of having to cut a piece too big. Candied pecans etc. instead of something that will turn my fingers orange or whatever. Pre made sandwiches rolled up or cut into 2 bite size portions. Ham rolled up with cream cheese.
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Posted by another hockey fan Fri Dec 4, 2009 7:41am PST
It's a party for crying out loud. Serve whatever you want and no one will complain. It's not like they HAVE to eat what you serve.
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Posted by TDIZZLEFROMLTIZLLE Fri Dec 4, 2009 8:35am PST
I AGREE WITH ANOTHER HOCKEY FAN. THE WORST PARTIES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE TOO STUFFY AND PRETENCIOUS! WHO CARES WHAT'S BEING SERVED, IT'S A PARTY! MOST PEOPLE CAN FIND ATLEAST ONE THING THEY LIKE AND IF THEY CAN'T THEY'RE TOO PICKY ANYWAY AND SHOULD STAY HOME!ALSO, IF THERE'S ALCOHOL ON THE MENU, MOST PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THAT!
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Posted by deleta Fri Dec 4, 2009 9:44am PST
I tried a new snack yesterday. Emerald Salt & Pepper Cashews. New twist on an old favorite.
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Posted by erin Fri Dec 4, 2009 9:53am PST
I agree with hockeyfan, it's a party. People are going to eat what you serve, if you don't like my brie you can eat something else or move away from the table. As for messy foods, I can kind of understand but really after the guests leave it take two seconds to sweep up or run the vac. It's food and I don't see anyone getting their panites in a twist over it, if they don't like it they can leave. I'm all for being a good host and trying to make people comfortable, but we all know that one person who will complain and nothing you can do will make them happy. Just enjoy the fruition of your hard work and relax, it's a party not a funeral. I don't know about anyone else but I don't have a party so I can work on my best posture or serve tea, I mean to have a good time with dance, drink, food and friends. Not worry over food.
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Posted by John M Fri Dec 4, 2009 10:43am PST
Instead of helpful tipds, this list seems like what the authors don't want at parties they attend. Seriously, not serve cheese that "many" would like because of a few? How about standing away from the cheese platter. If you're discussing "Twilight", chances are you wouldn't be eating the broccoli. Olives are okay if they get them from your favorite Whole Foods? I wish I had the 2 minutes it took me to read this nonsense back.
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Posted by springtime Fri Dec 4, 2009 10:56am PST
It's all about the season, the people, and the food. If you have a favorite cheeseball or messy dip, break it out. Christmas parties only happen once a year. Serve whatever floats your boat.
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Posted by Kat W Fri Dec 4, 2009 11:03am PST
PLEASE DON'T USE THE WORD ANAL WHEN DISCUSSING FOOD....
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