The holidays are for spending time with friends and family. And the best way to bond with family and friends is enjoying a wonderful meal.
Renowned Filipino chef, restaurateur, and La Germania brand ambassador Chef Rolando Laudico shares a few tips to help with hosting duties for the ultimate Christmas feast.
Variety is key
When planning the spread, it’s important to have a variety of dishes on the menu.
“Try to balance your whole feast,” advises Chef Laudico. “You should have at least four or five dishes with different types of meats that complement each other or that are different from each other. Let’s say you’re cooking a dish with a rich sauce, a lighter seafood or fish dish will complement that.”
To be a good host, the chef says it’s also good to consider that some of the guests might have food allergies or dietary restrictions. “The more options you offer,” he says, “the less you’ll have to worry about not catering to your guests’ many different tastes.”
Having a cooktop with more than two burner zones will allow hosts to multitask and cook more dishes at once. La Germania, a brand that’s been a kitchen staple of Filipino households for generations, has a good line of products that are state-of-the-art, durable, and help owners host a delectable feast.
Cook ahead
Chef Laudico recommends cooking dishes that can be easily cooked a day or two before the party to lessen stress on the day itself.
“If you’re going to cook pasta sauces, you can actually do that a day before or two days ahead,” says Chef Lau. “This works for tomato-based or cream-based sauces. Light pasta sauces like olive oil-based ones can be done last minute as these don’t usually take too much time and effort to make.”
A heavy meat dish like a roast beef in red wine-based sauce with roasted potatoes is another good candidate for pre-cooking. Seafood dishes, however, are best cooked on the day itself to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.
Reheat pre-cooked dishes on the day by just popping them all in the oven on the “keep warm” setting an hour or so before serving them.
“When you reheat food, its quality diminishes. But what’s great with an oven is it’s not going to dry up your dish,” explains Chef Lau. “Ovens are not just for baking or roasting. Personally, I use my La Germania oven to keep dishes hot all the time.”
Stick to what you know
When preparing to host a party for a big group, it’s best to stick with dishes that you’ve cooked many times in the past, says Chef Laudico. Aside from familiarity with the dishes, using kitchen implements and appliances one has been using for a long time makes cooking easier.
“I love cooking seafood,” shares Chef Lau. “So if I were to host a Christmas feast, the menu will likely consist of a baked fish dish that’s lightly marinated with fresh herbs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a bit of garlic, and citrus juice; roast beef in red wine sauce; fresh organic greens and grilled veggie salad with light dressing; risotto; and a rich soup,” he adds.
Self-service is the way to go
Instead of doing a family-style sit-down meal where the host or a designated server serves several platters of food per table, Chef Laudico recommends going for a mini buffet set-up for reunion feast at home.
“This will encourage your guests to actually serve themselves and that will free you up to make your rounds, socializing and mingling with people,” he says.
Separate the savory dishes from the desserts and the drinks for a more organized flow of guests to and from the buffet table. Moreover, have a nice punch bowl as a centerpiece to elevate the set-up with a touch of elegance while making it more accessible to all.
