Make It a Success
Tori’s
party tips Keep it simple. I’ve found that at parties, I tend to remember the guests, the conversation and the food more than the décor. I’ll add a few decorative touches here and there, but I don’t go overboard, nothing too fancy. Plan ahead, and make/prep dishes in advance as much as possible. With larger meals, I’ll often start two days before and make certain mezze that will taste better after marinating overnight. Assemble everything you can ahead of time, like casseroles, soups and kugels, so all you need to do is pop them in the oven or warm them up on the stovetop before serving. Write out a schedule to keep on track. For more complicated dinners, I create a list to remind me that the brisket goes in the oven at 2 pm, kugel is assembled at 3:30, etc. Give your guests something to toast. As a girl who grew up in California wine country, it’s essential to have some great wines to serve. Don’t forget to chill your white wine ahead of time! It’s also fun to serve a “mocktail” for the kids…something yummy and colorful to make them feel special. What should you try to avoid? Stress. What’s the point of having a party if you can’t enjoy yourself?
giving-style, with several dishes in the middle of our dining table to pass and serve. When we have a bigger meal, like Passover or Thanksgiving, I serve it buffet style. Plated dinners are too fussy for my taste—I’d rather be hanging out with my guests and drinking a glass of wine than rushing to and from the kitchen with plates of food! I do serve the soup, though, since that can get messy as a self-serve or at a buffet. After that, it’s a food free-for-all. Because my husband’s family is part Sephardic and he has a Middle Eastern background, we tend to serve lots of small salads at the beginning of the meal—we call it “mezze”—hummus, beet salad, marinated cucumbers, baba ganoush, etc. Then I bring out a main dish and a few sides. Sometimes we fill up on the mezze…it’s like the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean version of Spanish tapas. They’re so yummy it’s easy to do! I’m not fussy with the “theme” and décor or table settings but I do love adding candles to the table—little antique-looking votives add warmth and charm. I enjoy color and character in my place settings. I like hand-painted vintage dishes, Moroccanstyle plates and glasses, and wood serving platters and utensils. For some holiday meals, I use a set of multi-colored glass goblets that my mom bought me for my birthday a few years ago. They’re funky and fun, and the kids love fighting over which color they end up with. Those are the kinds of fun traditions kids remember and look forward to each year.