May’s right around the corner! With graduation and summer gathering season approaching, we took a look back at our April classes to give you some tips for preparing to entertain at home. Read on to find ways to allow yourself to be a guest at your own party.

Chicken so good, you fry it twice.

Check out our in-depth look at Rex 1516’s Justin Swain and his advice on making your own amazing fried chicken at home. What’s great about this way of making your kids’ favorite dish is that the first and second fry don’t necessarily have to be on the same day. Just make sure the chicken is not cold before going back in the fryer.

Channel your inner Thanos, find the balance.

When Len Boris of Fearless Restaurants stopped by for his cocktail class, those in attendance were treated to some really funky compositions. In addition to the planned cocktails, Lou also took guests on a Create Your Own adventure. The key he says is to create a balance of sweet and tart while learning to play off of the flavors of your main ingredients to determine what herbs, spices and tonics to use. If you need a hand in figuring out what flavors complement each other, grab a Flavor Bible next time you are at COOK. There is no need to go over the top with the number of additives to your creation, though as little as four components are all you need to have your mouth cheering for more. Consider this when you’re batching punch, mojitos or margaritas for your next party.

Make that dough (and freeze it)!

Few dishes can feed a large group quite like the round, saucy flatbread from Italy. Plus, making dough ahead of time is so easy. Peggy Casella of Thursday Night Pizza‘s pizza dough recipe is straightforward, and you can wrap it airtight to keep it in your freezer. Move it to your fridge the night before you plan to use it. When you’re ready, crack out a can of Jersey Fresh crushed tomatoes, some shredded cheese, and any other toppings you want to throw on your stretched out dough. Need some ins-pie-ration? Check Peggy’s blog for her latest adventures. Depending on your oven, you can make upwards of 4 pizzas at once. Want a fun party activity? Invite guests into the kitchen and have people join in on the topping process.

Hoppin’ Love in the Pot

Malik Ali‘s grandma made the one-pot wonder and staple of his sizeable family’s weekly meal routine. When he popped in to share some of his southern sensibilities, he brought a dish that harkened back to these crowd pleasers. The Hoppin’ John’s history is a little murky but the meaning behind the traditional New Year’s dish is well founded. The black-eyed peas represent coins, the collards stand for money and the cornbread for gold. First, sauté the onions and peppers in the pot before adding stock and soaked beans. Throw in your collards to braise and finish with smoked turkey butts; Malik’s family used turkey, but you can certainly use pork. All there’s left to do is let the flavors “make love,” as Malik says. Have some ready for your annual changing of the calendar, but don’t forget the rice.

Ribbons in the Sky (or your salad)

Most salads are some combination of greens and chopped veggies. Who wants a green salad at a party when all of the toppings are in the bottom. The solution? Grab your vegetable peeler and shave your favorite salad add-ons. Beth Kauffman Strauss of The Grateful Plate added such elements to her dinosaur kale salad for our April 12th class. After removing the kale leaves from the stalks, she ran the peeler over rainbow carrots and asparagus. You can hold the veggie shavings in ice water to ensure they don’t lose the desired crunch before tossing with the greens and dressing right before being served.

Happy COOKing!