This time of year is not only the season of giving but also the time for entertaining. From office shindigs to catching up with old friends, everyone’s calendar is brimming with festivities. In case you’re one of those doing the hosting, we’re here to lighten your load with helpful tips from some of Philadelphia’s brightest hospitality minds. We’ll have cheese pointers from Kealan O’Donnel from Whole Foods Center City, snacky sidenotes from Jezabel Careaga of Jezabel’s, imbibing innovations by author Drew Lazor, and general gathering guidance from Brian Mattera and Brian Oliveira of Happy Hour Hospitality.

We don’t plan to fail but we do fail to plan.

When planning your holiday get-together, Brians Oliveira and Mattera of Happy Hour Hospitality has one very important rule: actually plan. It is not just about the invitations and decorations; plan out your menu well ahead of time, as well as how you are going to execute it. You ultimately want to pass what they call the “cocktail test.” It’s a complex formula for calculating your readiness for a party and it goes like this: can you stop to have a cocktail before guests arrive?

Start with making lists. Chefs do it all the time. They know a stuffing needs mirepoix, chicken stock, toasted bread and Bell’s. Each part of that dish will find its way onto a shopping list and then a prep list. That leads to their next point: try completing things days ahead of time. Cut your celery, carrots, and onions (leeks if you’re fancy) a couple of days ahead. Maybe build your famous bean dip in the container it’ll bake in and finish it the day of. It’ll ensure you pass that tough exam involving pre-party libations.

Mixing it up

Speaking of beverages, we’re lucky to have friends that love developing recipes. If you’ve checked out our other entertaining posts, you find pointers on how to batch your drinks. I reference Drew Lazor’s book Session Cocktails and that’s where we draw our holiday spirit from for today. This recipe has parts that can be built ahead, but adding the bubbly is not one of those things.

Winter of our Content
serves 1

• 3/4 ounce Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce maple syrup
• 1/4 ounce Licor 43 (see Note)
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
• 5 ounces sparkling wine
• Glass: CHAMPAGNE FLUTE
• Garnish: ORANGE TWIST, EXPRESSED AND DISCARDED

Combine the brandy, lemon juice, maple syrup, Licor 43, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Pour the sparkling wine into a champagne flute, then strain the brandy mixture into the glass. Express the orange twist over the glass and discard.

Noshing like a pro

Snacks are a vital part of any great party. You can have great music, delicious drinks, but the party flops because the food game was lacking. One impressive but easy go-to is cheese. The only thing required of you is purchasing and assembly. For Kealan O’Donnel, finding balance is the way to go. Firstly, always go with an odd number. Secondly, don’t overload your board with one style of cheese but do pick a theme like a region or type of milk. Lastly, pick at least one safe choice and choose versatile condiments like honey and apples.

While cheese is an easy pick-up, maybe something a little more substantial is in order. You’re obviously going to take Happy Hour’s advice in preparing items ahead of time and a great option for that would be empanadas. We turned to Jezabel Cafe’s namesake for her dough recipe. The fun thing about these pockets of joy is that you can fill them with just about anything you want.

Empanada Dough
yield: 22-24 empanadas

6 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 stick of butter
2 cups hot water
1 pinch of salt

In a bowl combine flour with salt, make a well in the center of the flour, add butter cut in chunks and add hot water. Gently begin to mix, gradually drawing in flour with each stroke. Eventually, a soft dough will form. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. Cover the kneaded dough with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for around 15 minutes.

For the filling, you’ll need to cook whatever meat or vegetables you would like to fold into the dough. After making your pocket and using a fingers to press the edges together, fry the empanadas in 365-degree oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and place on a sheet tray with paper towels to dry. You can refrigerate (or even freeze) and reheat when you need them as needed.

There you have it. Happy holiday celebrating! Don’t forget about the last few days of our COOKmas Sale!