During the holidays it brings another level of food preparation ordinarily, when you are preparing the food OUT OF STATE AND for television, oh my god (OMG). There are an abundance of things needed to pull this off and guess what, you CAN DO IT! There is no doubt that you will be running to the crowded supermarket. By the way, what is the best store to get all that you will need? There are a few questions to keep in mind as you prepare for the holidays or an event OUT OF STATE. What should I prepare and cook, what ingredients do I need, what tools or equipment are necessary, what dinnerware should be used, what foods can be made ahead of time and placed in the freezer, what ways will the food be transported, all of these questions must be answered prior to departure.
For the Christmas show on ESPN, Stephen A’s World, I wanted to stick with the holiday as my primary theme, Christmas colors, preferably red and white and a touch of green would be eye-catching and pretty. Next, listing the foods to prepare: roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and a side of gravy, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, cornbread, red velvet waffles and chicken tenders, mozzarella and tomatoes with balsamic dressing, fried chicken wings. The desserts made were: red velvet cupcakes and white chocolate-covered strawberries. Choosing the type of garnishing that compliments each type of food will make the food stand out and look more appealing. This is the time to start preparing the foods that can be frozen. You can prepare some foods weeks in advance and then place them in the freezer.
Lastly, think of all the serving utensils, flatware, dishes etc., needed for each dish. Don’t forget the knives to cut up your food because a plastic one will not give you such a clean cut. I used a cooler and a storage bin. The cooler was used for the food only and the storage bin was used for flatware, serving spoons, plates, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, disposable gloves, napkins, etc. It is very important to have paper towels on hand to ensure any and everything can be wiped up. Stay calm and focused! Once you got a plan, everything should be smooth sailing! You got this!
Aunt Carmen
