Planning the Perfect Holiday Dinner

Though everyone loves a holiday meal, a lot of planning and stress goes into its preparation. Making meals for loved ones is a wonderful way to show how much you care, but planning a menu that pleases everyone is always a little difficult. This year, instead of loosing sleep over recipes, listen to the advice from our Executive Chef, Frank Peters! He's here to solve your menu planning woes.

"There is no possible way to even begin to attempt to replace Americana holiday classic dishes. People associate these with comfort, warmth, family and friends. They only come around once a year and most folks simply want things the way they have always known them. However, a little something new is always a welcome addition.
As a chef operating a kitchen in a large catering company, which around this time of year has the distinct pleasure of providing these holiday favorites for thousands of customers, I must admit, my palate needs a kick-start and my chef’s intellect needs a nudge back into 2012. I offer a simple alternative to the mundane with the kindest of intentions and utmost respect to granny’s stuffing.
Take your favorite international cuisine, and incorporate these flavors into your buffet, while being as bold or subtle as your comfort level (or your granny's) can tolerate. For example, let’s go with Latin/South American flavors:
Turkey sofrito (sofrito being as common a condiment in Latin cultures as ketchup is in ours) - Make a simple sofrito and incorporate this into your brine or puree and inject into the turkey. Use it as a sauce to serve on the side. Mix it with the leftover turkey and make a panini with some melted manchego.
Sweet potatoes - Cube them and roast with chayote squash, raisins, white beans and spices.
Cornbread- Don't worry about it. Make some arepas and fill em with passion fruit and marcona almonds instead.
Corn- Shave fresh corn off the cobb and toss it with some lime juice, cayenne, and cojita cheese.

You can even be as bold as to dollop with a little mayo Mexican street food style. You get the point. I wouldn’t mess with the pumpkin pie though, but that’s just my opinion."

What do you think? Doesn't this up-graded traditional menu sound delicious?! Are you likely to try to spice up some of your classic holiday dishes?

If you like Executive Chef Frank Peters' ideas, then let him help you with your next holiday party! No need to stress about the menu planning and cooking with him on your side. Fill out a contact form today! We'd love to help make you holidays merry and bright!