Hosting Made Easy: 4 Tools & Tricks of the Trade
Hosting your family and friends for a big dinner always sounds like such a great idea until you’re in the midst of culinary chaos 30 minutes before your guests are due to begin arriving. As you scramble to put the finishing touches on everything, you need all the help you can get to finish everything in time. A little preparation goes a long way toward accomplishing this goal, so do yourself a favor by investing in these tools of the trade and following our tried-and-true advice before hosting your next big dinner party.
A Dependable Dishwasher
Whether you are preparing a family holiday meal or hosting a dinner party for friends, one thing is certain: you’ll be using a lot of dishes. You can easily fill up your dishwasher during the meal prep process and then again with the dishes and flatware from the meal and dessert. Keeping flatware organized makes it easier to unload when you’re in a rush – keep all forks, spoons and knives in separate sections, allowing you to put them away without sorting. If your current dishwasher has seen better days, consider a dependable update. The new Whirlpool dishwashers have a ton of features, including a removable top rack to fit oversized serving pieces, pots and pans. Perfect for when you’re entertaining.
Instant Hot Water
Save yourself the time of waiting for water to boil by installing an instant hot water dispenser on your kitchen sink. InSinkErator’s models instantly dispense water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring minimal time to reach the boiling point of 212 degrees. This is ideal for entertaining, so you can do everything from making a guest a cup of tea to warming up a baby bottle to blanching vegetables in seconds.
Ingenious Ice Cube Tray Creations
Ice cube trays are useful for so much more than just making ice. These perfectly portioned smaller trays are a cook’s secret weapon for creating a frozen arsenal. Here are some of our favorite unconventional things to freeze in ice cube trays that can make meal prep easier:
- Lemon juice: The ideal portion for homemade salad dressings and marinades
- Wine: A convenient way to keep small amounts on hand for wine sauces
- Herbs: Freeze fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley and thyme in olive oil
- Zest: Stash away citrus zest with a squeeze of juice
- Stock: One cube is the perfect amount for reheating leftovers
- Ginger: Peel, grate and freeze in small servings to spice up your favorite dishes
Sensory Secret Weapon
When cooking up a storm, it isn’t uncommon to end up with a less-than-savory lingering smell, even when your meal turns out to be delicious. Strong odors from fish, hot peppers, brussels sprouts, broccoli and accidentally burned items can overwhelm your kitchen. Skip the strong scented candles and mask any unsavory smells by adding a mix of cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange rinds and apple peels to a small saucepan of boiling water. The resulting scent from simmer pot recipes is so scrumptious you may regret that it isn’t coming from an actual dessert baking in your oven.
