Rule 1- Plan your menu
Decide what you are going to eat on the day, at least 3-4 days before or a month before if you can. I normally choose dishes that i know my family will love, as there's no point in making unfamiliar dishes that will end up going to waste.
Rule 2- Draw up a buying and cooking plan
- Make a list of all the ingredients you need for your lunch, check what you have in your cupboard and tick off any ingredients that you might have in your cupboard that are on your buying list. Buy the bulk stuff and meat at least a week before, as most shops run out of turkey's or roasts the day before christmas.
- Look at your menu and decide what can be cooked ahead. Menu items like stews, curries, sauces and some desserts can be made ahead. Remember you don't need to make everything yourself, some things can be ordered ahead from speciality bakers i.e. fruit mince pies
Nothing kills the xmas spirit than throwing out spoiled food because you over catered and didn't have enough space in your fridge to keep left overs. Unless you live in a close knit community where your neighbours pop in unexpected on xmas, i suggest you use these simple guidelines when buying:
- A 3.5kg turkey will feed 10 people if it is the only meat you are serving and 14 people if you are serving other meats
- 1.8kg potatoes roasted will serve 10 people
- 1kg carrots will serve 10 people
- 1kg cabbage will serve 10 people
Rule 5- Delegate
2 days before xmas lunch, delegate people to help you prepare and serve lunch. My mom always delegated the chopping, washing up and setting up the table to me, my sister and my cousins. I was the best ginger and garlic stomper around, my cousins Masli and Spa always did the washing up and my sister was in charge of setting the table up.
Rule 6- Check your equipment
Make sure your oven and stove are in good working condition. Also make sure you have roasting pans, sharp knives, serving platters, dishes, enough crockery and cutlery.
Rule 6- Defrost your meat
Always defrost your meat and fish the day before in the fridge. DO NOT LEAVE TO DEFROST OUTSIDE THE FRIDGE. Meat and fish that is left outside the fridge can be infected with bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
Rule 7- Set the Mood with music
Like my mother, i cook my best meals when i have music playing in the background. My mother's music was mostly Donny Hathaway, Handel's Messiah, The O'Jays and Aretha franklin. I always have on Lala Hathaway, Randy Crawford, Lira and Fat freddy's drop. The music adds soul and love to my cooking and also relaxes me.
Rule 8- Enjoy cooking on the day
All your stews and sauces have been made ahead, all that is left is salads, roasts and sides. Relax, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy your cooking. Make sure that whoever you have delegated to clean up, cleans up as you go. You don't want a sink full of dirty dishes while you are cooking, this will put you in a bad mood and make you panic. The summer flies are also not very kind to your delicious roasts, so make sure that the washing up happens through out the day.
Rule 9- Clean up
Make sure that you and your house are clean at least an hour before the lunch. My kitchen martyr mom always looked well groomed and ready to receive guests 2hours before lunch. She always started cooking at 6am, so was ready by 1pm.
HAPPY COOKING!!!!
