Think of holiday meals as art, not scary chores
By Eileen Mitchell

CONTRIBUTOR

IF this holiday season finds you hosting your first holiday party, don't panic. A creative holiday feast is not as hard as you imagine.

First of all, "It's OK to cheat!" says Joe Rodrigues, chef and owner of Valley Catering in Dublin.

The pressure to pull off the perfect dinner party can be intense because, as a chef well knows, "Everybody eats, therefore everybody is an expert," says Rodrigues. That can be a pretty intimidating thought for anyone, let alone an amateur cook.

"The No.1 thing to remember is, get excited about what you're doing," says Rodrigues. "If you have fun and use a little creativity, you can take something simple and make it extraordinary."

And that's exactly what Rodrigues has done for the past two decades, boasting a clientele that includes Donald Trump, Clint Eastwood, Michael Keaton and John Madden. Working alongside his wife, Donna, the Certified Executive Chef insists that preparing an elaborate meal need not be scary. You just have to know a few tricks and shortcuts.

"Anyone can do it," reassures Rodrigues, who trained under Martin Yan of the "Yan Can Cook" television series and famed Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme. "The trick is to get the scare out of cooking. If you treat cooking as an art and not as a chore, you'll have more fun with it."

For starters, set the mood with a homemade potpourri. This can be created with vanilla extract or cinnamon sticks simmering in water over low heat on the stove. "Smell sells! Plus, it gives the impression you've been baking all day."

Ease up on the pressure of a holiday meal by using your experts. Rodrigues retains specialty chefs on contract in case a client has a specific request, such as a vegan meal or a strict medical diet. An event at home should be no different.

"If your Aunt Betty makes a good pecan pie, ask her to bring dessert. Lots of people have a specialty dish that they're proud of and would be happy to share. Don't be afraid to ask."

Not only does this take some of the burden off the cook, it also frees up valuable time to tend to minor details often overlooked during the flurry of preparations.

Details like appetizers. Save the chips and dip for Super Bowl Sunday. Instead, try light, creative fare like a dollop of guacamole on a cucumber chip topped with shrimp or crab.

You can place avocado on the bottom of phyllo shells (found in the frozen food section) and layer with tomato, mozzarella cheese and basil.

Or you can make your own appetizer shells, says Rodrigues. "Bake won ton or egg roll wrappers (found in the frozen or refrigerated section of most stores), in a muffin tin at 300 degrees until crispy. They make excellent cups to hold garlic-stuffed green olives."

Just don't go overboard with appetizers. You don't want people filling up before the big meal.

Rodrigues suggests wandering the aisles at the grocery store for ideas.

"When I say something like 'salad dressing', most people immediately think of French or blue cheese. But have you looked at the salad dressing aisle lately? There are hundreds of delicious possibilities, like Maui onion or cilantro pepita. People have to think outside the box and not be afraid to try something different."

Use various colors, sizes and textures to make a dish more tasteful and attractive. For example, forget iceberg lettuce. Instead, mix up a salad with broad crumbled leaves of succulent and slightly nutty escarole, aromatic arugula and classic romaine. Toss in the unexpected, like sliced pears and apples, glazed walnuts, mandarin oranges, dried currants or cranberries.

Howard Karp, chef and proprietor of Chef's Table in Lafayette, likes to add a plain blue cheese such as Stellar Gorgonzola to his salads.

"It's a wonderful cheese that goes good with cranberries and pears," he says. "Use a nice balsamic vinegar dressing and add a few slices of fennel, which tastes like licorice. Take advantage of the beautiful bounty of November's harvest."

Karp is another chef well equipped to dispense advice. As the former Food and Beverage Director for the Waldorf Astoria in New York, Karp cooked for U.S. presidents, foreign dignitaries, and astronauts before starting Chef's Table with fiance and fellow chef Jamie Imhoff.

"Don't make cooking complicated," he advises. "People get too bogged down by intimidation."

A simple way to liven things up is to change shapes and patterns. Use a fork or zester to score the skin of a cucumber before slicing. It will look more interesting and won't be as tough. Then slice it in half and de-seed it with a fork or spoon. "The cucumber seeds are what make you burp," Rodrigues says.

Instead of stressing over a hot oven, purchase a prepared glazed ham or smoked turkey breast. Both chefs recommend shops like Trader Joe's, Bobby Lee's Country Smoke House in Hayward, Diablo Foods in Lafayette and Andronico's in Danville, Oakland and Berkeley.

"These stores have the buying power to purchase in mass quantity," says Rodrigues. "They have automated it so well that they do an efficient job at an efficient price."

Karp agrees. "You don't have to go to exclusive gourmet shops anymore. Most local stores now carry these provisions."

Be creative in presentation as well. "Instead of serving your salad in a traditional salad bowl, try something different," says Rodrigues. For a recent event he presented salad in a wok, with sesame ginger dressing served in champagne glasses on the side.

"I always tell people to stop their typical associations with foods," he says. "Prepare green beans in chicken stock with almonds and fresh-diced tomato. Blend mayonnaise with a touch of red pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning. Blend softened butter with fresh basil, sun-dried tomato or herb garlic, put it in a decorative mold, then stick it in the freezer a few hours prior to setting it out."

When it comes to dessert, die-hard cooks may sniff disapprovingly, but frozen or ready-made pies and desserts can be pretty darn tasty. And if your baking skills are already questionable, they can be an absolute godsend.

Rodrigues suggests nestling heated canned pie filling around each serving for a homemade touch. To really wow the taste buds, he'll soak raisins, currants or cherries in flavored vodka, such as Sour Apple by Burnett's, or any favorite liqueur. Then sprinkle the fruits over cakes and pies.

"For example, Black Forest Cake looks elegant and tastes even better when sitting on a foundation of warm cherry pie filling and topped with cherries soaked in vodka," he says.

Variations can include crumbled candy such as peppermints, Butterfingers, and Snickers candy bars. Sprinkling cinnamon on a plate before adding pumpkin pie gives the dessert a more festive look. Even simple sugar cookies take on a new appearance thanks to Magic Shell (found in the ice cream section). Dribble the chocolate topping on each cookie and top with a dollop of marmalade. Sprinkle powdered sugar on black plastic plates and add a couple of cookies or truffles for a simple but elegant look.

A creative holiday meal isn't out of reach for even the most intimidated cooks. But if you still find yourself dreading its arrival, well, there's always pizza.