Festive tips and recipes for the holiday season
by Louis Gervais / In Recipes, Tips & Advice
Chef Louis Gervais offers some festive tips & recipes for entertaining over the holidays.
The holiday season is filled with spontaneous drop-ins and impromptu get-togethers. Executive Chef Louis Gervais of Louis Gervais Fine Foods and Catering offers some tips that will make sure you are prepared.
Impromptu gifts
Chances are, over the holiday season, you will be invited to several Christmas parties and host a number of impromptu visits and there is nothing worse than being caught unprepared or without a gift. Sweet and savoury treats make wonderful stocking stuffers or impromptu gifts. While they can be found in almost any specialty bakery or food store, if you have a favourite recipe it is easy and to make your own. Purchase small cellophane bags and some silver or gold bells at your local craft store. Fill the bags half way with your favourite holiday treat. Shortbread or Ginger spice cookies, white or dark chocolate almond bark or spiced nuts & dried fruit are all great ideas. Thread the bells through some festive ribbon and tie the bag shut with a bow. Keep an assortment on hand for unexpected guests baring gifts, to take with you to a party for the hosts or their children, or for your child’s teacher, dance instructor or soccer coach.
The perfect centerpiece
This fabulous centerpiece will look great on your dining or coffee table. Fill the inside of a large glass vase with fresh holly so that all the leaves and red berries are inside the vase – not sticking out the top. A vase with straight sides and a wide opening at the top works the best. Then fill the vase with water so the holly is completely submerged. Float 3 or 4 candles on the top. This stunning centerpiece will last up to a week or more before needing to be replenished with fresh holly and is a unique alternative to more traditional centerpieces.
Festive beverages
Adding a new twist to a favorite cocktail recipe can add just the right touch to your Christmas party. Try a Christmas Cosmopolitan martini using rosemary infused vodka and a sprig of rosemary for garnish. It’s easy to make and adds a festive touch to a familiar cocktail. Another favourite is my own Spiced Gluhwein with Pears. This mulled wine recipe is a crowd pleaser and creates a wonderful aroma throughout the house. Keep a bottle in the fridge for when guests drop by unexpectedly. Thirty seconds in the microwave and it’s ready to serve.
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Louis Gervais Fine Foods & Catering caters events from intimate informal gatherings to large corporate functions and of course Christmas parties and celebrations. Contact us today!
Tags: Christmas beverage recipes, christmas party catering, Holiday catering, holiday party catering
