Gour-made Easy

Tis the season once again… the season for entertaining, that is. From October through January, homemakers make merry more, celebrating occasions such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's with parties in the home. Whether it's a small family affair or a larger event for friends and neighbors, home entertaining is a favorite pastime of the fall and winter seasons.

At football tailgate parties and Super Bowl Sunday get-togethers, large holiday open houses and winter weekend card parties, year-end entertaining features elaborate spreads, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, potluck and special desserts. Yet regardless of the occasion or size of the affair, home entertainers want the preparation to be effortless. Home entertaining these days takes a lot more from Sandra Lee than Martha Stewart.

In the '80s and '90s, when Stewart hit the magazine stands and airwaves, everyone followed her entertaining style, which emphasized handcrafted touches, made-from-scratch recipes and elegant presentations. But no matter how much we may aspire to be like Martha and do it all, today's busy lifestyles don't leave the time necessary to prepare everything from scratch.

Enter lifestyle expert Sandra Lee, whose 70/30 “Semi-Homemade” philosophy (70 percent store-bought/ready-made products accompanied by 30 percent fresh and creative touches) gives permission to take shortcuts and still get the credit for presenting something that looks and feels homemade — and tastes wonderful.

So what does it take to transform common cheese and crackers from an ordinary snack to gourmet hors d'oeuvres? A little imagination, the right ingredients, and a little bit know-how — that's what easy gourmet is all about.

Still, for some, getting started can be a little daunting. Sure, there are books, television shows, and products out there that can help, but retailers know from trade shows (and the supermarket, for that matter) that the secret to success when selling specialty food products and recipe ideas is showing and, especially, sampling.

“It's all in the tasting,” says Dot Smith, founder of Pepper Patch, Franklin, TN. “You have to get it into their mouths, especially when it's a product that they haven't heard of. After that, it's easy.”

Just as specialty food vendors woo retailers, retailers in turn woo consumers — and consumers, in turn, woo their houseguests. Once retailers know the taste, smell, and appearance of specialty foods, they can imagine its possibilities in both store and home. Marmalades, such as Bittersweet Herb Farm's Pomegranate Orange Marmalade, aren't necessarily just for spreading on toast, but can also serve as a tasty dessert sauce — or, when blended with vinegars and other ingredients, make great meat sauce, marinade or salad dressing. Retailers should think beyond the label to show customers the potential of specialty food products.

Of course, that isn't always easy. Luckily, most of food producers have done a lot of homework for retailers, and offer serving suggestions and recipes with their products. And don't be afraid to ask vendors for tips when setting up in-store tastings.

Also, don't be afraid to experiment for yourself, and encourage customers to do the same. After all, part of the challenge of entertaining is to come up with something that will make a party a “can't miss” event. And if homeowners can add pizzazz in a simple way, so much the better.

But making an occasion special is not just about the food — presentation, mood and even the cleanup all add to the experience. Making it easy and fun, for hosts as well as the guests, is key to a successful event.

And it all starts with presentation. After all, home entertainers don't want to go to the effort of creating great canapés and then serve them on cheap paper plates. Because even though the plate won't affect the taste or quality of the food, it will affect the perception of the party. A simple but stylish touch is cheese labels, which make it easier for guests to choose among a selection of unusual artisan cheeses. The labels can also provide suggestions for accompaniments. Simple foods can be elevated to greatness in elegant or unusual serveware and accessories that are still practical and easy.

And the fewer steps your customer has to take in preparation, the better – making it all the easier for retailers to merchandise multifunctional serveware such as baking dishes and serving platters that go from fridge or freezer to oven to table, and clean up easily afterward. Villeroy & Boch's Ceramicplus cookware makes cleanup a breeze. Even the most baked-on food comes off with just a rinse of water. Modular pieces that work together or that can be spread around the room provide a variety of serving options, and allow hosts to adjust serveware to the occasion.

Today's hostess also wants to look smart while entertaining guests. Newly chic, retro-styled aprons, á la Harriet Nelson or June Cleaver, are all the rage these days. (see “Apron Allure”). And if she must do some washing up, glam rubber gloves can jazz things up. Little touches such as these raise the bar of entertaining (on the fun and elegant scales) without complicating the process.

Martha Stewart and Sandra Lee both opened homeowners' eyes to the range of possibilities in home entertaining. Elevating the ordinary dish, creating tablesettings that are the envy of guests and establishing an extraordinary environment with a few simple extra ingredients, touches and embellishments are all aspects of exceptional entertaining.

And while Stewart stressed attention to detail in creating the perfect home setting, Lee adjusted that philosophy, and showed the trouble-free way to expert gourmet treatment. Following this simple blueprint allows homeowners to take get-togethers from workaday to “Wow!” in the time it takes to open a jar.