Five chefs share secrets for low-stress dinner parties.
Cheryl Johnson
Johnson likes “interactive” dishes, like yakitori, bulgogi, hotpot and meat fondue. “It sucks when I get stuck cooking away from my guests. I try to plan it so that we can cook together.” She also often involves guests in the prep. “There’s no reason why everything should be 100 percent ready the moment your friends walk in.” Her advice? “Don’t put pressure on yourself. It’s supposed to be fun. If your guests are there to judge you, well, they’re not really your friends.”
Alex Chen
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar and Wild Blue Restaurant, Vancouver
“It’s all in the menu planning,” says Chen. “Maybe you start with a soup that can be made in advance. It’s all in one pot and you can serve 12 people [with] whatever you have. First course done.” For the main, an entry-level sous vide is a game changer. “You have a braised rib that’s spent 36 hours cooking on low temp in a bag with some wine marinade and it’s done. You buy some good-quality demi-glace and you have another dish.” Chen adds: “People think a seafood boil should be a summer thing, but we have access to seafood all the time in Vancouver. It’s a one-pot thing and then you put a big platter of seafood right in the middle.”
Celeste Mah
Portage, St. John’s
For Mah, the key is choosing dishes with components that can be made way in advance. “One of my favourite things to eat and share with other people is Hainanese chicken rice. It’s poached chicken served cold with a few sauces that can all be made way ahead of the time. Even the rice can be made a little ahead as long as you have a way to keep it warm.” For more ambitious dinners with à la minute dishes that might take longer, make sure there are ample snacks. “Remember that, more than anything, your guests are coming over to spend time with you. If dinner takes a little longer or doesn’t go as planned, you can still make it so everyone has a good time.”
Mandel Hitzer
Deer + Almond, Winnipeg
“I think it’s really important to be prepared with enthusiasm and passion for whatever you’re doing,” says Hitzer, who has a serious sense of occasion and believes in great playlists, plus way too much cheese. “There’s nothing like delivering a great toast and following up by sabring a bottle of champagne. Or delivering a speech about how much you appreciate the people around you.” Getting together to break bread is one of the most important things that we do in our lives, Hitzer says, so it’s a great time to really splash out on a showstopper. “It’s always really great to find an ingredient that you can’t get at the normal grocery store. Reach out to your favourite chef and get a cut of otoro or a wicked piece of wagyu.”
Sal Howell
River Café, Calgary
“I love the lead-up to entertaining at home because you’re setting the stage for the party,” says Howell. “So, set the table and do the flowers a day ahead. It feels so good to have a beautifully set table ahead of time, and then you feel like you’re already halfway there.” Howell is also a firm believer that you don’t have to make everything from scratch — unless you really want to. “You can curate a dinner party. Making your own bread is admirable and can be fun for those who are passionate [about it]. But if it’s not familiar [to you], it’s nice to just pick up your favourite item from here and your favourite cheese from there and put it all together.”
WINE ADVICE
Al Drinkle
Metrovino, Calgary
Most appetizers work brilliantly with fino or manzanilla. “These beautiful biological fortified wines literally pair with everything. A really, really good way to get the palate awakened and good conversation flowing.”
Ashleigh Forster
DaNico, Toronto
For sparkling wines, seek hidden gems, like a fresh, food-friendly and bright acid-driven Lambrusco di Sorbara. “A flashier style of prosecco that won’t break the bank is Col Fondo Prosecco — a really dry style with fine bubbles that’s made according to traditional method, similar to champagne.”
Ryan Gray
Nora Gray, Montreal
Rule of thumb? Regional pairings. “You eat oysters with Muscadet, made on the west coast of France, by the Atlantic Ocean. It’s salty, crispy and minerally — oysters are all of those things. If you’re in Tuscany eating a wild boar ragù, you want a Sangiovese.”
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