Your_Home_and_Garden_-_July_2019

E

ntertaining at home should be fun for

the host, not something that sends

you into a spin. To avoid answering

the door to a slew of eager guests

with a forehead slick with sweat,

preparation is key – and the first step in any cook’s

repertoire should be having the right tools at hand.

Having your friends and family think you’re the

next Jamie or Nigella is always a great feeling,

but remember you don’t need to spend hours in

the kitchen on complicated dishes to impress

them. These simple, pre-party steps will ensure

you’re able to sit down and enjoy the festivities

without being literally tied to your apron strings.

PLAN YOUR MENU Your first port of call is to think

about each dish, and how to create the maximum

impact for the minimum amount of eort. You don’t

want to be so exhausted by 7pm that you’re falling

asleep in your spaghetti! Plan meals that you’ve already

cooked before and consider dishes that can be made in

advance and reheated – or at least ones that require

just a touch of kitchen time to finesse at the end.

STOCK UP AND CLEAR OUT Clearing your fridge of

anything unnecessary the day before, then stocking

it up with all your ingredients, will help you feel more

organised come prep time. The Fisher & Paykel 614

Litre French Door Fridge Freezer provides you with

plenty of space to store fresh produce in the

humidity-controlled crisper bin, as well as wide

shelving to keep your entrée platters chilled and

crudités full of crunch.

PREPREPARE WHAT YOU CAN If you’ve got meats

that require marinating, veggies that need roasting

and dessert that relies on a setting time, get it all

done in the morning. Having an oven that can handle

cooking for a crowd will save you a lot of juggling,

which is where the Smeg Thermoseal Classic Oven

really comes to the party. The 79-litre cooking

capacity makes cooking large dishes a breeze, and

the nine cooking functions cater to all your culinary

Takethestressoutofhostingyournextdinnerpartybyutilisingthebestkitchen

appliances to get the job done. With this pre-party prep guide, you’ll have all your

culinary creations sorted well before your guests walk in the door

LIVING WELL

Ready, set, cook