Hosting, Entertaining, Welcoming
We love to do at morEwish headquarters 🏡
We love hosting, it's all about bringing people together over a good meal, from the initial planning stages right down to plating the last course of meals for guests. We grew up in a culture where we showed love by cooking food for one another! We just want people to feel special in our house! 💝
We love hosting, it's all about bringing people together over a good meal, from the initial planning stages right down to plating the last course of meals for guests. We grew up in a culture where we showed love by cooking food for one another! We just want people to feel special in our house! 💝
“He who believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
🔹️ Plan ahead
I know we all wear a lot of hats day to day. Something that helps me manage it all is by planning ahead.
But how do you plan ahead, when you have too much to do right now? You plan to plan ahead.
But how do you plan ahead, when you have too much to do right now? You plan to plan ahead.
After selecting a date and time. Decide on the number of guests and develop a guest list. Then finalize your menu
🔹️Write it down
I love to write in my daily journal but you can write notes in your phone as well.
I start by writing menu with all required ingredients, even the tiniest of things. This helps me develp a grocery list.
I start by writing menu with all required ingredients, even the tiniest of things. This helps me develp a grocery list.
Then I rewrite menu again but this time break out list process wise..
Like for example if I am Biryani for dawat,
Both of these steps can be done at different timings.
- Step one is to make Qorma
- Step two is to boil rice and dum biryani
Both of these steps can be done at different timings.
Then I assign day to that perticular job.
For example.
For example.
Cake
This way every morning I can easily track down my work done and my to do list for that day. Especially on the party day, I don't stress out and excatly know what needs to be done.
- Bake 》 Thursday
- Frost 》 Friday
- Decorate 》 Friday
This way every morning I can easily track down my work done and my to do list for that day. Especially on the party day, I don't stress out and excatly know what needs to be done.
🔹️ Food
🔸️Freezer friendly food (My best friend)
When freezing party food, keep these tips in mind:
- Freeze foods quickly for best results. If foods freeze slowly, they tend to form large ice crystals, which can change the texture of the food as it thaws.
- Package food in small, thin containers to help them freeze faster.
- Do not allow food to cool on the bench. As soon as steam stops rising, refrigerate.
- Chill food in the refrigerator first to lower the temperature before placing them in the freezer.
- Ensure the freezer temperature is below 0 degrees Fahrenheit to keep items at a safe temperature.
- Place foods in airtight containers to keep them in good shape.
- Label the containers, so you can easily find the party food when you’re ready.
🔸️ Make a space
Prepping as much as possible saves you time, but you need room for all of that food. Cold foods need to stay cold until serving, so you don’t make your guests sick. Clean out your refrigerator and freezer to make space for the food until the party. Set up an area on your kitchen countertop or a dining room table for the nonperishable snacks you make. Having that space cleared and ready to go makes it easier to tackle your pre-party food prep.
Many ingredients can be prepped ahead of time even if you plan to cook the food on the day of the party. Preparing the things that go into your recipes often takes up a majority of your time. The specific ingredients you can prep ahead of time depend largely on what you’re making.
Consider these ingredient prep tasks:
Wash, peel and cut veggies for veggie trays and recipes. Chopping veggies can take a lot longer than you think, so always do it ahead of time if possible.
Cut up fresh fruit for salads or fruit trays.
Mix the dry ingredients for recipes, so you can pour them into the bowl when you actually make the recipe.
Measure ingredients for recipes and put them in individual containers.
🔸️ Partially prepare recipes:
Some dishes can’t be made completely ahead of time, but you can complete the recipe to a certain point. You might make Qorma for your Biryani ahead of time and cook the rest just before the party. But if you’re making a stir fried rice dish, cook the rice the day before, so you can quickly assemble it the next day. You might cook the meat that will go into a salan or even for pasta or a casserole, so it’s ready to go. You can often assemble the casserole, stopping just before you bake it.
Review the various cooking and assembly steps in each recipe. Write down each possible step. Complete the recipes as far as possible ahead of time, finishing it before the party starts. That jump start can save you lots of time on party day, so you can stress less and enjoy spending time with your guests as they arrive.
Get out all of the serving platters and bowls you plan to use at the party. Grab serving utensils for each item, as well. This saves you time because you can easily transfer the food when you’re done cooking or reheating it. You can also make sure you have enough serving items for all of the food.
Some items can go in the serving dishes ahead of time. For example, you can place dips into the corresponding serving bowls as soon as you’re done making them. Cover the bowls with plastic and place them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them.
Some of your make-ahead party food may need to be reheated just before your guests arrive. If you have multiple dishes to reheat, consider the timing and the methods you’ll use to warm up the food. You need to give the food plenty of time to heat fully, but you also want the food to stay hot until your guests eat. The temperature is important for flavor and safety. If hot foods cool too much, bacteria can start growing quickly, increasing the risk of food poisoning.
You can heat foods on the stovetop, microwave or oven. Another option is to put the cooked food in a slow cooker to heat or to keep at a safe temperature. Use several mini slow cookers for small amounts of hot food, such as hot cheese dips.
A huge part of preparing food for a party is cleaning up your messes. You’ll use several different mixing bowls, measuring cups and utensils as you whip up your signature party food dishes. Instead of letting all of those dishes pile up, wash them as you go. This method lets you keep your work area clean, so you have more workable space. You can also use fewer items because you can reuse the same bowls, utensils and measuring devices for every dish you make.
Guests aren’t expecting a perfectly immaculate house, they are at your place to build friendships and have a fun time! So do not pressure or stress yourself too much.
Review the various cooking and assembly steps in each recipe. Write down each possible step. Complete the recipes as far as possible ahead of time, finishing it before the party starts. That jump start can save you lots of time on party day, so you can stress less and enjoy spending time with your guests as they arrive.
🔹️ Prepare Serving Platters:
Get out all of the serving platters and bowls you plan to use at the party. Grab serving utensils for each item, as well. This saves you time because you can easily transfer the food when you’re done cooking or reheating it. You can also make sure you have enough serving items for all of the food.
Some items can go in the serving dishes ahead of time. For example, you can place dips into the corresponding serving bowls as soon as you’re done making them. Cover the bowls with plastic and place them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them.
🔹️Plan to Reheat:
Some of your make-ahead party food may need to be reheated just before your guests arrive. If you have multiple dishes to reheat, consider the timing and the methods you’ll use to warm up the food. You need to give the food plenty of time to heat fully, but you also want the food to stay hot until your guests eat. The temperature is important for flavor and safety. If hot foods cool too much, bacteria can start growing quickly, increasing the risk of food poisoning.
You can heat foods on the stovetop, microwave or oven. Another option is to put the cooked food in a slow cooker to heat or to keep at a safe temperature. Use several mini slow cookers for small amounts of hot food, such as hot cheese dips.
🔹️ Clean as you go:
A huge part of preparing food for a party is cleaning up your messes. You’ll use several different mixing bowls, measuring cups and utensils as you whip up your signature party food dishes. Instead of letting all of those dishes pile up, wash them as you go. This method lets you keep your work area clean, so you have more workable space. You can also use fewer items because you can reuse the same bowls, utensils and measuring devices for every dish you make.
Guests aren’t expecting a perfectly immaculate house, they are at your place to build friendships and have a fun time! So do not pressure or stress yourself too much.
Hosting a dinner party should be enjoyable for the host too. Once your guests have arrived, relax and enjoy yourself along with them. Resign yourself to the fact that dishes can be done the next morning. Tonight, enjoy the good company, delightful ambiance, and delicious food you put so much work into. Or, take up a guest’s offer to wash. Grateful guests are truly happy to help.
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