Thursday, January 30, 2014

Tips for the Holiday Host/Hostess



Kayleigh here. Continuing on with our Host/Hostess tips post from several months back, we thought we would get a bit more specific and talk about holiday dinners. Times where the hosting house does most of the cooking, but others may provide extra sides and desserts. How can these occasions be made gluten-free friendly, when so many of the dishes are tried-and-true traditions?

First off, figuring out who is making what dishes can really help the process along. See what dishes are already gluten free, and what can easily be altered. Simpler dishes like mashed potatoes, butternut squash, and steamed/boiled vegetables are almost certainly safe bets. One thing to watch out for, though, is the turkey. If you are putting the stuffing (or dressing) in before baking, then the turkey and the gravy from it will have traces of gluten in it. If someone is willing to bake a smaller turkey as-is, or even just a part or two of the regular bird to cook separately, then that solves that problem. You can always make a gravy out of a bouillon cube and some corn starch to thicken it.

Once you've nailed down the safe dishes, make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to safely preparing the food. Keep the gluten free dishes on a different prep space, and make sure all of the dishes, bowls, and utensils are thoroughly washed to remove traces. It may be easier to just put foil down on the baking trays, and use disposable dishware when possible. As my mother found out this year, you can get cutting boards and other hard to sanitize cookware at the dollar store for temporary use. Toasters should be avoided, but putting the oven or toaster oven on broil works just as well.

When it comes to serving, put the gluten free dishes first in line (or on a separate table), and let your intolerant friend get food first. That way, you do not need to worry about someone doubling back and getting some breadcrumbs in the cranberry sauce dish.

Jason here. I successfully survived Thanksgiving dinner without any issues thanks to my fantastic family. I’ve found it was easiest to go first, grab my meal and then sit down just in case. We were extra careful, and the gluten free food was placed on a separate table in the adjoining room. 

I even got to eat my favorite type of gravy, which Kayleigh described above. You can make it as thick as you want, and add bouillon cubes or powder to taste. On a related note, it is possible to add way, way too many bouillon cubes. The first time I tried this technique, I had never used bouillon cubes before. I added so many it literally hurt my mouth from all the sodium and made me feel ill after just a single spoonful. Don’t go overboard, and it will be an amazing, easy to make gravy. 

Cheers to a great Holiday season. I hope you find this tips helpful, and if you have tips your family uses, leave them in the comments below.

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