With the Christmas month fast approaching, reunions and parties are going to be left and right.
But to avoid the terrible traffic, some will likely prefer hosting dinners at home
At the Feast with Glad event in Pottery Barn, Central Square, Bonifacio Global City, Happy Ongpauco-Tiu gave some pointers to make every handaan at home spectacular and memorable.
1. Plan your menu.
The restaurateur began, “In my case, there’s pork, beef or chicken, fish—at least one of each.”
Aside from variety, Happy also advised choosing the dishes based on your resources.
“This will take into consideration the number of househelp you have. If you’re going to be preparing and cooking all the dishes alone, the simpler, the better—meaning, easy and fast to cook.
“Because you don’t want naman na andiyan na yung guests mo, you are not done yet.
"If you are doing this for the first time, pick a familiar dish. The important thing is, masarap siya pag iniluto.”
2. Come up with a grocery list.
She underlined the importance of this to avoid forgetting any ingredient.
Happy continued, “Because if you go back to the supermarket to buy something you forgot, mahaba ang parking, ang pila, and, worse, baka no more stock.”
3. Invest in a set of plates.
Happy is a collector of plates.
Whenever she travels, she said, “Part of my things to do is buy a tableware that represents the country’s culture.”
But it does not have to be expensive.
“Go for classic designs and those that will blend easily with any theme.”
4. Do noT forget the TABLE risers.
“Kahit maganda ang plates mo, if walang risers, it will look flat. Kelangan talaga siya sa tablescape.”
5. Minimize food spoilage.
Ideally, the amount of servings is sakto lang for the guests. Otherwise, Happy swears by those containers and zipper bags.
“I have been using Glad because of the quality. The food has to be tightly sealed, and labeled properly. Some can last for weeks, so walang nasayang.”
