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I thought I was a solid—if a bit inexperienced—cook when I put on my apron for the first time in Ina Garten's barn. We were making banana-chocolate coffee cake, and one of my jobs was to mash the banana. I put the banana into a bowl and proceeded to chase it around with the back of a spoon, the banana sliding all over the place. Ina came over and showed me that if you put the banana on a cutting board and mash it with a fork instead, that banana will be history in no time. Sounds simple, and it was—a simple change that made a huge difference.
In the two years since, I've learned much more in Ina's kitchen—she's imparted wisdom in everything, be it arranging flowers or carving a chicken. I've grabbed some great tips and tricks that make entertaining simple, stress-free, and most importantly, fun! I can't wait to share them with you here.
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Hors d'oeuvres may be the first thing served at a dinner party, but they're always the last part of the menu I ever think about when actually planning. Dinner is the main event—and I could spend hours dreaming up the perfect dessert—but having something inspired and delicious on the table the minute everyone arrives always feels like an added challenge I could do without. Chips and guac, anyone?
Ina has taught me that cooking in advance as much as possible is the best way to make hosting dinner parties more fun and less stressful. There may be certain things that need to be done just before dinner, such as slicing the meat or boiling pasta, but making hors d'oeuvres ahead of time is a no-brainer. In my experience, they should be simple, easy to eat while chatting and holding a drink, and not so heavy that they ruin everyone's appetite for the dinner you've so carefully planned. Hors d'oeuvres also set the tone for the night—nothing says "party" less than a bag of slimy carrots slumped over on a table waiting to be dipped into a gloppy white dip. Thankfully, I've found a show-stopping and delicious hors d'oeuvre you can put together with just a little more effort: homemade chipotle hummus with crudité and toasted pita bread.
I made a batch of this hummus last weekend and brought it to a cookout at my friend Lulu's–it's always a hit and a spicy surprise when people are expecting traditional hummus. My version has all the creaminess of its more classic relative, with just enough smoky heat to keep you coming back for another dip.
The quality of the vegetables makes a HUGE difference here. Because you're essentially serving plain, raw veggies, you want them to be as fresh and vibrant as possible. When I can, I stop at the farmer's market near my house for the most beautiful, in-season vegetables. But if you don't have time for the farmer's market, or if it's February and the only vegetables in season are parsnips and rutabaga, don't worry. I promise you can still make a beautiful crudité platter.
Here's the trick for picking fresh vegetables: Look for vegetables such as carrots and radishes that still have their green tops on—sometimes they're hiding in the organic section. Then, choose a handful of other brightly colored vegetables of different shapes and textures–multi-colored cherry tomatoes are great, as are bell peppers, sugar snap peas, and baby cucumbers. Then, when washing and trimming the vegetables with greens, leave about half an inch of the tops intact for that straight-from-the-farm look. It goes without saying that these vegetables not only look more appealing, but they will be much fresher than anything sold in a plastic bag.
The best part of this whole platter is that you can make it WAY in advance. Chipotle hummus lasts a week in the fridge (just try not to eat it all before the party!). You can also prep the vegetables earlier in the day and store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until it's time for dinner. Then all you have to do before your friends arrive is arrange. Lulu didn't have an extra platter for me, so I used a big wood cutting board instead—I just put a big bowl of hummus in the center, surround it with neat little piles of the different vegetables and toasted pita bread triangles, and let everyone dig in.
Get my recipe here.
Lidey Heuck works as Ina Garten's assistant, social media manager, and occasional recipe tester. She lives in East Hampton, NY.
