First Annual Top 10 (Entertaining)

I've made it! I've been a Montclair resident for exactly one year. This holiday season, instead of schlepping back to Brooklyn to celebrate, I had the good fortune to be invited to holiday get-togethers right here in Jersey. I came, I saw, I ate a lot, and I learned how to throw a holiday party in the 'burbs. And so I offer you:

Top 10 Things I Learned At Suburban Holiday Parties

10. Get a Keg: Everyone knows that beer tastes better from a keg; did you also know it's less expensive and better for the environment than bottles? That's right, you've got a three-pronged case for a year-round keg in the basement. When my husband and I were offered beers from the keg, we knew we were in the hands of very good hosts.

9. When You're Here, You're Family: One of my holiday parties was a sit-down dinner for ten. Now that's ambitious, and really ambitious if you want to use the good china and wine glasses, without benefit of a butler or kitchen staff. Our hosts made a gorgeous leg of lamb, accompanied by homemade spanakopita, lemon herb orzo, a green salad, and more. When you're serving a lot of people and putting china and linens on the table, by all means, let your guests pass the plate. That way we can all sit down like the family we are.

8. Don't Clean until Tomorrow: After the above-mentioned dinner, our hosts insisted that we all leave the table as it was. They wanted to serve dessert, relax and enjoy; no need to sit scrubbing in the kitchen. Give yourself the night off, don't clean until tomorrow.

7. Bring an Unbaked Pie. I offered to bring a pie to one party, and completely ran out of time. I asked the host if I could bring the unbaked pie, and toss it in her oven. She was fine with that (she was grilling). The only thing better than homemade pie is the smell of homemade pie baking, which we all got to enjoy together.

6. Make Your Latkes in Advance: Potato pancakes are a pesky proposition at a party. Although everyone loves a latke, no one wants to be stuck frying during a party. Make your latkes in advance and freeze them; they reheat beautifully in the oven.

5. Have a Tiered Dessert Platter: After a big holiday meal, people want a bite of sweet, but they don't necessarily want to commit to a piece (or several pieces) of pie, cake, etc. That's why we got holiday cookies! Pick up a tiered dessert platter wherever you like to shop; this makes ordinary cookies and two-bite desserts look beautiful.

4. Your Kids Will Eat Crap and that's OK.: Oh, I got myself into quite a pickle this year talking to a 6-year old about her favorite potato chips. Her mother came over, somewhat indignantly claiming that her daughter does not eat anything like that. The kid fessed up: yes, mom, my friend so-and-so had two bags of potato chips one day and shared them with me. The mother was embarrassed that her child ate a chip, and because she didn't know about it. It's a chip, mama. That little cherub scarfing latkes eats chips too. And there's nothing wrong with that.

3. Make The Guest Bed and Have A Breakfast Casserole Ready: It's holiday time, which means we're going to overdo it. Plus, it's cold outside and the roads are packed. Some of your guests are going to pass out on your couch, others are going to hint for an invitation to spend the night. Get your adult-sized feet-y pajamas ready and roll with it; you're never too old for a sleepover.

2. Let Your Friends Cook (and Costco Is Your Best Friend): Costco gave the gift of sanity to my friend's latke party this year. After frying several hundred latkes and making brisket (while mothering a 2- and 4-year-old), she let herself off the hook with boxes of frozen pigs-in-blankets and mini quiches. Her guests brought rugelach, macaroons and holiday cookies. That's one smart host.

1. Don't Schlep the Flock: Though it might be counterintuitive, the family member with the most kids gets to stay put. Schlepping a bunch of kids to an unfamiliar house that isn't kid-friendly puts all kind of stress on the parents. So if you've got the big flock, you get to play host. When the thought of hosting a holiday party seems less stressful than the thought of schlepping, you've earned your host post.





Come with me to America's top food festivals, and see who takes home the blue ribbon on Blue Ribbon Hunter: http://yhoo.it/poak9C.