WINNER, WINNER TURKEY DINNER

Feeding the extended family or even a bunch of friends can be nerve-wracking. But a few tips from the pros will ensure that Santa is the only one who raises a clatter this Christmas.

Feeding the extended family or even a bunch of friends can be nerve-wracking. But a few tips from the pros will ensure that Santa is the only one who raises a clatter this Christmas.

I’m sitting at the computer, a wedge of fruitcake on my desk, the Rat Pack on iTunes, and a blank screen in front of me. It’s early December, and I’m eager to make lists and plan all the big occasions in the offing: family dinners, cocktail parties, festive brunches and fireside games nights that will require snacks. Then there are the Christmas cookies and mince tarts, eggnog and mulled wine. Should I make panettone or stollen this year? Dark or light fruitcake? Maybe tourtière? Perhaps I’ll bring back my grandma’s plum pudding, turn down the lights, douse it in brandy and flambé it after the turkey dinner. Like the boxes of lights and decorations we just hauled out of the basement, there are recipes to pull out, make and serve to people over the course of a month, before packing them away again for next year.

I enjoy this time of year in the kitchen, but I also understand that people are busy, anxious and tired. Add to this the thought of cooking for friends or the extended family and it’s enough to send some people over the edge—or at least to the store to buy Christmas baking.

Let’s face it, the holidays are equal parts joyful and stressful. So I asked the celebrity chefs, designers and other pros who gathered at the Jasper Park Lodge for Christmas in November for some stress-busting tips that everyone can use. Read on and leave the seasonal panic to those 10 lords a-leaping.