Prepare parts of your festive spread in advance

Make parts of your festive spread ahead of time and save your sanity, Olson advises

Anna Olson is a self-described “holiday nerd.” As soon as Labour Day hits, so too does a yearning to put up the Christmas tree.

Each year, the pastry chef and cooking show host fields copious questions about how to plan for the holidays. As an unabashed fan of the festive season, this is naturally a conversation she loves to have.

“There are some fundamental questions.

“And the biggest one and most consistent is … can I freeze it? So with that comes the larger picture of what can I make ahead? Part of holiday survival for a lot of people is having those resources,” says Olson.

With this query in mind, she included a “make ahead” tip for every recipe in her new cookbook, Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson (Appetite by Random House, 2018).

The first half of the book is menus — including hors d’oeuvres, snacks and shared plates, leftovers and lighter meals, and a festive brunch. The second half is devoted to baking.

From highlighting freezer-friendly baked goods to advising on pre-blanching vegetables and washing salad greens in advance, Olson designed her strategies, menus and instructional photos to help minimize seasonal stress.

“We put so much pressure on ourselves to deliver for others — friends and family — and set the bar up here,” Olson says.

“I just want to be there to walk you through it, so when the time comes, you can actually sit back and appreciate those magic moments.”