Festive potluck
Don’t go to a festive potluck with just a bag of chips or ice. Aiman Ahmad Anuar has some ideas to stop the blushes
TO some people, the idea of cooking for Christmas is pretty scary, especially if you’re not used to cooking on a regular basis. This fear is further exacerbated when you have to attend a Christmas potluck. No one wants to be the person who brings a bag of chips to a gourmet dinner, or worse yet, be the one who brings a bag of ice.
So, what can you do if you’re invited to one? Don’t worry, we’ll be exploring some ways you can show up to a potluck with something impressive, instead of just a sheepish grin and an excuse about your oven not working.
The first thing you need to tackle is yourself. You don’t need to cook up something overly expensive or complicated just to impress your fellow guests. I’ve discovered that the pure act of cooking is enough to warm people’s hearts.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can just slap on tuna onto a pile of lettuce and call it a day. People can tell when you’ve put in effort and they know when you’ve completely copped out. You just need to learn how to make something easy but looks fantastic.
So just figure out what to make. This sounds simple, but it might very well be the biggest part of the challenge because the possibilities are truly endless. Christmas dishes range from snacks, appetisers, mains, to desserts and are cooked in hundreds of different ways. To top it off, there are thousands of recipes online to choose from, which might make it a little difficult to know where to start.
BEST THING TO DO
Choose something you’re comfortable with. If you’ve never roasted a lamb leg in your life, now is NOT the time to start! Pick a recipe that uses techniques that you’re comfortable with. If you know how to make curries and broths — then make a stew. If you’re used to baking — make brownies topped with candy canes. You want people to be impressed with your cooking, not question your ability in the kitchen.
If you’re worried about cost and can’t afford to buy something like a whole turkey, don’t worry. There are plenty of other dishes you can make which are no less impressive. You just need to focus on other ingredients, namely vegetables and fruits.
It could be a salad. Or a vegetable casserole. Maybe even roasted sweet potatoes. Make sure to dress it up with a little Christmas cheer to make it more unique. For example, if you were preparing roasted potatoes, season them with paprika and dried mint to make them represent festive colours. If you want to make a salad, add some cranberries and nutmeg. If ideas are hard to come by, don’t worry ― just focus on colours or flavours.
If you’re still a little worried about what to make, try making pecan tarts. They look impressive, they’re rather unique in a Malaysian setting and they’re awfully easy to pull off. They’re also rather cheap to make in large quantities. You just need to learn where to source for the ingredients.
WHERE TO GO
If you were to go to a grocery store, you could buy frozen pastry dough or even a pie shell. You’ll definitely find the pecans corn syrup to make your tarts. The problem is, they’re all very expensive. So think about visiting a baking supply store. There are many in the Klang Valley like Bake with Yen, Bagus or even House of Ingredients.
You’ll find everything you need at a fraction of the cost. You’ll even find baked tart shells, which means that you don’t even need to do any form of defrosting or rolling. All you need to do is toast the pecans and mix corn syrup with butter and eggs and voila! The best part is that you can even make them a couple of days in advance and keep in an airtight container in the fridge.
So, worry not about attending any potlucks this year. You’ve got this covered. Just remember to have fun. Cooking for a Christmas dinner should be a fun affair — not a chore. And remember one very important thing — if you’ve never roasted a lamb leg, now is NOT the time to start!