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While much of what I learned in school is buried deep in the mind\u2019s recesses, probably never to see the light of day again, I still frequently go back to a saying by one of my teachers; \u201cProper planning prevents poor performance\u201d.\u00a0 He would refer to it as the 5 Ps.\u00a0 Leaving aside the clever alliteration I can add to his by saying \u201cProper planning prevents unnecessary stress\u201d and, of even greater concern these days, \u201cProper planning saves you money\u201d.\u00a0 Easter is on the horizon and Confirmation and Holy Communion parties are also in the lens of many right now.\u00a0 Whether it is a buffet style party for thirty or an Easter Sunday lunch for ten, it can all be accomplished relatively easy and without needing to remortgage the house to finance it, with a little forward planning.\u00a0 How many times have you tried that free style approach only to end up with far too much food left over, a kitchen that looked like it had been hit by an earthquake, and an ulcer inducing level of stress and exhaustion?\u00a0 If that sounds all too familiar stick with me and the lessons learned can be used at any time of year.<\/p>\n
Not only should you plan the main event you should also have a plan for the leftovers, even if you never get around to using it.\u00a0 Professional chefs do it all the time.\u00a0 What is a main course today becomes a starter tomorrow if it isn\u2019t used entirely.\u00a0 What isn\u2019t too popular on Tuesday as a side, becomes the soup for lunch on Wednesday.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that the old joke, \u201cI never order Soup du jour, it tastes different everywhere I go!\u201d<\/p>\n
Planning isn\u2019t rocket science, and all it requires is a pen and paper, (or ipad\/computer for the tech savvy) and a few obvious questions:<\/p>\n
a) How many are coming?<\/p>\n
b) What time of day will we eat?<\/p>\n
c) What will I cook- a general Menu outline<\/p>\n
d) How much of this menu can be done the day before?<\/p>\n
e) Are there any clashing oven times\/temperatures and if so what\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n
f) Can I simplify this even more?<\/p>\n
Now write down the list of ingredients you need for every dish and then check what you actually have in the cupboard and fridge and mark them off.\u00a0 Do not go to the shops without doing this check as I guarantee the fear of not having something will make you buy it just in case.\u00a0 This is where money and food are often wasted.<\/p>\n
While a one pot is often the answer for a large crowd, traditional joints are also a great solution.\u00a0 A roast dinner with beef or lamb as the star of the show rarely disappoints.\u00a0 A joint of meat also needs adequate time to rest before serving and so that 30 to 40 minutes between coming out of the oven and serving creates the perfect window for finishing off sides and making great gravy.<\/p>\n
You are also allowed to buy in some of the courses, in part or entirely, if it makes it easier.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know where we got this idea that unless we do everything ourselves that we are cheating! In Tipperary when there are so many excellent artisan producers on the doorstep we should definitely avail of their help.\u00a0 I agree entirely with the philosophy of fresh and natural, but that need not be compromised.\u00a0 From local breads, preserves, cheeses, desserts and sweet treats, herbs and vegetables and meat, there is a world of wonderful local food at your disposal.\u00a0 If you are in any doubt check out the Tipperary Food Producers network website for a full list of what\u2019s available locally. There are great websites online with fantastic simple recipes and even better videos which are great tutorials. Planning well is definitely the key to keeping great family occasions \u2018great\u2019 and avoiding that awful feeling of being an indentured kitchen slave to a bunch of ungrateful relatives.<\/p>\n We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of \u00a0James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Food Market Monkstown and Avoca Rathcoole.\u00a0Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While much of what I learned in school is buried deep in the mind\u2019s recesses, probably never to see the light of day again, I still frequently go back to a saying by one of my teachers; \u201cProper planning prevents poor performance\u201d.\u00a0 He would refer to it as the 5 Ps.\u00a0 Leaving aside the clever […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[993,566,452,29,994,99,992,145,269,48,47,233,991,810,80],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.jameswhelanbutchers.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Tipperary-Food-Producers.png\" "\\"Tipperary")
<\/a>I love getting everyone around a big table and particularly enjoy the special days such as Christmas and Easter.\u00a0 I have long since taken the stress out of these events by simplifying as much as I can and remembering why I\u2019m doing it.\u00a0 It\u2019s not about me and how good or bad my culinary skills are: it is about enjoying the company and sharing great food.\u00a0 Even if I have discovered some chef-y way of tying up asparagus bunches with lemongrass strips I\u2019m careful not to try and impress with such overly fanciness if the numbers are too large.\u00a0 Tying small bunches of greens in dramatic fashion is just about fun for a family lunch for four but becomes downright tedious to prepare for a dinner for 12. (That\u2019s assuming of course that you don\u2019t have an army of help in the kitchen, in which case there are no limits.). We are often tempted to show off with some TV cookery programme inspired dessert frippery that needs more attention than a newborn baby, but my advice is, don\u2019t do it!\u00a0 Choose a popular dessert that can be made the day or night before and left in the fridge ready just to plate up; the same goes for starters if possible.\u00a0 If you\u2019re super organised you could even prepare them in individual dishes.\u00a0 Trust me when I say your family & friends will prefer something simple and delicious and an unstressed and present host over a stress inducing complex dish any day.\u00a0 Buying the best ingredients you can get your hands on will also remove a great deal of the work.\u00a0 Good quality meat will need no disguising and fresh, local, in season vegetables will taste great naturally and will create the \u2018wow\u2019 for you.<\/p>\n