We asked Western entertainment maestro Tim Love what to consider when throwing a holiday party for friends and family.
Want to learn how to keep the ice in your cocktails from melting during your holiday party? Acclaimed chef and restauranteur Tim Love gives you all of that and more with these tips and recipes for throwing your own stress-free holiday party.
Love At The Holidays
My greatest wish for the new year ahead is that people just work hard, mind their own business, and just be nice to each other! We do that, and lots and lots of other great things will come from that. – Tim Love
Prepare, Prepare! (To Have Fun Yourself)
“I think when you're hosting a party, preparation is most certainly the key. I can't say it enough. When you have a party, the most important thing is to figure out a way for you to have fun also, and that's the hardest thing, because you're constantly trying to make sure all your guests are having a good time. A person that's really good at throwing parties figures out a way for them to have the best time out of anybody, and the way to do that is by preparation. A well-planned and prepared meal, a well-prepped couple of cocktails that are all ready before your guests arrive — with the exception of maybe heating something up — is imperative.”
Easy Does It
“Growing up in Texas, we ate a lot of casseroles. You put them in the oven, pull them out, and everyone eats. But I like to prepare something a little more sophisticated than that when I can. If you're going to have anything grilled, for instance, the best way to do it is to go ahead and have everything grilled ahead of time and let it sit at room temperature. Then when you're ready, you just flash everything in the oven for five minutes. Especially steaks — they're really easy. Chicken is really easy. Fish is a little more complicated, but really not that much. You want to grill it to about two-thirds of what you want it to be, and when you're read for your guests to eat, you just pop it in the oven for five minutes or pop it in the broiler for two to three minutes, whatever it takes. It just makes it a lot simpler. As a guy, you want to show off your grill and all these other things, but that's really not the smart thing to do. Just go ahead and take care of everything in advance. Have it ready and just heat it up.”
Ice, Ice, Baby ...
“It's the same with the cocktails. Everyone wants to show off the cocktails they make, but instead make recipe cards for your guests. Put them by the pitcher of cocktails you already have made, and then when you're guests arrive, add the ice. And whatever you do, have five times the amount of ice you think you need. Everybody runs out of ice, and it's the worst feeling on the planet. You can't make a drink if you don't have ice.”
Love & Cocktails
My most wonderful Christmas memory? There are too many to list, but I always love having all my brothers and sisters together and celebrating, breaking bread, and enjoying cocktails. Some current favorites are Gingerbread Espresso and Holiday Spritz. – Tim Love
Gingerbread Espresso
Ingredients
2 ounces cold brew cinnamon vanilla
1 ounce milk
1 ounce Kahlua
1 once chai-tea-inflused Absolut Elyx vodka
Shake and strain over ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Holiday Spritz
Ingredients
3 ounces Aperol
1 ½ ounces cranberry juice
2 ½ ounces Mumm Napa Sparkling Wine
¾ ounce Beefeater Gin
Splash of club soda
Pour over ice. Garnish with bruléed cranberries and a rosemary sprig.
Cue The Tunes
Make sure you have great music already prepped and ready to go. Make sure your music system is ready to go. We all know we have technical difficulties no matter how expensive the system we have. So, turn it on, and get it going before the guests arrive. It just makes life a lot easier when you do simple things like that. As for the music itself, the first song I put on my holiday playlist is “White Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.” – Tim Love
Love Holiday Playlist
“Winter Wonderland” by Pat Green
“Present Without a Bow” by Kacey Musgraves and Leon Bridges
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Jack Johnson
“What Child Is This” by David Lanz
“Silent Night” by Sarah McLachlan
“Ave Maria” by Harry Connick Jr.
“Prayer of St. Francis” by Sarah McLachlan
“I Saw the Path of the Angels” by David Lanz
“Song for a Winter's Night” by Sarah McLachlan
“The First Noel.Christmas Eve Waltz” by David Lanz
“What Child Is This?” (“Greensleeves”) by Sarah McLachlan
“Angel of Hope” by David Lanz
“Gabriel's Message” by Sting
“River” by Sarah McLachlan
“Someday at Christmas” by Jack Johnson
“I'll Be Home for Christmas” by Sarah McLachlan
“Wintersong” by Sarah McLachlan
“O Holy Night” by David Lanz
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sarah McLachlan
“White Christmas” by Frank Sinatra
You can find Tim Love's complete Love Holiday playlist on Spotify.