We all have those moments in our lives when we feel as if
everything needs to be exactly right. It is these moments that we often refer to as special
occasions. When it comes to cooking for special occasions, many of us find that we drop the ball in
our anticipation and feel as though we have ruined the moment. While this is often far from the
truth, it does serve to diminish the moment in many of our minds. For this reason, you need to work
up a repertoire, if you will, of simple to make special occasion cooking recipes.
You will be shocked and amazed at all the sinfully rich and delicious meals and side
dishes that are out there, that are amazingly quick and easy to prepare. This means that you will
not run the all too common disaster scenarios that you hear about and will still manage to have a
wonderful meal that is enjoyed by all.
The trick is in choosing a rather simple meat dish and dressing it up with the more decadent side
dishes. Incredibly rich side dishes that are simple to prepare are greater in number than meat
dishes that require little culinary effort. You should also keep in mind the audience for your
special occasion. Sometimes a family favorite makes the occasion seem much more special than an all
out effort for chicken cordon bleu or veal Marsala. There is no point in going to an extreme effort
to create a culinary masterpiece if it is going to be riddled with picky children proclaiming that
they do not like this or that about your meal.
Another great idea when it comes to cooking for special occasions is to prepare as much as possible
ahead of time in order to alleviate the pressure during the event and to allow you more time to
enjoy the event rather than dealing with the details of meal preparation. The greatest gift you can
really give yourself when cooking for special occasions is the time necessary in order to enjoy
these special occasions. This is not to say that there isn't some cooking that will need to be
done.
Foods that can be prepared ahead of time and reheated just prior to serving are often the best when
it comes to cooking for special occasions. There are all kinds of appetizers, entrees, and desserts
that will work perfectly in this particular instance. You can often find them by performing a
simple Google search online or by sorting through many of your favorite cookbooks at home. The
important thing is that you do not get so caught up in the idea of cooking for special occasions
that you forget to actually enjoy the occasion.
If this is not the way you prefer to do things that is perfectly understandable. Some of us do
thrive in high stress situations. The key for those who prefer to do all the meal preparation when
cooking for special occasions at the time of cooking is planning properly and allowing plenty of
time for possible hiccups in the process. Mistakes occur when people feel rushed and hurried in
their culinary efforts.
Another common mistake that is made when cooking for special occasions is cooking outside of your
comfort zone. When you are preparing a challenging recipe it is best if you do this during a time
when you are not going through the stress of potential visitors or insuring the best possible of
circumstances. In other words, it is best to challenge your culinary talents when you do not have a
vested interest in success.
Special occasions are a great time for friends and family. The hope is that you will have many
special occasions throughout your life. Do not waste too much time and energy fretting over cooking
for special occasions. Instead, put all of your effort into enjoying those occasions.
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