Tips for Fabulous Entertaining

Chef and Cookbook Author Michael Schwartz Offers Must-Have Ingredients and Essential Entertaining Tips for the Holidays and Beyond

Becoming a fantastic host and a proficient cook isn’t as complicated as it may seem. All it takes is a few great ingredients and simple entertaining tricks.

Chef Michael Schwartz, spokesperson for the International Olive Council’s Add Some Life campaign and author of MICHAEL’S GENUINE FOOD: Down-to-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat, says you don’t need years of experience or a kitchen full of professional-grade gadgets and tools. Keep a few great recipes and unique entertaining secrets up your sleeve and your guests will be wowed every time.

Here are Chef Schwartz’s favorite entertaining tips:

When entertaining, I like to keep an arsenal of ingredients on hand that can be combined to make a variety of flavorful dishes, including olive oil, olives, citrus, artisan cheeses and quality proteins, such as meat and fish.

Olive oil and olives add life and flavor to menus and are essential ingredients for entertaining year-round. They are staples in my kitchens at home and at work because they are so versatile, offer a variety of flavors, and have numerous health benefits.

My other favorite “go to” ingredients after olive oil and olives include citrus—such as lemons and oranges—that can be used in a variety of recipes, artisan cheeses that can stand alone as appetizers, and quality protein like steak and fish which I use for quick recipes of all kinds.

One dish that illustrates how these flavors come together is my Grilled Skirt Steak with Fennel and Citrus Salad and Olive Tapenade, which showcases the wonderful flavors of both olive oil and olives. A lot of people like steak, and this recipe combines grilled skirt steak with the fresh, almost summery flavors of fennel and citrus, which is a nice change of pace from heavy fare. This is an easy dish that looks complicated but isn’t.

Having something for your guests to eat or drink when they walk in the door is important, even if it’s something simple like a bowl of olives or some cheese and crackers. I also like to have a signature cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage to serve when guests arrive. One fun recipe that uses olives in a unique way is Black Olive Cola, a briny, citrusy drink that is unexpected and a nice twist from traditional wine or heavier cocktails.

Finishing the evening on a high note is also important. One dessert I love to serve is my pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith’s Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine, Rosemary and Pine Nuts. It’s sweet and savory, a rich yet better-for-you dessert perfect for all occasions.

My final tip is to have fun and make sure to spend time with your guests. What many guests remember is a special twist you made to the evening, but furthermore, that they were able to enjoy the evening with you, their host.

For all of these recipes, as well as more great entertaining recipes and tips, visit www.AddSomeLife.org.

About Chef Michael Schwartz: Chef Schwartz is a James Beard award winner and chef and owner of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, an ingredient-driven, farm-to-table restaurant with locations in Miami and Grand Cayman. He recently released his first cookbook, MICHAEL’S GENUINE FOOD: Down-to-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat. He has appeared nationally on a number of programs, including TODAY Show, MARTHA: The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, After Hours with Daniel Boulud, Top Chef, Simply Ming with Ming Tsai, and Fresh Food Fast with Emeril Lagasse on the Cooking Channel. He also works with an elementary school in Miami as part of the national Chefs Move to Schools initiative started by first lady Michelle Obama. He has helped students replant an edible school garden, and has taught kids, parents and cafeteria cooks where healthy, tasty food originates and how easy it is to prepare meals with fresh ingredients.