How to Stay Party-Ready

• April 3, 2023
• Entertaining

If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

By Erin Henderson
 
Let me set the scene of my corner of Toronto over these past early-spring, double-digit days: neighbours sharing a drink on their front porches. Friends gathered on balconies for cheese and wine. Hipsters picnicking in the sun, cans of craft beer in tow.
 
As soon as the warm weather muscles out the cold and damp leftovers of winter, the collective mood lifts with the clouds.
 
It’s these unexpected early days of warmth when the fabulous days catch you by surprise, giving you the energy and inspiration to invite neighbours over for an impromptu gathering.
 
If last-minute soirées leave you scrambling to be the host with the most – and BTW, sending your honey to the closest convenience store for some chips n’ dip will not help you capture the Ultimate Hostess crown – I’ve got a few tricks up my spring sleeve.
 
Now, I literally throw parties for a living, so I do have a bit of a leg up on the rest of the hurried and over-worked community. But when my friends come over, whether it’s for a fête that’s been planned for weeks, or spontaneous cocktails on the balcony, I always have a few elements that are elegant, enticing, and delicious. (If you would like to see how I put together a cocktail party à la minute, our video on how to host a cocktail party has well over three-thousand views.)
 
Below is my list of a few things I always have on hand. Often, especially when it comes to the bar, I have more, but this bare minimum list is what allows me to throw a welcoming bash on the fly.

 
In the fridge:

• 1 bottle each white, pink, and sparkling wine (I have people over at least once a week, so I go through these bottles quickly. If you entertain less, don’t keep your wines in the fridge for more than a month or two – it’s too humid and active.)
• 1 hunk of hard cheese. I switch this up with whatever looks good: Manchego, aged cheddar, Comte, or Gruyere are on heavy rotation. (Hard cheeses last much, much longer than soft, creamy cheeses, so they’re a safer bet for the long haul.)
• 1 container of nuts. I’m really digging pistachios these days. (Nuts go rancid quickly at room temperature. Buy smaller quantities and store in the fridge.)
• 1 jar (at least) of a cheeseboard-worthy spread. This could be grainy mustard, hot pepper jelly, or olive tapenade.
• Citrus. Lots. 
• Simple syrup. I make about a cup every week and keep it in a sealed jar. It’s cheap and super-fast to prepare, so if it’s a slow cocktail week I don’t feel guilty about dumping it and making a fresh batch after seven days.
• Olives. Right now, I’m really into lemon-stuffed but you can also get my marinaded olive recipe here.   

In the freezer:

• A 3 lb bag of ice. Always. No exceptions.

In the pantry:

• 1 box (at least) of crackers, savoury shortbreads, or Taralli Italian breadstick/crackers.
• 1 jar of butter beans. (I serve these sprinkled with lemon zest, olive oil, and sea salt. So simple but so freaking delicious.)
• 1 bag (at least) of premium chips. I ocellate between salt and vinegar or plain Kettle chips, truffle chips from Spain, and vegetable chips (which aren’t healthy at all, but are tasty, colourful, and pretty).
• 1 jar of garlic confit (you can drizzle this over cheese, spread it on crostini, add it to pasta, or use it as a dip. And it's super simple to make.)
• 1 jar preserved lemons (for the same reasons as garlic confit. I make my own, but it's easy to find in stores.)
• A box of good quality pasta (you never know when the party will run long and people get hungry and you need to whip something together quickly).
• Capers (store in the fridge after opening).
• Garlic
• Onions (I often make pickled and caramelized onions as well which are brilliant additions to cheeseboards).
• 1 loaf of really good quality bread, such as Black Bird (but my sis, who is an absolute alchemist when it comes to baking often makes me a loaf).
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Maldon salt (and many other varieties as well).
• Good quality tonic water and sparkling water. 

In the cellar/on the bar

• 1 mixed case (12 bottles) of white, rosé, red and sparkling wine (these are back-ups to what’s kept chilled in the fridge).
• 1 bottle London Dry gin.
• 1 bottle Irish whiskey.
• 1 bottle each sweet and dry vermouth.
• 1 bottle brandy (necessary for French 75 cocktails.)
• 1 jar good quality maraschino cherries.
• Bitters (at least Angostura, if not something bright like citrus and warming like coffee or pecan.)