Happy holidays!

Mindy Weiss, party planner to such stars as Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Lopez and Eva Longoria Parker to name a few, recently shared a few tips with People magazine on making your fete fabulous.  Here’s what she had to say:

1.  Don’t use disposables.  This is the perfect time to bring out the dishes you’ve always wanted to use.  Be green!

2.  Find out if your guests have any dietary concerns - people will remember that you took the time to ask.

3.  Don’t play music too loud unless you are dancing.  People want to socialize and not have to speak over the music.

4.  No budget for flowers?  Light up your event with candles: You get much more bang, and it creates a romantic, sexy and beautiful glow for any occasion.

5.  No matter how hard you worked on this party - and yes, we know you are tired - look fabulous!  Do your hair and makeup.  Your guests will wonder at how calm and smooth you are.

Photo from MindyWeiss.com.

They’re the perfect little size when you want to do a quick stir-fry, and you can use the duck sauce with a little bit of the hot mustard and soy sauce to make a great glaze for grilled chicken or roasted asparagus.  By themselves, they make a quick dipping sauce for what you may be cooking up.  Free and easy … it doesn’t get much better than that.

“Stenciling designs on frosted or unfrosted cakes.  Place cookie cutters on top and fill with sprinkles, powdered sugar, or cocoa powder.”

A great, unique way to easily dress up cake in a flash.

Photo: MorgueFile/Cohdra

• Heat gently, not for extended periods of time.
• Add flour or cornstarch to cheese sauces, and cook over low heat.
• Grate cheese extra-fine so it melts evenly.
• Add a small amount of acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, to aid the melting process.

There are many different paths to make it all manageable. Some organize their recipes in a program like MasterCook, others do it in a recipe card file box. Once you decide the method, you can then sort your recipes by category, season or plain and simple, alphabetical.

When printing out recipes from the internet, a lot of sites (like AllRecipes and Top Secret Recipes, for example) give the option to print the recipe in a handy 3×5 size, which makes it easy for those going the route of the card file.

Whichever way you go, everyone has the same old dilemma … so many recipes, so little time.

A recent issue of Fine Cooking magazine detailed the 10 Fridge Essentials You Can’t Live Without:

“Most of us are good about keeping essentials like butter, milk and eggs on hand in our refrigerators.  But there are a few other items that a busy cook’s well-stocked fridge should never be without.  These are the ingredients that, when paired with a few pantry staples and a little imagination, can save you a trip to the market when it’s time to figure out what’s for dinner tonight.”

Lemons - they will keep in a refrigerator for about two weeks and punch up a variety of meals like soups, sauces and side dishes.

Dijon Mustard - a great addition to vinaigrettes, it’s an obvious condiment choice as well.

Chicken Broth - Versatile to the nth degree, you can make soups, sauces, pilafs and risotti with it.

Parmigiano Reggiano - Perfect in pastas and minestrones alike, keep a chunk in the fridge to add a just-grated intense flavor to a variety of dishes.  It will keep for about a month in the fridge.

Fresh Herbs - A quick easy way to add fresh flavor and color to any recipe.

Olives and Capers - Perfect additions to tomato sauces, and potato or pasta salads.  Olives are good for about a month in the fridge, and capers three.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Good for 3 months in the refrigerator, this is a great addition to pastas, pizzas, casseroles and gourmet sandwiches.

Fresh Ginger - Throw together a bunch of ingredients to make a last minute stir-fry, and ginger is the perfect complement.

Soy Sauce - Savory and salty, it’s a great item to add to marinades, dipping sauces and dressing alike.  Perk up broiled fish and steamed vegetables in an instant.  It lasts forever if kept in the refrigerator.

Bacon and Pancetta - Bacon makes everything better, simple as that.  If you’re not going to use the whole package of bacon or pancetta within a few days, freeze it in small batches so you can just take out what you need.

I used it for a roast chicken last weekend and it worked liked a charm.

- heat resistant to 675F/357C
- non-stick, food safe and really flexible to use
- can be used in any pan on the stove top, in the oven, in the microwave or freezer
- non-stick
- reusable and cleans up easily in soapy water or in a dishwasher (mesh dishwasher/storage bag included)

It’s available in the US, internationally and online, and if you want one of your very own, you can check this out to find the nearest source.

*Above photo from foodloop.com

- Even after you use a salad spinner, you may find yourself blotting the greens before serving.  Combine two steps in one by spinning a few paper towels in with the leaves, and they’ll come out ready to dress.

- If you run out of wax paper, use the empty bag from inside a cereal box.  The nonstick material is perfect for rolling out dough or wrapping food.

- After using up a stick of butter, fold up the wax wrapper and put it in the freezer in a plastic bag.  The next time a recipe calls for greasing the pan, unfold the wrapper and rub it all over the surface.

- After long storage, sticky foods like honey and syrup will crystallize at the cap.  Coat the lid with nonstick spray and the bottle will open with ease.

- Don’t throw out leftover wine: freeze into ice cubes for future use in recipes.

Photo: Morguefile/Ariadna