Welcome to one of my very favorite holiday traditions!

For nearly ten years, come the second week of December, I have hosted my vegan Christmas Curry & Cakes Party. This year’s iteration, known more recently as the Christmas/Chanuka Curry and Cakes Party (or “CC&C” for short) was held on December 10. Wednesday nights early in the season seem to work out best for my friends.

This stream-lined party is simple enough to pull together for a weeknight, especially if you invite one of the guests to come over and cook a couple of nights before, as I did this year for the first time. Unlike in years past, I had done nothing in advance other than purchase the favors because we had had weekend guests and adopted our new dog Minnie (see her sweet photo and story in an earlier post.) Mary Beth and I had such a pleasant evening cooking that I’m going to make that an annual tradition too! (Thanks, Mary Beth!)

CC&C started out as a potluck well over a decade ago in Joe’s and my first house. But I really wanted to pamper my friends, so I developed a super-easy make-ahead menu. Why curry? My Thai-inspired (but not authentic) version of this savory stew-like dish is edible aroma-therapy, not to mention delicious, nutritious, beautiful and satisfying. Served with heaping bowls of crunchy, creamy and chewy condiments, it is also a lot of festive fun for guests.

Some of my earlier iterations of this curry were far more time consuming because they involved lots of chopping. Now, however, keeping both nutrition, taste, and convenience in mind, I use a combination of high-quality prepared, frozen and fresh ingredients. For example, using frozen cubed potatoes saves lots of prep time without sacrificing their healthful properties. And canned pumpkin actually concentrates the beta-carotene and vitamin A. Fresh spinach added at the very end to preserve its color and texture also lends a just-from-the-earth taste that nothing else can.

Serve the tasty amalgamation over plain jasmine rice with a cucumber-red onion-pineapple side salad, lots of sidecars to “dress” the curry, your favorite beverage (white wine, sparkling or not, is just right), a special dessert and coffee or tea. (On a given year, “Cakes” might become other “C” desserts: cupcakes, cookies, or even pumpkin cannoli!) Toss in a few Dollar Tree favors and, presto!, you have a party to which everyone will want to return year after year. And the very thought of it won’t make you want to go lie down.

See Tips, Timeline and Stations following these recipes:

Vegan Cocktail Nibbles
(optional–I usually serve the meal fairly early and often disband with nibbles.)

Blue Diamond brand nuts now offers a “Bold” line of smoked almonds. Try the chili-lime, jalapeno, and Maui onion and garlic.

Vegan Multi-Cultural Curry

Approximately 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-large yellow onions, coarsely chopped (buy them already peeled to save time)
5 cloves garlic, minced (these can be purchased in a jar, already peeled, as well)
1 generous tablespoon each ground cumin, coriander and curry powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-32 ounce bag frozen hash browned potatoes
1-29 ounce can pureed pumpkin
3-15.5 ounce cans black beans, including juice
1-18.3 ounce box Campbell’s “Select” Butternut Squash Soup
1-32 ounce box vegetable stock or broth (stock is richer in taste)
1 jar peanut satay sauce from Thai section of international isle of supermarket (size is not critical)
1 squeeze bottle of lime juice (approximately 4 ounces)
2-14 ounce cans lite coconut milk
2/3 of 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (approximately 18 ounces)
16 ounces of fresh, pre-washed baby spinach

Open all containers first to speed preparation. Then, in an 8-quart stock pot (or larger), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften. Add garlic and continue sautéing until onion and garlic are soft and beginning to turn golden. Stir in spices and salt and pepper. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until defrosted. Stir in next eight ingredients and heat through. Remove from heat and let cool completely, which will take a while due to size of pot. Refrigerate covered. Add spinach when you reheat the curry to serve so that the spinach will retain its color.

Rice
9 cups of water
salt
6 cups jasmine rice (for Indian curries, use basmati rice)

Place rice in a colander or strainer and rinse under cool running water until water runs clear (not milky). Bring water and a pinch of salt to a boil in large pot over high heat. Stir in rice. Cover tightly, lower heat to medium to medium-high and simmer for 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand approximately 10 minutes. Fluff with a large fork. Spoon rice into a large oiled casserole dish (or two) and allow to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate. See “Timeline” for heating instructions. Check for heat all the way through. If you are not quite ready to serve the meal when rice is hot, turn off oven, crack open the door, and leave rice in oven covered for a few more minutes, or place in warming drawer.

Sidecars
Approximately 2 cups of each to serve 20

Peanuts or Cashews
Sliced Green Onions
Fresh Cilantro Leaves (rinse, dry and pinch leaves off stems)
Lime Wedges
Chutney (any flavor–this year, I was running low, so I mixed mango chutney with pear butter–delicious!)
Plain or Toasted Coconut (To toast, spread in a thin layer in a metal pan and toast at 350 degrees for approximately 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently and watching carefully, as it burns easily. Pour into a bowl to cool. Store covered.)
Dried Cranberries or Golden Raisins
Optional: finely diced medium-hot peppers (1 scant cup should be plenty)

Place in individual bowls. Cover and refrigerate those items that should remain cold until serving time. Serve with small spoons or forks.

Vegan Cucumber-Onion-Pineapple Salad
10 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded (by scraping down the middle with a spoon), and sliced into 1/3” slices
2 medium-large red onions, diced
Approximately 20 ounces of pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained
½ cup granulated sugar
1-12 ounce bottle rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Combine vegetables and fruit. Sprinkle with sugar and pour vinegar over. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust sugar, vinegar and seasoning as desired. Stir twice during the first hour and, thereafter, a couple of times each day until party time.

TIPS
Scheduling
· Plan the party for early in the week in order to take advantage of the weekend for some of the party preparation.
· Consider you and your friends’ schedules when choosing a start-time for the party so as not to create an awkward gap between when they leave work—if they are employed outside their homes—and when they should arrive for the party, nor a party that ends too late for those who rise early. You’ll also want time to freshen up and do a little last-minute preparation.
· Ask one or two guests to come about 30 minutes early to help with the last-minute tasks like filling the ice bucket and water glasses and lighting candles. Provide them with lists.
· Make your party an annual event (spiced up with slight changes each year) in order to get the preparation down to a “science,” meaning that you become increasingly efficient and relaxed.
· If you have your home professionally cleaned, schedule your housekeeper for the day of the party. Consider splurging on a “morning after” partial cleaning, as well.

Guests and Invitations
· If your friends are computer-users, email computer-designed “save-the-date” cards, invitations and even thank you notes (for those who bring hostess gifts). It is considerably more efficient, eco-friendly and inexpensive than shopping for cards and mailing them. (Save-the-date cards are especially critical if you throw your party during the busy winter holiday season.)
· Invite no more guests than you can seat comfortably. But don’t feel that everyone must eat at one table or even in one room. Consider “restaurant style” dining, seating some people at your kitchen or breakfast room table and some at a covered card table in your foyer as I do. Allow guests to choose their seats so that no one feels balkanized.

Menu and Serving
· Make everything ahead—doing a little preparation each evening over the course of three days—and keep the menu simple: main dish, salad, dessert and basic beverages. Consider inviting one of the guests to help cook as I did this year.
· Use a combination of high-quality prepared ingredients for convenience and fresh ingredients to boost the flavors, colors and textures.
· Skip appetizers—set out small bowls of nuts—and have the meal ready to eat very soon after guests arrive, as most people prefer to eat lighter on weeknights and end the evening earlier.
· Serve everything—beverages, meal and dessert—buffet style. Save table-setting time by including silverware on the buffet. Stand the silverware up in a heavy glass to save space.
· Map out in your mind—or on paper—where you will place your serving stations and try to prevent bottlenecks.
· For beverages, offer iced water, coffee or tea with dessert (decaf is a good idea for weeknights) and, if you choose to serve alcohol, only red and white wine in order to save time, space and money.
· Using ceramic, glass and stainless or silver dinner- and flatware makes the evening feel more special—and is more friendly to the environment.

Decorations and Favors
· Consider scheduling the party soon after a major holiday—or some other kind of party—so that your home is already decorated.
· Or skip the decorations altogether and let all of your dishes, glasses, flatware, serving pieces, coasters and napkins—not to mention the food, favors and guests—provide all of the color, sparkle and visual interest necessary. But do light a few candles. Placing them on mirror tiles enhances the illumination.
· Shop for deals on favors throughout the year and stash them until party time. Dollar stores are a great resource. Pop the favors in gift bags with a flourish of colorful tissue paper–or not–and place them at each guest’s place or, for Christmas, under the tree. Or leave them unwrapped and place them in a large basket or bowl by the front door.

Miscellaneous
· Make notes after the party about what worked well and what you would do differently the next time and file for easy retrieval.
· Set the mood with music and be prepared to raise and lower the volume as the evening progresses to allow for easy conversation.
· If the evening is cold and/or wet, have a plan for wraps and umbrellas.

TIMELINE

Anytime Throughout the Year
· Keep an eye out for inexpensive favors. When you find the perfect items, purchase and stash them. (Or make them if you have time.) If using gift bags, pick them up at the same time.

2 Months Before
· Purchase or design save-the-date cards and mail or, preferably, email them.

1 Month Before
· Purchase or design invitations and mail or again, preferably, email them. Always include an rsvp deadline along with a phone number and an email address if applicable. Keep track of responses on your computer. It’s nice to have the guest list saved for subsequent years.

1 Week Before
· Email a quick “looking forward to seeing you” message as a reminder for your busy friends.
· Put favors in gift bags, if using them, and store in a spare closet or bedroom.
· Make grocery list and put it where you can find it easily.
· Plan serving stations and borrow any cooking or serving pieces necessary.

4 Days Before
· Check pantry and refrigerator, adjust list and grocery shop (allow about 1 hour for shopping and putting groceries away).

3 Days Before
· Decorate, if desired (allow approximately 1½ hours).

2 Days Before
· Make curry, salad and rice (allow about 3 hours for cooking and cleaning up kitchen unless you share the duties with a friend, which I highly recommend.) Store rice in an oiled and covered oven-safe dish. It reheats beautifully at 350 degrees in about 15 or so minutes.

1 Day Before
· Make dessert.
While it bakes, do the following:
· Cook rice.
· Prepare condiments (slice green onions, pinch cilantro, slice limes, toast coconut and chop optional peppers), place all condiments in bowls, cover and refrigerate as necessary.
· Set tables with tablecloths or placemats, napkins and coasters. Everything else will be placed on the buffet stations. Set out favors.
· Run the dishwasher when you go to bed.

Day of the Party
Wake up a little early and:
· Unload the dishwasher.
· Set buffet stations (beverage, bar, main meal, and coffee/tea) with plates or bowls, glassware, cups, flatware, trivets and serving pieces. See “Stations.”

One Hour Before Guests Arrive:
· Set curry, rice, and salad and dessert (if appropriate) out of refrigerator. Place curry on stove, rice in oven, and salad and dessert at their stations. Note: some fragile refrigerated desserts should stay cold until serving time.

45 Minutes Before Guests Arrive:
· Set condiments out on buffet.
· Transfer dessert(s) to serving platters and lacet back in refrigerator if necessary, display or, do as I do because of our big dogs and leave in the laundry room or a similar place until you can clear a little space on the buffet.
· Open a couple of bottles of both white and red wine.
· Pour half-and-half or milk into creamer.

30 Minutes Before Guests Arrive:
(This is when it helps to have a guest arrive early to help.)
· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
· Begin heating curry on stove over medium-hit heat, covered, stirring frequently. When it begins to simmer, reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally. Remember to add the spinach toward the end.
· Switch on outdoor lighting.
· Put water in glasses and ice in bucket.
· Put coffee and water in coffee maker and switch on. (Pour coffee into insulated carafe and make a second pot if desired.)
· Put cocktail nuts in 2-3 bowls in various locations.
· Put on some music.
· Light candles.

15 Minutes Before Guests Arrive:
· Place rice in oven, covered.

When First Guests Arrive:
· Check rice to see if it is heated through. If so, turn off oven, but leave rice, covered, in it. If not, check again in a few minutes and, when hot, turn oven off.

Just Before Serving:
· Set casserole dish of rice onto trivet.
· Spoon curry into serving bowl on trivet and cover loosely with foil if desired. Leave remainder warming on stove. Check and stir occasionally.

At Serving Time:
· Remove covers from any dishes that are still covered.
· Invite a few guests to the buffet station to get the flow started.

Throughout the Meal:
· Replenish curry as necessary from pot on stove.
· Open new bottles of wine and refill water pitcher/ice bucket as needed.
· When most everyone has had their last serving, clear a little space on the buffet and set out desserts with small plates
· As the party begins to wind down, start loading the dishwasher, hand washing items, clearing the buffet and tidying stations and tables, without rushing guests, some of whom will undoubtedly offer to help. Let them.
· Send leftovers home with guests if desired; store the rest appropriately.
· See to miscellaneous tasks like dumping and draining the water pitcher and ice bucket, putting linens in the laundry, etc.
· Extinguish candles and start the dishwasher as you head to bed.

Morning After
Rise a little early and do the following as time and inclination dictates:
· Unload the dishwasher.
· Put away hand washed items.
· Generally tidy up anything left from the night before, saving what you are unable to get done until later.

Soon After the Party
· Write and mail/email any thank-you notes necessary.
· Return any borrowed items.

STATIONS

· Beverage Station
Ice bucket and scoop/tongs, plus a saucer to lay it on
· Ice
· Pitcher with water
· Glasses
· Beverage napkins

Bar
· Red and white wine plus bottle coasters, if desired
· Wine Opener
· Small Bowl (to contain corks and seals removed from bottles)
· Wine Glasses
· Wine Charms, if desired, for identifying glasses
· Beverage Napkins

Dinner Station
· Plates
· Trivets and Serving Bowls (in this order: rice, curry, condiments, salad)
· Serving Utensils (lay in front of each trivet/bowl)
· Forks/Spoons (stand them up in a short/heavy glass)

Coffee Station
· Coffeemaker plus coffee, filter and water (borrow a large one if needed)
· If serving tea: a pot for heating hot water, tea bags
· Insulated carafe(s) if necessary (e.g. to offer caffeinated and decaf, coffee and tea, or if making two or more smaller batches of coffee)
· Cups (and saucers if desired)
· Soy creamer, sugar and artificial sweeteners plus dispensers
· Saucer with one spoon (to save clean-up time, everyone stirs with the same spoon)
· Beverage Napkins

Dessert Station
· Serving Tray or Bowl (depending on dessert)
· Trivet (if necessary)
· Serving Utensil(s) (knife, pie server, etc.)
· Optional: small saucer on which to rest serving utensil to keep it off counter
· Forks or Spoons (stand them up in a short, heavy glass)
· Dessert Napkins

Dining Tables
· Tablecloths or Placemats
· Coasters
· Dinner Napkins
· Salt and Paper Shakers
· Candles
· Favors (if not placing them in a basket or bowl near the door or under the tree)