It can be a challenge to prepare a healthy feast during the holidays. However, I was able to pick up great advice on the subject by attending a cooking class given by Christina Pirello, Emmy Award winning host of the national public television series "Christina Cooks]", and author of two cookbooks. Christina's cooking style focuses on whole foods, also known as "macrobiotics", and nutrition, so I was very curious to learn how she would create "a sumptuous holiday feast" as promised by the title of the class. I was also very interested to learn her recommendations for making whole food recipes that would be enticing to guests who liked the traditional American diet of meat, fats and sugar. Before I scare you away, let me say that I fall into the latter category. But I have family members who are vegetarian and pay much closer attention to their fat and sugar intake, so I always face the challenge of planning meals that will appeal to all.
Christina started by admitting that when you choose to eat healthy foods, the holidays can be even more stressful than they already are. She offered three options for dealing with it:
- Stay home by yourself (not much fun).
- Show up with a big bowl of seaweed and impose your dietary preferences on everyone.
- Go with the flow, and bring food that will make people say, "this looks like real food".
Making healthy food look like "real food" is what Christina's cooking is all about. If you are hosting the gathering, she recommends not telling your guests in advance that the meal will be meatless. Just invite your guests to a holiday meal. If you decide not to be so bold, you can serve a turkey, ham or other roast alongside your whole foods menu. Whatever you decide to serve, the objective of a holiday gathering is that everyone feels happy and comfortable.
One of the other challenges I have always found when entertaining with whole foods is the time required to prepare all the vegetables and grains. When you prepare a roast you can simply season it and pop it in the oven. With vegetarian meals, however, you have to do a lot of slicing and dicing. Fortunately, most of the recipes prepared in this class could be prepared in advance and then reheated, or you can at least cut the vegetables the day before.
Whichever camp you fall into, vegetarian or meat eating, her advice about being concerned for the enjoyment of all your guests should apply. If you eat a typical American diet, but you have guests with any special dietary restrictions, try to offer at least a few dishes they will enjoy. And if you are the host following a special diet, don't force everyone to adopt your way of eating if it is unusual or unappetizing. After all, entertaining is not about trying to win converts to your cause; it's about creating an enjoyable experience for yourself, your family and friends.
