Whether you have people over for meals frequently or rarely, it’s likely that you have repeat guests. You may have a few specialties that you like to serve those guests- dishes that you have invented/ are famous for/ cause people to lick their fingers and/or plates. However, you’re not Macdonalds; you probably don’t want to serve the same thing all the time.
That’s where a little notebook could help you out. This vintage book was featured on thekitchn.com:
It could be the answer to two cooking problems:
1. Remembering which cookbook a recipe is in.
I like cookbooks very much, and while I have pared down the collection, there are still quite a few. Each has recipes that I have made, or will make. The trick is, when I want to make that recipe again, I don’t want to have to go through the whole collection to find it. A recipe index is just a list of those favorites, and which book & page they’re in. An index card in the recipe box or a page in the binder accomplishes the same thing at no extra cost.
2. Remembering what you served to whom.
The “record of entertaining and menus” helps you remember those details, allowing for repeats of successes, avoiding repeat failures, and adding the variety which is the spice of life and meal planning.
In addition to the date, menu, and guest list, I would add a note about allergies or special food requirements. When inviting people for the first time, it’s thoughtful to ask if they have any allergies or aversions, and making a note of that for next time shows twice as much consideration. Plus, you will be spared the expense of buying lobster for people who are allergic to shellfish.
Again, a few pages in the recipe binder will do just as well.
both photos: thekitchn.com
