San Francisco vegan personal chef Stacey Ellis of
Herb’n Vegan, who hosts her own sell-out dinner parties
at her home through cookapp.com, also inquires if any of
her guests have special dietary needs. “When I was transitioning to a 100 percent vegan diet 10 years ago, there
was nothing more stressful than the holidays, because so
much revolves around parties and dining in other peoples’
homes,” she says. “It’s a time of year when people love to
feature treasured family recipes that are decadent and
memorable beyond belief, but not always health conscious.”
Lenkert says plenty of appetizers and traditional holiday dishes are naturally gluten-free, such as roasts, mashed
potatoes and Brussels sprouts, but there are simple ways to
make the usually off-limits dishes accessible too. “Thicken
gravy with cornstarch, arrowroot or a gluten-free flour mix;
I like Cup4Cup, but it does include dairy. Swap regular bread-crumbs for a gluten-free version of stuffing or meatballs or
over your gratins. Use a gluten-free piecrust or order a gluten-free dessert from a local bakery, like Flour Craft,” she says.
“Gravies, salad dressings, ready-made crab cakes, anything
marinated or seasoned with soy sauce are a few common
(gluten sensitivity) culprits.” Be careful not to inadvertently
include gluten via spice mixes and premade sauces.
Ellis advises limiting the number of dishes that contain
milk or butter by using soy milk and a nondairy butter sub-
stitute like Earth Balance or a good olive oil. “Switch out
beef and chicken broths for veggie broth — I like the Pacific
brand — in your stuffing and bake it in a casserole dish,
instead of the turkey,” she says. “Rather than put cheese
into sides and salads, put out a cheese tray, so people who
are avoiding dairy can still enjoy your dishes, and those who
love cheese will have a whole platter to enjoy.”
When you do put out the spread, Lenkert suggests, “make
it easy on yourself and guests; if it’s not obvious what’s in a
dish, present a note card that lists ingredients.”
5 The Traditional Sit-Down Dinner
Nothing says “the holidays” more than the traditional meal
with all the fixings and a beautiful formal table setting. Moira
Gubbins, owner of Marin’s Parties, Parties, Parties, likes
name cards and assigned seating for a formal dinner. “This
is an element of the party where you can have your personal
vision of the party design or theme come through,” she says.
“Hiring a calligrapher for place cards or other directional
signs is a great touch, and it ties the entire event together.”
If you aren’t preparing your favorite noshes that have been
passed down through generations of family recipes, consider a
nontraditional menu. So many people are avoiding some kind
of food these days, whether it’s animal products, dairy, carbs
or gluten. That makes creating the menu more of a challenge
than pulling out Grandma’s recipe box, but it’s rewarding when
your guests appreciate the thought you put in. M
