WFMW--Holiday Planning

Well, this year there will be no Thanksgiving dinner, and we don’t do Christmas, but I do host the occasional holiday dinner or other dinner party. My main tip for such events is to shop at ethnic markets if at all possible.

Many non-Western cultures view food as a necessity rather than as a curiosity, and price it accordingly. For example, when we lived in Silicon Valley, I bought all my meat from a small Afghani market within walking distance of my house. It was humanely raised and slaughtered and about half the price of the conventional meat at the grocery store across the street. Moreover, the shop-keep carved the meat in front of me. So I knew exactly what cuts went into my ground beef and watched as he cleaned his equipment before and after carving. I could also by nuts and dried fruit there cheaply and in bulk. Produce was also often less expensive, as were oil, legumes, and rice. Canned goods, sweets, preserves, and such, were true to the tastes of the local Afghan community, so while not as much of a good deal as the others, they added an inexpensive flair to my desserts and appetizers.

I also used to buy all my fish, soy sauce, sesame oil, and other Asiatic goods from a Japanese grocery store. Much like the Afghani market, the food was much less expensive than in conventional stores. Moreover, because it was Japanese, the fish was sushi-grade, meaning it was held to higher standards of safety and cleanliness than conventional fish, yet it was less expensive and available in greater variety.

Now, I lived by this advice as a general way of life, but it added up to a real savings when I was expecting company. Last spring, I hosted a party for twenty guests, and was able to prepare the whole thing for about $150—that’s $7.50 per plate!

Works for me! Check out other great Works for Me Wednesday tips for holiday preparation at We Are THAT Family.