Giada's Holiday Handbook (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Friendsgiving Party - full transcript

Yeah!

GIADA: I love the holidays,
and I also love to entertain.

Thank you!
Thanks, Giada!

In fact, over the years,

I've gathered together
my favorite recipes and ideas

to create a one-of-a-kind
holiday handbook.

It's filled with pages and pages
of cherished recipes and menus,

unique party themes,

cocktails for every occasion,

and some really
fun decorating ideas.

Whether it's a classic
Thanksgiving dinner, open house,



or Christmas with the kids,

I have everything you need
to make the party truly sparkle.

Cheers, you guys.

Bacon! Bacon!

Yeah, there you go!

Today, I'm hosting
a Friendsgiving cocktail party

and serving bite-sized versions
of the Thanksgiving dishes

we all know and love.

Plus, I'm digging
into my holiday handbook

to share
some of my tried-and-true ideas

for making the party
extra special.

It's my Friendsgiving
cocktail party,

and you're invited.

One of my favorite parties
to throw during Thanksgiving



is called Friendsgiving,

and I do it before Thanksgiving.

A party to thank all my friends

for all the fun
we had over the year.

GIADA: Try those,
because those are fun.

WOMAN: Those are fantastic.

Who wants to play a game
and eat some chocolate?

I know Eric does.

I have
a lot of different friends

from a lot of different
worlds --

my work world,
my personal world.

I want to bring them together.

And so I want to find ways that
everybody can meet each other.

And that's really the key

to a successful
Friendsgiving party.

Create conversation starters

so that your friends
can get to know each other.

That goes for everything,
from the napkins to the menu.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

I take
a Thanksgiving-menu-inspired

hors d'oeuvres-style food
from all the things

people love about Thanksgiving.

Bite-sized food that has

a Thanksgiving sort of feel
to it,

a Thanksgiving flavor to it.

So I'm making
my stuffing arancini,

Italian rice balls filled
with Thanksgiving flavors,

turkey Waldorf bites,

a little taste
of the holidays on a skewer,

charred
Brussels-sprout crostini,

a favorite side dish transformed
into a festive appetizer.

And the punch bowl
makes a comeback

with my cranberry cosmo punch.

♪♪

I make my little arancini,

which is something
a lot of my friends love.

The thing that I do differently
for arancini,

I don't actually
make a traditional risotto.

So I don't add the broth
or the liquid

a little bit at a time.

I just add it all in.
I stir it.

I let it go
for about 15 to 20 minutes.

I add corn purée and stuff in it
to kind of give it a feeling

and the flavors
of stuffing in these arancini.

And then
I put it on a sheet pan,

and I let it cool.

And you can do all that
a couple of days in advance.

And then when it's completely
cool, I'll make the rice balls.

♪♪

So, my risotto
is completely cooled.

I put it in this bowl
to make it easier to scoop out.

I'm using
a one-inch ice-cream scooper.

And these arancini
are little rice balls,

and, basically, they have
all the flavors

of my favorite
Thanksgiving stuffing,

which is cornbread stuffing.

And now we're gonna
take some chicken-apple sausage.

Just cut it in little cubes.

You can get it
at the grocery store.

You can use
whatever sausage you like.

I just really like this kind.

The flavors of the chicken apple
with the corn,

it's very Thanksgiving.

A little rosemary.

You make a little ball
like this.

Make sure that the piece
of sausage is small enough

that you can hide it
inside the rice ball,

because it's like when you
bite into it after it's fried,

it's like a little surprise
inside.

And then we put it
in a little bit of flour.

The combo of flour, egg,
and bread crumb

creates this really thin crust
around the rice.

I just beat three eggs.

And I dipped it now
into the egg,

and now we're doing panko,
which is a Japanese breadcrumb.

Very light.
Creates a really great crust.

And a little bit of cornmeal

for a little bit
of extra corn flavor,

and a little bit of texture
when you eat it.

Let me grab one of these.

You want to be careful
when you're frying.

I have about 4 cups
of vegetable oil,

and you want it to come up
to about 350 degrees.

And you just want to fry it up
for about two minutes.

There we go.

And then you make a little hole
in the center.

Take a piece
of the chicken-apple sausage.

And just kind of close it up.

When we were kids,
we used to make lots of these.

These are a very popular
Southern-Italian appetizer.

They like to make rice balls
of leftover risotto.

♪♪

Here comes the first one.

Nice and golden brown.

Look at that.

And when they're nice and hot,

I like to sprinkle them
with a little bit of salt.

And you've got to do it
when it's hot so it sticks.

All right, let's continue
making all of these arancini.

♪♪

One way
to start the conversation

is to get your friends excited
about your food

the minute
they walk into the house.

Presentation is a big part
of that.

I like to serve the arancini
on gold platters,

because they're elegant
and dramatic,

especially next
to a little candlelight.

A simple rosemary garnish
keeps these exquisite beauties

down to Earth.

And the small forks make dipping
and eating super-easy.

Sort of festive and fun,

and it's a great
conversation starter,

and it helps people to kind of
get to know each other,

in case they didn't.

Coming up, I'm digging
into my holiday handbook

to share
another Friendsgiving appetizer.

Plus, we'll get
the conversation started

with a chocolaty surprise.

GIADA: I'm opening up
my holiday handbook

to share my ideas, recipes,

and time-tested tips for
a Friendsgiving cocktail party.

My secret for success is
creating conversation starters

so my friends
can get to know each other.

I've started on my menu
of Thanksgiving appetizers --

mini versions of classic dishes.

Now my turkey Waldorf bites.

To me, a Waldorf salad
is a very fall item.

And I thought,
"Why not make them on skewers?"

I like things on skewers.

When I do a cocktail party,
I like something on a skewer.

I'll start
with my turkey meatloaf,

because it can be made
a day ahead.

It's really simple.

I add some milk to a bowl
of panko breadcrumbs, two eggs,

grated parmesan,
and some Dijon mustard and salt.

I mix it together,
add a shallot,

four diced piquillo peppers --

and these are sweet peppers,
not hot --

and some chopped basil.

And then a pound
of ground turkey.

Mix it together,
press it into a loaf pan,

and pop it in the oven
at 375 for 30 minutes.

♪♪

What I do with
the turkey meatloaf is

I cook it and then put
a heavy weight on top of it,

so it really compacts it,
makes it really dense,

so it makes it really easy
to cut in those cubes.

And you can make
those in advance.

Really fun, colorful,
easy to eat,

and a Thanksgiving flavor to it.

So, it's time for me to assemble
my turkey Waldorf bites,

and these are super-cute.

My turkey meatloaf is chilled,

and I'm gonna
take the weight off.

I'm gonna take the pan here.

And what I want to do
is just peel the paper off.

Look at that.

Pretty, pretty!

And you see how thin
the meatloaf is?

So that way, we can get a nice
cube to put on the skewers,

so it looks really pretty.

And the weight pushes it down,
so it makes it nice and dense,

so it's easy to cut,

and you get, again,
the perfect little bite.

And we're gonna cut this
just lengthwise like this.

So we end up with four strips.

And then each one, we're gonna
cut in about 10 cubes.

And see how easy it is?

You want to do it
when the meatloaf

is actually chilled, because
it makes it much easier to cut.

Okay, so I have my meatloaf.

We can put that right here.

And see how colorful it is, too?

It's gonna be perfect.

Okay, so I have my grapes.
I have my celery.

Now, time for the apple.

What I want to do with the apple

is just sort of cut it
around the core,

and we're gonna cut little cubes
out of this, as well.

And you can kind of do whatever
combination of flavors you like,

but this is, to me,
these are fall flavors.

They're also part of
the Waldorf flavors, as well.

So, I'm a big fan
of Waldorf salad,

so I thought
it would be really fun

to put that spin on skewers
for Thanksgiving.

Plus, these combos
are really good with turkey.

Easy little bites of food

that reminds us of Thanksgiving.

Perfect.

A little red apple
for sweetness.

Red grapes
for a little sweetness.

That nice bite from the celery

that's part of
the Waldorf salad.

And we're gonna grab
these pretty little skewers.

You can buy whatever kind
of skewers you like,

but, you know,
you make them fancy,

you make them
a little bit more elegant,

elevate it a little bit.

And we're gonna start with
a grape.

So take the grape.

Put it right there.

Then I take a piece of apple.

I put it there.

Then I take a piece
of celery like that.

See the color combo,
how nice it is, too?

I really like it.

And then I take
a piece of the meatloaf.

I just skewer it just like that.

And then you just
land it right on your platter.

See how pretty that is?

So, there we go.
We grab our skewer.

And we start with a grape.

Sweet, juicy grape.

Then we get an apple.

Celery.

Grab a piece of the meatloaf.

And make sure that the meatloaf,
you put it nice and flat.

Just stand it right up.

And it makes it really easy
for people to eat.

It's colorful, and it's
all the flavors of Thanksgiving.

I love to display
my turkey Waldorf bites

on a variety of platters.

So I use a combination
of flat trays and cake stands

to create different elevations.

It almost feels like you've made

more variety
than you actually have, right?

A blue runner looks great
under the platters,

and it's a nice accent
to burnt orange,

which works well
for a fall party.

I'm also a big fan
of paper napkins.

They give you the chance
to be creative

and send the perfect message.

Plus, they're a great
conversation starter.

I think that the special touches
are always in the details.

And that's what makes
the holidays so much fun.

Coming up,
a holiday handbook favorite.

My twist
on a popular Thanksgiving side.

And I'm going retro with
a cocktail that packs a punch.

GIADA: I'm digging
into my holiday handbook

to share
some tried-and-true tips

for hosting
a Friendsgiving cocktail party.

My secret to success is
creating conversation starters

so my friends
can all get to know each other.

I've started on a menu

of Thanksgiving-inspired
appetizers,

including my charred
Brussels sprout crostini.

I love Brussels sprouts.

Brussels sprouts, to me,
are very much fall.

So I make a little crostini
with ricotta cheese,

and then I broil
the Brussels sprouts

so they're almost crispy,
which I think is really yummy.

And it's sort of a different way

to introduce Brussels sprouts
to people,

and it's bite-size,
so it's easy to eat,

and people just flip over it.

And because
they're a little rustic,

I like to serve them
on simple wood platters,

which I think
are really inviting.

Slice the Brussels sprouts
really thin so you can just

broil them for about six minutes
and they're ready to go.

So it's fast
and it's very Thanksgiving.

And it's a great way
to eat Brussels sprouts.

So we're just gonna
put them all here.

Last Brussels sprout.

You know, Brussels sprouts
are one of those vegetables

that I think
sometimes people are afraid of,

but I think
when they're prepared properly

and they have lots and lots
of flavor, especially like this,

they can be
out-of-this-world divine.

The Thanksgiving feel
on a crostini.

We're gonna add some olive oil,
because we're gonna

put them under the broiler,
so we want them to get

nice and charred
and have lots of flavor.

And some salt to season them.

And some red pepper flakes
for a little bit of a kick.

Just a little.

There we go.
Mm, a little bit more.

So now I'm gonna
toss this all together.

Make sure
that the Brussels sprouts

are coated with the olive oil
and the salt,

so when you put them
in the oven,

they get nice and crispy
and charred.

Okay, so,
let's pop it under the broiler

for about six minutes.

Let's get started
on our gastrique.

Simple syrup, but we're gonna
use vinegar instead of water.

Makes it feel
like it's the holidays.

So we're gonna do
1/4 cup of sugar

and 1/4 cup
of champagne vinegar.

Turn on the stove.

We're gonna do 1/3 cup
of cranberries.

The red
with the green Brussels sprouts

looks really pretty.

So then this is gonna cook down
and simmer for about 10 minutes,

until it gets nice and syrupy.

♪♪

My little poaching liquid
has reduced.

The sugar reduced completely,
and the cranberries plumped up.

You want to let it cool slightly

before you add it
to the Brussels sprouts.

But look how pretty.

The cranberries
now look like little jewels.

The champagne vinegar,
when it reduces down,

it gets a little bit thick,

and it gives a slight sweetness
to the charred Brussels sprouts.

We'll set that aside.

Now we're gonna grab
some ricotta cheese,

because we need something
to put on the crostini

so that the Brussels sprouts
sticks on it.

So we're gonna
use some ricotta cheese,

1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese,

a couple tablespoons
of olive oil.

And season it with a little bit
of salt.

I like to season the ricotta
just to give it more flavor.

Ricotta's done.

So now I'm gonna grab
a few crostini.

So, I basically
just sliced a baguette

and toasted it in the oven
with a little bit of olive oil.

What you want to do

is take a little bit
of the ricotta cheese

and just kind of smear it
right on the crostino.

Then I take a little bit
of the Brussels sprout,

the charred Brussels sprouts.

Make sure that each crostino
has a little,

like one or two cranberries
on it.

You just want it
to look really festive

and have that slight bite.

Then I want to sprinkle it with
a little bit of a nutty flavor

with some toasted pine nuts.

Just a few.

Adds a little buttery flavor

and a little elegance
to the crostino.

And that is my charred
Brussels sprouts crostino.

Isn't it cute?

All right, so I'm gonna
make the rest of my crostini,

and up next, I'm gonna make
the perfect cocktail --

my cranberry cosmo punch.

And I have a little trick

for keeping my
Friendsgiving cocktail chilled

all night long.

Plus, some conversation starters

that will leave
your friends begging for more.

[ Laughter ]

GIADA: I'm opening up
my holiday handbook

to share some
of my favorite recipes, ideas,

and time-tested tips for
my Friendsgiving cocktail party.

My key to success is creating
fun conversation starters

so that my friends can relax
and get to know each other.

The menu is playful --

mini versions of some of
my favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

Now I'm starting
on my cranberry cosmo punch.

I think that punch
in punch bowls

have really seen a resurgence,

and people are really into it.

It looks festive,
it looks pretty,

and I don't have
to worry about the cocktail.

It's done, it's ready,
and everybody ends up loving it.

I make a cranberry punch.

Heat up cranberry juice

with all of the flavors
and aromas of Thanksgiving.

Star anise, the cloves,
the cinnamon sticks.

I let that heat up
and infuse the flavor

in the cranberry juice.

And then to really bring it home
and make it look festive,

I make this little wreath

of water, cranberry juice,
and cranberries.

And I stick it in a bundt pan.
I put it in the freezer.

I un-mold it,
and there's my ice.

Isn't that fun?

It's sort of a fun way to make
a cocktail even more elegant

and keep it nice and cold.

So then you want to take it
and just kind of place it

directly into your punch bowl
like that.

It will slowly start to melt,

and just keep everything cold.

All right, so,
now we're gonna add

all of our other ingredients.

Here we go.

So this is
the mulled cranberry juice

that I made earlier
with scents of the holidays.

We're gonna pour that
right in there.

We've got a little bit
of triple sec,

a nice orange flavor.

Mmm, orange liqueur.

About 1 1/4 cups.

Right in there.

So it's very warming.

And the orange works really well
with the cranberry.

Again, very much sort
of the flavors of the holiday,

of Thanksgiving.

And then two bottles of vodka.

There we go.

I like to do this in advance

so that it can sit
for a few minutes

and the cranberry ice can slowly
start to melt in the cocktail.

Perfect.

And then just give it
a quick little stir

just to make sure
that everything

is sort of mixed together.

And see, the cranberries
are starting to melt,

and they kind of just float,
and it's very decorative.

All right, so my punch is done.

All I have left to do is change
and all my friends will be here

and we can have some fun.

What I try to do is just
put food in different areas

so that it helps people
move around and talk

and get to know other people.

I have
these little chalk labels.

It tells people
exactly what it is.

It's bite-size,
so it's easy to eat,

and the conversation's started,
and they can walk around.

And I think
that's a really fun way

to present Thanksgiving flavors.

You spread the party out.

So you spread the love out.

I know, it gets around.

So, cranberry cosmo.

I love that.
Looks great.

And there's vodka in here.

The flavors
and aromas of Thanksgiving.

MAN #1:
You can taste the cinnamon.

Yeah.
MAN #2: It's delicious.

It's really delicious.
Yeah, it's wonderful.

Cheers, you guys.

WOMAN:
That's the best way.

Thanks for coming.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

So it's all the flavors
of a cornbread stuffing.

The flavors
of cornbread stuffing.

WOMAN: That Brussels sprout
crostini, oh, my --

-The crostini Brussels sprouts.
-With the Brussels sprouts?

What's in it?
Oh, my God.

Yeah, there's a champagne
vinegar gastrique on it.

It's like a simple syrup,
the gastrique,

but you're using
champagne vinegar.

Try the arancini.

It's like cornbread stuffing,
but in a rice ball.

Oh, my God.

See how -- see it's hot?

Wait, there's something
in there.

Yeah.
A mushroom?

Chicken-apple sausage.

Wow.

Is there more of the arancini
that you made?

Did you try
the turkey Waldorf skewers?

WOMAN #1: But wait, I have
a question. I have a question.

WOMAN #2: This is so good.

Very easy.
It's so nice.

Thank you!
MAN: Yeah, it's great.

Who wants to play a game
and eat some chocolate?

I know Eric does.

For this particular party,
I found fun little letters,

and I had them spell out
"buone feste,"

which is basically
"happy holidays" in Italian.

And then you fill them with
all the different chocolates.

So it looks pretty
as a centerpiece and colorful,

and you let people
guess what's inside.

I always think
that's a fun game.

And it also is a part of me,

because people
know I love chocolate,

so it's very much
my own little touch.

And I think
that's really important.

WOMAN: Wait, are you gonna know
what these are?

I don't know what they are.
We have to guess.

This is hazelnut.
I know that.

Trade me.

[ Laughs ] Trade me.

Oh, my gosh, Maxine.

Thanks, Dolly.

This is coffee,
I'm gonna be up all night.

Heath bar.
Oh, Heath bar.

It does taste like
a Heath bar.

What about this one?
No one's tasted this one?

A really fancy...

Try this one.

Am I the only one
eating this?

Yep.

[ Indistinct chatter ]

What is this?

[ Indistinct chatter ]

Where are you going?
What are you doing?

What's tomorrow?

A take-away gift, I think,
doesn't have to be expensive.

It can just be
something super-fun and easy.

For this particular party,
I found these cute little dice.

When you play with them,
it kind of comes up with words

and you can put together menus
from these words and these dice.

You got peas.

You have...

What's that? Pasta.

So it's a conversation starter
it's a way for people to engage.

It's a way
for people to meet each other.

SPENCER: Like
dinner roulette here.

Yeah, dinner roulette.

That's it, Spencer.
Dinner roulette.

I need somebody younger
to read it.

WOMAN:
All right, radishes.

[ Indistinct chatter ]

There you go.

I think the most important thing
about the holidays

is try to de-stress it,

and if you plan in advance
and you think about it,

it doesn't have to be expensive.

And it can also be
elegant and fun

and a great way to say thank you
to all your friends

for a great year.

We all need each other,

so thanking your friends
is huge.