Emmy Award-winning chef Giada De Laurentiis is very busy. She’s in the midst of filming the sixth season of her Italian cooking show Giada At Home for the Food Network, is a judge on competition show The Next Food Network Star, her Christmas special will begin airing Dec. 4, and she recently designed a line of cooking products for Target.  Despite her packed schedule, she will be making time to throw a holiday party. “Christmastime is so special,” she says. “It’s the biggest holiday for me and my family and when I throw the biggest parties.”  Because guests often have multiple parties to attend and like to come and go, De Laurentiis especially likes hosting a holiday hors d’oeuvre party that is relaxed and less formal. “The holidays stress people out so much,” she laments. “I suggest you keep it simple and try to have as much fun as you can.”  For hosts this year, she advises that you make it easy on yourself by planning the menu with enough time to practice the recipes first. Four to five dishes are plenty, she says, and the majority should be made ahead of time so you’re not rushing around. “It is cold outside, so you want at least one that’s warm,” she says. De Laurentiis makes Italian fried olives at her parties because they are fun, tasty and bring everyone into the kitchen. She also suggests a recipe like tomato basil tartlets, which can be pulled from the oven as people arrive.  The Perfect Holiday Party Menu By Giada De Laurentiis  When planning holiday hors d’oeuvres, “you want to balance the menu between things that are hardy but also very light, because people are getting inundated with lots of heavy foods,” she says. It’s also essential to consider how long the ingredients will be able to sit out. De Laurentiis has made the mistake of serving fish and skewered beef at past parties, and now avoids most meat dishes because they don’t hold up.  Plan A Menu That Dazzles  Offering fresh fruits and vegetables is one way to add lightness and bright flavors. “It’s the holidays, so you want to make things that are beautiful to look at with vibrant colors. You want to make it sparkle,” she says.  That sparkle might also come from a specialty drink. De Laurentiis likes to serve a glass of Prosecco—“Italian champagne basically”—with pomegranates for color. For a mixed drink, she suggests a Bellini with frozen strawberries or peaches.  The Perfect Holiday Party Menu By Giada De Laurentiis  Serve Hardy Foods That Will Last  Because guests likely will be drinking, she warns that the food should be hardy enough to fill them up. If she could serve only one dish this year, it would be cheese-stuffed dates wrapped with prosciutto. The hors d’oeuvre hits every requirement—and is delicious. The stuffed dates can be made ahead of time, and then wrapped with prosciutto just before the party, she says. They’re satisfying, full of bright flavors and can be served at room temperature. “They can sit out and look pretty over time without me worrying about them,” De Laurentiis says. “They’re fabulous.”  Ultimately, as long as you’re relaxed, your guests will have a great time. “People don’t expect to come to your house and have something extremely intricate,” she says. “They hope that when they walk in, you’re calm and collected and ready to have a good time.”  Make Her Cheese-Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto  Hoping for inspiration? Try her favorite recipe, from Giada At Home.  Ingredients: ¼ cup (2 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature ¼ cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper 16 Medjool dates (12 ounces) 8 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise  Special Equipment: 16 toothpicks or cocktail picks  Directions: In a small bowl, mix together the cheeses and basil. Season with salt and pepper. With a knife, make a lengthwise incision in each date. Gently open the dates slightly and remove the pits. Spoon about ½ teaspoon cheese mixture inside each one. Close the dates around the filling. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each date and secure with a toothpick. Arrange the stuffed dates on a platter and serve.  Makes: 4 to 6 servings  The Perfect Holiday Party Menu By Giada De Laurentiis
The Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis offers tips for party hosts and recipes for her favorite holiday hors d'oeuvres.