Party-givers always use the services of their good friend the freezer. Put simply: your freezer will help you to chill out.
If you have to work all day to prepare the bash, you will be too pooped to party, so think ahead, and work ahead. A few smart items, safely frozen, ready to come out on the day, can make life very easy. Pastry, stock, party nuts and - above all - bags of ice cubes, can all be organised in advance.
But make sure you know just how things should be frozen. Here are The Fundamentals of Freezing, from The Time-Life Good Cook series:
"Secure wrapping is essential for all frozen foods and not just for the convenience of keeping them neatly apart and in handy portions. The air inside a freezer is very dry; exposed directly to this air for a prolonged time, food would lose moisture, resulting in the discoloration and deterioration of texture - known as `freezer burn'. The freezer packaging must be impermeable to air and moisture and, since the packages will inevitably be bumped against each other, sturdy. Rigid plastic and foil containers, heavy-duty polythene bags, plastic film and aluminium foil - all specially designed for freezer use - should always be used.
"Make all freezer packages as airtight as possible (but, when freezing liquids, or semi-liquids such as purees, leave a little space to allow the food to expand). Ensure rigid containers have well-fitting lids; fasten polythene bags with coated wire ties or freezer tape."
A useful tip is to use a straw to suck the air out of a bag you want to be sure is absolutely air-tight.
This neat idea for freeze-ahead canapes is from a new book on the subject, Canapes by Eric Treuille and Victoria BlashfodSnell. Use these punchy rolls as dippers, and serve with light lemon mayonnaise.
Herbed Artichoke and Parmesan Filo Rolls
250g (8oz) artichoke hearts in oil, drained
100g (3 1/2oz) parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
200g (7oz) filo pastry
45g (1 1/2 oz) butter, melted
Preheat oven to 180C (350F) Gas 4.
For filling, place artichokes, cheese, egg, chopped herbs, garlic, salt and pepper in food processor; pulse until blended. Brush butter on both sides of three filo sheets and stack them together. If necessary trim stacked filo sheets to measure 15cm (6in) in width. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in a thin strip along the short end of the stacked filo. Roll the filo 1 1/2 times around the filling. Brush with butter to seal. Cut along the edge of the roll with a sharp knife to finish. Place the filo roll seamside down on a buttered baking sheet.
Repeat the rolling process with the remaining filling and butter to make about five or six rolls from each filo stack. Layer and butter a new stack of filo sheets when you no longer have room to start a new roll. Repeat buttering and layering with the remaining filo sheets, spreading and rolling with the remaining filling until you have run out of ingredients. Brush finished filo rolls with more butter. Bake until crisp and golden, 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To freeze: place unbaked rolls on a baking sheet and place in freezer uncovered for 30 minutes. Once the rolls are frozen, pack into polythene freezer bags or an airtight container and return to the freezer, remembering to label clearly. On the day, bake from frozen, following the instructions above. Makes 20.
I make no apologies for the astoundingly unhealthy nature of this sumptuously delicious and addictive party piece, again from Canapes. There isn't a soul on the planet who doesn't go crazy over spicy pecans.
Crunchy Sweet and Spicy Pecans
250g (8oz) pecans
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder
Preheat oven to 150C/ 300F/ Gas 2. Spread pecans on an oven tray. Roast, shaking the tray occasionally, until nutty and toasted, 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add nuts and stir to coat.
Sprinkle with sugar and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and starts to brown slightly - about five minutes. Remove from heat but continue stirring until cooled slightly. Sprinkle over chilli powder and toss to coat each nut well. Serve at room temperature.
To freeze: Place in bag, remove as much of the air as you can (using a straw) and freeze for up to one month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Crisp in a preheated 180C/350 F/Gas 4 oven for three minutes before serving.
Stock is reason alone to own a deep freeze, and this stock, which is specifically designed to be simple in flavour so that it can adapt to the flavouring of different sauces, risottos etc, will keep for three months in the freezer. Freeze in different sized containers for different uses. Stock defrosts in less than an hour. The next time you portion a chicken for cooking, make this stock from the bits that remain. A typically achievable idea from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's book Simple Good Food.
Chicken Stock
About 500g (1lb) chicken parts
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk
1 small well-washed leek or peeled onion, or both
Few thyme or parsley sprigs
Combine all the ingredients with 900ml (1 1/2 pints) water in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to the boil.
Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles - but not furiously - and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain, pressing on the solids to extract all their juices. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze for up to three months.
Canapes by Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashfod-Snell is published by Dorling Kindersley, price £14.99