T H E A R TAOMFST HEER DH AOML I DT EA YA TRAOBOL ME
Bring out something made with a local Manitoba ingredient and tell people where it came from.
But hosting at home doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. Delegate dessert to a family member to make them feel included. Pick up something great from a local producer so there a story to tell. Or bring in a catering team and let someone else worry about dinner entirely. There seems to be this idea that a “good host” does everything themselves. I disagree. A good host makes people feel welcome. Nobody has ever left a wonderful Christmas party saying, “Great evening, but I’m disappointed Susan didn’t personally peel all 14 pounds of potatoes.” Give yourself permission to get some help. After all, you’re hosting dinner — not auditioning for a cooking competition.
I’ve catered enough celebrations to know that food is only one part of what people remember. They remember the story someone told for the hun- dredth time. They remember laughing hard enough that they started to cry. They remember the awkward person who unexpectedly showed up. They remember how the room felt, and food helps create those moments. But food alone isn’t the moment. That’s why our philosophy at Prairie Kitchen has always been to build community using local food and great hos- pitality as our medium. We’re incredibly fortunate in Manitoba. Our farmers, producers, chefs and guests are often only a few connec- tions apart. When you put something locally grown, raised or made on your holiday table, you’re putting a small piece of that community in front of your guests. When you share it with the people you care about, you’re doing something even better. You’re creating connection. And, really, isn’t that what the holidays are supposed to be about?
AND, PLEASE, SIT DOWN
This might be the most important advice I can give you. Sit. Down.
SAVOUR MANITOBA | FALL 2026 | 13
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