Energy Efficient Tips for Your Kitchen

(Family Features) - Kitchens today are the center of nearly any party. Whether hosting the guys for a Monday night football party, or romancing a special guest later in the week, creating a kitchen atmosphere that's easy on the host is essential to entertaining success.

"Using fresh ingredients and simple menus, I enjoy blending flavors of the season," says bachelor chef and celebrity party planner, Dave Lieberman. Below Lieberman offers time and energy-saving tips on throwing an impressive get-together:

• Don't Stress to Impress: To avoid food catastrophes while entertaining, stick to what you know and don't try to over do it with unfamiliar recipes. If you want to try something new, have a "rehearsal dinner" the week before.
• Planet-Friendly Pointer: Take out all of your refrigerated ingredients at the same time. It streamlines meal prep and saves energy since every time the door opens your refrigerator used 10 percent more energy.
• Dream up a Theme: Tap your creative juices by creating a theme for your party, such as a Mexican fiesta with plenty of margaritas and Mexican food. Try using the new Frigidaire XtraZone(tm) oval burner, available at Lowe's, that allows for more effective cooking of tortillas to make the party a success. The burner also works well for creating one-pot meals that can help you save time during the week - giving you more time for party prep.
• Fresh is Best: As soon as you return from the market, wash all fresh produce before putting it away. You will have no excuse to avoid eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Plus, you'll have something simple to offer guests who drop by un-expectantly.
• Cook Once, Eat Twice: Spend less time cooking by selecting recipes that do double duty. Try making lasagna for guests and leaving enough sauce to make a new dish the next night, such as pizza or chicken parmesan.
• Top-Notch Tools: When cooking and entertaining, it's always nice to have tools that make the job easier. With the Frigidaire(r) Precision Set(tm) Surface Controls, which enable precise and accurate temperature control, and the Frigidaire(r) Favorite & Keep Warm Settings, which will digitally recall baking settings and hold the oven temperature at 170 degrees so you can keep your food warm until your guest arrive, entertaining is a breeze.
• Help Wanted: Make entertaining less stressful and more interactive by giving kitchen-congregating guests an easy cooking task, such as slicing limes for drink garnishes or whipping cream for dessert. Also, ask guests to bring their favorite appetizer or wine, which helps keep the party within budget and allows everyone to try each other's favorite things.
• Keep it Clean: Make party clean up less painful with help from today's modern appliances. Dishwashers today don't require pre-rinsing of dishes before loading. In fact, skip this step and you'll save as much as 20 gallons per load, or 6,500 gallons per year.

To view more of Dave's entertaining tips along with delicious recipes he has created, visit www.newkingofthekitchen.com.

SOURCE: Frigidaire