If anyone knows how to bring people together over food, it’s Sophia Roe. The James Beard Award–winning chef, writer, and TV host has been making waves in the food world for years with work that centers on honesty, diversity, inclusivity, and creativity—whether through her critically acclaimed show Counter Space or inside her Brooklyn culinary studio and event space, Apartment Miso.
When we sit down (you know, in a virtual sense) to chat about all things holiday hosting, Roe gets right to the point: “I'm a food first girl, so I'm thinking about that before I'm thinking really about anything else.” For Roe, this means she’ll do whatever she can to streamline other aspects of her party prep, be it drinks or decor.
One of Roe’s favorite tools for said streamlining? A simple sheet pan. Or rather, several simple sheet pans. They’re Roe’s hack for obtaining the oh-so-elusive “cool vibe with a low lift,” in her own words. And she’s not talking about anything fancy—just a regular set of metal pans you can order online for the price of that streaming subscription you forgot you’re still paying for.
“I feel like we're kind of inundated with a lot of really high and a lot of really low, but not mixing the two. And I think you can go high-low at an event and it's really, really gorgeous,” says Roe. She loves pairing a beautiful centerpiece with a smattering of parchment-lined sheet pans, which can be used as serving vessels for just about anything: batches of seasoned popcorn, mini ice cream sandwiches, you name it. “A bunch of really small sheet pans and parchment paper will make a party, I promise,” says Roe.
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Roe uses sheet trays so often, in fact, that she has them on auto-ship: “I get two quarter sheets, two eighth sheets, and two half sheets every six weeks because I just go through them.” While this may be overkill for those who aren’t full-time chefs running their own culinary studio, it is true that the average home cook could stand to add a few more sheet pans to their collection. “It's the same with deli containers. You can't have enough quart containers, you can't have enough pint containers,” adds Roe.
More hosting tips
All set on sheet pans? Roe’s tips for holiday hosting don’t end there. Read on to learn about her kindest when it comes to planning and prep, along with a few hacks for ensuring stress stays low and vibes are high.
Pick a theme
One of Roe’s biggest tips for streamlining party planning is to pick a specific direction and stick with it: “Maybe it's a word, maybe it's a theme, maybe it's a color, but kind of picking a North Star and having everything work around it is very much how I like to go about things. It can get really, really muddled if you try to do it any other way,” she says.
Have a mood board
Once you’ve got your theme, use it as a guiding light while mapping out the overall vibe for your space. “Honey, I don't think there's any shame in having a Pinterest board for your party. I make an inspo board for just about everything. So having one for your party? Wonderful,” says Roe. If you’re tight on space or budget and don’t want to invest in themed dishes and decor you may only use once, Roe likes the idea of renting a tablescape from a company like Hestia Harlow.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match
“In my studio famously, I don't think I've got one set of cutlery that matches. I really don't. I must have 1,000 spoons that have not a fork to go with them, but I also think that can make sense and look really nice—as long as you've got that baseline theme, whether it's a color, whether it's a potluck,” says Roe. Another go-to move? Plopping a Le Creuset Dutch oven down right in the middle of the tablescape—especially “if it's a potluck vibe and you've got people bringing things over,” says Roe. “I think a bed and breakfast kind of mishmash vibe is beautiful,” she adds.
When I asked Roe where she sources her vintage flatware, she paused and admitted, “I’m going to be a little gatekeep-y.” While she wouldn’t reveal the exact online sellers she uses, she did give some tips as to what to search for: “If you want really, really beautiful, special antique vintage trays, cutlery, plateware—I'm talking vintage, not new things—then you need to get yourself nice and cozy, get yourself in bed, get your reading glasses on if you're my age, and get yourself on Etsy. Keywords are “antique,” “vintage,” “trays,” “sterling silver.” Looking up those things and just going down the rabbit hole, I have found unbelievable pieces. They might take about 6 weeks to get to my house, but it doesn't really matter because they're unique and special.”
If you’ve committed yourself to scouring the interwebs for vintage silverware, Roe recommends investing in some good sterling silver cleaning products, both for cleaning pieces on arrival and for keeping them in good condition.
Bottled cocktails for the win
When you’re hosting a party, the last thing you want to be worried about is mixing a million cocktails to order. And besides, fully stocking a home bar is a hassle (and huge expense) in itself. That’s why Roe suggests leaning on bottled cocktails. “You mean I don't need to get a ton of mixers and huge handles of alcohol that I'll probably never drink when I'm not having a party?” says Roe. “Being able to have one or two set cocktails for people to be able to drink… that just makes my life so much easier.” We’ve linked a few of our favorite bottled bevs below in case you’re looking to stock up for the holiday season.
A spray bottle is your best friend
Besides sheet pans, the other inexpensive kitchen tool Roe frequently turns to is perhaps more unexpected: a spray bottle. She uses one for clarified butter, which she keeps in her fridge and sprays on everything from popcorn to chicken—or even fries. “Just a quick spray of hot clarified butter on a French fry with Maldon salt and a lot of black pepper is crazy,” says Roe. “I think butter goes on everything, OK? Especially clarified butter.”
Roe also loves putting vinaigrettes in a spray bottle, especially when hosting. “It's a really nice way to ensure when you're entertaining that you don't overdress your salads,” she says. “Plate the salad, and then just go around with your vinaigrette. In a standard spray bottle, do 5 to 6 sprays on the salad, and that's about a perfectly dressed salad. Doesn't matter if it's a creamy dressing or if it's a vinaigrette. It works every time.” If you’ve prepped your dressing ahead of time and it’s no longer emulsified when it’s time to spritz, just give the bottle a quick shake before spraying.
