Top Tips to Help the Novice Cook Look Like a Holiday Star, Courtesy of Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain's Chef Beau MacMillan Recipe for Eggnog Crème Brûlée Will Have Guests Fooled (and Delighted) Scottsdale, AZ. (December 17, 2009) – Angst over producing the perfect holiday feast need not consume revelers this season. Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain's Executive Chef Beau MacMillan – currently overseeing a multi-million dollar renovation to elements restaurant and soon to star in Food Network's "Worst Cooks in America" competition – offers his sage advice for fool-proof entertaining. Don't try to be a holiday hero: Pick your battles – no one expects a meal crafted completely from scratch. For appetizers, have an assortment of cheeses, sliced meats and fresh fruit on display for a no-fuss welcome that is visually impressive. Think fresh and rely on local experts: Your local grocer can be a big help when designing a menu or looking for that one, special element. Ask them to show you the freshest, in-season ingredients, which are always the base for the best dishes. Be a host, not a slave to the stove: Nothing is worse than trying to prepare a meal with hungry guests waiting impatiently nearby. Instead, pick dishes that can be prepped ahead of time so that you have a chance to mingle. Consider an Eggnog Crème Brulée for dessert (recipe below), which can be made hours in advance and popped from fridge to table when you’re ready for a sweet treat. Perfect timing. For overnight guests, let one ingredient impress them twice: When the holidays turn into a weekend of entertaining, don't be intimidated by the idea of multiple meals. Take one main dish – such as roasted ham – and get creative with the leftovers. Think white bean soup with pecorino cheese and cubed ham. Your guests will think you're a kitchen star (over and over again). Remember that food is a celebration of life: If you embody good cheer (and can poke fun at your own kitchen mishaps), your guests will share in the humor. The memories will be as sweet as your cooking efforts. Eggnog Crème Brûlée by Sanctuary's Executive Chef Beau MacMillan Serves 16 Ingredients: 16 Egg Yolks 1 ½ cups Sugar ½ gallon Whipping Cream 3 Vanilla Beans, scraped 6 oz. Rum, Captain Morgan's Spiced 1 ½ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground 1 pinch Cinnamon, ground Directions: Cream together the yolks and sugar until lightened. In a large sauce pan combine the whipping cream, scraped vanilla beans, rum, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Heat the cream to scalding. Remove from the heat. Gradually temper the egg yolk mixture with the cream mixture. Pour the mixture through a strainer. Skim off any foam. Pour into ramekins that have been placed on very flat sheet pans. Place the sheet pans in the oven. Pour in enough water to come halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 – 50 minutes. They will appear slightly loose when done. Cool under refrigeration for at least 2 hours before serving. Still hesitant to tackle the kitchen this season? Dinner on Christmas and New Year's Eve can be enjoyed at Sanctuary (menus feature oysters, foie gras and lobster, to name a few palate teasers). To make a dinner reservation, call 1.800.245.2051. About Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain: One of the country's most lauded luxury resorts, Sanctuary is a striking boutique property on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona, just minutes from downtown Scottsdale. Under the direction of Westroc Hospitality, Sanctuary enjoys international acclaim for its contemporary design, and award-winning elements restaurant and Sanctuary Spa. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Sanctuary was recognized in 2006 as the "top resort" in the United States by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler and was included on the Travel & Leisure "T + L 500" list. Sanctuary has been a Condé Nast Traveler "Gold List" and "Reader's Choice" winner since opening in 2001.