Dinner parties
I have a bad habit of announcing goals on this blog and failing to follow through. One of my secret, unpublished goals is to have more dinner parties.
Barbecues have been great this summer, but tend to be gatherings of 10+. This make it difficult to have meaningful conversations with people and with so many in your home, there’s always someone who needs something (a fork, a wine glass, more ice). For this reason, I prefer hosting smaller get-togethers, even if it means I can’t get away with disposable tableware.
I love the idea of inviting friends from different social circles to come over, drink some wine and share a meal. Part of the excitement is the experiment of introducing friends to each other. How will the full-time fiddle-playing hippie get along with the high school friend turned pharmacist? I’m hoping these parties will force me to dust off my cookbooks and make something new. So what if I’ve never made pavlova before? Let’s give it a whirl!
It’s been a while since I’ve hosted anything that required more than grilling a burger so I’d be grateful for your suggestions on how to host a fun, casual dinner party.
What is your secret to hosting astress-free dinner party? Tell me about the most memorable dinner party you’ve ever attended.
the best dinner parties i’ve had are getting my invitees to help out with the prep and i do the cooking. that way everyone takes part and enjoys being part of the process. another option is to do all the cooking yourself and have everything prepared before guests arrive, that way you can relax and enjoy the company of others. depending on what kind of mood and environment you want to create, both work!
connie
September 13, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I find that the best dinner parties that I have been to and thrown are all about the big buy in. Do something goofy and allow yourself to a kid again. In the last year we have had two themed dinner parties, one was a medieval feast and the other was 1970′s food. The next will be Mexican night or food from church halls or those handmade community cookbooks.
Really, it comes down to having the stuff more or less cooked…just finish it off and enjoying your guests. My favourite number is 8 people cause we are a couple and our table seats eight comfortably.
Rhudder
September 9, 2011 at 8:31 pm