A gourmet is a person
who is knowledgeable in fine food and drink.
How to Host a Gourmet Dinner?
A French philosopher once said that eating alone
was sadder than destitution. Certainly, no one likes
to eat alone. Now that you have perfected that filet
mignon, or vichyssoise soup, (or whatever your signature
dish is), you will want to show off to your friends!
But hosting a gourmet dinner is much more than good
food. In order to truly impress your friends and acquaintances
you must use as much skill and attention to details
in entertaining as in the preparation of the food.
Don’t shy away from hosting if you are not by nature
the next Martha Stewart. This article contains tips
to turn your meal into a real event.
Phase One: Inviting your guests and planning the
menu
Unlike barbecues and family reunions, dinner gatherings
are meant to be smaller intimate affairs; so your
plans should promote lively, yet amiable, conversation.
Limit your guest list to six to twelve friends, aiming
for around eight. Unless your guests already know
each other, you must also do a little social engineering.
Consider the interests and personalities of each individual
as you make your list. Diversity is great, but make
sure your group has enough in common that nobody will
feel alienated or left out of the conversation. Be
aware of any strong opinions your guests may hold—you
don’t want your friendly dinner to end up being the
clash of the titans!
As you are drawing up your guest list, you will also
want to start planning the menu. Your guests may have
food restrictions that will affect your menu. If the
couple next door is vegetarian and your cousin Dottie
is allergic to tomatoes, you may have to exercise
creativity in your menu. Take the season into account
as well. You don’t want the house to be an oven when
your guests arrive. Rather, you want the right aromas
to greet your guests at the door.
A theme can dictate your menu as well as inspire
your décor (see section two: capturing the right mood).
If you are an inexperienced host, it’s a good idea
to choose one big main course and a few easy accompanying
dishes. Furthermore, dessert can be kept low-key:
ice cream with store-bought cookies, or fresh fruit
sprinkled with powdered sugar is always sure to please.
Once you have solidified your guest list, chosen
a theme, and decided on a menu, you may want to send
out invitations. These don’t have to be fancy—unless
fancy is your theme for the night. Whether the invitations
are computer-generated or store bought, addressing
the envelopes in your own handwriting gives them a
personal touch.
Phase Two: Capturing the right mood
Restaurant owners know that the atmosphere is as important
as the quality of their food when making an impression.
Preparing your home for guests doesn’t have to cost
you an arm and a leg, and it doesn’t have to be time
consuming if you use a little creative thinking, and
follow a few simple rules of thumb. Mainly, you should
consider the lighting, sound, and table settings.
Nothing creates ambiance like lighting and music.
Dimmed lights and candles and soft jazz can turn your
dining room into elegance personified. Alternately,
playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and opening
your windows on a bright sunny day can feel refreshing
and Italian. The mood should reflect the meal.
Since the table will be the focal point of your evening,
you must give it some thought. If you already have
a beautiful dining room table, that’s great; but the
night’s not a bust if you don’t. Any long surface
propped to the right height will work, and once it
is covered with a table cloth no one will know the
difference anyway. Think outside the box. I once served
country fried chicken on bales of hay topped with
red checkered tablecloths and daisies. I’ve known
friends to “set” the floor—they literally spread a
table cloth on the floor, and used cushions for guests
to sit against. If space is tight, or as a last resort,
it’s not a sin to seat guests on the couch with their
plates on their laps.
Here are some tips for setting your table. First,
use real plates and china. If you don’t have them
you can buy a set at your local thrift store for almost
as cheap as a package of Dixie cups. (There’s no rule
that they all have to match…) Likewise, use a real
table cloth and napkins. If you have none and funds
are tight, try a fabric store. A flat bed sheet works
in a pinch. Use your creativity for napkin rings,
or check out a book on folding napkins. Consider making
name tags, especially if your guests don’t know each
other, and keep centerpieces short enough to see over
comfortably.
Phase Three: The big day
If you have entertained before you know that timing
is the biggest challenge you face. You don’t want
to be rushing around the kitchen getting everything
done while your guests try to stop their stomachs
from rumbling. However, you don’t want everything
done so far in advance that it is dried out and tasteless
by the time everyone is at the table. Solve this dilemma
by setting out appetizers and drinks as your guests
arrive. This buys you the time you need to assemble
the meal. Make sauces ahead of time and blanch vegetables
so that all you have to do is sauté them. Consider
doing the European thing and serving salad after the
main course, so that your guests don’t fill up before
sampling your pièce de résistance! Keep water and
drinks at the table to encourage guests to lingering
and conversation.
As a final touch, start your dinner with a traditional
toast. This fosters a feeling of community and starts
the evening out on festive footing. Without a doubt,
drinking to your good health and friendships will
make each meal a memorable one.
About the Author:
Emma Snow is a gourmet and freelance writer. Writing
for Gourmet Living http://www.gourmet-living.com
and BBQ Shop http://www.bbq-shop.net
.
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