Italian Home Cooking and Entertaining

If you are new to a city or neighborhood you just have to hope for the best.  But, if you know a little something about your guests, it will not be difficult to match them in a way that none feel ill at ease. 

Sometimes inviting people with dramatically different points of view or opinions about political and social events is a grand idea because the resulting conversation is more stimulating.  Sometimes this can be a complete disaster and ends up ruining your dinner.  So, plan the guest list with care.

The menu:
There is so much to say about menus that it deserves its own discussion.  First, remember to ask your guests if they have objections to specific foods.  It can be a matter of allergies, religion, tradition, or simply preference, but it is possible that some of your guests will prefer not to have certain foods.  Ideally, find a dish that works as a common denominator among your guests.  If that is not possible, make sure that each of your guests will enjoy at least some of the entrées.

The food:
Do not go overboard.  Do not experiment.  Leave experimentation and tests for yourself and your family and a few trusted friends. Prepare something you know well.  A certain level of difficulty in a dish is a sign of care and appreciation to your guests, but if you do not master the dish, the result can be a nightmare.  Stick to what you know.  Also, do not prepare too much food, but rather spend extra time on the food’s presentation.

The table:
Set the table properly.  There is an article I wrote for my site about table setting etiquette; you can read it if you are interested.  In any case you do not have to use silver flatware or crystal glasses.  Rather, show care in the display of your settings.  Stainless steel silverware is fine, and white porcelain dishes work well with any tablecloth design.  Many of us are not in love with tablecloths but you should try to use one.  Placemats are fine, but a properly pressed tablecloth is the ultimate backdrop for staging your event.  Remember, two glasses (one for water, one for wine) per table setting are a must.

Seating assignments:
Here are a few rules that will make life easier when it’s time to be seated.  Sit the host and hostess at opposite sides of the table.  Put the most important male guest, the guest of honor, on the hostess’s right.  Put the most important female guest on the host’s right.  Guests should be seated alternately male and female, thus separating the couples.  Sometimes it is not possible to achieve an even distribution of male and female guests around your table.  One idea is to seat host and hostess at the sides of the table rather than the ends.  No matter how you handle the arrangement, always have your guests of honor at the host and hostess’s rights.

The golden rule
Never forget that the most important ingredient for a successful evening is you.  Yes, you.  You are the one who will make everybody feel equally welcome and important.  It is your duty to keep the conversation going if it gets slow or enters dangerous waters.  You occupy the limelight and you are responsible for the success of the evening.  A bit of simple planning and forethought goes a long way.  Your guests will love coming to your house and you will enjoy having them over.