The thing that always amazed me about my mother, all Greek households to be exact, was their ability to create an 18 course meal, at 11.00 pm at night with only a five minute phone call warning. Heck, there were times when the guests were already at the door before my mum was racing around the kitchen effortlessly and gracefully executing the perfect display of hospitable decorum, making sure everyone had filled glasses all the while having four stove tops bubbling over and three dishes in the oven. We are talking pre-microwave days here people. I watched her stir fasolia, make a horiatiki salata and still have a drink with the guests. And in under ten minutes, the table was piled high with food.
On the dinner table you would find the Greek food staples like dips, bread, feta, lettuce salad, fasolies, dolmathes and a scrambled egg dish she’d whip up with either zucchini or tomatoes. And out would come the leftovers; kokkinisto, pastitsio, kritharaki, moussaka, briami – the food was endless and to say seamless would be lie. It was a mishmash of what she would find in the pantry and fridge and what could be put together in under ten minutes. The table would be set with a clean tablecloth, some side plates and a fork allowing everyone to nibble at their pleasure as they chatted and laughed. In my house growing up – and with epirotika playing in the background – this was a dinner party. This is the Hellenic dinner party. And I must say, it has rubbed off on me. At times I have been prone to the ad hoc feast of Greek hospitality that is feeding your guests everything you have; making sure you’ve offered everyone at the table your last morsel of food. To have full guests and an empty pantry was the measure of success. Nowadays, dinner parties are a different story.
Hosting a dinner party can be described as a fine art. From the napkins, to the people invited, to the food that will be served and in what order, to the type of salt you will use and how it will be presented on the table all becoming agonising decisions for the host. To help you out, Neos Kosmos has put together some tips to host that perfect night and that perfect dinner party that everyone will remember.
1. Set the date
Saturday night is a great night for hosting a dinner party. Find a free Saturday in your calendar that everyone can attend. You will have the whole day to prepare and you can also visit the markets to buy seasonal and fresh produce.
2. Choose wisely
Be sure to choose your guests wisely. All your guests don’t need to know each other but you need to know they get along. At the same time, though, you need to have a nice mix of personalities to create an abundance of dinner table conversation.
3. Food glorious food
What are you going to make? Do I have enough time to prepare and make the food by the set date? Will this food be messy to eat? Do the starters, mains and dessert go together? Will I stick with one cuisine or mix it up? A great way to get started is to grab a cookbook and have a go. Experiment but be realistic. Do you really want to serve your guests a sunken souffle?
4. Allergic to much?
You need to know whether or not your friends have dietary requirements. Whether it’s nut or shellfish allergies, or intolerances to gluten. Find out if any of your guests are vegetarian or vegan. To be the best host you need to cater for everyone’s needs.
5. Pick a theme
Fancy a trip to Taj Mahal? Why not make the theme of your dinner party Indian. Ask your guests to wear a sari, pop a bindi on their forehead, fill your house with Indian music – think sitar and Kamal – and serve up some delightful Indian dishes.
6. Take time out
Make sure you have enough time to pamper yourself before the guests arrive. Do your hair, make-up, pick an outfit. If you’re relaxed, you will create a relaxed and warm environment. And being winter, take that literally and turn the heating on.
7. Ride the dinner party train
As soon as the first nibbles are served it’s time to let go and for the fun to begin. At this point, there really is nothing much you can do but enjoy the ride. If someone drinks too much and causes a stir – try giving them a glass of water. If you realise too late you have just invited mortal enemies to your dinner party – try and seat them at different sides of the table. But don’t take it to heart as it might be too late for damage control. You have to stay the gracious host for the whole night so don’t sweat it and enjoy that glass of pinot noir.