Hosting a Dinner Party

When I was in England, I used to host many dinner parties. Cooking and baking were a joy for me and, in later years, a happy release from my day job, being a self-employed tax consultant.

I had a dining room with a dining table that could sit 8 people but, it had two extensions, with one it would increase the capacity to ten and with the other as well, to twelve.

Sometimes, depending upon the family gatherings that we had, at Christmas, Easter, anyone´s birthday, the table would be pulled out to full extension, as it meant that we had plenty of room for vegetable dishes, bottles of wine etc. although we were actually usually only six or seven in number.

However, when the table came into its glory was when I actually hosted a dinner party, for twelve people. Historically, when my first husband was alive, and we were running the famous Globe Inn in Lympstone, Devon, most of the guests were people that we had met through the pub. Lympstone was a friendly village, and everyone knew everyone else. When a new couple moved into the village it would not be long before they were invited to my dining table.

One particular couple that I remember I had invited had only been in the village for a few weeks, but we had got to know them from their occasional visits to the pub. Walking in the village the evening before the dinner party, I met the two of them, after pleasant greetings, she said to me,

“Oh, you do know we are vegetarians, don´t you?” I stammered a reply that, no I did not but that it would not be a problem.

Rushing back home, I got my recipe books out and scoured through for a vegetarian starter. I managed to find some little tartlets with a savoury filling. Into the kitchen I went and made the pastry, hoping they did not mind the dairy content of butter, and baked the little tarts.

A frantic phone call asking if they did eat fish, made the second course not a problem, as they did.

For the main course, a delicious Filet de boeuf en croute, was to be accompanied with five different vegetables, and I sincerely hoped they would be happy with just the vegetables.

Sat at the table the next day, I served the two with the tartlets, and the rest of us with whatever I had decided for first course, that was obviously not vegetrian. However, I did not expect nearly everyone else to want to try the tartlets too, typical! They were really tasty though, so it was just as well that I had made two batches of twelve, and everyone was able to taste them too.

Although I did not host this particular dinner party I feel I must tell you about when my girls were small, and before my son Ben was born. A friend of ours, Ambrose, invited us to Sunday lunch at his place. I thanked him kindly but told him that it was difficult because of the children.

“My dear,” he said, “when I invite you, I invite all of you, the children are very welcome.”

Arriving at his cottage we were delighted to see how he had set up a little table for the two children, with small chairs they could climb on and off by themselves. He served them first, which was fine as the adult table was set for 6, us, another couple, Ambrose and his son Jason, and we were enjoying the wine, whilst chatting.

The food was delicious, a gorgeous roast beef dinner with delicious roasties and huge Yorkshire puddings. I went out to the kitchen to see if I could help Ambrose, and I swear he had only been out of the dining room for no more than four or five minutes, and all the washing up from the first course was done and put away and he was making custard and had just served some ice cream into two bowls.

He said he had it all under control, which I can fully confirm! A widower coping in the kitchen the size of a small cloakroom, cooking a wonderful dinner for eight people, well six and two half pints!

The only thing I could do was take the ice cream out to the children!

Well, tomorrow I shall host my first dinner party in Spain. We generally seem to go more for barbecues in the summer, or a buffet. But I missed the formal dinner party. I love pouring through my recipe books and seeing what I can do. Tomorrow evening there will be canapés, a starter, then a sorbet palate cleanser, a main course, dessert, and finally cheese and biscuits.

Being not so young and not being able to stand for long times in the kitchen, I am preparing lots today. I shall have the potato dish ready and the dessert made, leaving only the main course to actually cook tomorrow. The canapés, the sorbet and the dessert are all cold, and can be pre-prepared, allowing me to take my time, and have fun in the kitchen.

Here´s to a wonderful dinner with some good friends tomorrow!

I might just post some photos of the dinner that´s if I remember to take some!