30Jul
Good question! Actually, you are at the beginning because you have the desire to learn to host casual entertaining in your home for family and friends.
You can boil down all of entertaining to three main things. And actually, only two of them are ABSOLUTELY necessary to pull off great dinner parties, barbecues, cocktail parties, luncheons, etc. Let’s talk about the first main priority of any host who wants to learn to entertain.
Any entertaining centers around hospitality. That sounds like and old fashioned word, but it literally means, “A cordial and generous reception and treatment of guests.” (American Heritage Dictionary) Whenever you entertain in your home, you are practicing hospitality. You desire to be cordial (friendly) and generous in the way you treat your invited guests that you are receiving into your home.
It is of the utmost importance for any host to understand that he/she is giving a wonderful gift to the guests of delicious food and warm hospitality. YOU as host, set the tone for your party. And understanding your role is essential for you to pull off off enjoyable and successful entertaining. Kudos to you for your desire to give such a wonderful gift to those near and dear.
25Jul
Choices abound when looking for books and resources about cooking and entertaining. The Food Network has fueled renewed interest in cooking and home entertaining to an astonishing level. Television shows present celebrity cooks/chefs who give weekly creative ideas and know-how to viewers. Internet cooking sites and blogs are bursting at the seams with creative entertaining ideas and recipes available to their visitors.
How does someone new to cooking and entertaining assimilate all of this information? Is it possible for a beginner to wade through the phenomenal amount of material without being completely overwhelmed? Does the landslide of information on invitations, decorations, menus, tablescapes, theme parties, wine lists and party planning tend to discourage some rather than encourage?
While all of this information is a virtual cornucopia of lovely, fresh ideas, those new to entertaining and cooking need to concentrate on doing a few important things well rather than to make the mistake of thinking they need to master all of the above at the outset in order to be successful. In other words, beginners need to concentrate on the basics. They will gain skills and confidence and will be able to pull of enjoyable dinner parties from the very beginning. On to specifics in my next post.
