All of us A & O Girls (did you know Sarah and I work with 3 other amazing chefs?) are OBSESSED with the new Bon Appetit magazine. Under Adam Rapoport’s direction the food magazine feels fresh, modern and super useful. I end up dog earring almost every page to save in my “idea” file and we try recipes from the mag all the time at work. Anywho I was inspired by a column in this month’s issue from The Foodist: Top 5 (highly debatable) Entertaining Rules.
1. Always serve coconut cake and Papy Van Winkle Bourbon for dessert.
2. Recruit at least one friend to help with the dishes.
3. Invite a fun mix of interesting guests.
4. Tidy up your house but don’t go crazy cleaning it from top to bottom.
5. Serve dishes that accommodate your guests dietary restrictions and your own cooking prowess.
I really like this list but I’m lucky enough to have friends who always help with the dishes unasked (thank you TL/MS/KB/AJ/EO) and I never worry about my guests mingling well together as I only ever invite good pals. So my list is a little different.
Mine Are:
1. Serve at least one store bought course (dessert or appetizers usually).
2. Start the night with a signature drink, people hate making decisions/this makes you look fancy.
3. Always buy one more bottle of wine than you think you need (never fails to get opened).
4. Force guests to play Trivial Pursuit after dinner.
5. Use the dinner party as an excuse to get your husband to tidy up living room and clean the bathroom while you do the fun stuff like setting the table.
What are yours? Maybe the other A & O ladies will share theirs soon? Here is our real dinner party advice.
xo,
LEH