Welcome to dinner: up to you. This is where I unload my various thoughts on the things I like to eat, the ways I like to cook, and what Iβd like to learn. Feel free to stay and hang out.
Dinner Parties
This Labor Day ended up being more of a stay-cation. Friends that were originally going to visit us in Chicago had to postpone the trip due to Hurricane Dorian. :( Bummer.
Nonetheless, a long weekend means that lots of snacks and many glasses of wine were consumed throughout the lazy afternoons. Cocktail hour is a recent phenomenon in our house, an idea lifted from our dear friends in Milwaukee. I think its safe to say it will be here to stay - for the long haul.
On my post about dinner party basics, I mentioned that dips are one of my go-to appetizers when entertaining. To be honest, I love dips so much that I will gladly have a lunch or dinner composed of just a few different dips. Keep reading for four of my favorite dipsβ¦
Read MoreMy parents are hosting machines. Some of my favorite memories as a child involved a giant dinner table with all of my cousins, my grandma, my aunts and uncles, and my parents. Relatives would waltz in and out of the house, sometimes popping in for dinner or right after, settling down around the dining room table as my mom brewed some tea for everyone. Wine glasses and stained corks would litter the table after late-night conversations. To this day, every year when Iβm home for Thanksgiving weekend, my high school friends still congregate at the same table while my parents pop open a few bottles of wine. Everything seemed effortless. You can say I inherited the same hosting gene - but it took me a few tries to achieve βeffortlessβ.
Over the years, Iβve found the best structure that works for my sanity. Iβm able to cook what I want without driving myself nuts and I bake in enough time for myself to decompress before guests arrive. Here is a comprehensive timing guideline for a relaxed dinner party.
Read More
