The Dinner Party Dilemma -Debunked

I’m excited! I’m so glad I moved here! I grew up in New York, but I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 40+ years, so, it’s been a long time since I’ve experienced a real autumn. I’ve missed seeing the leaves turn color, the crisp air, sweaters, but mostly I miss the food. Stews, hearty pastas, root vegetables, and good red wines to go with it all. Wow, it’s time to have a party. I can find anything to celebrate, come over and watch a college football game, or pro football game (and I don’t even like football), a hockey game, it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving potluck, it’s Friday, it’s Saturday, an early Sunday dinner, or my dog didn’t pee in the house celebration.

Have a party! Don’t aspire to be the next Martha Stewart. Truth be told, even Martha Stewart isn’t really “Martha Stewart.” She has a cast of thousands; they produce her TV shows, write her books, columns, recipes and provide the cooking advice she spews so casually. You want to feel inadequate, try to throw a Martha Stewart perfect party.

Crock Pots make a do-ahead menu easy; your house will smell warm, cozy and ready for guests. Waitsburg can inspire the menu, with lots of meat, and poultry, (please, don’t shoot the wild turkeys), the abundance of fresh produce, especially varieties of squash, and a generous community of people who want to share their bounty.

I’m not a big fan of theme parties, but a fun party thought - invite friends over for a “what can you make with squash” dish, assign a judge! Or pumpkin carving? After a few glasses of wine, interesting pumpkin art projects may appear.

I’m impulsive, many of my dinner parties are because: I need to clean my house, time to have guests. Or, I just went to Costco, I have way too much food for one person. Or, I really have too much wine, let’s eat and drink.

Make it easy on yourself:

It’s all about the people—Invite people you like!

Store bought is not cheating!—Homemade is great, but, if you’re so busy cooking you’ll be asleep at the table

Accept help—If someone asks, “what can I bring?” I always ask for dessert, I usually forget it. I’ve actually served frozen Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies once.

Do Ahead—Set the table the night before or morning of the party. (Check the toilet paper, running out is a bummer!)

Make a list, then another list, then another list…. Start with a menu, or what you want the menu to be, then, make a list of groceries, a list for what to cook, guest list, etc.,

Be Flexible—My whole menu can go out the window when I go to the store and find the meat, poultry or fish I was planning to make looked awful or is not available. Keep an open mind when shopping—your original plan, might need some tweaking.

Just in Case—In Los Angeles we had the luxury of ordering pizza in the face of disaster, since pizza delivery is not viable in Waitsburg, I just keep a freezer full of disaster rescue food. (Jars of spaghetti sauce, pasta, pizza crusts, chicken sausage).

Walk—It helps digestion, saves you from DUI and if you walk with friends you can gossip about the host…

For me, parties, are about enjoying friends and family. And yes, it’s always a plus to have good food and wine. I’ve had my share of disasters, which I won’t memorialize in writing. But luckily a party can be frozen pizza, rotisserie chicken or mac & cheese, as long as there are friends, wine and laughs!