Italian Dinner Party

During this trip, we had the good fortune to stay amongst Italian families….we did get to attend a several Italian dinner parties and there were a few lessons learned when it comes to easy entertaining.

Last week we returned from a 10 day journey throughout Italy, whereby we ate our way through the country (or so it felt).  Never before have I “done Italy” like this.  During this trip, we had the good fortune to stay amongst Italian families. There are neither words enough to be able to describe the tremendous lessons I learned when it comes to hospitality, nor am I skilled enough to be able to properly convey it.  However, we did get to attend a several Italian dinner parties and there were a few lessons learned when it comes to easy entertaining.  I will attempt to share here.

1. Relax and enjoy yourself, even as a host. Perhaps what struck me the most was the fact that our hosts and hostesses were laughing. Constantly. Yes, they were running around busily attending to the food/drink, but they were talking and laughing the entire time. Seeing them so relaxed, it was impossible for us to not completely kick back and have a wonderful time.

2. Italian décor. Let the setting completely reflect you. Dress up the table or the room for the mood you are trying to convey. If it is a simple affair amongst family and friends, let the food decorate the table. Plan a menu filled with colorful first courses and set the plates around the table to dress it up.  If you really want to step it up, set a flower on top of each plate to make your guests feel special. Beautiful simplicity was the name of the game while in Italy and the food and drink took center stage.

3. Fresh ingredients translate into delicious dinner recipes.  There was one meal (with many, many dishes) in which, with every proclamation we made about how delicious it was, we were told “thank you, it’s from my garden.” Let me tell you that this was no ordinary garden (it was huge), but the point was that everything was fresh. While I happen to only have an herb garden at home, there is no shortage of farmer’s markets, especially during the summer, to access fresh fruits and produce. I plan to take better advantage of these resources.
4. Serve tried and true dishes.  During one of the dinner parties, one of

the hosts found himself at the grill for a good portion of the evening. As I watched him preparing the different meats (steaks and homemade sausages), I noticed he had a very interesting technique when applying the oils: he used a bunch of fresh herbs as his brush.  Check out the pictures below. What a simple and delicious method, I thought.  Of course this has been one of his easy dinner ideas and method for years and years which enabled him to relax and chat as he worked. I thought it was a great party trick.
5. Party entertaining: add an element of surprise. Big or small, add an element of surprise or something noteworthy if you can. Everyone likes something new – something to talk about the next day (well, at least I do). One night, as we were drinking the wine, we learned that a) not only had the hosts made the wine, but b) it tasted even better with a little sliver of lemon in it. You can be sure that I will try this lemon/wine combination again. Another night, at the tail end of dinner, there were fireworks. Literally. We had a private fireworks show in honor of one of our traveling companions’ birthday (she sure is loved).  While it is hard to compete with fireworks, I hope the point is made. Simple or extravagant, something that makes you say “aha” surely will punch up the par-tay.

Whether you are having a small dinner party, or an elaborate affair, I do hope that these tips are helpful. Of course, we’re always learning so feel free to share and add your entertaining ideas.