You are about to sit down to dinner with friends. Old friends, good friends, new ones, too. Planned not that long ago – things seem to fall into place so much easier without too much advance notice! – it’s not exactly potluck, but everybody brought something quand même. Because 2019.
DINNER IS SERVED
The way things have always been done doesn’t need to dictate how we do things today. Inviting friends over for dinner doesn’t have to mean a five-course meal. Especially if you’ve had a monster of a work week. It can. But it doesn’t have to. There’s nothing wrong with deciding what you are going to make and asking your guests to fill in the blanks. Let’s say you make a Fresh cod casserole with Asparagus as a main course – recipe here. When friends inevitably ask, “What can I bring?” instead of saying “Nothing, thanks!” delegate. Ask them to bring something that goes well with asparagus! Or a dessert, some cheese, an extra baguette. You can even just ask them to surprise you.
RED, WHITE OR WHEAT?
Another tradition we love: Serving wine with a meal. Nothing wrong with it. Except if you (a) aren’t in the mood for wine (b) want to be a little more modern and (c) are serving food that would pair beautifully with a refreshing wheat beer. That Risotto? Amazing with perfectly chilled beer. Curries, seafood, salads, pizza, and Thai food too….all are complemented perfectly by artfully-made 1664 Blanc wheat beer all around. It’s your table and you surrounded by your good friends. Do what feels good to you! You can’t go wrong if that’s your guiding principle.