The Art Of Entertaining

It's hard to believe that the Christmas holiday season is coming upon us again so quickly. With it comes the love/hate tradition of eating way to much at meals filled with food we wouldn't go near any other time of the year. This is when entertaining is at its finest, and beautiful tablescapes make their most impressive appearance as we make an extra effort to make holiday events special. The difference between having people over and actually entertaining however, is never more apparent to me than when I am invited to go to my good friend Denice’s home.

Denice is a master in the art of entertaining and if she wasn’t such a wonderful friend I could easily find all four foot 11 inches of her quite intimidating. She understands that the fundamental principle of making people feel welcome is through appealing to each of the five senses and it starts even before you walk through her door.

She has taken pains to make sure that her yard is kept nicely, the holiday lights are on and a seasonal wreath or spray graces the front door. You enter her home to the warm and welcome smell of something delicious cooking and the house has fragranced candles burning to top it off. You gladly accept her offer of a drink to enjoy with light conversation as she touches up the last details of what you know will be a fantastic meal. When you are led to the dining room you are seated at a table that looks like it leaped off the pages of Martha Stewart Living, complete with the extraneous cutlery you don’t really know what to do with.

Everything you taste when dining on a meal in her home is a gustatory delight, and matches the effort that has been put into the whole experience. There is the glow of candlelight and a seasonal centerpiece is usually set on layers of organza that drape gracefully over the sides of the table. The whole tablescape is made up of a hundred little details, some of which only she knows but the final affect is jaw dropping. You feel important sitting there slurping your soup and become acutely aware of your table manners, or lack thereof.

It’s hard to pace yourself at a meal like this because each course is not only a feast for the palate but also for the eyes. It is easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach and despite that you can see the tower of caramelized cream puffs on the side table for dessert, which doesn’t help at all.

I could be envious of her incredible ability to make a meal a sensory experience (and totally throw off my diet), but instead I just enjoy it any chance I get. Besides, I start my diet every Monday anyway, holiday season or not. The silly thing is that I too could offer my guests this type of experience if I made the effort but I have a hard time believing it could live up to the standard that she operates at. That is okay too. We all have our strengths and if mine is making sure you enjoy the best take out pizza possible when you dine at my place then I’m okay with that. Besides, without us average bears, people like her wouldn’t be special would they? We all play our part.

If “love is in the details”, you know that you are cherished when breaking bread with Denice because she tends to every last detail of your evening together and shines in her ability to make you feel special.

By: Rhonda Hoffman

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Rhonda Hoffman is a successful author and regular contributor to www.canadian-cook.com