The lost art of hosting the perfect dinner party appears to have died back in the 1950s with the rise of feminism and free love.
Being feminists ourselves, we do indeed applaud the death of outdated stereotypes where women were expected to cook and clean while men sat around reading newspapers and smoking pipes.
However, we live in a new age where gender stereotypes do not exist. Hence this why we believe that it’s time that dinner parties come back into fashion. If you and your partner enjoy cooking and entertaining, why shouldn’t you enjoy it with friends and family?
So, without further ado, here’s why dinner parties should be the next greatest thing:
- They’re an opportunity to dress down
During the time of our parents, dinner parties used to be occasions where people gathered to show off their wealth and status. As a result, in today’s era, many millennials often dread the idea of hosting a dinner party.
After all, how on earth can I impress my friends in my tiny studio apartment?
Well for starters, we can begin by dropping all pretensions of dinner parties. While some have lamented how millennials have “killed” the concept of dinner parties, we beg to differ.
Unfortunately, many of us think of dinner parties as formal events where people get dressed up and come over for as they judge you and your cooking. Being a proud host and lover of dinner parties, I think the exact opposite is true.
Dinner parties are a reason for friends and family to come together to enjoy a meal in an informal and comfortable setting. Forget dressing up and start dressing down. While we don’t mean putting on your PJs, a nice pair of jeans and a sweater or t-shirt will go really nice together.
After all, you’ll want to be comfortable as you lounge about the place enjoying a nice bottle of red with friends as you chat your way into the night.
- Dinner parties let you cook simple, heartfelt food
I remember a time when my mom would get stressed out a week in advance before her big dinner party. She would prepare elaborate meals with several courses all just to blow her guests away.
While I do applaud my mom’s skill, I also believe that all the stress in getting ready for a dinner party takes most of the fun away. I love cooking and I particularly enjoy preparing delicious meals for my friends and family.
However, I also know that nothing kills the mood faster than stressing out about how you just can’t seem to get the coq au vin right. So instead of breaking my back, every time I’ve got people over, I decided to go back to the basics.
I started preparing simple and hearty dishes that were rich in flavor and easy in the effort. For example, spaghetti Bolognese served with a creamy mushroom soup can be prepared in just a few hours with minimal effort.
If I’m feeling a bit Asian, I might just go with stir-fried vegetables coupled with one or two curry dishes served with a healthy helping of rice. Just like how our ancestors bonded over meat cooked in a fire, a home-cooked meal brings friends and family together.
Always remember that preparing a simple yet delicious home-cooked meal always goes down better than an overelaborate mess that is hardly edible.
- Dinner parties are all about building new bonds and friendships
A night out on the town may be fun for the first couple of years. However, after a while, things start to get stale. Sometimes it could be the hassle of finding a new place to eat or the fuss of trying to find an Uber after dinner but eating out all the time, gets old and fast.
Alongside this, entertaining friends outside of the home can be costly and, in this economy, everyone’s looking to pinch their pennies. When it’s time to pick up the bill, you better watch out.
So, instead of trying to look trendy, it’s sometimes better to sit it out at home with great friends and some lo-fi on Spotify. Forget etiquette, forget trying to be seen and just enjoy an evening out with friends. Watch the NFL playoff games or put on a movie and have some popcorn.
You’ll soon realize that everyone has a much better time chatting and laughing together in your own cozy world. The key is to keep things simple and leave pretension at the door.
The key to enjoying yourself lies in your ability to have a good time without having to worry about anything else. If you’re caught thinking about something else while you’re having a great time with friends, chances are you’re doing it wrong.