Ask the Butler – Entertaining

            I truly love to entertain. I feel like there is nothing more enjoyable than inviting guests into your home to share a meal. In my house, I’m in charge of the food and wine and music, my wife is charged with the table setting and décor. I love to try to cover every detail in planning the party. I recently had a little faux pas when we invited some guests over for a family dinner. I decided on cooking rabbit, because I hadn’t cooked it in a while. I really love to make rabbit, it’s so delicious when done well and goes well with earthy red wine. Our guests were on their way and the rabbit was well along it’s way to being ready when I remembered that the children of our guests had a pet rabbit. It was too late to change what I was making, so what to do? I had to tell them. I told the father when they arrived and it wasn’t a big deal. I told him we could tell them it was chicken, but he told them the truth and they were okay with trying it. (I am okay with lying about food if it gets a child to try something they wouldn’t otherwise try.) I probably wouldn’t have cooked rabbit if I had remembered that the kids had a rabbit for a pet!

Below are a few more questions, sent by my friends, that can help you entertain better and avoid an awkward situation.

Q.            I am having a group of about 10 adults over to dinner, but their eating habits are all over the map (one's a vegetarian, one keeps kosher, etc.).  What is the best way to accommodate them all?

A.             When entertaining it’s important to keep in mind what you goal is. Simply, it is to make your guests feel comfortable and at home in your home. You want to accommodate all of your guests without killing yourself. It’s best to have something that each distinctive guest can eat. For my kosher guest, I would find a local kosher deli or restaurant and serve him or her something from there. Your friend will be quite pleased that you made the effort to accommodate their special diet. For the vegetarians, I would include one or two dishes that are vegetarian that everyone would like, maybe guacamole and a crudite platter. For serving dinner to the vegetarians, I would simply leave the meat (or fish, etc.) off of the plate and serve them a little larger portion of the side dish and vegetable. Make sure to plan the quantity of your side dish and veggies accordingly if they will be the main course for your vegetarian friends.

Q.             Cocktails before dinner: When is it appropriate to serve a chilled sherry?  Any favorites?

A.            There are two types of sherry, fino and oloroso. Fino sherry is pale, light and best served before dinner, chilled. oloroso is aged longer, sweeter, and more robust, making it a better choice for dessert or an after dinner drink. For a sherry apertif, try a Sherry Cobbler, described by pioneering mixologist Harry Johnson in 1882 as “without doubt the most popular beverage in the country, with ladies as well as with gentlemen.”

Sherry Cobbler

4 oz  fino sherry

½ tablespoon superfine sugar (also called “Baker’s Sugar”)

Slice of orange

Berries

1.    Cut a slice of orange 1/8 of an inch thick, then cut it in half.

2.    Muddle the orange slice and a few of the berries gently in a cocktail shaker.

3.    Fill shaker with ice and add the sherry and the sugar.

4.    Shake and pour, unstrained, into a tall glass and artfully place a few pieces of fruit on top.

5.    Serve and hark back to the time when this was the most popular drink in the country!

Q.             We are having a party with 50 or so people.  There has been some bad blood (cheating spouses, etc.) amongst some of the guests.  Should I dis-invite any of the offending parties?

A.            If you have already sent the invitations, well, you’re up a creek. When planning a party, one of the most important things to consider is the guest list and how everyone on it interacts with each other. It is slightly boring to have a party that is attended by only those who really like each other. I often throw in a wild card to see how it goes and keep the evening interesting. The caveat is that I know the wild card well enough to know that they won’t be too much trouble. My advice: Cancel the party and reschedule for two dates, separating the guests with bad blood. If this is not possible, go to your local sporting goods store and pick up a few pairs of boxing gloves. If it gets ugly, at least you can have the battling factions entertain your guests!