We aren’t ones to shy away from a solo dinner, whether it’s at home, in a local restaurant or a brand new city. And while we relish some time spent alone with our food, it’s also such a tonic to cook with friends.
You might have experienced the slight panic before hosting a dinner party, like when you realise you forgot the garlic, or that you don’t have enough chairs. Perhaps moving further into ‘adulthood’ means relinquishing control and understanding that these worries can be soothed by sharing the load. Not just by kindly requesting guests to bring a dish (although there’s something great about a good potluck dinner), but by encouraging close friends to arrive a little earlier so you can all get involved in the kitchen. A bottle of something to share, multiple chopping boards, various vegetables and tasks spread between a few of you and a good playlist to bring it all together.
And cooking with friends doesn’t have to exclusively be reserved for those specially-marked dinner parties. It can be an activity in itself, whether you’re the host or the guest (cue bonus points if you’re invited to dinner and you offer to bring the wine and help the host cook). There’s something so nourishing about preparing food with someone you’re planning on eating it with. It offers an extra layer of sensory connection with our food that’s so often lost in the white noise of delivery meals.
Help lay the table, chop some vegetables or assume responsibility for keeping everyone’s glasses topped up (perhaps the most important job?). Speaking of which, our brand new set of glassware has just arrived. Perfect for a cocktail before dinner. Bon aperitif!
You might have experienced the slight panic before hosting a dinner party, like when you realise you forgot the garlic, or that you don’t have enough chairs. Perhaps moving further into ‘adulthood’ means relinquishing control and understanding that these worries can be soothed by sharing the load. Not just by kindly requesting guests to bring a dish (although there’s something great about a good potluck dinner), but by encouraging close friends to arrive a little earlier so you can all get involved in the kitchen. A bottle of something to share, multiple chopping boards, various vegetables and tasks spread between a few of you and a good playlist to bring it all together.
And cooking with friends doesn’t have to exclusively be reserved for those specially-marked dinner parties. It can be an activity in itself, whether you’re the host or the guest (cue bonus points if you’re invited to dinner and you offer to bring the wine and help the host cook). There’s something so nourishing about preparing food with someone you’re planning on eating it with. It offers an extra layer of sensory connection with our food that’s so often lost in the white noise of delivery meals.
Help lay the table, chop some vegetables or assume responsibility for keeping everyone’s glasses topped up (perhaps the most important job?). Speaking of which, our brand new set of glassware has just arrived. Perfect for a cocktail before dinner. Bon aperitif!
