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Recently I wrote about how to guest. Because, don’t we love to be invited over? And don’t we want to be invited back? I do.
Looping back today to give a pep talk on hosting. Partly to complete the circle, of course we need to have friends over, return the gift!
Partly because of a terrific film I just saw (twice!!), THE INVITE, which is hilarious, smart, sad, and so well written, well acted, a pleasure. Let me just say that Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogan, who play Angela and Joe, do not know how to host! They serve nothing but jamon and cheese, they burn a soufflé, they have no wine in the house. Joe is in a terrible mood! God, does it all make for a good film, but a terrible evening if it happens in your home.
And partly because of THE ODYSSEY mania — the welcoming in of a tired traveler. Here’s a paragraph from Emily Wilson’s translation.
There is a stranger outside your house. He is old, ragged, and dirty. He is tired. He has been wandering, homeless, for a long time, perhaps many years. Invite him inside…. Let him sit on a comfortable chair and warm himself beside your fire. Bring him some food, the best you have, and a cup of wine. Let him eat and drink until he is satisfied. Be patient. When he is finished, he will tell his story.
And so, host we will!
The days I feel like cooking, the days I feel like planning a meal, feeding friends around our table — watching pleasure bloom across their faces (yes, please) those are the days I feel alive. I want that. I want lots of that. It fills my cup.
So, the theme for how to host—bend over backward (including, but not limited to, excellent advice, no less than 4 cakes, and 2 playlists, and 1 cocktail recipe).