I'm just out here tryna make Priya Parker proud!
After years of praying and planning, God answered me generously: I hosted three of my friends for a three-course dinner at my home for the first time in my life. It was in honor of my long-time bestie, Lucas, during his visit home for the first time in 3.5 years.
It was a joy, and I learned a lot about how to do what I love so much (hosting) even better the next time.
This dinner was the first in a dinner series called Sunday Supper, a loving dinner series celebrating esteemed guests of honor. It featured three-courses, a (non-alcoholic) toast to the guest of honor, and an after-dinner walk on the Beltline. The purpose of Sunday Supper is to make the guest(s) of honor feel loved, appreciated, and celebrated. It's a relaxed take on a special occasion.
I strive to do everything in love. In the context of planning a Sunday Supper, that means crafting a unique menu that is reflective of the guest of honor and allows them to see themselves in the dishes I prepare. This was Lucas' menu:
Beignet Hushpuppies - he was born in Paris but raised in the American South
Ecuadorian Ensalada de Palmitos - he studied abroad in Ecuador in Spring 2019
Lemon Pepper Wet Chicken Yakiudon w/ Celery and Carrot - he briefly considered studying in Japan before committing to Finland. This is a tie between a traditional Japanese dish and the iconic American Deli order.
Mustikkapiirakka pound cake w/ butter pecan ice cream - A southern take on the popular Finnish dessert, I took blueberries and put em in a pound cake with some butter pecan ice cream on top. Can't get much more Southern than that.
I should've made that pound cake on Saturday. Instead I put it in the oven while we were eating our appetizers. Of course it still tasted fine, but I'm 100% sure that if it had been able to cool overnight, the texture would've been more firm. Same with the salad dressing and yakiudon sauce. I could've made both of those things the day before and they probably would've had richer flavors.
I've been saying I'm going to take a knife skills class at a local cooking school, but I've yet to sign up. And here I am with a bandaid around my left index finger because instead of the carrots I was slicing, it was my finger that the extremely sharp knife found. It's not too bad of a cut, but I've learned my lesson. Slow down and work on those knife skills.
I was gifted a blender and a mandolin for my housewarming by very kind and generous people (s/o DraLisa and Vaun from church!!!) and those two pieces of equipment truly made my cooking a breeze. I had 1) never made my own salad dressing from scratch like that and 2) never seen such cleanly sliced onions in my life. I was blown away and energized to use it again in the future!
I can't remember where I heard this advice, but I took it and I'm glad I did. You don't need to try to make everything on your menu from scratch. Certainly there's something that you can buy pre-made that can cut stress back for you. Mine? The beignet hushpuppies. I first had these when me and Ameerah got dinner years ago at The Optimist and I was obsessed. The chef even posted the recipe online. But today, I definitely had two orders of beignet hushpuppies picked up and I served them on a pretty glass serving plate and called it a day. Sure they would've been fresher (and cheaper) if I had made them myself, but I had enough experimentation going on. Something had to give and this was that.
Not only did I wash dishes as I cooked, the best thing I did for myself was run the dishwasher while we went out on our post-dinner walk. I realize I probably won't always have group walks after each dinner, but it certainly was so nice to start a load in the dishwasher with half the dirty dishes and then by the time we get back, it's done and I can load the other half while I reset my space.
I found myself repeatedly needing to refill my Brita filter. I also found myself annoyed that I had to carry around that huge Brita instead of just having one carafe of water on the table like they do in restaurants. It’s a simple fix that would’ve allowed for a better experience for me at least.
My table setting was inspired by my recent birthday dinner at Bacchanalia, specifically the dimmable light they had on the tables. It wasn't my first time seeing those lights, but it's the first time I noticed how much they elevated a tablescape without having to do much else. So what did I do? I copied what I saw at that Michelin Star restaurant and recreated it at home.
I can be hard on myself sometimes. And sometimes that looks like me starting to focus on producing a Michelin Star experience when I'm literally just a 26-year-old who used to watch Food Network a lot as a kid. I had to remind myself that nobody is coming to my house looking for a Michelin Star experience. If they want that, then there's a long list of restaurants for them to go to. But when someone comes to dine at Monet' Manor, I need to understand that they came for good food, yes, but also good community and to feel cared for, respected, and loved in a way that those chefs out there never could. They came to Monet’ Manor to dine with friends and that’s what I should focus on: being a friend.
I read in Extraordinary Hospitality (for Ordinary People) by Carolyn Lacey that my goal as a host should be to bless, not impress those that come through my door. If I'm so worried about how perfect this sear on a steak is or if I’m being my own Gordon Ramsay in my head, then I have less ability to pour into my guests, ask a thought-provoking question, or listen attentively when they share an answer. My friends loved what I made and so did I and that’s all that really matters. There are definitely ways I can improve, but it’s not about performance, it’s about how well am I doing what I prayed so hard for the opportunity to do?
Sunday Supper 01 was everything I dreamed of and more. It was truly the culmination of study, research, planning, and spontaneity and I hope it reflected to Lucas how much he is cared for on this side of the pond.
But this is just one event series at Monet’ Manor. We’ve got Friday Feasts and Seasons Greetings, both capturing the more causal and more formal spectrum of the dining experience respectively. I’ve learned a lot and pray that this is just the beginning of how God will use me to love on the people around me in a really tangible, genuine way.
Stay tuned!
