Dinner for 12?

I love a good dinner party. I am that person who registered for china knowing very well that I would use it with gusto and would build upon it as the years go by. My only obstacle as far as I can tell is t not having a dishwasher, but I’ve been willing to work through that in exchange for Vera Wang on a freshly pressed white tablecloth.

I was raised by parents who loved to entertain. My parents hosted dinners for 4 and parties for 50 both with relative ease and I tried to teach me that keeping things simple is the way to go when you are inviting people to your home. Truthfully, I break that rule on a regular basis. I love to go a little overboard (fresh sprigs of rosemary in hand-folded napkins anyone?), but I think it's fun and if I have the time to bedazzle your name card, I will. For me it's an experiment in how over the top I can successfully be while still getting everything on the table looking great, tasting fantastic and with all a general sense of calm.

I like to pretend that I have my own show on the Food Network. I comb through recipes and cook books for the my favorite bits and pieces to serve and then lay all of my ingredients out on a table for the invisible cameras to see. I can almost feel Ina and Giada next to me as we exchange witty banter over how amazing my blueberries look and how lucky I am to live in a city where they make delicious sourdough for my croustini. For me it's a game and why not, it's fun. Getting your friends and family together to gather around a pot of something delicious is as old as time. It's a time to be creative, inventive and with pre-washed lettuce available it can be so simple.

I'm an hostess. I want to make you dinner, create a pretty place for you to sit, and make sure your wine glass is full. I want you to laugh and tell stories. I'll ask you to bring nothing but yourselves and promise to do all that I can to make your time enjoyable. Just don't crack my teacups and we'll get along just fine.