Food: Saying "Goodbye" with Good Food

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Saying "Goodbye" with Good Food
Wednesday, August 30, 2006

By Jessica Takach

Sometimes the best way to show you care is to invest yourself in the food you prepare. I have invited nine friends over for a traditional french feast to celebrate our dear friend who is leaving for France to teach English for the next seven months. What better way to spend time than by breaking bread around a table, eating good food and drinking good wine for a few hours and reminiscing, all while enjoying the food that she will shortly be surrounded by. A lot of times this is a much more affordable way to spend quality time with good friends, while connecting with the culture they will soon be living in. Rather than going out to dinner or out for drinks, this gives you uninterrupted time to sit and talk.

Theme
Identify the theme and you'll find your cuisine! Since my friend is off to France, it was pretty easy--although the recipes don't look all that simple! It is a learning experience, and it is also nice to show your friend that you are interested in their destination.

Design the Menu
Since my theme is french food, I investigated the course of a traditional meal and then looked at individual recipes for each course. I discovered that a traditional lunch usually takes several hours and is divided into seven parts. I was surprised, and somewhat delighted. I'd like to lunch like this every day! The menu I ended up with this:

Apertif -- Kir Apertif Drink
L'Entree-- Brochette
Le Plat Principal--Emine de Volaille sauce Roquefort
Le Fromage--Chevre Chaud Sur Toast et sa Salade
Le Dessert--Creme Brulee
Le Cafe--coffee time
Le Vin--lots of wine throughout and to end with

Create Invitations
To make the evening even more special, send out a classy invitation to all those who are coming. I included in my "bon appetite" envelopes the invitation with list of events and then the sample menu I provided above. I also listed the types of wine which would be necessary for such a feast and asked if each person could bring a bottle that would be greatly appreciated. This will certainly help cut down on the costs of the meal for yourself, although picking up a couple bottles of wine is a good idea just in case.

Start Practicing!
Practice makes perfect, as they say, and with food this is even more of a general rule. I know I absolutely cannot wait until the day of the party to try and figure out how to prepare brochette or canapes, since I only have a vague idea of what they even are. Prepare a "test run" about a week before the party, just cut down on the portion size so it (hopefully) creates a nice little meal for yourself and one other person.

Decorations
Start brainstorming decorations and other ways to add unexpected fun to the dinner party. I am going to try and locate some berets for the occassion. Another good idea is to blow up some of your favorite photos of the special guest and friends to create a much better going away banner than you can find in a party store. They can also take this home with them as a reminder of the good friends they have here and the good times you've had together.

Prepare a Gift
Put together a memorable gift to present sometime during the dinner party.

The Day Before
Gather all necessary supplies and try to prepare any of the foods which could last until the next day. For instance, I will most likely make the creme brulee ahead of time and simply carmelize the sugar on top the night of the party, right before serving. This is easy and something which I am confident I can handle! (sprinkle sugar on top, then torch for several seconds--voilla!)

The Day of the Dinner Party
At the outset of the day, make a list of everything that needs to be done to keep you focused and on track with party preparations. Clean in the morning, then start decorating and then work on the food. This way, you can focus your attention solely on the food and not have to worry about cleaning up or decorating. Your food will most likely turn out much better this way.

The Night of the Dinner Party
Enjoy! This party is as much for you as it is for the special guest. Make sure you have time to get to talk with them and enjoy the evening. Embrace the moment-- if something goes wrong with a dish, move to the next! The most important thing about this evening is that everyone is together, and although the food may have brought them here, it doesn't have to be perfect. The true goal of the evening has already been achieved even before the food has reached the table.

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