Less is More

Photo courtesy of Victoria de la Maza

Dinners for two or three have a certain je ne sais quoi about them. Small dinner parties are the ones we can host at the moment. The cozy size has appealed to my entertaining sensibilities for the last decade. I adore them! 

The size is particularly useful for one of our essential needs — connection. When you meet a person you want to get to know better, don’t wait. Go for it! Invite the person for dinner au deux (or three) and deepen the relationship quickly. What’s the worst that can happen? It will either fail to take or become a lifetime thing. The friendship can spark and cement in one night, rather than taking decades to develop. Using your home works better than coffee out or meeting in a restaurant. After giving many hundreds of all size dinner parties, I can attest that some of my deepest and more astonishing friendships came from hosting the smallest ones.  

More positives of the dinner size, so obvious they do not need to be stated but worth repeating anyway: less work up front and afterwards, perfect for last minute plans, costs less. The smaller the dinner the more loose and comfortable you and your guests will feel…less expectations but more opportunities for surprise.

When my friend Dick Jenrette was alive, we had frequent dinners together. At one he asked, Will you do me a favor? Will you dance with me? I said, Of course! He put on “Fever” by Peggy Lee and twirled me in his arms from the bar to the dining room, using the whole space. (People from that generation were taught how to dance so elegantly.) During this little joie de vive I saw a neighbor peeking in the window and could almost see his eyebrows rise in astonishment! I miss my friend with the twinkling eyes and way of connecting like no other. I am thankful for that delightful evening he gave to me. 

Recently, I went to a small dinner party in the midst of Covid and learned something new. Since people are more relaxed, less inclined to bring out the big energy or feel the need to make a lasting impression, the night might end in an unexpected way.  After our host fed us Spanish gazpacho, Turkish moussaka and a Caribbean citrus tart, on the spur of the moment she cued in Italy and played a song by Italian pop singer, Ornella Vanoni, on her iPhone. The song Dettagli moved her to translate the words and dance at the very same time, while the three of us sat transfixed and transformed in front of our tarts. What an ending to a party! But it wasn’t the end. The other guest turned Barry White on her iPhone and announced more babies have been born because of Barry than any other singer. (Quite possibly true!) That night goes down as the most fun dinner in downtown Charleston in decades. It proves that, even during Covid, it’s possible to escape our unknown future with an evening of international dishes and music bringing up past loves, longing and hope, connection to each other and the world.

REMINDER — Sip with Suzanne.

Learn the skills to make classic cocktails for your small dinners AND learn the style and strategy around the drink hour. BTW “drink hour” does not necessarily mean 60 minutes. Learn that fact and other pertinent information each Wednesday from 5:30-6:00 EST.  Zoom in! Or DM us for a calendar invite... 

Thank You StyleBlueprint!

Recently, the Dean sat down with StyleBlueprint to offer a few tips and guidelines for hosting a truly memorable dinner party: whom to invite, what to wear, how to make it special, and more. You can read the article here (and feel free to tell us about your favorite parties below!)

Important Election Season P.S.A.

It's inappropriate to talk about current politics at any dinner party, ever, or even worse, to assume that everyone you know thinks like you do. Almost always the topic (along with sex and religion, categorically) leads to disaster, outrage, gnashing of teeth. We entertain our friends and go to parties to relax and enjoy ourselves, not to get blood boiling. 

When you are at a party and the talk goes to politics, even when everyone agrees with each other, turn to your neighbor and begin another subject or else take a break. Find the powder room, find seconds, find another bottle of wine. There are finer things to discuss during social situations. 

Shrimps in Garlic (and in Soup)

The Dean is obsessed with the killer Gambas al Ajillo her host made in Merviel, France. The classically simple Catalan recipe is the perfect treatment for the #1 ingredient in Lowcountry cooking: SHRIMP. We suggest you use the peels to make a fantastic starter soup, perfect for appetizing your dinner party guests when you are still at the stove...

1. Remove heads and shells, leaving tails on, of 3 lbs. shrimp. Put the peeled shrimp in one bowl, the heads and shells in another. Toss peeled shrimp in 2-3 teaspoons of coarse salt and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (This step makes the shrimp tastier, crustier when cooked, and removes any water shrimp might be holding.)
2. In the meantime, prepare a stock using the heads/shells and equal parts water and white wine to barely cover the shells. Add a little salt and simmer until all "shrimpiness" is released from the shells. In 15-20 minutes the liquid will taste like fish stock. Strain. To finish, measure six demitasse cups of strained stock back into the pot. Taste, and a stronger flavor is needed, boil the strained liquid for a few minutes to concentrate the flavor. Add a tablespoon of heavy cream, or more to taste. The goal is to add body and creaminess but not too much, or the cream will take center stage. Finally add a capful, or two, of Pernod.* Grind a few black peppercorns and your miniature cup of sensational soup is ready to go. Guests can sip while watching you stand in front of the stove sautéing your shrimp...
3. Slice large garlic cloves very thin.** Slice cloves longways because you want as much garlic surface as possible in the oil for release the most flavor. Pour 1/4 inch of Spanish olive oil to cover bottom of a large sauté pan. (The oil and garlic is a fantastic sauce for dipping bread into, but in this case more is not more. If an abundance of oil is used to make 'extra sauce' the shrimp flavor will be masked). Over medium high heat, add the sliced garlic and a sprinkle of espelette (or a whole red hot pepper) until garlic is lightly browned, about one minute. Add all the shrimp and stir until just pink, two to three minutes depending on size of shrimp.

Serve immediately with a loaf of crusty bread and plenty more white wine! There is not an easier or more delicious dinner party to be had, on either continent.

*TIP: When adding cream and Pernod, remember you can always add more but cannot take out.

**Another TIP: Try to find large fresh garlic bulbs, some of our papery ones are basically tasteless.

Domestic Divas

From the moment the Dean woke up on Tuesday morning, she could tell something was different. There was fresh energy, a new crispness in the air. It didn’t take her long to put two and two together... Southern Charm’s 'Cooking with Cameran' segment aired the night before and the Academy hotline was positively abuzz. 

Thank you Cameran for coming to the Academy for help! You are now on your way to being a Domestic Diva.

What this show made the Dean realize is that the Academy is not helping nearly as many people as we should be. So we used the May-mester to create our new curricula and wrote an e-book for your very own minute-by-minute party plan. Yes, you can throw the celebration of a lifetime at the drop of a hat! And for those lucky enough to be invited to said celebration-of-lifetime at the last minute, our two cents on receiving an invitation at the last minute:

The last minute party requires a two-way avenue of communication. If you wake up Saturday morning and are lucky enough to have a text inviting you for drinks or dinner that night be sure to answer promptly. The inviter has put himself out there and given himself a short time frame. This is a numbers game and size matters. Your host won’t cook for two people what he would for twelve, so answer quickly so he can get his game plan ready. Everyone hates turning down invitations but the last minute invite is guilt-free because it is highly conceivable that you would have already had plans. Your response is essential.

Dinner Parties, the Southern Charm Way

Southern Charm Season 3 premieres tonight!

On next week's episode, the Academy's very own Dean lends a hand to the fabulous Cameran Eubanks, a Mama Hen on the show, with her first ever at-home dinner party. Check out our guide, Cliff Notes to Cameran's Southern Charm Dinner Party, available to download directly from our site. Maybe your style matches hers, or maybe not… 

Entertaining at home is all about attitude, all yours. It’s not about rules, copycatting, or tremendous pressure. There is no one way to give a dinner party. The way to give unforgettable parties is to develop your own personal style and use it 100%. 

Are you a Nervous Nelly? Too many children to contend with, or hours slaving away at work? You need a plan that is streamlined and a menu to match. There is nothing wrong with ordering your city’s finest pizza, or serving grilled cheese sandwiches with craft beer, or even champagne; this shows spunk and creativity. 

Even foodies who love cooking, grilling, smoking, or pickling, might still need a guide to entertaining, lighting, setting the table, centerpiece arrangements, timing, organization. One thing is certain: nobody comes to a dinner party at anyone’s house, even the White House, for the food. It’s all about the company and connections. 

The Academy’s expertise is developing a plan that works for your life and style so you can give the best party on your block. And of course we are also geniuses with making a timeline that is positively foolproof. Purchase the Cliff Notes (for less than $3!) and relax at every one of your future dinner parties, just like Cameran and the Southern Charm crew.