Now, that sounds harmless enough. Perhaps even, enjoyable.
Think again!
A dinner party is an endurance event - much like a marathon. Just as a marathon can grind the unprepared into the ground, never to recover, so can the seemingy simple extravagance of a meal at the Chateau.
Preparation is vital. The chef and the host must be ready for anything - from spilled glasses of wine through to the sudden announcement from a guest that they are allergic to all foodstuffs that are green or any similar hue or colouration regardless of lighting conditions. With a bit of ingenuity even such potential horrors can be overcome.
However, it is not just the chef and host who need to be prepared. The guest too needs to recognise that the invitation to a dinner party is not to be taken lightly.
The dinner party is a Machiavellian kind of event.
You have to be on your toes, or you could lose your head (metaphorically speaking).
Guests should prepare for a dinner party in a number of ways. A few days before the event they should prepare and practice a number of anecdotes that they could recount should the situation arise - it will. Then they should consider the vexed question of what wine to bring. This is fraught with danger. Do not be guided by the ‘drive-thru’ attendant who has noticed that cask Lambrusco has been popular today . . . Something in a glass bottle is always recommended.
And then there is staying power. Will you be able to get through the seven intricately prepared courses, each with its own set of vaguely useless cutlery and still remain shirt-stain-free? Will you be able to add an interesting comment about the fourth bottle of wine? Tears and stammering should not result from an enquiry as to whether the savignon blanc you brought is more characteristic of New Zealand than the Adelaide Hills!
Finally there is the other fraught question. When is the correct time to leave? Should it be judged on time alone (We leave at 1am), mood (We leave when the bickering starts), dependent on others (Don’t go before the other guests) or on a reading of the signs (Tea leaves in cups or chef’s knives in attitudes reminiscent of ‘Psycho’)?
So, there you are. Just a few ideas and tips on dining at the Chateau. A breeze, nothing to worry about!
And here are pictures from one we prepared earlier . . .
Ready for anything - table set, flowers arranged, candles lit, glasses polished
Food ready for action. What can be pre-prepared is done and ready for assembly upon the completion of other cooking tasks
The guests playing their part - Peter, Shayne, Graham and Kenneth. The conversation relating to the various merits of anodised versus brushed aluminium had the table rapt in interest for seconds
