Eat Some Holiday Spread Before the Guests Arrive
As a host, nothing gives me more pleasure than preparing beautiful and inviting appetizers and treats for my guests, but decorating too pretty can actually discourage people from eating food. “I don’t want to ruin everything!” they say, hovering around the hummus. “It looks too pretty!”
There is a simple solution to this stupid problem: Eat some spread before the guests arrive.
Last week I had a small meeting for a friend who came from out of town. I put a plate of edibles in my best depression-era glass candy bowl, bought too much fruit, and made a big plate of Russian nachos (potato chips with sour cream, caviar, and green onions).
A few friends came and they started hanging out. Finally, after a little chat, I broke down. I started eating Russian nachos myself. “Oh,” said the friend. I didn’t know we were allowed to start.
By eating some food before the guests arrive, you will make your meal a little lived-in and much more inviting. If you mess things up a little beforehand, that means your guests won’t have to worry about being the first to start, since you’ve already done all the hard work for them.
Eat a couple of olives and place the pits in molds so your guests know where to toss them. Slice the brie and stain the knife. Add carrots to the hummus and (lightly) rip a beautiful swirl of olive oil on top. Spoil things up a bit so your guests don’t have to worry about ruining them, and watch them happily dive into your sauces and munch on your charcuterie just minutes after they arrive.