Let’s dine in tonight refining the art of the table

A recent extravaganza exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, The Best of the Best – Art of Dining, was truly an over the top display by various designers, artists who bombarded my eyes with totally extravagant dining table settings.

It was as if the props department, the florist warehouse and some non-too-shy designers all collided in the Great Hall at the NGV, with the result being 40 veryi ndividual tables set ready for an out-ofworld dining experience.

It was fun, quirky, visually decadent, but I had to ask myself, would you really want to sit and share a meal at any of those tables.

Most often you would only see and be able to converse with the guests to your immediate right and left!

Serendipitously, I am reading a delightful collection of short stories (Kitchen Table Memoirs – shared stories from Australian Writers, Harper Collins, 2013) in which notable Australians reminisce over childhood memories of the humble kitchen table and how central it still is to their recollections of good times, bad times, playtimes, times of joy, sadness, momentous life events – all witnessed by the table in the kitchen.

If only those tables could speak as boldly and colourfully as the ones in the exhibition. Their stories would also be larger than life I’m sure.

An often-repeated phrase in our extended family is, “Why would you want to go out?”

This sentiment has been repeated recently by those who forecast trends – the thought being that with much wallet tightening, many people will opt to dine in more frequently.

So, if you are planning to have a dinner party at home here’s a few pointers to keep in mind.

First and foremost, I believe you should never apologise for anything.

If the soufflé isn’t quite what you had hoped for, or the roast beef is a tiny bit overdone, say nothing.

You’ll only place your guests in the awkward situation of having either to say something flattering when clearly this isn’t the case, or they’ll feel obliged to shower you with consolatory platitudes to allay any fears you may have that your culinary expertise is lacking!

Put it all in perspective – having friends or business associates, whatever the occasion, in your home for dinner, is all about the gathering of those particular people around your table.

It should be more about the conversation than the convoluted canapés!

A stress-free host is one who is organised.

Just as a professional chef in a hot and frantically busy restaurant kitchen will be calm – because they have the various elements of all the dishes on the whole menu prepared to a stage that requires the last moments of cooking.

This mis en place is vital to a smooth-running dinner service whether it is for four or six people at home, or 40, 60 or more in a restaurant!

Taste, taste, taste! Don’t rely on the recipe alone. Taste whatever you are cooking to adjust for seasonings.

Lastly, schedule some time for yourself to relax with a quiet drink before the party begins so that you welcome the first players to the scene with a confident smile. Enjoy yourself!