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Our BetterMost Community => BetterMost People => Topic started by: Kerry on December 16, 2009, 09:15:27 pm

Title: Are Dinner Parties Stressful?
Post by: Kerry on December 16, 2009, 09:15:27 pm

Are Dinner Parties Stressful?

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/Album%202/dinnerparty4601.jpg)

Do you get stressed out when you throw a dinner party?

Do you find dinner parties more stressful that work?

Tell us your most stressful and/or embarrassing dinner party story.

Popular reality TV shows such as Master Chef encourage us all to get busy in the kitchen, but a new UK survey shows that most people would rather tackle a tricky spreadsheet than whip up a meal for friends.

Twenty-four per cent of study participants said hosting a dinner party was more stressful than going to an interview, while 57% said it stressed them out more than their daily commute.

Nervous dinner party hosts said that they feared the dishes wouldn't turn out right (36%), while another 33% said they worried their guests wouldn't enjoy themselves.

Nestle's After Eight mints surveyed 1,007 people, with 16% admitting to cheating when they have people over, by buying food and passing it off as homemade.

From the Body & Soul liftout
in Sydney's Sunday Telegraph
Sunday 13 December 2009

Title: Re: Are Dinner Parties Stressful?
Post by: Kerry on December 16, 2009, 09:57:21 pm

Quote from: Kerry on December 16, 2009, 09:15:27 pm

Tell us your most stressful and/or embarrassing dinner party story.

I rarely throw dinner parties these days. Mainly because I live in a part of town that is within walking distance of any number of excellent, reasonably priced cafes and restaurants. Anyone visiting my place at dinner time knows that we are destined to make the short walk to nearby Little Italy, or one of the other nearby dining strips at Newtown or Glebe.

This wasn't always the case, however. When George and I first set-up house together, back in the 1970s, we lived down on the Northern Beaches, which wasn't particularly known in those day for its scintillating cafe society! We used to entertain quite a lot back then - and I was the designated cook. Not that I was a better cook than George. That was just the way the cards fell. George used to entertain the guests while I prepared the food in the kitchen.

But I digress. My most embarrassing culinary blunder occurred one night when we were entertaining two female friends who ran a smart eatery in the city (Sydney), which catered to an affluent, business clientele. Lynne and Barbara were dear friends, so I shouldn't have been nervous. Having said  that, however, I was always acutely aware they were "professionals," whenever I prepared food for them, which did heighten my stress levels. On this particular occasion, I had prepared a Bavarian goulash recipe that had been given to me by a German friend. It had lots of chili in it, the heat of which was tempered by the addition of generous dollops of sour cream, added just before it went to the table. And of course, I forgot to add the sour cream, didn't I! Maybe because of the animated conversation or perhaps because of the wine that was generously flowing, I didn't actually notice my blunder until after Lynne and Barbara had gone home. Not known for his tact, over the washing-up George declared, "You forgot the sour cream!" "Oh shit!" said I, "I thought it tasted quite hot!" Neither Lynne nor Barbara ever mentioned it, but I'm sure they noticed. Cringe!  ::)

Title: Re: Are Dinner Parties Stressful?
Post by: CellarDweller on December 28, 2009, 09:58:51 pm

Not necessarily a dinner party thing, but for a recent Christmas party, I was asked to make some stromboli.

I decided to try something different and besides make my usual pepperoni and cheese, I would make meatball and cheese too.

Well, the meatballs went off without a hitch.  I cut them into quarters and rolled the dough up.  Well, because the quarters were thick, there were a lot of bumps in the dough, which made it take much longer to bake, and they were very messy to eat.

I've since decided that if I try them again, I will make the meatballs, and then crumble them up, so they will be thinner and cook easier once they're rolled in the dough.