Food is so much more than what you put in your body.

含羞草研究社淔ood is the great connection for us all. When we break bread together, we really are communicating with other people. It含羞草研究社檚 a gesture of love,含羞草研究社� said Denise Marchessault, the self-described 含羞草研究社渁mbitious home cook含羞草研究社� who has now published two cookbooks, The Artful Pie Project and British Columbia from Scratch.

Along with being a cookbook author, Marchessault stays busy teaching online cooking classes from her commercial kitchen in Victoria, where people can cook with her live, step by step in their own kitchens or watch and cook later.

For Marchessault, cooking and sharing food is her love language.

For others, breaking bread and immersing ourselves in deep conversations with friends may be something we enjoy partaking in, but planning the event can be quite stressful.

What do I cook? What if I don含羞草研究社檛 have enough food? Do I decorate?

HARVEST asked Marchessault if she could share her tips and tricks for hosting a dinner event. Here含羞草研究社檚 what she recommended.

Keep it seasonal

含羞草研究社淢y planning always is based around the menu.含羞草研究社�

The easiest way to plan your menu is to start with what含羞草研究社檚 in season. For summer months, this may be fresh fish like salmon or steelhead trout, corn on the barbecue and a kale salad, she recommended.

含羞草研究社淭he more appetizers you have, the less you have to worry about the main dish and the fewer portions you have to have.含羞草研究社�

Easy appetizers include dips, nuts, tapenade, crackers, strained yogurt and fresh, in-season berries.

含羞草研究社淭hose are nice grazing foods that you can put out.含羞草研究社�

Keep it simple

It can be easy to go over the top, but what含羞草研究社檚 easier is to keep it simple.

Marchessault likes to put craft paper on the table and decorate it with whatever is in season, which you can also theme the party around.

含羞草研究社淚f it含羞草研究社檚 summer, it含羞草研究社檚 going to be wildflowers 含羞草研究社� If I have a lot of salal, I含羞草研究社檒l decorate with salal, and I would put it directly on the table in a long stream.含羞草研究社�

For fall, she recommended leaves and in the winter, pine cones.

Another simple but fun thing you can include is coloured markers next to each person含羞草研究社檚 plate or in a few jars on the table.

含羞草研究社淯sually, people don含羞草研究社檛 pick them up until the wine is flowing, and then it makes for a very interesting evening to see what people have written beside [their plates]. Sometimes it含羞草研究社檚 really lovely and sometimes it含羞草研究社檚 really silly and sometime含羞草研究社檚 it含羞草研究社檚 really funny. Sometimes it含羞草研究社檚 just pictures and doodling.含羞草研究社�

It含羞草研究社檚 also a great activity for kids.

As for the rest of the decor, 含羞草研究社渓et the food speak,含羞草研究社� much of what can be prepared ahead of time, including dressings, pickled vegetables or desserts, Marchessault said.

Maybe it means having the pizza dough made in advance so guests can be ready to top them up with the pre-chopped ingredients.

含羞草研究社淏uffet style works best.含羞草研究社�

Collaborate

Still intimidated? Rest easy for the rest doesn含羞草研究社檛 have to fall on you.

含羞草研究社淸Ask guests] to bring something.含羞草研究社�

Not only does this take the weight off the host含羞草研究社檚 shoulders, but it makes the evening interactive.

含羞草研究社淧arties are fun when the host is having fun. If they含羞草研究社檙e not含羞草研究社攚hen the host is stressed or worried about the timing of the food含羞草研究社攊t definitely reflects on how the guests are feeling.含羞草研究社�

Guests can alleviate this stress by getting involved. They can bring appetizers, salads or drinks or be in charge of laying leaves across the table.

They can also make their own meals含羞草研究社攕ay gyozas, where the dough is premade and they select their own fillings含羞草研究社攚hich gives them a sense of pride.

含羞草研究社淚t gets them involved and they含羞草研究社檙e very proud of it. You know, if you含羞草研究社檙e putting [the food] in the oven, they get very territorial. 含羞草研究社楴o, that one含羞草研究社檚 mine!含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� They含羞草研究社檙e very proud of their work when it comes out of the oven.含羞草研究社�

Liberate yourself from perfectionism

含羞草研究社淚t really, truly is about sharing and I think sometimes because we see such beautiful food all the time in magazines and we see these beautiful spreads, we have these high ideals of what it should look like and what it should be like.

含羞草研究社淚t really is about sharing. When someone makes something for me, I am so thrilled. To me, that is a gift.含羞草研究社�

Marchessault含羞草研究社檚 most recent cookbook, The Artful Pie Project, came out last year and was a collaboration between her and Deb Garlick, artist and photographer.

含羞草研究社淪he brought the cookbook to life with her playful blend of creativity and artistry.含羞草研究社�

Preparing for the pie cookbook involved a lot of, well, baking pies, which meant further collaboration was needed.

含羞草研究社淲hen I was writing this pie book, I did not know any of my neighbours but I was testing a lot of pies 含羞草研究社� I would send my husband out with a tray of pies around the neighbourhood and I got to meet so many people that way. People were so touched. It came back to me tenfold,含羞草研究社� explained Marchessault, who had neighbours returning the gesture with knitted socks, bottles of wine and vanilla from Mexico.

含羞草研究社淲hen you make something for somebody or invite somebody into your home, it is very special 含羞草研究社� Plan something, you know, with a little bit of heart, then it always turns out well.含羞草研究社�

You can learn more about Marchessault, her cookbooks and cooking classes by visiting denisem.ca.

kim.kimberlin@blackpress.ca
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