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

91裸聊视频淔ood is the great connection for us all. When we break bread together, we really are communicating with other people. It91裸聊视频檚 a gesture of love,91裸聊视频� said Denise Marchessault, the self-described 91裸聊视频渁mbitious home cook91裸聊视频� 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 don91裸聊视频檛 have enough food? Do I decorate?

HARVEST asked Marchessault if she could share her tips and tricks for hosting a dinner event. Here91裸聊视频檚 what she recommended.

Keep it seasonal

91裸聊视频淢y planning always is based around the menu.91裸聊视频�

The easiest way to plan your menu is to start with what91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淭he more appetizers you have, the less you have to worry about the main dish and the fewer portions you have to have.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淭hose are nice grazing foods that you can put out.91裸聊视频�

Keep it simple

It can be easy to go over the top, but what91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚f it91裸聊视频檚 summer, it91裸聊视频檚 going to be wildflowers 91裸聊视频� If I have a lot of salal, I91裸聊视频檒l decorate with salal, and I would put it directly on the table in a long stream.91裸聊视频�

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 person91裸聊视频檚 plate or in a few jars on the table.

91裸聊视频淯sually, people don91裸聊视频檛 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 it91裸聊视频檚 really lovely and sometimes it91裸聊视频檚 really silly and sometime91裸聊视频檚 it91裸聊视频檚 really funny. Sometimes it91裸聊视频檚 just pictures and doodling.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 also a great activity for kids.

As for the rest of the decor, 91裸聊视频渓et the food speak,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淏uffet style works best.91裸聊视频�

Collaborate

Still intimidated? Rest easy for the rest doesn91裸聊视频檛 have to fall on you.

91裸聊视频淸Ask guests] to bring something.91裸聊视频�

Not only does this take the weight off the host91裸聊视频檚 shoulders, but it makes the evening interactive.

91裸聊视频淧arties are fun when the host is having fun. If they91裸聊视频檙e not91裸聊视频攚hen the host is stressed or worried about the timing of the food91裸聊视频攊t definitely reflects on how the guests are feeling.91裸聊视频�

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 meals91裸聊视频攕ay gyozas, where the dough is premade and they select their own fillings91裸聊视频攚hich gives them a sense of pride.

91裸聊视频淚t gets them involved and they91裸聊视频檙e very proud of it. You know, if you91裸聊视频檙e putting [the food] in the oven, they get very territorial. 91裸聊视频楴o, that one91裸聊视频檚 mine!91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� They91裸聊视频檙e very proud of their work when it comes out of the oven.91裸聊视频�

Liberate yourself from perfectionism

91裸聊视频淚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.

91裸聊视频淚t really is about sharing. When someone makes something for me, I am so thrilled. To me, that is a gift.91裸聊视频�

Marchessault91裸聊视频檚 most recent cookbook, The Artful Pie Project, came out last year and was a collaboration between her and Deb Garlick, artist and photographer.

91裸聊视频淪he brought the cookbook to life with her playful blend of creativity and artistry.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淲hen I was writing this pie book, I did not know any of my neighbours but I was testing a lot of pies 91裸聊视频� 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,91裸聊视频� explained Marchessault, who had neighbours returning the gesture with knitted socks, bottles of wine and vanilla from Mexico.

91裸聊视频淲hen you make something for somebody or invite somebody into your home, it is very special 91裸聊视频� Plan something, you know, with a little bit of heart, then it always turns out well.91裸聊视频�

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

kim.kimberlin@blackpress.ca
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