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Recently, I entertained friends visiting from both the West and East Coasts. We had not come together in a number of years, and it was an opportunity to break bread and have a conversation.

Since they were coming to my location, I offered my home to be the hub of entertainment.  My friends were very familiar with my cookbook, Generations of Good Food. They were curious if my dinner selections would include recipes from the book or something else.  They were all confident I would not order in or have the dinner catered.

Planning and preparing meals for guests can be stressful. I am fortunate enough to have family members who offered suggestions of what I could prepare and serve.  I wanted to provide an “Italian experience” to my friends. I carefully planned my menu from antipasto to dessert and prepared a shopping list. My planning included several shopping trips to ensure everything was available and fresh. It was a tribute to many of the recipes in my book and certainly my family roots.

Nothing brings friends together like spending time at the table. Food is the sustenance of friendships, and without food, relationships are reduced to mere acquaintances.

There were discussions not only on how I prepared a dish but on how I decided what to serve.  It is the joy of food, love, and laughter that brings us closer when we indulge in homemade meals prepared from the heart with others in mind.

What did I do to prepare and serve this meal?

Well, I wanted my dinner to allow me the opportunity to be part of the group and not be stuck in the kitchen all night.

Several days prior to the event I made homemade sauce with sausage and homemade meatballs. I served sandwiches. The morning of the event I set out the dishes and bowls I would use to serve the food. I prepared the various items on the antipasto platter and put cheese and fruit on a tray, and olives and nuts in bowls. I refrigerated them so they just had to be set out. I only had to warm and cut a baguette.

I prepared the salad, which I had pre-cut in the morning, but I made a dressing as they watched. I warmed the pan of sauce and cut and warmed rolls for sandwiches. Because there were children included, I made a non-alcoholic punch. I had a bottle of Prosecco to be added for those who wanted to imbibe.

A week before the event I baked four types of cookies which I froze.  I took them out of the freezer when the guests arrived and placed them on a platter shortly before serving them.  Coffee was available also.  Because everything was pre-prepared, I was able to be part of the conversation with my friends.

Eating together not only becomes a social gathering, it’s also an emotional experience

When you serve foods that are from a unique culture, the conversation is never dull. For me, this was a type of baring of my soul because my friends had never been to my home to experience my cooking. They all knew I had written a cookbook but eating my food was special for them and me. Never underestimate the powerful effects of food and friends. Sharing a meal is the ideal event that cements relationships. Everyone feels connected to the idea that food is sustenance and friends are food for the soul. It is a significant feeling. It was a successful evening.

Grab a copy of Generations of Good Food at www.onecaregiversjourney.com or from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Google Books.