Module
Entertaining
Eleven ways to set a table. Four seasons, plus three for studios, beginners, and the lunch your parents are coming for.
A Spring Garden Lunch for Six
The first warm Saturday of April. A long table on the lawn or the balcony. Linen napkins still smelling of sun. The menu is light because the air is light.
A Spring Brunch on the Equinox
Late March, late morning. The sun is honest again. The brunch is a way to mark the season turning, not the calendar.
A Summer Rooftop Aperitivo
Five to seven in the evening. The light is gold, then pink, then gone. People stand more than they sit. The food is small so the conversation is large.
A Summer Late Supper, Outside
Nine p.m. The plates clatter softly. Everyone is barefoot. Eat the food, then keep talking until the candles go out.
A Fall Harvest Dinner
October. The first cold week. The kitchen heats the whole house. The table is heavier than in summer; the food is, too.
A Fall Soup Night by the Fire
A casual midweek gathering. Three friends, one big pot, no ceremony. The bread is the centerpiece. The wine is what someone brought.
A Winter Fireside Supper
January. The year is new but the dark is still long. Six people, two bottles of red, a stew that has cooked since morning. No one wants to be anywhere else.
How to Host Four People in a 35-Square-Meter Studio
The studio fits four if you plan the layout, not just the food. The food is the easy part.
The First Time You Host: Three Friends, No Stress
First time hosting in your own place. The instinct is to over-do. Don't. Here is the smallest version that still feels like an event.
Sunday Lunch When the Parents Visit
They drive in for lunch, leave by four. Two hours at the table. The food should look like you cared without you needing to have cared for two days.
Winter Afternoon Tea and Cake
A Sunday in February. Four o'clock. Two friends. A pot of strong tea. A cake that was baked yesterday and improves with sitting. The afternoon stretches because no one is going anywhere.