LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2018

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It’s an interesting truth that some people are be er than others at throwing di er parties. It probably has something to do with practice. Regular hosts develop systems and patterns that take a lot of anxiety out of the prep. Teamwork is also a big factor: having a partner or grown-up children or friends you can call on to fulfill some of the hostly duties certainly makes life easier. But if there’s one common denominator we have identified over the years it’s this: the best di er parties are given by people who truly enjoy entertaining. A dinner party should never be a chore or in the least bit intimidating. It’s just an excuse for getting together with family and friends, and showing how much you like them by cooking something special and finding the right things to drink. Sure, you want your place to look its best, and you’ll aim to set the right mood with lighting and music and decoration—but the whole thing is meant to be fun. Having fun may mean taking your guests by surprise (if only with two or three small details), but it also means customizing the party to suit the situation. Is this a regular get-together or a once-a-year shindig, is it a special occasion or just a way of watching the game with some close friends? We’ve put together six very different kinds of di er parties in the coming pages, to illustrate how varied this kind of event can be. The idea isn’t to copy our theme, menu and drinks list exactly (though we know that many of our readers enjoy doing just that). We hope you’ll be versatile and cherry-pick the ideas and recipes you like, then mix and match until you come up with something creative and uniquely your own. Most of all, we hope you and your guests will look back on the evening, when all is said and done, and agree that a very g d time was had by a.

FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN