Dinner Party Series: Fabulous Femmes Film Fest (Fourth Annual)

Alice, our lovely photographer!

This year marks the 4th annual Fabulous Femmes Film Fest, a little party I try to give each year, gathering friends to enjoy a meal and a couple of Oscar-nominated films.  If you have a flat-screen TV and enjoy watching movies. I encourage you to host your own FFFF. 

As readers of this blog know, I love playing with color. This year, I used a pea-green cloth with matching plates and accessories. From time-to-time, the tables I set don’t use conventional dinner table items. I like to pluck objects from all around the house, setting the table with oilcloth or newspapers (if that works with the theme I’ve chosen), tying cloth napkins with butcher twine, using an oil lantern on the table, using baskets plucked from here and there, and generally trying to put together fresh, fun ideas. Why not? Anything goes!

This year’s Film Fest lunch involved only minimal effort. 

Using three cans of condensed tomato soup to make seven large servings, I prepared Looped Soup, an easy and economical recipe. 

Slicing bagels in half, I set out three types of fillings so my guests could make their own sandwiches - sliced turkey breast, sliced Swiss cheese, deviled eggs, lettuce, sliced pickles, tomatoes, and cucumbers. My sandwich buffet also featured sliced smoked lox, cream cheese, capers, and red onion. I bought dessert - a small, tiramisu-style cake - to save myself some time. 

(Since posting this note about Tiramisu, I’ve found the best ever recipe for it! Check it out by clicking on ... You’ll figure it out! I was surprised how easy this great dessert actually was to make.) 

You’ll enjoy hosting dinner parties more if you simplify them and get your guests involved. These five points bear emphasizing:

1/ Given your level of energy, experience, and the size of your work space, don’t try to do more than you can do. Entertaining friends at home isn’t a contest.

2/ Start your preparations early! That’s important. Set your table a day or two ahead. Plan your menu, taking out the utensils, serving dishes, and everything else you’ll need (refrigerated or ready to go into the oven), well in advance.

3/ Place small notes on or into each empty serving bowl and tray, reminding yourself what needs to go in each and plcing the appropriate serving utensils on each plate and into each bowl. 

4/ Make a check list of each task necessary to get there, and you’ll feel more organized. Keep an eye on the clock! I often scratch one or two dishes from my too-ambitious list of what I want to serve. 

5/ Do not ap0logize when things go wrong! Laugh it off, have fun, and forget about it. 

So here’s how the meal looked! I set the tray of empty mugs on the table for show, removing them to the kitchen to be filled with gin-laced soup, which I served in the living room. Using a funnel will keep the soup from splashing against the sides of the mugs as they’re being filled. 

This was a casual meal - the FFFF is always a casual occasion - so after everyone had their mugs of soup, we allowed a good pause before the next course. After my guests made their own sandwiches, we once again retreated to the living room.

With lunch over, we were ready for main event - movies! - with popcorn, lots more talking, and later, cake and tea. All in all, plenty of fun and not too much work. I hope these photos will inspire you to do something similar! 

Best Tip Ever: Fill a 30-cup coffee urn with water, bringing it to the boil midway through your party. When you offer coffee, use instant granules, filling your pot or cups with boiling water from the urn. When you offer herbal or regular tea, fill your pot or cups directly from the urn, too. This is my #1 tip for keeping things simple at a large party. The best place to buy these urns is on Craigslist or at a restaurant supply house. If you buy a used urn, be sure it functions as it should before you hand over your money. Getting a seven-day written warranty is also a smart idea.  

Start with a basic buffet setting. I tend to change “the look” many times until I’m satisfied. If possible, set the table a day or two in advance. If you don’t want to use your china, use paper or plastic picnic plates! Who doesn’t love a picnic?

Everything starts with your color scheme.

I usually add an extra setting and extra cutlery, just
in case! I served soup in these mugs - easier to handle 
and more casual  than bowls and spoons.

Imagine where various foods will go after placing the basics.

Fresh, cold water is an essential. Water was more popular 

than the Champagne Cocktail I served each arriving guest.

Table tips, 101: A good supply of napkins, 

with extras on hand, just in case!

Bagels are studier than sandwich bread and don’t 

dry out as fast. Partially sliced bagels are the 

perfect start for Build-Yer-Own sandwiches.

Cream cheese, lox, thinly sliced red onions, capers … Shop 

a couple of days in advance so you won’t forget anything.

The table: A happy jumble of candles, flowers, and food.

Parsley’s a great filler for otherwise-empty spaces.

Your hostess! Next time, let this photo be you!