It has been two years. Two long years since our previous Enchanted Table feast.
The unpredictable yo-yo of lockdowns and ever-present restrictions in our trigger-happy state of Victoria unfortunately meant that planning big events was simply out of the question. Besides, we privately wondered, even if we were to host a gathering (with all the vitriol and exclusions dividing some of our family)… would anyone even come?
We bravely decided to strike out anyway and cast the net far and wide. A Thai Banquet. The kind of cuisine and aesthetic that would perfectly match the decor of our (now not so new) house and one in which guests could easily ‘cheat’ and pick up takeaway to contribute if the thought of slaving over a hot stove was too much.
Immediately, the rush of creativity and planning came back to me. I had almost forgotten the joys of deep-diving into a culture – exploring recipes and traditions, visiting specialty grocers and spending the week in the lead up cooking up a storm in my kitchen. I missed the ‘just one more dish’ caper that inevitably occurs, as I look over the menu plan and put my name down for last minute additions out of a mix of passion and fear (that there somehow won’t be enough food).
Thai flavours are beautifully complicated. A mix of sweet and sour, salty and creamy, with a dash of umami as well. I splashed out on some pandan leaves at the local Asian grocer and infused them into a sugar syrup for the tapioca pudding. As I taste-tested for flavour, I was immediately transported back to our honeymoon and the whirlwind of wonderful memories. 17 years seemed a mere blink, and we dug out the photo album to relive the experience: our island getaway at Koh Samui, a venture into the city that never sleeps (Bangkok) and then a mountain adventure in the north (Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai).
The night is balmy. We fling open the doors and await our guests. Platters of delicious food are placed carefully in the kitchen, and the kids hardly wait to take off their clothes before diving into the pool. The generous layout of space affords plenty of room for guests to mingle, sample traditional appetisers and relax under the banana leaves and melt into the bubbles of the spa. It is our first trial of the new house and, pleasingly, we find this space doesn’t require strict limits but can stretch to accommodate a crowd.
Even the knowledge that this is merely the first course is not quite enough to stop us indulging. There are slightly spicy curry puffs, spring rolls, succulent chicken skewers hot off the BBQ and perfectly wrapped fresh spring rice-paper rolls, chicken meatballs, fresh herbs, a decoratively-arranged fruit platter and plenty of dipping sauces. We experiment with exotic drinks – watermelon and lychee juice, a Thai basil and blackberry spritzer, an espresso-laden sweet iced coffee, and Thai-style bubble tea.
It isn’t all sunshine. I nearly take a tumble a couple of times on the slippery trail of wet footprints trailing through the house. Harvey tries his luck hanging from the basketball ring on the trampoline and is rewarded with a nasty whack – his front tooth connecting with his knee in the descent. He emerges in the kitchen, sobbing, in the chaotic space between starters and dinner. Thankfully, though, he recovers quickly and manages to rejoin the craziness before long.
The aroma of curries wafts through the kitchen and we fill our plates to groaning – feeling a compulsion to at least try a little of everything! There’s pad thai, chicken curries (of red and green), basil-pork stir fry, a vegan pumpkin curry, massaman curry, fried rice, ginger chicken, cashew chicken, a plethora of salads (rice noodle, green papaya, green mango and cucumber salad), along with infused rices and freshly-made roti wraps.
It is good for the soul to rest and relax around the table. We catch up with friends, family and neighbours, exchanging stories and experiences of the past few years, feeling as if time has folded back on itself somehow. I always marvel at how interactions effortlessly flow at these events – despite the drawing together of people from every angle of life. We are reminded, yet again, that being together is critical and life-giving – something to prioritise and cherish.
By the time the sun is disappearing and the kids are transitioning from swimming to gaming, we serve dessert. After the richness of the first two courses, the spread is blessedly lighter – a pandan-infused tapioca pudding, banana fritters with vanilla ice-cream, banana muffins, mango sorbet, a coconut & mango cake and chocolate ice cream and waffle cones for the kids. We savour each flavour outside in the twilight.
Every time I walk into the kitchen, another load of dishes has been expertly washed and sorted by my mum (she really is the party-master who taught me everything I know!). With everything under control, I feel inspired to take a soak in the spa, enjoying another round of deep conversations with great friends. As darkness falls, guests gradually begin to take their leave, but Holly and I stay in the spa for what feels like hours – swatting away the ever-present mosquitoes, before taking a plunge in the pool!
A small but solid group stays for another round of board-games and we savour hot tea and coffee, relaxing in the still-mild temperatures around the outdoor tables. By the time the night is over, we have made promises to organise the next one before too long.
These gatherings are the closest thing to magic I have discovered in this life. It’s difficult to even put into words the dream-like nature of plucking an idea out of the air, designing a menu plan, setting up the space, and then…. everything springs up as if out of nowhere. Dishes that were merely a few characters on a page suddenly take form on the table, the full scent of their aroma curling around the room. A bounty of food and laughter, music and fun. We crash out, tired but blissful. The experiment has been inordinately successful.
Now, to select the next cuisine!
The Enchanted Table is an idea that sprung from a chance encounter with an evocative French memoir/cookbook, inspiring me to consider how we could bring that heady mix of hospitality and magic to our own table. We hosted our first French-themed banquet in 2017 and haven’t looked back since. You can read about the other cuisines we have explored here: Greek, Spanish, Polish, American, French (the sequel), Italian, Indonesian, Argentinian, Japanese, Turkish and Portuguese.
