It’s the land of the free, of opportunity and patriotism. Last night we ‘travelled’ to the United States of America.
Winning by a landslide in our Enchanted Table group poll, it seems that the idea of good old fashioned comfort food struck a chord with many.
We have been hosting Enchanted Table events for over a year now – visiting very diverse parts of the globe – from Italy, Indonesia and Argentina to Japan, Turkey, Portugal and France. The idea is simple – we set a date and cuisine, I spend a couple of hours dreaming up a menu guide, everyone puts their name next to a dish or two and then, we feast!
I still haven’t become accustomed to that feeling of wonder when we stand back and survey the table – loaded with platters and pots, trays and dishes – the very same dishes that are written on the menu guide spring to life all at once. I absolutely love it.
That’s not to say that feast days always run smoothly. There were certainly a few dicey moments throughout the lead up – such as when Harvey decided to smash a plate from the perfectly laid dinner table, sending glass shards hurtling over (what seemed like) every inch of the floor. The weather and a poorly timed basketball game didn’t allow for long stretches of kid-free preparation (as Dave usually tries to grant me) and I found the mental load and parenting to be a difficult mix.
But, when the night begins and the conversations start flowing, it strikes me again how important and valuable these nights are. This time there are new faces and I love watching the crowd mix and mingle, new friendships being formed and old ones renewed. It is so easy to let the busyness of life dictate, to pencil in catch ups that keep getting pushed back. Getting together feels like a breath of fresh air, a chance to check in with each other and to enjoy doing life together for a couple of hours.
American food is, shall we say, hearty. We start off with mac & cheese bites, buffalo chicken wings, cheeseburger sliders, cob loaf spinach dip, an antipasto platter and chicken meatballs with a lime & coriander aioli. Pre-dinner drinks consist of Cosmopolitans, a Red, White & Blue Sangria and a Cranberry & Orange punch. Dinner tests our eating capacities with the copious amounts of meat – BBQ beef brisket, pot roast, meatloaf, Kentucky Fried and roast chicken, pizza and an award-winning Texas Chili recipe that was spicy, smoky and divine. There are non-carnivorous options too – Mac & Cheese, an Olive Garden style minestrone soup with home-baked parmesan breadsticks, coleslaw, potato salad, Parker house rolls, fries, onion rings and mashed potato. I feel as if I will never be able to eat another bite after attempting to try a little bit of everything.
And then dessert comes around – key lime pie, New York cheesecake, brownies, apple pie, banoffee pie, cherry pies, ice-cream and cones for the kids and a seasonal fruit platter as well. It is decadent, delicious and delightful.
The kids do well considering the lack of ideal weather – starting off playing with scooters across the road, then hitting the chip bowls and drinks (or perhaps that was just mine, standing as if chained to the table and then filling up cups with pure cordial.) The lack of parental observation tends to make ours go just a little crazy at times, shall we say. As the night winds down, they snuggle up on the couch to watch The Incredibles 2, the sugar rush fading away finally.
Even the clean up feels meaningful, with so many hands pitching in, it gains the sense of camaraderie rather than duty. When all the guests have left, we turn up the music and finish off the last few rounds of dishes.
A friend shared with me a great insight this week that suffering is inevitable and the attempt to avoid it is pointless. What we can do is choose to suffer for a purpose – to pursue the things in life that have meaning, even when that might mean a bit of effort. It isn’t necessarily ‘easy’ to do these nights, there is a lot of preparation and thought involved, but that doesn’t even begin to sway us away from hosting them. We spend the next day resting, cleaning and recovering, but there are zero regrets.
After all, life is made for living.
Enchanted Table nights are open to anyone who loves to explore new cuisines, meet great people and share good times together. If you live locally and want to be a part of it, just let me know and I can add you to our group! Or if you want to host your own, just let me know and I can send you through a menu guide (French, Italian, Indonesian, Argentinian, Japanese, Turkish or Portuguese).
