Holidays | The art of hosting in 2021

This Christmas will be different from the last one, but also from all the previous ones. Whether there are six or twenty at the table, some things will inevitably change. Others, however, will remain steadfast such as the desire to come together and feast together. A look at the art of hosting in 2021.

Isabelle morin
Press

” It’s crazy ! We can see it with our customers: last Christmas was difficult, underlines the co-owner of 3 women and a cushion, Annick D’Amours, whose shop specializes in tableware. There is an intention to celebrate life through beautiful tables and beautiful objects, this year. We want a big reunion. ”

Once again, the rules of Public Health will take precedence over customs, our desires and our family traditions this Christmas. Under the circumstances, the course of our reunion will require a certain flexibility and skill.

So that all the guests are comfortable and so as not to have a dispute to manage during the evening, the question surrounding the vaccination and the hygiene measures to be respected should be clarified before the reception, advises Danielle Roberge, specialist. in etiquette and service. “If you’re not vaccinated, you have to be honest about it. The person receiving the reception must pass on the information and make sure that everyone is comfortable in the context offered. ”

This update is a good start, but on D-Day, we will still have to expect that the sensitivities surrounding COVID-19 will be expressed to varying degrees by establishing an enabling environment, predicts the speaker. . “A lot of people have made a habit of washing their hands when they arrive and before eating. As a host, however, there is a way to recall these gestures with delicacy before sitting down to the table. ”

The buffet formula will not be the most suitable for our reunion, nor the one where the dishes are placed on the table in a friendly way, note the speakers. Since it is undesirable to leave food lying around and expose it to germs, it comes down to plate service. In this more traditional reception context, the menu will have been better defined and thought out to limit improvisation.

Set the table

“Since we won’t put a lot of dishes to share in the middle, we will have to dress the table. I see fir trees, amaryllis, pomegranates, long and thin candles ”, imagines M^me Of Love. So many decorations that can underline the festive side of the meal, but which should not fall into the overload or interfere with the conversation by blocking the view of the guests.

Without necessarily keeping a yardstick between the guests, the notion of space should be respected, adds the passionate about the art of living. “If we receive 15 people, we do not want to be stuck around a table that normally accommodates 8.” On the question of condiments, bread, butter or salt and pepper shakers, the latter wonders: “Strategically , I think we should have as little as possible on the table, but I doubt that we want to compartmentalize each plate like a plane tray by deciding in advance the quantities for each. ”

To spare scruples or alleviate fears, a person can always be designated to distribute the bread (without touching it), offer the seasonings or pour the sauce and water, believes Danielle Roberge, who advises to deposit at least a carafe of water on the table and ideally several to reduce the exchange of objects. Everyone should be able to hydrate themselves during the meal.

“As a host, it is not excluded to offer certain rules such as asking our guests to take their own piece of butter from the start and for the entire meal. That said, if you decide to leave the salt shaker in the center of the table, nothing forces someone fearful to touch it. ”

Small dishes in the big ones

Of course, there are viruses, but with or without a pandemic, certain ways of doing things are still welcome to have a good time at the table. Before COVID-19 hit, the art of the table was already tending to simplify itself, observes Thierry Pelven, professor in international training in service and sommelier at the ITHQ. For example, champagne flutes, once essential to serve the precious elixir, are increasingly replaced by a wine glass in large restaurants, which allows them to appreciate their aromas more, he emphasizes.

Which glass for which use?

When welcoming guests, we will often have set up a beautiful table with a plate that sometimes fits another, smaller, or a bowl, describes Annick D’Amours. When the meal begins, however, only the used plate is kept, placed either on a presentation plate, or directly on the tablecloth, the doily or a table runner (placed between the guests facing each other).

Everyone will have at least a wine glass, if they are old enough to drink, and a water glass. The host can choose to leave all the glasses on the table, so that the guests can revisit the wines as they wish during the meal, or even distribute the appropriate glasses as they go according to the food and wine pairing. , says Thierry Pelven.

When it comes to utensils, putting them on the table right from the start makes serving easier. “We also want to be able to sit down with our guests and participate in conversations,” says Annick D’Amours. At some point, you never stop changing glasses, plates and utensils. It is 1 am, we are burnt and we have to do the dishes. So yes, if we have enough utensils to put them all on the table [en prévision des différents services à venir], it allows you to free yourself from this task and sit down a bit. “For the same reasons and not to clutter up the table if there are many of us, we can very well use the same wine glass for white and red, she believes.

Utensils in the right place

The utensils are placed from the outside towards the plate according to their priority of use during the meal. Those reserved for dessert are rather placed above the plate so as not to clutter up the space. Dessert or cheese cups and plates wait for the right moment to take their place at the table. Only the bread plate remains present as long as it is needed.

Set the mood

The spirit of the party takes place even before the guests sit down to eat. You have to feel the spirit of the party both literally and figuratively. “You have to delight the senses”, summarizes Thierry Pelven. Both by the background music (at low volume, so as not to interfere with the conversations) as by the decoration, soft lighting or smells reminiscent of the holiday theme.

We don’t just want to bring food to the guests, he insists. “Describe what you will find on your plate, tell what has been done upstream, go there with anecdotes about the history of the dish, these are all information that will contribute to the appreciation of the meal. ”

Finally, to ensure that all our guests can express themselves and that the conversation will not be monopolized by one or two people during the evening, the exchanges can be directed. “We can create opportunities to get everyone talking. During the evening, it could be to play a song previously chosen by each guest and ask them to explain their choice, or ask everyone to talk about what they missed the most during the confinement ”, gives the example of the founder of Let’s Talk Etiquette and Customer Service, Danielle Roberge. “Above all, we want to create a unifying moment. Yes, there is the etiquette and the art of the table, but with what we live and what we have experienced, no matter in which dishes our meal will be served, the most important will be to celebrate the happiness of be together. “