Casa Bella’s first major event

So this is it, the first major event for the new dining room has been set (4th December) and invites to a select group of friends

(about 12 in total) have been sent (online of course. I’ve found this great site, called Pingg.com)

Dress code is smart/casual. The theme for the evening will be chic American/Italian 50s, alla  Brat Pack/ La Vita Dolce.  The evening will feature a five course Italian menu, home cooked, naturally, by my talented sister, Francesca. I’ll be working front of house, making sure the cutlery is polished and the glasses are steam shined. I’m estimating that this will take a minimum of one day to make sure it’s just right. Yes, I know that sounds really ‘anal’ but hey, if you’re going to do something, then do it right. That’s my philosophy anyway. A dinner party is all about the experience. For some, it’s going to be one of the few occasions where they can truly abandon themselves, forget serving others for a short period of time and allow themselves to be truly pampered. At least, that’s how I’d like to be treated and I know for sure my sister does!

We’re quite excited by the event as it takes us right back to our childhood. Our mother was a true socialite, often entertaining guests at the house (albeit on a much smaller scale as we didn’t have much money), I remember ‘the Italians’ staying over until the early hours of the morning. Threatening to leave at around  1:00am and then hovering by the door and chatting for another hour or so. I used to love these events because it was the time when all the ‘nice’ things would come out on trays, meaning that I’d often sneak out of my bed and down the stairs to scavange the odd morsel when nobody was looking. Yes, there was certainly plenty of food. After all, an Italian’s worse nightmare is the thought of guests going home hungry.  There’s no doubt that we’ve inherited the whole hospitality thing, and with a generous five course meal, we’re confident nobody will be stopping by a fast food outlet on the way home.

There’s a lot that needs to be done before the evening. However, as firey and as tempermental as my sister and I can be, I’m sure it’s going to be the best that it can be. That’s if our mutual control freakery doesn’t cause us both to self combust!