YOU EXPECTED 20 AND 40 CAME

We have always had parties. Usually large parties. The more the merrier. I prided myself on being flexible about RSVPs and always planned for more guests than were invited since more often than not, those who sent regrets, turned up, and those who had accepted showed up with friends in tow.

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I also planned for the vegetarians who in the 90s and 00s were about 20% of the population (much higher now). This wasn't a hardship for me since I naturally make a lot of "green" food, no matter what the occasion. And we always had salad. 

One year, we were hosting a wonderful group of people from Lumezzana (Province Brescia, Lombardy Italy). We met them the year before at my husband's photo exhibition in Brescia. Now they were in New York to celebrate their own photo exhibition in our gallery. 

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As part of the festivities around the visit, I agreed to host a dinner party. Twenty-one of the forty-some delegates were expected. The others wanted to site see. As usual I had also invited a few friends to join us and to help carry the conversation in Italian.

We emptied the dining room and brought in sawhorses and plywood to make a very long table. I was committed to a sit-down affair. Only way to actually interact with the guests. We used sheets for tablecloths and found 20 chairs and two long benches. I prepared a large antipasti plate with cheese and meat, olives and lots of bread and olive oil. We went upstairs to get dressed and then the doorbell rang.

I ran downstairs in my apron and opened the door and the guests began to come in. But the flow didn't stop at 21. It kept going and going and eventually 40 some people - everyone from Lumezzana and some unexpected Italian American friends arrived. With everyone in the room, we were a large group. 

I had made a lot of food. Frutti di mare salad, grilled sockeye salmon, flank steak, pasta and more. But the difference between 30 and 45 is substantial. I started to panic. What if there is not enough food? What if they are disappointed? But in my heart I knew that if we could get everyone a drink and then find seats for all of them, we would be okay.

Many glasses of Prosecco later we sat down to our meal.

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There were no vegetarians. This happens frequently at my house. Vegetarians and vegans seem to disappear come Thanksgiving and holidays.

It was truly magical. 

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Being cool with unknown numbers is hard. But if you plan well for a party and make a wide variety of items, then everyone gets something to eat. After all, it’s about being together.

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Below are recipes that have worked for me when the guest list passes 6 people.