Kitchen Essential

Tiles still make the best wall surface between kitchen worktops and overhead cupboards.

They are easy to clean and make a watertight seal between walls and worktops as well as providing an opportunity for colour and decoration.

The most important thing to remember when tiling is to think it all out carefully before beginning. A careful sketch based on laying the tiles out on the worktop is worth the time it takes and will almost certainly reduce the likelihood of mistakes that might not become obvious until towards the end of the job. Continue Reading »

Isn’t it interesting how the truly basic basics of cooking, like how to boil an egg that’s just right or cooking a perfect pot of rice, are ironically the last things we master? What we know (as with everything else), we’ve learnt the hard way. Allow us to make yours a smoother ride. If you start by getting the basics into the kitchen, mastering the cooking basics will just be so much easier.

Cooking (without waves)

If you know how to cook eggs, a pot of rice, pasta and veggies, you will survive. If you can do a decent braai, you may even thrive. So read on and see if you can master the basics. Continue Reading »

Considering the sociability of the barbecues and the fact that you don’t have to clean the kitchen afterwards, it’s brilliant! It’s less fuss, more fun. We recently went for what we thought was a traditional (in the sense of a fire) barbecues at a friend’s house. When the fire was still not lit an hour after we got there and there was no sign of wood or charcoal we were getting a bit edgy, only for the hostess to nonchalantly stroll outside with the extension lead and her new electrical barbecues. Fair enough, it is easier, but lighting the fire and enjoying that delightful smell that stays in your clothes and hair for the remainder of the evening certainly adds a little je ne sais quoi to an evening under the stars. Continue Reading »

Decanters and carafes

Decanters are usually stoppered to prevent loss of bouquet from fine old red wines. Spirit decanters which often come in pairs may be simple yet elegant in shape, but are more often made of deeply etched glass. These too need stoppers. Silver tags hung round the necks identify the contents.

Robust young red wines benefit from exposure to the oxidizing process of air and are frequently served in a carafe, which has no stopper.

Cutlery

The price of cutlery varies enormously according to he material it is made from and the quality of the finish. At the lowest end of the scale is stainless steel cutlery, although this rises in price depending on the quality of the steel and the degree of workmanship. Stainless steel is extremely practical and suits informal meals, but it is not always appropriate for more formal occasions. Continue Reading »

It is important to start by choosing a colour scheme for the table setting and then to choose flowers that suit the style of the meal, the colour of the table linens, the china to be used and any candles to be placed on the table. The appearance of the room and the dinner table can be effectively varied by using flowers of different colours arranged in different ways. Several large arrangements of flowers can be placed around the room to echo the theme chosen for the table, and a much smaller arrangement should be used on the table itself. Tall vases and large spreading arrangements placed on the table are too intrusive and may mean that people cannot easily talk to each other across the table.

The table flower arrangement should be kept low and central, spreading gently outwards rather than upwards. The shape of the vase used is all important as it will affect the height of the flowers and the way they spread. Choose a low shallow vase and place inside a piece of crumpled chicken wire or oasis; this will hold the stems in place. Continue Reading »

Leave yourself plenty of time as there are always little jobs to do to ensure that everything looks perfect. First decide which accessories you are going to use. Sometimes a cloth or napkins need ironing, using a little spray starch to give a fresh, crisp look. Silver and glasses may need polishing, mats may need a wipe over, flowers may have to be picked and so on.

Lay the table with the cloth or mats first. Count out the cutlery you need and set this next. Then come the glasses, well polished and sparkling. Count out the pieces of china you need for all the courses and stack ready in the kitchen, other than those you need for the first course and any side plates, which will go directly on the table. Continue Reading »

HIGH TEA

As high tea is a much more informal, family affair than afternoon tea, your everyday china is quite suitable. An unfussy practical setting is required, with a fairly plain table-cloth set with everyday cutlery. As hot dishes are usually served, each place setting should include a large knife and fork as well as a side plate and small knife for spreading butter and jam.

SNACK MEALS

If a very light meal is to be eaten after the theatre or in the early evening a low occasional table is ideal for arranging dishes and setting informal places. Almost any ’snack’ meal can be served in this way. If the surface is not heat-proof, any hot plates of food and coffee pots should be placed either on a heat-proof tray or large mat. Continue Reading »

BREAKFAST

If entertaining guests to breakfast, position the table in the sunniest spot so as to get the day off to a good start. If the weather is bad or you do not have a sunny spot, lay the table with a bright sunny cloth and colourful china.

For a full breakfast you will need cereal bowls, side plates, tea or coffee cups and saucers, cereal spoons, knives and forks or small spoons for boiled eggs, small knives for buttering toast, toast racks, teaspoons and napkins. Grapefruit halves are usually served in small dishes, ready segmented with a knife, with special pointed spoons. Put out milk in jugs (hot to accompany coffee), sugar in a pretty bowl, jars of jam and marmalade, salt and pepper shakers, and pots of tea or coffee. Continue Reading »

A buffet meal is ideal for occasions where there is to be a large number of guests such as christenings, weddings and similar gatherings. It may also suit a smaller gathering such as an informal supper with friends after the theatre or an evening at home where a dinner around the table might be more formal than you want to make it.

When planning the table arrangements and flowers or other decorations, think carefully about a colour scheme or theme to suit the occasion. For example, if the meal you are planning is to celebrate a silver wedding, choose white flowers with silvery foliage, silver candles or white candles in silver candlesticks and trimmings of furled silver ribbons. Silver serving dishes and silver cutlery will help to set the scene and if you don’t have these yourself, you can hire, or possibly borrow them. If the occasion is a christening, you will probably choose pink or blue as the predominant colour, and flowers should be delicate and unfussy.

The next most important decision is where to place the table. Continue Reading »

Cocktail parties usually take place in the evening before dinner, from 6 p.m. until 8 or 8.30 p.m. Invitations can be as formal or informal and as original as you like, and the party may be as simple or elaborate as you wish to make it. You may choose to serve one alcoholic drink only, for example, sherry or champagne, or wine, or you may decide to serve a variety of cocktails (be sure that you are well versed in making them), spirits or aperitifs. Soft drinks should also be available. Whatever the drinks you offer, have glasses the right shape to serve them in. Continue Reading »

Some of the most successful parties that are fun to organize are theme parties. These are variations on the fancy dress party. The idea is to choose a theme, for example: black and white; red and gold; hats; characters from musical shows; a desert island. Send out appropriate invitations in plenty of time so that your guests have the opportunity to dream up a costume, and then plan the decorations, food and drink so that the entire event follows the theme through.

Invitations can be home-made or, if commercially produced ones fit the theme, use them. For a stylish black and white party, all sorts of design ideas are possible: a silhouette cut-out of Fred Astaire in Top Hat and Tails; a chessboard with the words written in the white squares; two masks cut out side by side, one black, one white, with the details of the party on the back. Do state clearly whether the event is to be a dinner party or a larger, informal gathering, and insist on fancy dress. Continue Reading »

For a dinner party, set a festive scene by choosing a colour scheme that has a special, celebratory feel, for example: black, gold, and purple; red, white and gold; silver and pink. Gift-wrap ribbon is always ideal for creating festive, table-centre decorations as it can be curled into streamers, and trailed over or around table decorations. As it is shiny it reflects candle-light very effectively. Choose real or artificial flowers to fit your chosen theme; arrange candles and ribbons with the flowers to form the decorations for the table. Tie curled strands of ribbon around paper or linen napkins to add to the decorative effect. Continue Reading »

For a bright festive tea party for children on Bonfire Night, choose colours that reflect the bursts from the firework sparks, gold, pink, green, red, blue, etc. Buy or make shiny hats with streamers on the top and place these at each child’s place. The table-cloth should be dark to represent the sky at night, and use bright paper napkins. In the middle, have the Bonfire Night Cake . Continue Reading »

It has become normal to expect that menu cards and seating plans are purely a matter of etiquette and reserved for official occasions, as they are thought more than a little excessive for a private dinner party. It would be a pity if this idea were to persist, because menu cards for a small dinner party or place cards for a tea party in your home can be a gesture which brings people closer together and, if you do it properly, a sign that you are in command of your role as a hostess. They also make an eye-catching part of the overall table decorations.

Imaginatively designed menu cards lead to anticipation of a delicious meal and afterwards your guests can take them home as an attractive memento. Continue Reading »

Have you ever watched the precise and practised way in which professionals in a good hotel or restaurant set a big table for a five- or six-course meal? Lots of different glasses and table silver are placed in exactly the right spot without hesitation. The number of items involved in a setting may seem confusing to you.

However, there is a clear rule for everything.

Guests start with the cutlery furthest away from the plate and work inwards during the course of the meal. The same procedure applies to glasses. The drink which is served first is put into the glass which is furthest from the centre of the plate. There is often also a side plate, which is placed to the left of the setting.

These few rules are so basic and clear that they can become a matter of routine for any guest, so you nolonger have to worry about which knife, fork or spoon to use next during the meal. Continue Reading »

The table illustrated here is not just a still life; it is a compilation of a small selection of things which are used as decorations for various tables in this book. This should give you a fewideas about the many accessories whichsurround you in your house.

Every container, every sculpture, pretty stones or shells, decorative ribbons or marbles can provide you with ideas for table decorations. Don’t be afraid to use simple, everyday items from house and garden, or even foodstuffs. What about wire, pieces of cloth, sand, old pots or flasks, balls, candles, mirrors or even toy cars? What is wrong with a large cabbage or asparagus as a replacement for, or addition to, flowers? Why not use fifty sharpened pencils for an accountant’s fiftieth birthday party table? Or why not put brown leaves on the table, when we enjoy them so much outdoors in autumn? Continue Reading »

Holiday atmosphere. Are you one of those people who go for long walks along the beach when on holiday, collecting shells, stones and driftwood as little treasures and mementoes of your holiday to take home? Then in principle you already have theessential ingredients for this table decoration.

What to do:

Arrange a small beach scene in the middle of your table. To avoid damage to your table, place newspaper under the sand. If you don’t have a glasstable top, a blue tablecloth will do just as well to represent the colour of the sea.

If you don’t want to raid your child’s sandpit, you can buy fine white sand cheaply from craft shops. Continue Reading »

Either you’ve just come back from a holiday in Italy or you’ve got it still to look forward to. Or maybe you simply love the Italian way of life, relaxed and friendly, cheerful and colourful. Of course, you’re just as keen on Italian cuisine as well, which is so much more than just pizza and pasta. What about the typical antipasti, and many delicious Mediterranean specialities, or “formaggio” (cheese) to round off a meal, and wonderful red wine to drink?

Get together with your friends for a “Bella Italia” evening, and give your table an appropriate southern flavour. You simply must have tomatoes, red wine and, of course, spaghetti! Continue Reading »

The finale of the opera takes your breath away, the orchestra puts everything into it and all the actors are gathered on the stage. The curtain falls, and there is prolonged applause; the evening at the opera was once again a wonderfulexperience — but, as so often happens, it was all over far too quickly.

You can change that by planning a finale using an operatic theme for your table design. Invite your friends to join you for a post-opera dinner tobring the evening to a close. The table is your backcloth, using items from the world of opera for your theme. You’re the director here, this is your stage setting. Curtain up for a table at the opera! Continue Reading »

The high point of a christening is the actual ceremony, not the meal afterwards. It is nice if the overall decorative theme reflects the occasion, and the little guest of honour.

The christening party is almost as traditional as the ceremony itself. The celebration often takes place in someone’s home, because it is more personal and often easier to organise in this way if there are small children present.

A christening is the first major celebration in many people’s lives and so the overall design, and particularly that of the table, should always place the spotlight on the most important person. Give your imagination free reign and let your thoughts stray to things which make the hearts of children beat a little faster. Ships and sailors, beach toys, toy cars, doll’s houses with “proper” furniture, daisy chains, furry toy animals; all these can be used as themes for a table decoration. Continue Reading »