On the Common 190
Brussels Sprouts.
Good morning,
Another Winter Olympics has come to a close. We had fun with it, didn’t we? On the last day of the games, NBC rolled a clips package showing highlights and lowlights from the entire two weeks. As we watched, one of the kids said, “The Olympics were such a good idea.” I completely agree.
The Part Where There’s an Essay: Familiarity over Invention
(I’ve been talking hospitality these past few weeks; today’s entry comes to a practicality. Part one and part two are more theoretical.)
A few years ago we hosted a few young couples for lunch after church on Sunday. I can’t remember what the main dish was that week, but I know I made Brussels sprouts following this recipe. It is a favorite way to make sprouts, because if you have them shredded ahead of time, it is a pretty fast and delicious way to prepare them while your guests have a drink and get settled.
After we finished eating, one of the young men at the table said to me, “I wasn’t really sure about the Brussels sprouts. I usually don’t like them, and I was unhappy to hear you were making them. But the way you made them, I liked!”
Well, this was a triumph for both of us. I adored his honesty with me. Knowing that he was prepared to knuckle down and swallow some revolting Brussels sprouts for the sake of peace, but then was pleasantly surprised, delighted me. But it also reminded me of the power of the familiar over the inventive.
If I had thought further, I might have picked something else for a side for this crowd. Maybe a green salad would have been a wiser choice for people I didn’t know. I caused this young man some discomfort by wandering a little bit from his established tastes. Granted, he felt accomplished for having grown that day. We laughed together about it.
One of the way hosts can lose their way in hosting is by trying new things on guests. Please don’t do this.
If you have discovered a new recipe from your favorite celebrity chef, make it for yourself, an agreeable friend, or your family. Do not attempt new heights of culinary invention as you welcome new people into your home. This is a time to make something you’re comfortable with—the recipe you can make from memory. The one with a few steps and simple ingredients. Or really—just order pizza.
The fastest way for me to stress out my cohost (read: husband) is for me to make something new for guests. As a young married woman, I tried things out all the time. Many of them failed—I could tell you some humiliating stories. David still asks as he lifts the lid of a pot on the stove, “Have you made this before?” It is a joke between us now.
Deciding to choose comfort and familiarity over invention will do a few things: one, it will make you a better host, because you’ll be relaxed and focused on the people and not the food. Second, it will set everyone else at ease. People do not come to your table to be amazed at your cooking skills. They come to be with you. And you should be present to be with them. If you’re distracted by how the roast is turning out, you won’t be present.
There are times for elaborate baking and indulgent feasts, but they are not usually the first time around with new people. Swallow your desire for a good impression, and serve the people at your table with a familiar and comforting meal.
For the Anglophiles
WIndsor Castle and a dauschund in wool:
Reads & Listens of the Week
Jess Ray released her newest one last week: “City of My Peace.” A good driving song, I think.
The BBC did a nice piece on the Vanderbilts’ home in western North Carolina. The article shows you some nice shots from inside Biltmore and gives you the history of the family. David and I visited there a couple of weekends ago, and I took my millionth picture of George Vanderbilt’s library:
To Speak Words that Bring Life: “I took her words not as advice from a friend, but as instruction and assurance from God.”
One of the hosts of The Rest is History has now begun another podcast called The Book Club. The first episode was on…you guessed it…Wuthering Heights. I enjoyed it!
We love those who know the worst of us and don’t turn their faces away. -Walker Percy, Love in the Ruins
I struggle with this! Maybe it's my Type4 coming out haha But I needed this reminder - Bryan gets stressed as well when I make a never-made-before recipe for guests !
As always most interesting. Enjoyed the video.