OVERVIEW and CLASS #1 : 

WINE AND BEVERAGE KNOWLEDGE

Wine expert or not, any hostess can confidently choose a wine that complements her menu if she knows the basics. The presentation covered a range of topics: matching wines with foods;  the order in which wines are served; the kinds, shapes, and sizes of wine glasses; and bottle recognition (knowing the shapes associated with special regions). Having examples of the regional wine bottles and the differing wine glasses displayed for the class is an obvious help. In the discussion period, questions on serving temperatures, bottle opening know-how, and price vs. budget issues predominated along with requests for wine recommendations from the speaker.

CLASS #2: 

MAKING HORS D’OEUVRES

An in-the-kitchen demonstration with lots of hands-on time, this session showed attendees a wide variety of hors d’oeuvres and how to make and/or to present them. Some of the many possibilities for hors d’oeuvres were: nuts, plain, salted or seasoned; cheese platters (including an explanation of the four basic categories of cheese) as well as cheese balls, cheese in pastry, etc. Other recipes prepared by the class used various cheeses in combination with meat, fish, bread, vegetables, and jam. Advice on the number of offerings and the number of pieces of the hors d’oeuvres per guest as well as useful suggestions for an appealing presentation concluded the session.

CLASS #3: 

GRACIOUS HOSTING

Being conversant with the duties of a hostess certainly adds the smooth functioning of any social gathering….and to its enjoyment by all. These welcoming details put guests at ease from start to finish: warm greetings at the door; pleasant and inclusive conversation at the table; helpful assistance from family members; and timely departures. Knowing what makes for a relaxing and enjoyable time with guests often takes the young hostess (and host!) some time to learn. The presenter stressed the underlying reasons for opening their homes to friends and family and also practical advice for successful entertaining, thus ensuring many happy returns!  

CLASS #4:

SETTING UP FOR A FORMAL DINNERS AND BUFFETS

Learning to set up for a sit-down dinner or for a buffet-style meal is a requisite skill for any hostess. This class involved learning to set up both. Either can be as formal or as casual as appropriate, given a few changes.  Luncheon today was served as a buffet, giving the class the all-important visual! This session was the site for the dinner table exhibit as well as for the multi-faceted explanation for the table’s ‘landscape’! Covered in the talk and reinforced by the hand-outs with diagrams, were a basic table setting, an informal place setting, and the formal place setting. [The placement of the dishes and glasses, the utensils, and the napkin for each individual setting as well as the placement of the serving dishes and utensils were shown.] A pop quiz the session’s finale: given a specific menu with an occasion, attendees were asked to set the table!