Setting a Table for a French Affair

Table top

 

1.  

When setting a table for a French affair, or any affair, first you must know how many people are coming. If the affair is large, over twelve people, you might consider a buffet or a dinatoire.

 

 

 

Lunch at home

 

 

2.

The next step is knowing the reason for the affair… Is it a wedding, or a halloween party, or a romantic picnic for two? Knowing the reason for the affair will help you select a theme.

 

 

 

Old kitchen stuff

 

3.

The next step is understanding the menu, which will lead you in the right direction for collecting the needed tableware and utensils. If soup is served you will need a ladle, soup spoons, and bowls. If cheese is served you will need a cutting board and a knife. If olives are served you might want to set aside something to hold the pits.

 

Bread and wine

 

4.

How many?

What is the occassion?

The menu?

Once the facts are know you can proceed to set the table.

 

 

 

Flower in vase

 

Last night as I set the dinner table for three,

Homemade pumpkin soup, blue cheese and fig tart, with sauteed apricots with chestnut….

I said to French Husband, "I think we have a lushious affair going on… I plan the menu, we go shopping, you do the cooking, I set the table, you clean up!" Chuckling to myself I thought I never want this to end.

French Husband said, "Soak it up because the days are numbered."

Note to self: Tell doctor to write: "Patient can set the table, but cannot cook or do dishes until future notice."

 



Comments

22 responses to “Setting a Table for a French Affair”

  1. Yum. I want to eat dinner at your house. My husband and I both had to work last night, so I made some noodles and sauce to simmer, set the loaf of bread on the cutting board and told my boys to help themselves. My oldest did refrigerate the sauce when he finished. That’s about the best I can hope for. I’m going to try butternut squash soup as soon as it gets cool again.

  2. Your menu sounds delicious! It reminds me of when I took more concern setting tables and eating together. Life gets too busy! I will set a very fine table tonight, thank you!
    Perhaps this might begin a new thing with you and F.H., doing the cooking and cleaning together? ;o)

  3. So you decided not to paint your cabinet afterall. The orange is still nice for fall. I am getting hungry for pumpkin now.

  4. You make me smile. Lovely table setting. You did your job well.

  5. I predict that you will be feeling 100% very soon…but that you’ll be able to make your recovery last a long, long, long, long time…

  6. Ha! I love it! Keep up the subterfuge as long as possible. Dinner. I love pumpkin soup and the fig tart sounds out of this world.
    Cut flowers in your pitcher and glasses. Looks so refreshing and inviting.

  7. Blue cheese goes well with squash, it’s delicious crumbled over squash soup. I first tried the combo when I had it leftover from stuffing into chestnuts, as you suggested, that’s good too.
    Help in the kitchen is help in the kitchen, consider leaving chocolate on a little tray by the sink or stove.

  8. Lol! But maybe add ‘no wallpapering’ to that list as well? 🙂

  9. 🙂 it would be tedious if it wasn’t just so funny…. Don’t you dare asking anything like this!!!! My hero husband is helping me when at home…. I do all the shopping, preparing, cooking, he helps me eating, drinking and puts the dishes either in the sink or in the dishwasher. He forgets however consistently that for cooking you need pans, pots, cutting boards and that the cooker might want to be cleaned…. well, I am not complaining!
    I bought fresh figs last week and said to HH ‘Enjoy them because in our home country (Switzerland) we won’t be able to afford fresh figs’ – it’s a short lived wonderful ‘delicatessen’…. as is pumpkin soup! Do you also make it sometimes IN the pumpkin itself? I have a fabulous (time consuming but it can be prepared) Provencal recipe – utter delicacy!
    Your menu sounds like a grande fiesta; enjoy it while it lasts!

  10. Oh pretty please post the recipe for blue cheese fig tart. That sound like heaven on a plate!

  11. Oh that menu sounded divine. I must make more of an effort to set the table properly…prepare lovely food… light some candles.

  12. French Husband is hysterical!! You set a beautiful table with a wonderful menu! Yum!

  13. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    “Patient can handle heavy clumsy camera equipement, but cannot cook or do dishes until future notice.”
    (Now I want pumpkin soup and all the rest of that menu!)

  14. You are hilarious, Corey. This sounds like a Doris Day/Rock Hudson film from the 60’s. Have your doctor write that prescription and let us know how it works out.
    Lovely table setting and the menu sounds so delicious.

  15. Are Farmboy Husband and I the only ones who eat dinner off plates on our lap,s while watching the network evening news, then “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune”?
    “Alex, I’d like to make it a true Daily Double!!!”
    “Pat, I’d like to buy a vowel…”

  16. Fig and blue cheese tart! Please, must have recipe!

  17. oh so seductive and delicate
    But my husband would look for meat under all that delisiousness !

  18. beautiful, lovely life.

  19. littlebadwolf

    you’re having an affair? try making the bed, and don’t worry about the table………

  20. Little Badwolf,
    The affair darling is dessert under the table…
    😉
    C

  21. Julie Ann

    Clever girl. Yes a doctors note should do it. fig and blue cheese tart, oh yes. Time for a recipe post methinks please, jx

  22. mary blanchard

    Sounds delicious in sooo many ways lol 🙂

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