A Lesson on Hosting

Words and Photos By: Logan Soss

Food will always take a central seat in my life. Ever since I was a child, I was taught to appreciate complex flavors and pushed to try new foods by my parents. Yet, it wasn’t until I was growing up when I recognized my love of cooking and hosting meals, which came from my grandmother.

Diane Soss translated her passion for food into a catering business that she started, and then established a cafe named “Thyme to Eat” in the largest outlet mall in New York. Now retired, my grandma still cooks every day, keeping this love for cooking alive by hosting dinner parties and large holiday events. I have learned quite a lot from my grandma, not only about the wonders of the culinary industry but the art of hosting. I have ingrained these rules of hosting into my everyday life, and I want to share her two most valuable lessons with other food lovers.

You must present each dish on a serving platter, no matter what.

My grandmother follows this rule religiously, and no matter how simple the dish is, she always serves it in a serving dish or plate. I’ll never forget when my 10-year-old cousin asked my grandma to make her chicken wings, to which my grandma promptly got up, heated the wings in the microwave oven, and transferred them onto a china platter. Setting the dish down at the table, she served my cousin a small plate, who delightfully ate at the wings with her fingers. It was hilarious to see a kid being served with such fine dishware when my cousin wouldn’t have minded eating off of the floor if it meant she could still devour the sticky wings.

I asked my grandma why she used a serving platter for the wings when she’d just have to wash the dish, and she explained that the act of plating draws out the importance of the food. By plating the dish, you recognize the care that went into preparing it. Even more so, before your audience tastes your dish they first must view it, and by presenting your meal on a serving platter, you elevate your company’s standards. As a result, I always try to plate my meals in a serving dish to properly accentuate the effort put into the dinner. It just seems right to plate a meal that took over an hour to cook on a serving platter.

You must always have extra food for guests, no matter what.

Every time I visit my grandparents’ house, even if it’s just to pick up a box of stuff or if I stop by before work, my grandma always will offer me a plate of food, no matter how long I’m planning on staying. This isn’t the polite side comment of offering food; my grandma will scour through her kitchen and come back with a menu of options.

My grandma pretty much cooks a new recipe every day, so there might be a pot of food cooking on the stove, or she might offer leftovers from last night’s dinner or the night before, or grab dessert from the freezer that her friends introduced to her. To be a good host means to be prepared for unexpected guests at all times. But most importantly, it means to be welcoming.

There is a keen beauty to being welcomed into a home with a plate of food. A warm sensation is felt when the love of food is shared, and what better way can this be expressed than by extending a plate to guests. And without fail, my grandma will always offer a plate. I’ve learned a lot from my grandma, and this is where I’ve developed my love of sharing food with others. I love to watch my guests eat my meals, getting satisfaction from their reactions. While I might not have a fully-cooked meal ready to be served, I certainly offer my guests whatever is in the fridge and to stay for supper.

As a child, I loved eating and trying new foods, and as I’ve grown older, I’ve developed a love for cooking food to share with others. Great pleasure comes from the act of hosting a meal, knowing that your hard work has brought people closer together to share a satisfying meal. And I can proudly thank my grandmother for teaching me the importance of hosting.