Dinner After Dark Sexy, Sumptous Suppers Soirees

Supper for Six This was an elegant celebration to mark a special occasion, yet it was pulled together rather quickly. What were we celebrating? Well, there are a ton of good excuses: birthday, going away, coming home, book publication, successful completion of a project. In this case, it was the launch of a collection of china I had designed. I think for most people the thought of planning a dinner party for six at short notice is daunting. In fact, they might prefer to skip the whole ordeal. Here's a way to pull it off, mark the occasion with an exclamation point, and still enjoy your own party. When I first moved into my New York apartment and had the walls painted with liquid copper leaf, I got the notion to create a collection of china inspired by the color scheme, and soon I had the opportunity to do so, for Lenox: a five-piece place-setting I titled Insignia. All the plates are different; they can stand alone or work in pairs, in trios, or all together. As the dinner progresses, each one tells a story, yet it also works in concert with all the components. The idea was to provide total versatility: With one set of china, we'd offer multiple options for people who like to entertain regularly. As soon as the collection was completed, Lenox shipped me a full set along with my new gold flatware. I was so excited opening the boxes that I immediately picked up the phone and started to invite a few friends for dinner that evening. For the table arrangement, the goal was simple elegance. I avoided the standard solutionfresh-cut flowerswhich would also have cost extra time and money. For the centerpiece, I brought a 1930s terra-cotta sculpture of a panther by Andre Vincent Becquerel down from the mantelpiece, framed it at either end with a pair of gilded porcelain obelisks, and flanked it with a wall of fire in the form of gold-leaf votive cups. I gathered these objects from around the house. The end result, albeit unintentional, was a somewhat formal presentation, with perhaps an Ancient Egyptian or Napoleonic theme. The obelisks lend the sculpture a ceremonious air; the votive candles give it dramatically flattering under-illumination. Instead of using placemats, runners, or a tablecloth, I anchored the place settings with big black chargerspart of my Insignia collectionthat can also be used as dinner plates or serving plates (again, versatility being the key). The glasses and flatware were also my design from a previous collection and worked wonderfully. Since it was winter, we lit a fire and made the best of the warm, cozy atmosphere. It pays off to inject a touch of life into the room with some greeneryespecially in the colder months. In this instance, I made a dramatic statement with some oversize monstera leaves, which are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. I really love the way they catch the light to warm the room. On the table, I used amber water glasses, which I designed to reflect the silhouette of the wineglasses. Typically, I'll buy an antique set or choose a classic shape, updated. Then I'll acquire several more pieces to reflect that first shape, but with color or size variations. This way, with just two or three sets of glasses, you can easily create chic and elegant and soignee table settings. The Menu: Supper for Six Appetizer Flower of Endive Salad Main Course Pot-Roasted Loin of Veal with Artichokes and Mushrooms Dessert Confit of Vanilla-Infused Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream To Drink Cocktail de Nuit: Vodka Martini Wine: A Chateauneuf-du-Pape such as Chateau Beaucastel or some other fine Rhone-style blend provides the medium richness, earthiness, and firm finish to pair with the veal, artichokes, and mushrooms. Timing The salad can be assembled in advance, then dressCowie, Colin is the author of 'Dinner After Dark Sexy, Sumptous Suppers Soirees', published 2002 under ISBN 9780609609750 and ISBN 0609609750.