One of the best parts about writing about food on Cup of Jo is reading your responses. We love hearing how you enjoy eating a good meal and sharing it with others. Here are 11 reader comments on everything from frozen meatballs to puppy parties…
On an adorable party idea:
“I am a huge dog lover, so for my birthday my partner organized a ‘puppies and their people’ brunch party. Folks with dogs brought them along! It made the whole afternoon so light and fun.” — Christina
On having a house specialty:
“My very Italian mother keeps hundreds of meatballs frozen at all times (‘if I drop dead, I want people to eat good food at my funeral’). Everyone knows this, so I can’t tell you how many spontaneous meals have been consumed and how many people she’s encouraged me to include. She said if she ever opened a restaurant it would be called ‘What’s One More?’” — Emily
“My dad made us a wooden M&M dispenser that hangs in the kitchen. It has a little drawer you pull out for a handful of M&Ms!” — Midge
On hosting:
“When a guest asks ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ let them! A small, meditative task that’s simple to do while chatting (folding napkins, arranging flowers in a vase, and so on) can give the anxious friend a way to ease into a social experience or allow the friend who’s typically The Planner to truly relax into being taken care of after they feel they’ve contributed. It builds an organic warmth in the space, on top of being genuinely helpful to the host.” — Katharine
“I’m a retired chef who moved from the U.S. to Portugal. Cooking for others is my great joy, and I miss it, so dinner parties keep me in the game. Hosting dinners have also helped us become part of our Portuguese community. We’ve invited our landlord, neighbors, language teacher, even people we’ve met at the grocery store; and spending time lingering at the table has enriched our friendships. When other expats see our success with integrating, they ask, ‘What is your secret?’ I tell them it’s dinner, the best friend-making activity on earth.” — Cynthia
On what to bring:
“I often show up with a box of ice-cream Drumsticks. A friend recently shared that he remembered being at a July 4th party, looking out the window, and hoping that the girl walking on the sidewalk with a big box of Drumsticks was coming to their party. I was, and we still all celebrate July 4th together.” — KG
“When my husband and I are hosting, our friends always bring us a secret stash of Flaming Hot Cheetos. My husband and I hide it in the kitchen and eat it as a snack while we clean up afterwards!” — Caitlin
“When I can’t think of anything to bring, I grab a package of Tate’s thin chocolate chip cookies. They are a big hit with kids and grownups, and they pair well with a bottle of Prosecco. Even Ina Garten loves them, is you know they’re good.” — HJM
On a casual food theme:
“For my birthday, I had friends over for brunch. I made waffles and a mortadella tart (both from this website!) and just set out maple syrup, fruit, and coffee. It was easy to pull together, and friends are still commenting about how fun and low stakes it was.” — Katelynn
“One cold day, I was bored and alone, so I texted everyone I knew, ‘Come over tonight. Bring soup.’ Shockingly, 12 people showed up with soup to share! We all stood in my kitchen trying Norwegian fish stew, chicken noodle, lentil, pasta fagioli, chili, white bean and kale soup — someone even brought a can of SpaghettiOs. I didn’t have enough bowls, so we resorted to various mugs and glassware. The lack of bowls and the fact that not everyone knew each other didn’t matter at all. We had soup!” — Wendy
What are your favorite tips for hosting, guesting, or just enjoying good food with your people? I’d love to hear more.
P.S. Five no-recipe recipes for fall, 11 readers share their go-to meals, and are sheet cakes the best cakes?
(Pizza photo by J.Anthony/Stocksy.)
