due to a large buddy base (close circle of friends up to 16), we take turns to host and entertain. there's plenty of wine to go around, much food and a bevy of good looking women. when it comes to my turn, being sort of a purist and perfectionist, i stock up on a lot of stuff, with each item purchased for a particular purpose.
besides dozens of bottles of wine (bordeaux, burgundy, toscano, napa, sonoma, and central coast), i have dozens of types of drinking glasses. there's the broad bordeaux glass, for richer full bodied reds. there's the larger, broader, round burgundy glass for better decantation of delicate reds such as pinot noir and chianti. i also stash dozens of less broad glasses for whites, and taller thinner flutes for champagne or other sparkling whites. for cocktail parties, i have dozens of martini glasses for the ladies and larger shot glasses for the gents (for hard liquor on ice). accompanying all these glass wares are regular glasses for water and mugs for beer. in an evening of entertainment, there would easily be a plethora of crystals and glass on display all over the house, with each guest in possession of at least 3 types of glassware.
to personalize, so no one would be drinking blind from another's container, i have a collection of fancy wine markers made from rings. water and shot glasses without a neck would be marked with ink. at the end of it all, each guest would be given a small sherry glass for aromatic alcohol, to cleanse the mouth for close contact and smooching, so to speak.
dinner time, and there's more to go. i have a collection of 5 types of china for a large group of 16: fine bone china from england for very special occasions, more robust but fine china from england for less formal yet more frequent dining, delicate antique china from china for display and extremely rare chinese dining (such as once in a blue moon chinese new year feast; moreover, you want to limit the amount of lead intake and suicidal tendencies), ordinary china from china for fusion or chinese cuisine, and lastly, a whole set of sushi porcelain ware for japanese cuisine. if the crowd goes beyond 16, reserve sets of corelle dishes are brought out from storage. whole sets can serve up to 24 more guests. i don't resort to paper plates and plastic utensils. firstly, if the number of guests is that large, rent a hotel. secondly, the dining experience and great tastes are lost on cheap, chlorine-soaked, paint-printed, recycled paper.
tea, coffee and dessert call for whole sets of everything from fancy teapots, expresso machines to some of the most bizzarre hot beverage receptacle collections that i have. it will take a book to describe them all, but my pride is still the grand old royal albert country rose collection, although the more expensive set is blue and gold ware made in the former checkoslovakia. a french country set will perfect the whole ensemble.
happy valentine's!
besides dozens of bottles of wine (bordeaux, burgundy, toscano, napa, sonoma, and central coast), i have dozens of types of drinking glasses. there's the broad bordeaux glass, for richer full bodied reds. there's the larger, broader, round burgundy glass for better decantation of delicate reds such as pinot noir and chianti. i also stash dozens of less broad glasses for whites, and taller thinner flutes for champagne or other sparkling whites. for cocktail parties, i have dozens of martini glasses for the ladies and larger shot glasses for the gents (for hard liquor on ice). accompanying all these glass wares are regular glasses for water and mugs for beer. in an evening of entertainment, there would easily be a plethora of crystals and glass on display all over the house, with each guest in possession of at least 3 types of glassware.
to personalize, so no one would be drinking blind from another's container, i have a collection of fancy wine markers made from rings. water and shot glasses without a neck would be marked with ink. at the end of it all, each guest would be given a small sherry glass for aromatic alcohol, to cleanse the mouth for close contact and smooching, so to speak.
dinner time, and there's more to go. i have a collection of 5 types of china for a large group of 16: fine bone china from england for very special occasions, more robust but fine china from england for less formal yet more frequent dining, delicate antique china from china for display and extremely rare chinese dining (such as once in a blue moon chinese new year feast; moreover, you want to limit the amount of lead intake and suicidal tendencies), ordinary china from china for fusion or chinese cuisine, and lastly, a whole set of sushi porcelain ware for japanese cuisine. if the crowd goes beyond 16, reserve sets of corelle dishes are brought out from storage. whole sets can serve up to 24 more guests. i don't resort to paper plates and plastic utensils. firstly, if the number of guests is that large, rent a hotel. secondly, the dining experience and great tastes are lost on cheap, chlorine-soaked, paint-printed, recycled paper.
tea, coffee and dessert call for whole sets of everything from fancy teapots, expresso machines to some of the most bizzarre hot beverage receptacle collections that i have. it will take a book to describe them all, but my pride is still the grand old royal albert country rose collection, although the more expensive set is blue and gold ware made in the former checkoslovakia. a french country set will perfect the whole ensemble.
happy valentine's!
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