Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Dinner Party Par Terre

                  

When the guests arrived everything was in its place. Candles lite, music turn down low, wine opened, lipstick applied, the table set. Mingle mingle, drinky drinky and the party flowed.

After the aperitif everyone took their place around the table. (Boy-girl-boy-girl is how they arrange themselves around the table in France. You never sit by your spouse or the person you came with.) Yann poured the wine while the conversation flowed. Everyone had the look of happy expectation in their eyes. I excused myself from the dinner scene to go get the main dish hot from the oven.

How many times have I taken something out of the oven? How many times have I dropped a ceramic hot dish? How well did I compress my mouthful of bad words? Does tomato sauce stain silk?

"Are you okay, is everything alright?" I heard as the dining room grew silent. "Sure no problem everything is under control!" Yeah right I thought to myself as my mind race forward…When was the last time I mopped? Can this dinner be saved?

Pizza is a modern luxury, from a wood burning oven in a truck down the road.

Photo: Empty French 19th century directoire dishes.

Comments

35 responses to “Dinner Party Par Terre”

  1. Paris Parfait

    Oh, Corey! Quel disastre! But your quick thinking no doubt saved the party! Love your Directorie dishes – saw some in my friend’s antiques shop and was so tempted to buy them. The lack of space (and the two sets of Limoges and about six other sets of porcelain) gave me pause.

    Reply
  2. Jeanne

    I used to love to cook but lately when honey pie asks what is for dinner Sweetie
    I say reservations.
    We are going to one of our favorite places tonight.
    Kiss the cook often and season
    everything with love.
    Love you Sugar Plum
    Love Jeanne ^j^

    Reply
  3. Penny

    Oh my – we’ve all had these disasters but often they turn out wonderful because everyone then has a shared story! Sort of hard on the hostess though!

    Reply
  4. nancy

    As my french son-in-law is fond of saying, “no way”!!
    I’ve been there and done the same thing. I don’t think I was able to suppress the stream of sailor talk though.
    Good save with pizza!

    Reply
  5. herhimnbryn

    Quick thinking old bean! You saved the day, but I am sure your friends would have bean happy withwine and dessert?

    Reply
  6. Shannon

    Even in France pizza saves the day!
    You naughty girl….thinking of serving that food if the floor had been clean 😉 The same thought would’ve run through my head too!

    Reply
  7. Anna

    Oh, Corey — how well I can relate! As a newlywed desperately wanting to impress my in-laws, parents and in-law-grandparents with my first dinner, I filled a blender to the very top with beef gravy, put the lid on, pressed the button. Gravy exploded onto me and every surface from floor to ceiling. Can you imagine the Lucy Ricardo expression on my gravy-covered face?! One of many lessons to come….learned and remembered.

    Reply
  8. diana

    oh I love those dishes too..
    your table settings are so scrumptious ! Loved the pics of the pizza truck too… good save girl !

    Reply
  9. phyllis

    Aww man! I was just heartbroken reading this! Until the pizza arrived, of course.

    Reply
  10. constance

    Big points in my book!! The most challenging aspect of entertaing, the thing that seperates the truly great into their own private catagory, is how one deals creativily with disaster. Sounds like you kept your cool, came up with a scrumptious solution and lived to tell about it.
    P.S. It’s already made a good tale with a delicious, ending.

    Reply
  11. cruststation

    I would love to come to your dinner parties, how much fun we could have! Even pizza and chips would make a fantastic party here.

    Reply
  12. tut-tut

    Oh, you certainly know how to regain control! That moment when there’s silence in the other room is a difficult one, but you wrested it back with your quick thinkinig.
    And I also love those dishes on the table.

    Reply
  13. annieelf

    The wonderful thing about this story is that you had FRIENDS there. No judgment, just lots of laughter. I picture them all pitching in to help with the clean up and then squabbling over the best pizzas to order. Candles and pizza – mighty romantic solution in my book.

    Reply
  14. Stephanie

    Oh, that hasn’t actually ever happened to me, but you recovered grandly!
    I love those TUBS!!!!

    Reply
  15. Vanessa

    Oh my goodness!!! You know, I look up to you, I think you are worldly and wise and lovely. So, the next time something like that happens to me, which, it will…I will think of you and know I am not alone.

    Reply
  16. Anonymouse

    A casserole is broken.
    But it’s just a token
    Of your supreme savoir faire.
    You did not swear.
    You didn’t tear your hair.
    The words unspoken.
    You know how to share.
    Beyond compare!

    Reply
  17. tommiea

    Your dishes are divine. I am loving the pizza thing though. I am sure the party went well.

    Reply
  18. Toni Mason

    Oh Corey!! You are too much!! LOL

    Reply
  19. stephanie s

    if i had pizza available from a wood burning oven right down the road, i might never cook again. congratulations on a dinner no one will forget.

    Reply
  20. Queenie

    More wine my dears……

    Reply
  21. Francoise

    bravo pour le post : j’ai beaucoup ri et vos amis aussi j’espère
    vive la pizza !

    Reply
  22. endmente

    Wow! What a challenge!
    Pizza is good 🙂

    Reply
  23. carolyn

    Oh Corey I’m sure you saved the meal with style but did you save the silk? Tomato does stain.

    Reply
  24. sheila

    Guess who’s coming to dinner…the pizza guy..!
    Oh gosh..!
    😉

    Reply
  25. Pauline Clarke

    lol – they’re called dinner disasters and they happen to everyone. How I would love to meet you!

    Reply
  26. nel

    Oh no! LOL Thank goodness for the pizza man! I would be happy to have pizza at your place at your gorgeous table anytime! I love the boy,girl arrangement. How exciting and interesting to sit with someone new. Love the photos of the trucks too.

    Reply
  27. Star

    We’ve all been in this spot at one time or another, although I don’t think mine has ever involved silk!
    Sounds like you found a lovely alternative.

    Reply
  28. gautami

    I have had quite a few such disasters.
    Thank God fast food saves the day!

    Reply
  29. Marie-Noëlle

    I think your guests can easily forgive you and forget that their dinner “went down to the carpet” (=”crashed” – like a plane)if you bring them one of those pizzas from the truck or take them to “La Tartine Gourmande”!

    Reply
  30. patpaulk

    So, if I come to dinner French husband won’t mind me sitting next to you?? Don’t worry about the mess I know how to mop.

    Reply
  31. sarala

    So was that one of those “I bet I look like an idiot foreigner” moments or are you better settled in France than that?
    I saw your article in the craft magazine–Scissors, paper or some such–I’m bad with names. I had a “I know her” moment. Good job!

    Reply
  32. paula

    I loved the pictures of the trucks! I’ve always been fascinated with old vehicles left to “pasture” next to the farm house. Makes my mind create stories about “what came before”……..oh if those tires could only speak.

    Reply
  33. Lorene Silva

    Oh Corey!
    Well good thing you had Pizza down the road! LOL!
    Lorene

    Reply
  34. susanna

    Oh no! I’ve had that happen to me, too. Argh! But then, you still had Yann pouring the wine, good music softly playing in the background, and fabulous friends gathered ’round the table eating pizza! Wish I was there!

    Reply
  35. simple me

    No problem…drink and be merry. 🙂 In these modern times there is a solution to everything.

    Reply

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