First Dinner Setting
When it comes to food, the most vital ingredients needed are: Good Company to share it with you. While everyone can prepare a meal, weather you can cook or not. A person who can’t boil water can certainly purchased premade foods. Again, it’s the sharing of the food that makes the meal. In the sharing is what makes it special. To make the meal distinctive is how it is serviced. Fifty percent of the meal is the food, and the other fifty percent is the presentation of the food.
Now, David learnt this lesson not from being book-smart, but from undergoing it. Schools and books give us knowledge. Experience gives us realization and full comprehension.
The phone rang. A true ringing sound. This was the years that telephones had actual little bells inside them. A small hammer rapidly hit the bell making its novel ring fill David’s two bedroom condominium. David’s best friend, Michael, was on the other end of the phone line.
“David, I need a favor,” Michael asked.
“Sure,” answered David.
“I have a friend in town, John. John Smith. You never met him. He is someone I met at a church conference a few months ago in Indianapolis. I promised John a home cooked meal the next time he was in Chicago. And guess what? He has a layover here tonight.”
David thought to himself, “Is Michael trying to set me up with John?”
Michael continued, “His job has him traveling all around the country and he is tired of restaurant and fast foods. So I promised him a home cooked meal which he is really looking forward to.”
“Okay?” said David wondering what Michael’s friend looked like.
“I’m have this very important project at work that I have to get finished before I can leave, and it looks like I won’t get out of here in time to get home to shower, change, and cook dinner. So, my favor that I’m asking of you is, ‘Could you make dinner at your place?’”
“Well, sure,” responded David. “What about Judy?” David’s best friend, Judy, was indeed a much better cook than David. She has the skills, like Michael, in catering. Judy was a much better choice.
“I did call her and the timing doesn’t work out for her. She doesn’t get out of work until five. John has a very early flight tomorrow. So dinner won’t be late. He does have a small window for visiting with us. You don’t have to do anything special. What were you going to have dinner tonightbefore I called you?”
“I was going to have Pesto.” David’s favorite dish is pesto: a basil, pine nut, garlic, and olive oil mix spread over angel hair pasta.
“That will be great! Thanks for doing this. We’ll be there around six.”
Looking back at how David was a member of the House of Dudcrest was out of the ordinary since the House of Dudcrest was founded around food traditions. In fact, David’s first solo dish was a mixed salad for a Dudcrest gathering. Making the salad two hours before the meal, David presented a wonderful looking salad with everything in it, including salad dressing. For those who do not make salads, salad dressing is put on right before serving it. Michael’s astuteness introduced the salad to the table as “David’s Special Wilted Salad.” It was a hit with the Dudcrest family.
This dinner that Michael required would be David’s first dinner for his best friends, Michael and Judy. “Pasta is so inapt for a first dinner party,” thought David. It had to be extra special. He had to make up for his “Special Wilted Salad.”
Talking to Judy on the phone, “What do I do?” I don’t know what to make.”
“Pesto will be good,” said Judy. “In fact, I’m in the mood for pasta, and pesto would be a perfect.” She and David were always encouraging each other to go beyond their perceived limitations.
“Well, then, I going to at least serve it in Dudcrest’s fashion.”
“That’s a great idea. You have candles for the table?”
“I think so. Somewhere around here I have some candles.”
In Dudcrest fashion, David was going to serve the food courses plated. First was a hors d'oeuvre of cream cheese spread on a saltine cracker with a green olive on top, and a Devil Egg. To prevent the egg from sliding off the plate as he served the appetizer plates, there was a bed of lettuce holding the egg.
Once David had removed the appetizer plates, he next brought out “David’s Special UN-Wilted Salad.” The salad was a much improvement of his premier salad. After removing the salad plates with the salad fork, out came the entrée. A dinner plate with a wide bowl filled with bright green pesto topped with parmesan cheese. A slice of French bread lay on the side of the plate.
After moving all the place settings except the glasses, dessert fork and spoon that were at the top of the guest’s table setting, dessert was served. Dessert was a slice of yellow cake with white frosting from the store's bakery.
Judy commented privately to David, “That was the best meal I ever had!”
“Right,” said skeptical-David
“No really. It was! The food was good. The company was great. And the way you put on the dinner was all so superb. It was like watching a play. You set a beautiful stage.”
That day David learned the lesson that fifty percent is the presentation of the meal. Image if it was more than just pasta, how much improved the dinner would have been.
Now, David learnt this lesson not from being book-smart, but from undergoing it. Schools and books give us knowledge. Experience gives us realization and full comprehension.
The phone rang. A true ringing sound. This was the years that telephones had actual little bells inside them. A small hammer rapidly hit the bell making its novel ring fill David’s two bedroom condominium. David’s best friend, Michael, was on the other end of the phone line.
“David, I need a favor,” Michael asked.
“Sure,” answered David.
“I have a friend in town, John. John Smith. You never met him. He is someone I met at a church conference a few months ago in Indianapolis. I promised John a home cooked meal the next time he was in Chicago. And guess what? He has a layover here tonight.”
David thought to himself, “Is Michael trying to set me up with John?”
Michael continued, “His job has him traveling all around the country and he is tired of restaurant and fast foods. So I promised him a home cooked meal which he is really looking forward to.”
“Okay?” said David wondering what Michael’s friend looked like.
“I’m have this very important project at work that I have to get finished before I can leave, and it looks like I won’t get out of here in time to get home to shower, change, and cook dinner. So, my favor that I’m asking of you is, ‘Could you make dinner at your place?’”
“Well, sure,” responded David. “What about Judy?” David’s best friend, Judy, was indeed a much better cook than David. She has the skills, like Michael, in catering. Judy was a much better choice.
“I did call her and the timing doesn’t work out for her. She doesn’t get out of work until five. John has a very early flight tomorrow. So dinner won’t be late. He does have a small window for visiting with us. You don’t have to do anything special. What were you going to have dinner tonightbefore I called you?”
“I was going to have Pesto.” David’s favorite dish is pesto: a basil, pine nut, garlic, and olive oil mix spread over angel hair pasta.
“That will be great! Thanks for doing this. We’ll be there around six.”
Looking back at how David was a member of the House of Dudcrest was out of the ordinary since the House of Dudcrest was founded around food traditions. In fact, David’s first solo dish was a mixed salad for a Dudcrest gathering. Making the salad two hours before the meal, David presented a wonderful looking salad with everything in it, including salad dressing. For those who do not make salads, salad dressing is put on right before serving it. Michael’s astuteness introduced the salad to the table as “David’s Special Wilted Salad.” It was a hit with the Dudcrest family.
This dinner that Michael required would be David’s first dinner for his best friends, Michael and Judy. “Pasta is so inapt for a first dinner party,” thought David. It had to be extra special. He had to make up for his “Special Wilted Salad.”
Talking to Judy on the phone, “What do I do?” I don’t know what to make.”
“Pesto will be good,” said Judy. “In fact, I’m in the mood for pasta, and pesto would be a perfect.” She and David were always encouraging each other to go beyond their perceived limitations.
“Well, then, I going to at least serve it in Dudcrest’s fashion.”
“That’s a great idea. You have candles for the table?”
“I think so. Somewhere around here I have some candles.”
In Dudcrest fashion, David was going to serve the food courses plated. First was a hors d'oeuvre of cream cheese spread on a saltine cracker with a green olive on top, and a Devil Egg. To prevent the egg from sliding off the plate as he served the appetizer plates, there was a bed of lettuce holding the egg.
Once David had removed the appetizer plates, he next brought out “David’s Special UN-Wilted Salad.” The salad was a much improvement of his premier salad. After removing the salad plates with the salad fork, out came the entrée. A dinner plate with a wide bowl filled with bright green pesto topped with parmesan cheese. A slice of French bread lay on the side of the plate.
After moving all the place settings except the glasses, dessert fork and spoon that were at the top of the guest’s table setting, dessert was served. Dessert was a slice of yellow cake with white frosting from the store's bakery.
Judy commented privately to David, “That was the best meal I ever had!”
“Right,” said skeptical-David
“No really. It was! The food was good. The company was great. And the way you put on the dinner was all so superb. It was like watching a play. You set a beautiful stage.”
That day David learned the lesson that fifty percent is the presentation of the meal. Image if it was more than just pasta, how much improved the dinner would have been.