Impromptu Dinner Party: Appetizer & Place Settings

This was the appetizer and casual setting for my Impromptu Dinner Party.

When it comes to dinner parties, I am a firm believer in serving some sort of appetizer with drinks before the full meal.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, overly complicated or a huge portion.  It just needs to be something for your guests to nibble on while sipping fabulously flavored beverages.  It is a great way to build a cushion of time between the guests arriving and serving the main course.  Not to mention, a wonderful way to keep the early birds out of the kitchen.  You know who I’m talking about.  They are the ones that show up four hours before the meal and wonder why the food isn’t ready.

There was no real recipe for my Impromptu Dinner Party appetizer.  We kept it simple with a lovely selection of purchased cheeses, balsamic mushrooms and pearl onions.  My most favorite was thinly sliced prosciutto wrapped provolone pinwheels.  A quick snip of fresh basil from my window box herb garden and a quick drizzle of olive oil added a fresh boost of flavor to the dish.

When it came to the place settings or center piece, there was no need to run to the nearest boutique design store for something expensive.  This was supposed to be impromptu after all.  A stack of crisp white dishes, colorful napkins and everyday glass goblets placed in the center of the patio table made for a sculptural and functional focal point.  The stacked dishes combined with the flickering glow from a couple of interesting candle holders gave the casual meal a more luxurious feel.

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