How millennials have updated the dinner party
You might hear the words “dinner party” or “entertaining” and think of fancy, sophisticated, seated four-course dinners in a home large enough to have a proper dining room, with linens and china and crystal glasses. If you’re anything like me, you might think: I’m never going to have those things! But I do want to have my friends over for dinner!
So I wrote about the history of the dinner party, and how they once used to be about showing off your wealthy and social status and your beautiful house, but now, millennials have none of those things — so they’re still having dinner parties, but they look a lot more informal and low key. Maybe people sit on the floor! Maybe you serve chili and beer! Maybe something gets burned! Maybe it’s wine and cheese for dinner! It’s all fine! I also talked to millennial recipe queen Alison Roman, who has a new cookbook coming out that’s all about recipes for extremely chill, easy, unfussy dinner parties. Because why spend all day slaving over intricate recipes or setting tablescapes when you could spend that time enjoying the company of your friends instead?
Read it here: Millennials have dinner parties, they just don’t call them that, Vox.
And I also went on the Eater Digest podcast to talk a little bit more about the history of dinner parties (Alison Roman is on the episode too, if you’re a fan of hers)
What I’m reading
The quest for the perfect closet, Curbed.
The case for checking a bag, Gay Magazine. I totally disagree, btw; I travel a lot and am firmly team carry-on only. That said, this piece by Roxane Gay is still delightful to read and I agree with all her other travel opinions laid out in the piece.
If you don’t want to have kids, you don’t have to want a career instead, Vice.
Where women fall behind at work: the first step into management, WSJ.
The millennial urban lifestyle is about to get more expensive, The Atlantic.
Online, no one knows you’re poor, The Guardian.
Cooking
If you have a spiralizer, I highly recommend these spiralized roasted butternut squash noodles. They’re delightful! I served them with Instant Pot Bolognese, which I made with a recipe I’ve used many times but no longer seems to be online, but this one gets fairly close.
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