Place cards are usually employed for dinners involving eight or more. They’re actually quite useful for avoiding that embarrassing little pantomime that occurs when it’s time to be seated and no one wants to appear rude by being the first to choose a spot. The time spent on that awkward moment of hesitations and musical chairs can throw off the timing of the first course. Worse still, the DIY attitude can compromise the flow of the conversation as the extroverts will congregate leaving the wallflowers to fend for themselves.
A seating plan (given concrete form by those handy little cards) allows the host (and/or hostess) to employ a bit of strategy. Not only does it often permit guests to make new acquaintances, it’s often essential for defusing potential conflict. Victorian novels abound with exasperated heroines trapped next to boring uncles or tedious vicars, but they also offer great romance and interesting banter fueled by the astute positioning of the simple place card.
Aside from those truly formal occasions, when seating plans are governed by specific protocols, today the place card assumes a decorative role as well as a purely functional one. Festive holiday tables are perfect for flaunting a creative (and strategically placed) place card. This is just one aspect of the stylishly laid table examined by Francesca Moscheni and the fourteen interior stylists who collaborated with her on Tavole d’autore, a great gift for anyone who enjoys stepping into the role of art director of the convivial moment.
Yes. Bibliotheca Culinaria’s new website is finally up and running. It was designed to provide you with services and information that we hope will prove useful. We did our best to work from the user’s point of view, whether a habitual purchaser or simply a curious browser trying to discover what’s new. We would be …
Oh no, another blog. Another commercial enterprise trying to disguise its advertising as a conversation. Well, we hope not. Being involved with cookery books on a daily basis provides us with an excuse to explore a range of topics, but much of the research and debate that animates our office life never makes it into …
The genesis of the microwave oven can be traced to military research. It’s a classic story of “defense spending” that found a pacifistic, or in this case, a domestic application. Its evolution has as a rather singular “back to the future” story arc. Early models were conceived for the professional kitchen, research and development opened …
Thousands of cookbooks are published in Italy each year. The numbers are staggering and one can’t help but wonder, “Too many?” This question may seem odd coming from a publisher, particularly one that has made its name as a specialist in gastronomical books. The truth is that a supply exceeding demand is not good news …
Places everyone!
Place cards are usually employed for dinners involving eight or more. They’re actually quite useful for avoiding that embarrassing little pantomime that occurs when it’s time to be seated and no one wants to appear rude by being the first to choose a spot. The time spent on that awkward moment of hesitations and musical chairs can throw off the timing of the first course. Worse still, the DIY attitude can compromise the flow of the conversation as the extroverts will congregate leaving the wallflowers to fend for themselves.
A seating plan (given concrete form by those handy little cards) allows the host (and/or hostess) to employ a bit of strategy. Not only does it often permit guests to make new acquaintances, it’s often essential for defusing potential conflict. Victorian novels abound with exasperated heroines trapped next to boring uncles or tedious vicars, but they also offer great romance and interesting banter fueled by the astute positioning of the simple place card.
Aside from those truly formal occasions, when seating plans are governed by specific protocols, today the place card assumes a decorative role as well as a purely functional one. Festive holiday tables are perfect for flaunting a creative (and strategically placed) place card. This is just one aspect of the stylishly laid table examined by Francesca Moscheni and the fourteen interior stylists who collaborated with her on Tavole d’autore, a great gift for anyone who enjoys stepping into the role of art director of the convivial moment.
Related Posts
Bibliotheca Culinaria -your new website
Yes. Bibliotheca Culinaria’s new website is finally up and running. It was designed to provide you with services and information that we hope will prove useful. We did our best to work from the user’s point of view, whether a habitual purchaser or simply a curious browser trying to discover what’s new. We would be …
We’re off!
Oh no, another blog. Another commercial enterprise trying to disguise its advertising as a conversation. Well, we hope not. Being involved with cookery books on a daily basis provides us with an excuse to explore a range of topics, but much of the research and debate that animates our office life never makes it into …
The Microwave Oven: Back to the Future
The genesis of the microwave oven can be traced to military research. It’s a classic story of “defense spending” that found a pacifistic, or in this case, a domestic application. Its evolution has as a rather singular “back to the future” story arc. Early models were conceived for the professional kitchen, research and development opened …
Too many cook books?
Thousands of cookbooks are published in Italy each year. The numbers are staggering and one can’t help but wonder, “Too many?” This question may seem odd coming from a publisher, particularly one that has made its name as a specialist in gastronomical books. The truth is that a supply exceeding demand is not good news …