Aalayam parties in April Part 4: The classic Desi Buffet

 The party continues. If you have missed our earlier party posts then you need to start from our first April post - we've put together a bunch of party posts JUST FOR YOU !

Dear readers, by now you probably know my(Deepa's) love for entertaining!

 I love to create an experience for my guests be it a homespun feast or a catered extravaganza. It is something I truly enjoy. My home and my dinner table often serve as a canvas to create a memorable experience for my guests. Yes, I am a fine china and hand cut crystal kind of girl! 

Hope you've have enjoyed our feature posts on the fine art of entertaining incorporating festive tablescapes  and elegant ambience and tonight  I bring you the final stop in this series. I'll show you how to set a mean Desi buffet - effortlessly! That's right! 

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves this time but do not hesitate to ask questions and I will be happy to answer any. These pictures are from my Diwali buffet last year but the ideas would work just as well for any other ethnic celebration. First, a big thank you to all my lovely friends who pitched in with the food for this celebration. I just served it up with all the fixings!
I managed to bring India into my buffet via the use of striking colors, bold patterns and touches of silver. 

This seasonal spread called for lights, after all it was Diwali and so I added lots of lights - globe lights, moroccan lanterns, tea lights and more! 
Other elements of note in this buffet include the hand written kannada Diwali greeting and the goody bag tags. The hand written sign  was not only an ingenious way to infuse warmth but also a great way to create a sense of cultural cohesion and oneness . 

Now for the goody bag tags, my go to source is  World Market and they usually carry a variety of tags with an Eastern flair and mine were perfect with the firework detail. The tags were a great way to transform an otherwise plain and functional goody bag into something special.  Remember, if time was not an issue, this is a great DIY party element. 

Another thing at play here is mix of elements - remember , everything does not have to match always. I have paired my Varnanggall place mats with my Pier one Moroccan mats and used an eclectic mix of tea light holders. Mixing elements together keeps the eye moving and creates texture and interest and this applies to colors as well .  

Now, the dessert table! Allow your guests to take delight in the gorgeous display of mouth watering sweet treats. After all, the fine of art of entertaining calls for a stimulation of the senses - visual, tactile, gustatory and olfactory! In this case, I have created a dessert display of varying heights using gift boxes as risers (simple DIY that!). 

Some alternatives could be stacked books or wooden stands. The idea is to add some depth and dimension to your display. Now if this was a western dessert bar, I would probably turn to apothecary jars, cake stands, tiered cupcake holders, glass compotes and such.

The buffet style dinner takes some planning and effort, no doubt but it is a great alternative for a larger crowd and allows your guests to mingle and interact  but like everything else the Devil is in the details!

If you share this esoteric interest of hosting elegant dinners, then write to us-tell us about your own parties and your go to resources - WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Athithi Devo Bhava - May your guest be your God- says the Taittirya Upanishad and that is truly our guiding principle of hospitality. Combine that with the western way of entertaining and you can have a lot of fun! So, pencil in a buffet style dinner in your social calendar and have fun putting it together!

Now, here are a few hints from our May line-up - kantha, artist feature, New York and maybe (keeping our fingers crossed), a home tour (not necessarily in that order either). So, join us right here on Aalayam  for more lifestyle inspirations!


Cheers!
~Deepa

P.S: All images are from my home and may not be used without permission. Credits: my husband.

The art of entertaining and Spotlight on block print

namaste - a welcome greeting & a symbol of hospitality!

The Taittirriya Upanishad (source) says "Athithi Devo Bhavah" which reads "May your guest be your God" laying down the guiding principle for Indian hospitality. The offering of the doctrinal "chai-pani"  (tea -water) as you enter an Indian home is not just a social more but an ingrained symbol of hospitality.  Images of my grandmother's considerate hospitality extended to her guests is lovingly etched in my memory. She never turned away a guest unfed and her piquant home cooked meals came to be a symbol of her legendary hospitality in our circles. 

Our dining room gets ready for visitors!

I have always sired a passion for hosting even since the time I was a novice cook (pity my first guests!) Entertaining implied inviting friends into our house and into our lives. Over the years, our home has hosted many gatherings - poker nights, festive potluck dinners, sunday brunches, casual chai huddles and celebratory regales. And so, for me,  entertaining has evolved into an esoteric interest. Being on this side of the pond, I have the opportunity to combine the Indian tradition of hospitality with the Western art of entertaining. From theme parties to cocktail hours to fine dining, the Western way of entertaining involves the creation of a viscerally stimulating experience  - one that I have come to admire and appreciate.

An assortment of colorful Indian delicacies served in basic white serveware.

"Dinner is not what you do in the evening before something else. Dinner is the evening" ~ Art Buchwald

Hosting a party means putting several elements together - the food, the  beverages, the table scape, the music, and the people. While it sounds simple enough, cohesively bringing the said elements together involves scrupulous planning, effort and preparedness. Entertaining is not only about cooking a meal and feeding your guests - it is about creating a palpable experience with a harmonious medley of ingredients - the aroma of food and flowers, the ambience created by music and lights, interesting conversations and lots of laughter. And hence the reference to art.

Desserts anyone?

  Throwing a good party takes time and if you are working outside the home it takes even more time! Given that my work days tend to be busy, I plan days in advance checking off one little thing at a time. Planning well and getting a head-start is a great way to trim costs. Prepping lets you do more at home and outsource less.  A to-do list is your best friend  and allows you to track all the little details.   The chaos and frenzy leading up to the event can leave you worn out and frazzled.  Therefore, I seek help when necessary. Cleaning  your home, picking your serveware and tableware, cooking the dishes, setting the table, planning the decor - the  tasks add up quickly! There are times when I wished  I had my mother or my aunts around and that's when I turn to my girlfriends (thank god for them!). 

A hand drawn elephant gracefully adorns the menu board

So, once you have the logistics down -it's time to party!

We recently hosted our American friends at home. The challenge of showcasing India through the food, desserts, decor and customs to an international audience was something I thoroughly relished. Collating the spices, the aromas and the textures for a  non-Indian palate was a formidable but fun culinary exercise. 

Fresh flowers in accent colors for an inviting feel

I used a base of solid white serveware to let the vivid colors of the food and decor pop.  The food was served buffet style but prearranged seating around the table allowed for a more relaxed "sit-down" dinner. For the tablescape,  I used white as the anchoring color with purple and fuchsia as accents. The dessert bar had a choice of two Indian desserts served in mini-flares and mini-bols for visual appeal. I also had a cake, just in case! Experience has taught me that contingency planning is key. I toyed with the idea of serving lassi but settled on a watermelon cooler punch keeping in mind the little guests of the day. The bright red beverage added  just the right splash of color.

Watermelon cooler

 I tied in all the different elements with one common denominator - the elephant.  That's right! Nothing represents India with more sanctity than the mighty elephant. From Indra's Airavata to Lord Ganesha to Maharaja's sawari, elephants have gained notoriety as an Indian cultural symbol not to mention they are also a personal favorite! Yes, I collect elephants! 

The bright red hand painted wooden elephant flanked by arabismo Morroccan glass serving as candle holders  (more on that in another post!)  looked resplendent as the buffet centerpiece . And lastly, my hand drawn elephants on the menu and the namaste sign board added a personal touch to the party .

Buffet centerpiece

My party was by no means perfect and it was never intended to be! But it was priceless, nonetheless - as a group of wonderful people gathered around my kitchen island to enjoy a home cooked meal and filled our home with warmth and laughter!

At Aalayam, we like to shine the spotlight on treasures that are unique to our homeland and today, I will be drawing your attention to my table linen in a beautiful block print fabric.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" ~ Leonardo Da Vinci

 

There is nothing more simple and sophisticated than block print fabrics. An ancient textile imprinting technique, block printing is done by artisans in rural India and these handmade fabrics are perfect inspite of their imperfections!
The symmetry of the ornate motifs adds drama and detail and makes these fabrics a great home decor accessory and more recently a global design trend. In a provencal (?) and paisley pattern my place mats and napkins are cheery and compatible with the  spring weather. 

 Buy block print and keep this artistic textile making technique alive and infuse your home with color, texture and a chic sensibility! Check out Apartment therapy's feature on the Indian block print fabric.

That's it for today folks! 

Be merry, live well and savor your Srikhand!

Recipe for Srikhand from here!

Cheers!
Deepa

All images are from my home and copyrighted! Please ask before using.

p.s: Thanks to turmericnspice for helping me plan the menu!