Entertaining At Home With Ronda Rice Carman

At the heart of our communities lies the wonder of a shared moment – more often than not, in the form of meals prepared by those of us more gifted in the culinary arts. Shared meals are the punctuation for our lives as social creatures – demarcating the most important, even sacred milestones we pass along the way. Some meals are ceremonial, some impromptu, some humble, some extravagant. Under it all, the formula is simple: the goods of the earth being shared among two or more people.

With the fear and uncertainty the world collectively faces in 2020, the communities we’ve built hold more importance than ever. The solace of another and the security in that mutual support is an invaluable resource and an edification when we are, quite literally, forced apart.

Through it, and by the grace of technological advancement, we are slowly finding ways to come together. Food still binds us, meals still punctuate. The form is just a little different. In her 2019 book “Entertaining at Home,” designer Ronda Carman outlines the ways we elevate these moments, not only through the food itself, but through the sensory and tactile pleasures framing the moment. Here, Ronda offers us a list of ways that we, too, can foster a sense of wonder and community during our days apart.

Overload on movies.
Overload on card games.
Overload on reading.
Overload on beauty.
Make phone calls to friends and family.
Make a homemade birthday cake.
Create art.
Listen to music and sing loudly.
Have a dance party at home.
Set the table everyday with pretty plates.
Find things around your home to use for tablescapes.
Appreciate what you have.

We’ve gathered insights from some of our top design professionals for the ways they, too, are using shared meals to elevate and illuminate – and the recipes they’re using to nourish themselves physically and spiritually.

 

Stay tuned as we join Ronda Rice Carman, a special guest LIVE next week for a continued conversation about what entertaining at home can be in 2020 – and how the beauty of a shared meal carries more importance than ever.


Andrew Joseph is a regular contributing editor for ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine. See more of his work here

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