An Italian Affair

I’m hardly an expert hostess; I’d be lying if I implied anything less. I like to think that I could be if I had more practice… One day, when I’m a big girl (and finally have had enough practice), I’d like to be as great a hostess as my friend Andrea Meyer!

The beautifully simple table decorations

I’m not sure when exactly Andrea transformed into the culinary goddess that I now refer to her as. I remember, when we were still at primary school together, that she’d show off her fancy Micky Mouse cookbook and whatnot, so it may have begun then.

Micky is still on her floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that her devoted husband, Markus, made for her, along with countless other cookbooks, including the additional few that she won from Exclusive Books over the weekend.

Risotto balls

Anyway, somewhere in her devotion to her immense collection of cookbooks, Andrea learned how to make some of the best food I’ve ever had the pleasure of personally eating. I always look forward to her parties, and this one was no exception.

The first course introduced the Italian theme that she had set for her Sunday luncheon. Beautifully presented on a hand-painted platter, she offered us risotto balls, made with rice, potatoes, and green beans. She joked that the recipe had reminded her of boere boentjies as she was making them.

Homemade pasta with Italian meatballs

The mixture was then crumbed and fried, and the outcome was superb. The guest of honour, Frank Schutte, who just returned to Pretoria after spending a year in Namibia with his wife, Nina, remarked that the risotto balls seemed like croquettes made with rice.

After some chatting out on her sun-soaked patio, enjoying our drinks and risotto balls, Andrea disappeared inside to cook the homemade pasta and heat up the accompanying sauce. She and Markus had carefully prepared the pasta themselves the day before.

Cashew, feta, and avo salad

It was the first time I’d ever had homemade pasta, so I took my place at the beautifully decorated table, which had been accented with flowers, with anticipation. The dish was served with a traditional Italian meatball sauce, rounding it off nicely.

Another friend, also called Andrea, had provided an outstanding salad of cashews, avocado, and feta as a side dish. It was a superb addition to our lunch, suggesting that if you wish for your child to grow into a culinary whiz, you should name it Andrea.

Berry sorbet and vanilla pannacotta

To round off our meal, our hostess had specially prepared individual servings of vanilla pannacotta (Italian for 'cooked cream') served with a berry sorbet, maintaining the beautiful presentation that Andrea pays such careful attention to. The rich sorbet complimented the delicate flavour of the pannacotta, a refreshing finale.

The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying tea and coffee and some truly wonderful company, during which the next dinner party date was set – in less than a week, at my house! Not much time for me to get practicing, is it? I’d better get started!