Vintage Silver and Summer Entertaining
How often do you use your silver service? Do you use it for special occasions? Holidays? I love silver. I love the weight of it in my hand. I love the way it feels. I love the look of it. I love everything about it. As a child we used our formal silver every night. Our dinners were in the dining room. Every night. While we were not formal, we did have to dress appropriately. I could stay in my uniform, however, I would have to change had I been wearing jeans or something else sloppy. We ate on my mother's Wedgewood every night. For lunch, brunch or breakfast we used our every day silver and ate in the kitchen. The only exception to the silver rule was eggs. We brought out the stainless as eggs make silver tarnish and my mother was not about to polish all her silver flatware for some scrambled yellow food!
I recently was chatting with Nancy Stuckwisch about the use of silver in our day to day lives. She comes from the same school of thought as I do. (Plus she loves Pimms. When I learned that it was love at first sight!)
I have invited Nancy to share her views on silver and everyday dining here with you all. Her company and website Silver Magpies is not only lovely but very informative. Please pay her a visit after you read this!
Casual and relaxed entertaining in the summer is one of my favorite things to do. One of the questions I'm often asked is about whether silver is too formal to use during the summer.
The short answer is no!
Your silver can be used however you like to use it. Don't feel constrained to use it as a complete set, all laid out on a formal white tablecloth. It works just as well in your backyard with some pulled BBQ pork.
We had friends over for dinner the other weekend and vintage silver was part of the evening.
Simple food looks lovely in my favorite bowls...
The menu was very simple fare. We began with pistachios, olives, cherry tomatoes and some crostini. But doesn't everything look lovely in a favorite bowl? Beautiful serving pieces make the most humble dish a work of art.
I love to use sugar tongs for serving appetizers such as tomatoes and crackers. They get a secure grip on everything and are the perfect size. Sugar tongs are one of the most useful and versatile serving pieces to own. I love them, and collect them whenever I come across a pair.
Sugar tongs are number one on my list when people ask me for gift suggestions.
A closer shot...
Here is a closer shot of the pair visible in the front of the photo. They are my absolute favorite, made in London, 1809 by the partnership of William Eley, William Fearn & William Chawner.
It wouldn't be a party without a drink!
Our summer "house drink" is Pimms. I love to serve it from a pretty pitcher into garnished glasses.
Pimms in the silver pitcher, a selection of beer, and crudites in a glass with some dip already in the bottom
resting on ice. Simple, simple, simple.
Pouring the Pimms...
I have a confession to make.
We had such a good time, I completely forgot to take photos of the main course. Dinner was pulled BBQ pork on slider buns, roasted red pepper and tomatoes with Parmesan. We ate using seafood cocktail forks...another of my entertaining favorites. At least I did manage to take a photo of the forks.
I have lots and lots of these little treasures. Great for cocktail parties, eating birthday cake, or spearing olives, seafood cocktail forks are another simple entertaining essential.
In this cup there is Louis XV by Whiting, a twist style by Towle, and three different Whiting twist patterns.
I buy them whenever I see them. Just like sugar tongs they suffer from the perception that they can only be used in the way they are named. It's just a name - not a life sentence! Both of these pieces are versatile workhorses in my entertaining arsenal.
Luckily I remembered I was working when it came time for dessert.
Sticking to my keep it simple theme, we had a chocolate mousse made well beforehand and poured into delicate stemmed liquor glasses.
Chocolate mousse in a liquor glass...
As the recipe is so rich, the portions were kept very small. The spoons are demitasse sized and just perfect for delivering a decadent mouthful.
Summer is all about keeping it simple
When you have a few pretty bowls and some versatile serving pieces and flatware, simple is also very chic.
The best thing about entertaining this way is that I enjoyed the evening as much as my guests. And when it came time to clean up, everything including the silver, went into the dishwasher.
Load it up, turn on, unload and we'll repeat this weekend.
PS
Many thanks to Jessica for so graciously inviting me to share this post with you on The Entertaining House. It's been a delight.
Click here if you'd like a copy of my house guidelines for how to clean silver in the dishwasher.
Nancy Stuckwisch of Silver Magpies has had a life-long fascination with vintage silver. She believes we should get the silver out of the cupboard, onto the table, and then into the dishwasher.
I recently was chatting with Nancy Stuckwisch about the use of silver in our day to day lives. She comes from the same school of thought as I do. (Plus she loves Pimms. When I learned that it was love at first sight!)
I have invited Nancy to share her views on silver and everyday dining here with you all. Her company and website Silver Magpies is not only lovely but very informative. Please pay her a visit after you read this!
****
The short answer is no!
Your silver can be used however you like to use it. Don't feel constrained to use it as a complete set, all laid out on a formal white tablecloth. It works just as well in your backyard with some pulled BBQ pork.
We had friends over for dinner the other weekend and vintage silver was part of the evening.
Simple food looks lovely in my favorite bowls...
The menu was very simple fare. We began with pistachios, olives, cherry tomatoes and some crostini. But doesn't everything look lovely in a favorite bowl? Beautiful serving pieces make the most humble dish a work of art.
I love to use sugar tongs for serving appetizers such as tomatoes and crackers. They get a secure grip on everything and are the perfect size. Sugar tongs are one of the most useful and versatile serving pieces to own. I love them, and collect them whenever I come across a pair.
Sugar tongs are number one on my list when people ask me for gift suggestions.
A closer shot...
Here is a closer shot of the pair visible in the front of the photo. They are my absolute favorite, made in London, 1809 by the partnership of William Eley, William Fearn & William Chawner.
It wouldn't be a party without a drink!
Our summer "house drink" is Pimms. I love to serve it from a pretty pitcher into garnished glasses.
Pimms in the silver pitcher, a selection of beer, and crudites in a glass with some dip already in the bottom
resting on ice. Simple, simple, simple.
Pouring the Pimms...
I have a confession to make.
We had such a good time, I completely forgot to take photos of the main course. Dinner was pulled BBQ pork on slider buns, roasted red pepper and tomatoes with Parmesan. We ate using seafood cocktail forks...another of my entertaining favorites. At least I did manage to take a photo of the forks.
I have lots and lots of these little treasures. Great for cocktail parties, eating birthday cake, or spearing olives, seafood cocktail forks are another simple entertaining essential.
In this cup there is Louis XV by Whiting, a twist style by Towle, and three different Whiting twist patterns.
I buy them whenever I see them. Just like sugar tongs they suffer from the perception that they can only be used in the way they are named. It's just a name - not a life sentence! Both of these pieces are versatile workhorses in my entertaining arsenal.
Luckily I remembered I was working when it came time for dessert.
Sticking to my keep it simple theme, we had a chocolate mousse made well beforehand and poured into delicate stemmed liquor glasses.
Chocolate mousse in a liquor glass...
As the recipe is so rich, the portions were kept very small. The spoons are demitasse sized and just perfect for delivering a decadent mouthful.
Summer is all about keeping it simple
When you have a few pretty bowls and some versatile serving pieces and flatware, simple is also very chic.
The best thing about entertaining this way is that I enjoyed the evening as much as my guests. And when it came time to clean up, everything including the silver, went into the dishwasher.
Load it up, turn on, unload and we'll repeat this weekend.
PS
Many thanks to Jessica for so graciously inviting me to share this post with you on The Entertaining House. It's been a delight.
Click here if you'd like a copy of my house guidelines for how to clean silver in the dishwasher.
Nancy Stuckwisch of Silver Magpies has had a life-long fascination with vintage silver. She believes we should get the silver out of the cupboard, onto the table, and then into the dishwasher.