An Ode to Hosting

Hot Dog Party, a pre-trick-or-treating dinner, and spooky recipes

I absolutely love to host parties. (I even wrote a whole book about it.) I love looking around at a house packed full of people, elbows brushing as someone squeezes to get by. I love the sound of my friends’ laughter. I love when you see two people who didn’t know each other prior to the party exchanging numbers. My home glows when there’s a party. I always think, “this is what a home is for” when little kids are racing down the hallway, when the table is laden with platters of food, when I hear the pop of a cork being pulled from a wine bottle.

I know this might sound a little out there, but one of my favorite party sights is actually the detritus left behind after everyone has gone home. The crushed juice boxes on the ground. The wax candle nubs burned all the way down. The dessert plate that’s been scraped clean of chocolate frosting, with maybe a couple of green strawberry tops to the side. I adore a crumpled napkin. I think I like these things so much because they are signs of humanity. You can’t fake them. Even the best AI could never come close.

Photograph © Maria Zizka

When I’m hosting a party, I feel connected to my community. I feel real and alive. Most of all, I feel loved. Every year, my husband, Graham, and I host two big parties (big as in more than fifty people) in our little house: Friendsgiving and Hot Dog Party. I’ve written about Friendsgiving before, but let me tell you about our new-ish tradition of Hot Dog Party. Picture your ideal hot dog. Does it have yellow mustard? Relish? Chopped raw onion? Maybe all three? We grill a combination of all-beef dogs, bratwurst, spicy Italian sausages, frankfurters, and hot links, and then we set out all the toppings for each guest to assemble their own perfect hot dog. The invitees under the age of five seem to prefer a simple toasted bun with an unreasonable amount of ketchup. But there’s zero judgement—everyone is free to make and enjoy their own hot dog. Bottomless prosecco and apple juice boxes for all.

If I’m being honest, we don’t really have the space for such a large party. That doesn’t stop me! I want to invite our whole neighborhood, and I want to establish traditions far bigger than the walls of this house. My greatest hope is that our home becomes a gathering place, where everyone feels welcome and cared for. I’ve told my son Arthur countless times that he needs to share, but I don’t think the message gets through to him from my words alone. After Hot Dog Party this year, he asked me, “When that friend was leaving, why did you give her a piece of dessert to take home even though she already ate some?” Because that’s what we do in our family. And the love returns to us tenfold.

Photograph © Maria Zizka

Instead of a recipe this month, I have two party menus to share with you. These are low-lift parties, tried and true, eminently doable for busy parents of young kids:

Hot Dog Party

Prosecco and apple juice boxes

Grilled hot dogs and all the toppings

Pasta Salad with Sungold tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and olives

Watermelon and fresh berries

Apple tart

Pre Trick-or-Treating Dinner

Pitcher of corpse reviver cocktails

Spaghetti bolognese

Whole loaf cheesy garlic bread

Speaking of trick-or-treating, happy Halloween to you! My family is dressing up as Tour de France. (I’m the green jersey winner. Graham is going as King of the Mountain. IYKYK.) In past years, we’ve celebrated with Spiderweb Cake and Black Tahini Buckwheat Cookies, if you’re looking for some spooky recipes. We’ll also be honoring loved ones who have passed on Día de Muertos and I’m sending extra love to everyone who is remembering the lives of their family and friends.

Photograph © Maria Zizka

See you in November,

Maria xo

P.S. You may have seen that tens of millions of people are set to lose federal food and nutrition benefits next month. The people who will be affected most by these cuts are families with children, seniors, and people with disabilities. I feel horrified and depressed this is happening. For every new or upgraded subscription to Recipe of the Month, I will match in cash donations to No Kid Hungry. Thank you so much for all the support from this loving community.