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American, at the origin of the cooking show Barefoot Contessa, explained why she never brings her guests a bouquet of flowers or a bottle of wine.
This holiday season, if you should heed the etiquette advice of a food guru lifestyle it’s really Ina Garten, the 76-year-old American, author of countless cookbooks and host of the show Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network channel, stands out for his approach to the art of living at the intersection of refinement and serendipity.In a recent interview with US magazine People the queen of the kitchen confided why she never offers flowers or wine to the hosts when they invite her.
Golden rule
When she’s having fun, Ina Garten follows a set of rules. And the same when the roles change. she refrains from offering her guests wine or flowers, but prefers more personal gifts like coffee beans or homemade granola after an expensive evening of entertainment. “I always try to bring something that they can eat the next day, but not something that they feel obligated to serve at lunch,” explained the specialist. “I think it’s respectful of someone who spent all that time cooking and cleaning and making cocktails.” For the latter, a bouquet can be more difficult than anything else.
This golden rule, often forgotten, which nevertheless brings all etiquette experts to an agreement. Indeed, in a previous article about the rules to follow when you are invited to dinner, Genevieve d’Angenstein, director of Paris Business Etiquette and author of the book: Good behavior is a game (1), told us why flowers are not always welcome; In the context of a meal, where many guests are invited, the host or hostess risks causing inconvenience in their organization, for example, to find a vase for them. Geneviève d’Angenstein chooses a box of chocolates, or even a selection of regional specialties stop making mistakes this holiday season.
(1) Good behavior is a game , by Geneviève d’Angenstein, Éditions J’ai Lu, 96 pages, €4.
Source: Le Figaro
