Nicola's Home Blog

My kitchen at 10 Falls before the holiday transformation.

Family is so important to me. I am so lucky to have my large and boisterous Italian-American relatives living close enough for frequent family get-togethers, parties and dinners. My love of home design springs from my many memories of time sharing stories and delicious food around the dinner table or by the hearth, and I strive to create warm spaces where conversation flows and memories are made. So while I look forward to every opportunity to dine at my mother’s table, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to host the Manganello family Thanksgiving dinner last year. I had just finished many major renovations to my 18th-century home (take a virtual tour here) and could not wait to see it filled with those I loved best. As excited as I was, it did present challenges, and I devised some wonderful ways to make the holiday meal a success.

Clear the space. For me, immediate family means 21 wonderful people, from small children to the young at heart. Finding the best way to seat all my guests was my first, and biggest challenge. While the traditional children’s table can be a smart choice, I am always most thankful at this time of year for my wonderful daughter, Maeve. Not having her by my side was unthinkable. I wanted to share this meal with her, and with all my nieces and nephews, and I was determined to fit everyone at one table. Pushing several tables together is one idea to try. You can also experiment with buffet style service, vintage tea or television trays, and many other ways to bring all the diners into one warm and inviting space.

Smart settings. It isn’t as common to have a fine china service suitable for a large dinner party on hand as it once was. Rather than buying all new dishware, take advantage of today’s vintage and eclectic looks and remember that you don’t need a match to have a set. I decided to use my everyday china, but with a twist. I laid an unexpectedly sophisticated black napkin atop each diner’s dinner plate and finished each setting with a unique vintage salad plate. Choose to make your own service by coordinating colors instead of patterns, or accenting with unusual or antique chargers or punch bowls, and tie it all together with your table linens.

Mix traditional tastes. Taste is one of our most evocative senses, and as Proust well knew, it is tied closely to memory. It’s fun to innovate on the traditional meal, but consider keeping old favorites on the menu. My family has a stuffing contest every Thanksgiving. This spirited tradition lets my parents, my brother, my sister and I each cook our own turkey, and keeps each of us busy researching and testing recipes before the big day. The annual tasting (and trash talking) is raucous, delicious and fun for everyone. This year, it was a tossup between my father’s traditional sausage stuffing in a bread crumb base, and my own Mediterranean take on sausage and bread crumbs that included olives and dried fruit. Depending on your cultural heritage, your traditional tastes could be curry, anise, pepper or ras el hanout. Whatever they are, be sure to find a way to conjure up those Thanksgivings past.

Celebrate. the end, you are simply setting the stage for a celebration of family, friends and food. As your guests arrive, stop second-guessing your choices. Wear something you love—you need to sparkle, too—and try a favorite trick of mine and enjoy a flute of champagne before the guests arrive. I always remind myself to accept compliments graciously rather than focusing on what I didn’t do, or what didn’t turn out just right. If you’re not having fun, it will show in your hospitality. Embrace the ups and downs of any large dinner party, smile for all the pictures and treasure the time with those you love!