|
Issue Date: November 19, 2006
INTERVIEW
Playing hostess
Humorist Amy Sedaris on throwing a great party
The holiday party season is upon us -- it's time to celebrate!
|
Playwright and comedienne Amy Sedaris, 45, is known as a party girl. But, as she revealed in her fall book, "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence" (Warner Books, $27.99), she prefers to do her partying at home in her small Manhattan apartment. We figured anyone zany enough to make the Comedy Central series "Strangers with Candy" (and the movie version, now on DVD) must throw a doozy of a dinner party. So we asked Sedaris, sister of best-selling humor writer David Sedaris, what makes a memorable party:
What's your first hostess memory?
I was in seventh grade, and my mom let me invite all my friends over. I made Rock Cornish hens, wild rice and lemon tarts, served in the basement.
Now, what's the biggest compliment you hear after a party?
Guests often say my home is just like a psychiatrist's office. They find it safe and comfortable like that.
Your best holiday party?
Martin Luther King Day in 1996. So many people dropped by that I ran out of food. I cleaned up while listening to a recording of Dr. King's speeches.
You have $50 for a party. What do you buy?
A pricey piece of meat and salad fixings. I'd spend the rest on construction paper for guests to make decorations.
Your favorite low-budget party snack?
My Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball, made with smoked gouda, cream cheese and pecans. I serve it with Ritz crackers.
-- Kathleen Conroy
|
