O is for the One Bite Rule

Lessons from a Socialite

When serving passed hors d'oeuvres, a proper hostess follows the One Bite Rule. Amuse the eye. Excite the palate. But don't stain the dress.

More than one bite presents possible complications: What if you can't bite through and half of a cucumber dangles from your mouth? Or puff pastry smudges your lipstick and crumbles down the front of your husband’s suit? A photographer might capture this indiscretion for next month’s social press.

Luckily, I’ve never worried about a Socialite’s rules. At my dinner parties, spouses sit next to each other, and garlic is a flavor, not a faux pas. I serve smoked salmon, although it might compromise “the breath.” My guests may even encounter food on toothpicks with sauces that drip, and the hors d'oeuvres are substantial. Because I want more than one bite.

The Socialite’s party may be classier, but I consider my party more fun. No one needs to bring their best behavior, and for me, casual equals comfort. But perhaps my party would improve if I followed some of her rules. After all, the Society pages never feature a guest with broccoli in her teeth, but it’s quite likely that photo would appear on Facebook.