{"id":6785,"date":"2017-02-08T06:00:47","date_gmt":"2017-02-08T11:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=6785"},"modified":"2023-02-10T14:03:35","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T19:03:35","slug":"meatballs-meditation-host-eat-pray-love-book-club-soiree-explore-food-friendship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/08\/meatballs-meditation-host-eat-pray-love-book-club-soiree-explore-food-friendship\/","title":{"rendered":"Meatballs and Meditation: How to Host an Eat, Pray, Love Friendship Book Club Soiree"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just after Valentine\u2019s Day 2006, at a time when people thought print was dying and new books couldn\u2019t move the needle, a comedic memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, at once both reverent and irreverent, cynical and romantic, hit the shelves. Despite (or maybe because of) the romantic holiday having just passed, it became an immediate best-seller. This was <\/span>Eat, Pray, Love<\/span><\/i>, a tale of divorce, frustration, and travel. It is, at its essence, deeply human. And that\u2019s why it was, and still is, so celebrated. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Eat and pray and love | Image courtesy Etsy seller WoodSignStudio<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To say it was a phenomenon is an understatement. It remained on the <\/span>New York Times <\/span><\/i>best-seller list for an astonishing 187 weeks. It was sanctified by Oprah. Its popularity only grew when the 2010 movie version, with Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem came out. And now, it is a staple of book clubs and friendships, and people still have <\/span>Eat, Pray, Love<\/span><\/i> parties. <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a good reason for that. What do we do when we gather with friends? We eat, of course, celebrating the fundamental and the libertine luxuries of life. We celebrate the connection we have with each other, and the spiritual energy that flows within us. And, most of all, we celebrate love.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re thinking of hosting an <\/span>Eat, Pray, Love <\/span><\/i>party, here are a few tips. You want to offer a holistic experience, much like Gilbert did. You want to celebrate and laugh, you want to think and learn, and you want to be connected with your friends and loved ones. A well-thrown <\/span>Eat, Pray, Love<\/span><\/i> party doesn\u2019t have to take you around the world. It just has to let you travel the universe. <\/span><\/p>\n

EAT!<\/h4>\n

There\u2019s a very good reason why Gilbert traveled to Italy to indulge her corporeal side: very few people celebrate the joy of eating well with more verve than the Italians. Food is a huge part of the culture\u2014or maybe it\u2019s more accurate to say that the culture revolves around the joy of eating. Large tables full of laughter, wine passed around, days spent cooking with the people you love, and amazing food as a result. The food and friendship blend together. It all gets passed back and forth. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Who is your favorite Italian chef? | Image courtesy Amazon.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You can use amazing Italian food to do the same at your own party. You can <\/span>try modern cuisine<\/span><\/a>, like a mushroom risotto or <\/span>Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Basilico,<\/span> or <\/span>classic dishes<\/span><\/a> like a Panzanella. If you don\u2019t feel like putting together a full meal, instead offer a couple appetizers:<\/span><\/p>\n