It all comes down to abundance

Plates overflowing with grapes, trays of figs adorned with cigarettes not buzzed, luxurious olive oil - these are the hallmarks of Alimentari Flaneur's pastiche. The chic and luxurious sesh has been present at events for brands such as Proenza Schouler and Waldorf Astoria, where it can add to the overall convivial atmosphere of a room. And Daniel Soares, creator of Alimentari Flaneur, says creating them is much easier than you might think. Soares is part of a family of food connoisseurs. His great-grandparents moved from Puglia, Italy, to the New York City area and started a fruit and vegetable market, which later evolved into the specialty food chain Balducci's. In addition to Balducci's, the family's cultural legacy of sausage''Äî products include Grace'Äôs Marketplace in Upper East Manhattan in New York City. "I grew up in this world," Soares says. - Every Sunday I would go to my grandmother's house and she would cook a big feast. Food was always something theatrical and ritualistic to me. "

Eater:

How were you able to find your niche in the food industry? "

Daniel Soares:I never really wanted to work with food. I worked in real estate, fashion, lived in Paris, did everything I could to avoid it. However, while living and traveling abroad, I noticed that when I was lonely, or when I wanted to do something that felt very familiar, I would go to the market. I just loved this ritual. I would go to the market every other day, if not every day, and see the same people, both buyers and''and salespeople. I actually fell in love with it.

Many people think I had an innate talent as a cook because I grew up in such a family. In reality, I hated food and hated being in the kitchen because my grandmother was a tyrant in the kitchen. When I grew up and started entertaining guests, I always said to myself, "Okay, I can't cook as well as my grandmother, but I know a delicious piece of cheese. I know where to buy really good jerky. And I know how to make fruit look pretty." And I just did it. After noticing how happy people were when I did it, I started researching the idea professionally and realized that high-quality produce can be presented in a beautiful way - put it on a silver platter, light candles and maybe add''Flowers or create a still life. People really appreciate it.

Cooking is simple, but for some people it can be intimidating if they have to boil water. You need to find confidence in your relationship with food. I think the easiest and best way to start is to understand what good ingredients are or what's in season right now and how to identify them. Once you have the basics, you can start cooking and experimenting.

Where should you start to find quality ingredients that can perform beautifully on their own? "

The first thing to do is go to your local farmer's market and understand what's in season right now, what's growing locally. Other than produce, if I was very unfamiliar with''groceries, I would ask my parents where they shopped and see if those places still exist to this day. If they do, then I know it's a great place: there's no better indicator of quality than time.

What strategies do you use to decorate a Tanksgiving feast or other dinner table without adding stress to the day?

My grandmother always said "abbondanza." The reason I put so much food on the table is to make it look pretty. I want people to feel that even though we are just grazing and eating very simple foods, they have a lot. You want to create the appearance of abundance. That's very important to me and how I express hospitality. It makes your guests feel seen and''caring and it's fun.

I think about what foods you can buy in bulk that don't cost too much. For example, you can buy five or six pounds of grapes, and depending on what variety and where you get them from, it certainly won't bankrupt you. Buying lots of great mortadella is a great way to offer people a frugal product that everyone will immediately enjoy.

The other two items that should always be on my table are a pile of bread and a tablespoon of olive oil: they take up space on the table, and people are very interested in dipping bread in the oil. Everyone loves to dip bread in olive oil, and if you don't, there's something seriously wrong with you. Grapes, mortadella, bread and olive oil - those four basics po' boy. 'my opinion, whether it's Tanksgiving or not.

What's the last piece of advice you would give to a rookie host? "

I'm going to be very biased in my advice. But the reason Grace'\'s Marketplace, my family's store, and even Balducci'\'s back in the day was so successful was not only because we sold produce and cheeses and interesting food items, but we had a prepared food department. They used all the leftovers from the store, cooked them in the basement and served them upstairs by the pound. They were one of the first stores in the country to do that, and to this day it's our most popular department. So I would say go to the prepared foods department of a specialty food store you trust. Ask for samples and then take''Anything you don't feel comfortable cooking but want to serve at your dinner party. If you don't want to cook stuffing, you are allowed and strongly encouraged to buy it, and you don't have to hide about it.

You should never serve something that you personally don't like because when you are socializing with your guests you should be able to share either what they can expect from that meal or why you chose it. This makes them feel much more comfortable and interested. Even if it's a biased better version of that food, it almost doesn't matter because you've made them feel so confident and cared for that they're just happy to be there. Your job is to be the host, not to wow people in terms''food.

If you're introducing yourself as a host for the first time or are dreading it, prepare what you've learned, head to your local specialty food store, pick up a few side dishes you've tried and liked. And regardless of what you purchase, make sure the table looks classy. So buy those grapes, buy some bread, buy some olive oil, and I promise you people will be impressed.