What I See with Peter Fiorenza: I like my alone time, but hosting dinner parties is a way for me to step it up

Easter is a time when we tend to all get together. This is either with family and/or friends and even members of our neighbourhood. Growing up, I was part of big families on both my mother’s and father’s side and Christmas and Easter were indeed times shared. However, today the world has moved on and I find myself spending more and more time alone. Now, I don’t think this is unusual for most of us in 2025. I really think it is a by-product of the 21st century. Actually, I enjoy my own company — time spent with just my dogs Billie and Joel and regular visits to my parents’ place. But every now and again, or a little bit more, in my case, I reckon it’s a good idea to step things up a bit in respect to socialising. And for me, that’s hosting a dinner party. Message a few friends, invite them around for some drinks and tell them you’ll make them dinner. In the 1970s, dinner parties were all the rage. Do you remember the fondue? It was an idea out of Switzerland. You dipped small pieces of food (such as meat and fruit) in a hot liquid of melted cheese — a craze that swept the nation. From Byron Bay to Geraldton and from Geelong to Cape York, everyone was having fondue parties. Eventually, the fad petered out, but what I loved about it was that it was a catalyst for bringing people together. And that’s what I like about my little dinner parties. Not only does it bring people together, for some chatter and laughs, it’s also a safe and relaxing way to spend a Saturday evening. And I love to cook, something that has become a therapeutic pastime over the years. I’m proud to say that I have a good cross-section of recipes I’ve semi-mastered thanks to YouTube, however, my spaghetti with lamb cutlets is a crowd favourite. So, why wouldn’t you do it — dinner parties are good for the mind and good for the soul. Just thinking, if you are a little more adventurous, you could turn the event into a murder-mystery night. Now that’s some food for thought. Peter Fiorenza hosts Sports Shed Saturday (9am to noon) and Fiorenza on Sunday (10am to noon) on Radio MAMA. The latter is taking a break on Easter Sunday.