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Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

Posted by Lana Gay on Oct 16, 2009

ARE YOU A TERRIBLE HOST/HOSTESS? Do you have legendary parties? Love house guests or avoid them at all costs?  Ever have bands crash at your place?

Post your comments on the blog or email feedback@cbcradio3.com

Many bands that come in for an interview have just come from playing in Victoria.  Where do they usually crash? Carolyn Mark’s house.  Time after time I have heard that she is by far the best hostess, and a great cook.

In an interview with Exclaim! Neko Case mentioned "she's the finest hostess ever", so why call your new cookbook 'The Terrible Hostess, Recipes For Disaster'?  Today we’ll find out, as well as get the scoop on Carolyn’s new record Let’s Just Stay Here.

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  1. Silvorgold
    01

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    I'm a terrible host, to the point that I don't allow people at my place. I just have a very strict anti-people-being-at-my-place policy because I am ashamed of where I live, and until I get a job, this is all I can get. I live in a place that's kinda like a dorm.. but isn't. People are nasty here. Not the place one would take their significant other for an intimate date. The room mates are annoying, steal your food, are always watching TV, never shower, steal your beer. The landlord is always here, sitting on the couch, just so he can get away from his wife. He looks like a lazy Mario who doesn't do anything, and needs to shave. People get angry when I won't let them come over, I'm sorry but it's not a place where you can really bring people over.

     

  2. Silvorgold
    02

    oh..

    and one time when a friend was picking me up at my place, they said "wow, people actually live there? I thought it was actually abandoned since the 80s!"

  3. WildWorks
    03

    I think I am mediore

    I tend to do Summer BBQs and Christmas parties but I didn't bother doing any this year. I would say I am a lousy but easy-going host of sorts. :)

  4. AlexOfAnders
    04

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    I'd like to think I'm a decent host but I don't invite people over, in fact, I've had a couple people show much trepidation in coming inside. I'm not sure why...possibly its because I refer to my apartment as "the sweat box" and that doesn't paint a pretty picture.

    That, and I usually need to clean it. Seems that I always feel like I need to clean it, there's always papers, books, CDs and beer bottles all around my place. You'd expect some kind of drunken indie librarian to be working there or at least a grad student but I should be so fortunate to have such excuses.

    Although, I am throwing a spooky shindig of sorts next friday which I've dubbed "Count DrALkensteinman's Monster Movie Mayhem!" and is just an excuse to pack people into my house, drink, eat candy and watch old school horror movies.

    I guess I'd be more qualified to answer this after next week or you can ask mcfflyer if I'm an alright host. Considering I only had expired milk, condiments and beer in the fridge my guess is I could improve my hosting stees.

  5. Jennifer Aikman
    05

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    I'm an AWESOME host, but a TERRIBLE housekeeper. So, while I love to entertain, my place is generally too messy to allow anyone in. This is why I like party rooms and/or party venues. However, the man is coming to inspect my suite this week so the place will be nice and tidy. Perhaps, I'll invite people in for food and festivities. I have a killer retro bar that hasn't been cracked open in a while.

    You have inspired me to entertain again!

    I've never had a band crash at my place, however any tall & devastatingly handsome band members are welcome.

  6. 124th Street Beat
    06

    Conflicted....

    I love my house and love the idea of throwing dinner parties since I love to cook BUT I have to admit, I don't like having too many people too often in my space. It is a terrible conflict. Usually the hermit in me wins out and I end up making a feast for two.

    That being said, all of our close friends like cooking and eating, so we have potlucks fairly often, including a late Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. They are usually hosted at our friend's house, and they are fantastic hosts.

  7. Absotively
    07

    Another messy person

    I like feeding people and having people around, but like many people here, my place is usually way too messy.  In fact, I have to spend this evening cleaning, so that I have space to put out my air mattress for my mom & my sister tomorrow.

  8. kinch
    08

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    I love throwing a good rager of a party with some good tunes good drinks good friends!

  9. AlexOfAnders
    09

    I only caught the end of the last host break

    Sounds like I missed hearing about the cookbook, damn. All I heard was something about Final Fantasy Celery Soup, makes me think of the cream of carrot soup my mom used to make for some reason. Still, a give away? I hope I'm entered, last time I won a cookbook on foodie Friday it was fantastic!

    Expired milk and clutter aside, I'd like to think I'm a good host. I try to make people as comfortable as I can muster even if all that's around is beer and mustard.

  10. bronwynl
    10

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    I like to think I'm a good hostess! This past Thanksgiving I managed to make  the whole sha-bang for over 10 people and it turned out pretty darn well! Apparently my ginger-pumpkin cheesecake has received rave reviews throughout friends and family...

     

     

  11. martyman5000
    11

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    I used to crash at a bands house on there couch and it was nice to watch the drama and not be directly be involved.  As a teen I would avoid party's because it was a place you could be exposed and made fun of so I guess that would explain why If my wife has people over I rarely drink or let my hair down, so to speak.  I think that the nicest "party's" I was not really invited to but was a second wheel and got to play spoons way back when Weeping tile was around.  Sarah Harmer was sweet and the food was wonderful.

  12. hgummo
    12

    Messiness

    I have the same issues with being messy... my place is usually in a shambles when suddenly people make plans to come over. i have to quickly throw everything somewhere so that my place looks somewhat presentable. I call it fake cleaning when I'm actually just hiding the clutter rather than actually organizing it. It worked the other night when I had friends over and they were commenting on how good my apartment looked... I fooled them!

  13. kn0ttyn3rb
    13

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    you'd have to ask Absotively, whom I hosted a couple weekends back! But I was deathly ill so take that into consideration :)

    I like having people over, and my place is always clean. When my sister and I had a housewarming party it went pretty well. But I tend to only have at most 3-4 friends over at once, so I guess that makes me the ideal tenant!

  14. Absotively
    14

    kn0ttyn3rb

    kn0ttyn3rb's place is very clean.  And she was very good at giving directions for how to get places.  Definitely a good hostess.

  15. 124th Street Beat
    15

    Bars in basements

    I think you are right Lana, the bar in the basement is a lost art - when we were looking for houses we almost bought one that had a basement bar: red shag carpet, wooden walls, lantern style lights and a swinging door on the bar. Awesome. Very 50's. I have a friend who bought a house of that era and they also have bar in the basement- which is all done up in cedar shingles. They haven't decided whether or not to keep. I would.

     

    As for putting up bands... I got quite drunk one night at the Pic pub when I was still living in Vancouver and invited the band, Crooked Fingers (Eric Bachman of Archers of Loaf fame) to crash at our house (boyfriend and me that is). The boyfriend was not to impressed since I forgot to tell him until we were on our way home with the band. Oops.

     

     

  16. CDNz1
    16

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    I think i'm a decent host and I'll do the SUPER-CLEAN-UP before company arrives.  I host 4 or 5 themed parties a year, normally revolving around some sporting event ie, Indy 500, Super Bowl, Daytona 500, Wings games, my birthday, etc.  As some guests have unique tastes and special menus, I adopted a "You Kill It, I'll Grill It" policy a few years ago and that seems to work fine.  

    I do provide munchies and more recently some bacon-wrapped something or other.

    Would I host a band passing through?  Hell yes!  With the guest room and if you don't mind the floor, I can accommodate 6 or 7 people and your gear is safe in the backyard.  I think that would be an event.  I'd even make them breakfast!

     

    @ Alex -  Rockin' Ronnie's BBQ book is GRRRREAT! 

     

  17. hgummo
    17

    Thanks Lana!

    I'll make sure never to stash anything in the oven. That's never happened to me but it's totally something I would do.

  18. AlexOfAnders
    18

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    @hgummo - oh man, I have like 3 clutter boxes going already. I gotta do something about those, they're just stacked in my bedroom because nothing happens in there (the Dr.Venkmen in my head is already saying "What a crime").

    @CDNz1 - I know! Rockin' Ronnie is awesome, his book is sooooo good.

  19. whethergirl
    19

    re: Today on Lanarama: Foodie Friday w/ Carolyn Mark, The Terrible Hostess!

    LOVE the laundry in the oven story!

    My place is rarely too dirty, but I want it to be spotless if I'm having anyone (except the closest friends) over. I don't have too many parties though because it's a bachelor suite and there's not much space (no room for bands either).

    Instead, I host parties at other people's homes. I took my friends home to my parents (they have a big house) for a fun weekend. And this weekend I'm throwing a surprise party for three guys in their own residence (talk about tricky to plan!). Hopefully they're not reading.

    I'm trying to get in the habit of hosting small dinner parties. At the second one I held I sliced my thumb open on my mandolin (the slicer, not the instrument).

    As a hostess I am vary between forgetful, uptight and just right (I think).

  20. AlexOfAnders
    20

    Oh mericful computer gods, I thank thee!

    The radio player on the site works through my corporate firewall yet again! Although, not in Chrome so back over to the FireFox for my R3 needs.

    Next time I run into the R3 web development team they're getting a beer on me.

  21. CDNz1
    21

    Dr. Venkman...

    Laughing so hard, bacon's coming out my nose...

  22. AlexOfAnders
    22

    @CDnz1

    Excellent, you get to taste the bacon twice that way

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