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end-of-the-evening etiquette
So you’ve gorged yourself on a fine array of excellent dishes, and it’s now time to head home. Do you just grab your dirty casserole pan, say thanks, and get going?

The Perfect Host/ess would, of course, give those dishes a good wash, scrub and dry before sending guests home with them. But if you, the good guest, find yourself ready to leave before this has happened, forget about etiquette rules and who’s supposed to do what: grab your food-encrusted dish and bring it home to deal with later. Don’t stand around with foot a-tapping, waiting for your host/ess to get around to doing it him/herself, because (a) it might not ever happen, and (b) excessive insistence on proper etiquette is just plain tiresome.

But wait, what do you do if there’s still a quarter-pan of your prized lasagna left over? Personally, I’m of the opinion that it’s always nice to ask your host/ess whether they’d like to hang on to the leftovers of any dish you’ve brought, or at least a small portion thereof. Even if you really, really, really want to take the remnants of your magnum opus home with you. If your host/ess protests that there’s too much extra food deal with already, you’re in luck – wrap up those remainders and hoard them for you, you, you! If, on the other hand, your host/ess shows an interest in that molten chocolate cake over which you slaved all afternoon but were too full to taste at the party, consider it a compliment to your fine cooking skills, and console yourself with the promise that at the next potluck, you’ll pace yourself to ensure room to enjoy your masterpiece.

o

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