Simple Housewarming Dishes to Serve Your First Guests After Marriage

A housewarming is a type of event held after moving into a new home, where family members, relatives, friends and other acquaintances are invited over to see the house and enjoy a meal. The most common occasion is an invitation to a newlywed couple's home after marriage, but more recently, people who have moved out on their own also hold housewarming parties. Some first-time hosts may opt to order delivery food, while others prefer to prepare simple housewarming dishes themselves. Here are housewarming menu ideas that even inexperienced cooks can follow, along with recommendations for thoughtful housewarming gifts.

Good housewarming dishes are broadly appealing, easy to prepare in large quantities and suitable for sharing among several people. Vietnamese spring rolls are a housewarming staple that anyone can enjoy once the vegetables have been prepared. More recently, hosts can move beyond spring rolls and impress long-unseen acquaintances with a wider variety of dishes, such as the easy Spanish dish “gambas,” made by gently simmering shrimp and garlic in olive oil; “dongpo pork,” made by boiling pork intended for suyuk and marinating it in seasoned soy sauce; and “mille-feuille nabe,” made by layering vegetables and meat and simmering them in broth.

To receive a positive response, gifts should be chosen with the recipient's feelings and preferences in mind, rather than those of the giver. The right choice depends on whether the recipient is a newlywed couple or someone living alone. For newlyweds, how about giving couple items such as matching indoor slippers? If you are looking for a thoughtful gift in a moderate price range, mood lights, diffusers and dehumidifiers are practical choices that can also serve as home décor.

[FamTimes=Reporter Kim Jae-young]