I was chatting with some friends the other day, one of whom is recently separated, and she was asking how I manage to entertain so frequently and apparently effortlessly – with smoke and mirrors most of the time! – often without my partner. And the other question she asked is whether I received less invitations when I am in my single status. The answer is a resounding “yes”! I’m not sure if it’s a particularly Australian thing, but when it comes to dinner parties, for example, people seem to be more comfortable with even numbers of boys and girls. It’s tiresome. Even my long standing friends feel the need to invite someone to “make up numbers” if I’m invited to a meal with them. And when I ask my gay friends about this they say the same thing applies to them – safety in equal numbers. As for me, I don’t care if the numbers of my guests are not “even” when we sit down at the table. As long as my friends enjoy my food and each other’s company I am content. So, how do I provide...