Public Servant Lifestyle

The dinner party is not a party party. Whereas the latter conjures up images of loud music, free-flowing alcohol, standing-room only crowds and raucous revelry, the former is, in many ways, its complete antithesis: the epitome of relaxed, intimate elegance.

Hosting your first dinner party feels deliciously grown-up. But with the entire focus of the evening fixed upon you, the host, and the sumptuous spread that you’ve been so gracious to offer, these 'simple' dinner parties can very easily turn you into a supreme stresspot. A few tips to help you maintain your sanity.

Under Twelve

Six to ten is ideal. 12 is manageable: anything larger than that, as far as I’m concerned, counts as a full-fledged party, and you’ll go nuts trying to cook a full meal for that big a crowd.

A Theme

Menu-planning can be a daunting task, especially for the novice dinner party host/ess. Picking a theme will help you narrow down your choices of potential dishes.

Feeling Japanese? Start with a miso soup, then move on to either sushi or tempura. Serve a seaweed salad as accompaniment. Finish with red bean ice cream.

In the mood for Italian? Open with antipasti and a fresh-baked Ciabatta loaf. Feature a pasta or risotto. Pair it with a meat/seafood entrée if desired, follow all that with a salad tossed in oil and vinegar, end the meal with espresso and biscotti. Choosing a theme helps the menu fall easily into place.

Food Restrictions

There’s nothing worse than slaving all day over a beautiful roast chicken only to discover that half your guests are vegetarian and won’t touch your food (except maybe one of them keeling over with a nut allergy).

When in doubt, go vegetarian. Still I’d recommend checking on dietary quirks, just to be safe; you may discover that one of your guests is vegan, another allergic to garlic...all considerations that should be taken into account when preparing your feast.

Be Prepared

Wash, peel and chop up ingredients ahead of time; prepare sauces in advance, if the sauce so allows. Blanche slower-cooking veggies such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc. – you’ll just need to sauté them for a minute or two in the final sauce to reheat. Avoid anything that requires hours of roasting… the hot oven will turn the kitchen into a boiler room, and there’s nothing like sweltering heat to make you feel even more frazzled than you already are.

Make Enough For More

It’s always better to have leftovers (you can enjoy them for lunch the next day) than to be faced with skimping on portions because your guests have bigger appetites than you anticipated. On the other hand, you don’t want to grossly overestimate your required quantities, either, since no matter how tasty your dishes may be, you don’t want to be eating them twice a day for the next week.

Do The Dishes

Whenever you have a spare moment from cooking, wash the dirty dishes or rinse and load them into the dishwasher. It’ll prevent them from piling up unattractively on the countertops, pans are easier to clean while still warm anyway, it’ll help you work more efficiently by keeping your workspace navigable and you'll relax much more easily during the meal knowing that the worst of the clearing up is already done.

Nibble On

No doubt you’ll still be in the kitchen, fussing around with the final cooking and preparation of your food, when the first guests start appearing on your doorstep. Set out some snacks before everyone shows up - give your guests something to munch on, so that they won’t just be standing around idly, waiting for you to finish what you’re doing. A plate of antipasti, chips and salsa, raw veggies and dip, hummus and pita or assorted nuts will all work fine. I’d avoid serving anything too heavy, however, as you don’t want your guests to spoil their appetites.

Salad Daze

Here’s my recommendation on the best order of presentation for an elegant, non-fussy, multi-course dinner: simple appetiser or fresh baked bread, main course, salad, dessert. The reason for serving the salad afterwards is simple: it’s too easy to fill up on a salad and appetiser… your guests will be too full to adequately appreciate all the effort you’ve put into the entrée. And if you need another reason to stray from the usual: it’s how they do it in Europe, so it adds that extra chic touch.

Half Baked

At this point in the meal, you’ve impressed your guests enough with your exquisite culinary creations. Give yourself a break and go with a low-prep/no-prep dessert. Ice cream, sorbet, fresh fruit & whipped cream, a nice dessert liqueur even – these are all delectable and elegant sweets that require virtually no effort on your part. If you want to be fancy, you can always get a little creative with the presentation.

Party On

Obvious though it may be, the one key essential is that you remember that this is supposed to be fun. You might spill red wine on your clothes just as the guests are walking in through the door, your pasta might not be quite al dente, your sauce may turn out a tad too soupy, but, in the end, these are all minor details that’ll only spoil the evening if you let them get to you. Smile, relax and enjoy the party!

More information available in Eating In, Entertaining, In Your Kitchen, Recipe Ideas, Deserts, Main Courses, Starters, Vegetarian, Ideas