Let's face it. If you are stressed, agitated and flitting about, your guests will be uncomfortable and won't be able to relax. Here is an easy test of how well you are doing. How many times do your guests ask if there is anything they can do to help? It is reasonable that guests may ask when they first arrive but if you hear the question over and over again, you are doing something wrong.
The Dinner Party:
Do you become a shrinking violet
at the mere thought of hosting a dinner party? Here are some quick and easy
tips on how to host a successful party and not be too wiped out to enjoy the
effort.
Plan it out on paper. Use
the basic Who? What? Where? When? How
Don't over compensate. Your guests
will not be impressed by 10 appetizers, 3 entrees and a dessert cart for a
sit down dinner party. If you are doing a buffet that is a different situation.
Balance Colors. Bad move: all
of the food in a neutral color. This not only indicates that your food choices
are boring but are also lacking in nutrition. Good move: Lots of color!
Use the foods of the season. For
example: Do not plan a menu using strawberries in the middle of winter as it
may be difficult to find any that are top quality. Do use apples, pumpkin,
and squash in your fall dinner menus.
Dress to impress?the food that
is. Plan a menu that looks elegant, but doesn't consume three days to prepare.
It is all in the presentation. The simplest dish can look exquisite.
Have everything staged and ready
to go in advance. Your guests will be uncomfortable if you are flitting in
and out of the kitchen.
Practice, practice, practice.
Use your family for regular practice runs. Always set the table with matching
cutlery and dishes and put food in serving dishes. This way you know what you
have and are not floundering to figure out how to present your meals to guests.
Here is a quick plan for a holiday/winter dinner party:
Make a list of 6 of your closest friends and invite them over for an evening dinner. If you are in a panic just thinking about dinner for 8, you need to register for our Entertaining Workshop but for an immediate fix, read our tips below:
Prepare a simple menu that does not require a lot of ingredients and a lot of stove watching (bird watching is easy in comparison).
For red meat:
Salad with vinaigrette dressing,
cranberries and nut of choice (pecans, walnuts, almonds
A lamb or beef roast with red
potatoes, baby carrots, onions and seasoning
A red wine with dinner. We are
partial to Breaux Vineyards Lafayette if you want a local Virginia wine
Cheese and grapes for dessert
Port or Dessert Wine with dessert
For chicken:
Salad with vinaigrette dressing,
cranberries and nut of choice (pecans, walnuts, almonds
Champagne Chicken (contact us
if you want the recipe
Saffron Rice
Steamed Asparagus or Broccoli
A white wine with dinner. We are
partial to Breaux Vineyards Vidal Blanc if you want a local Virginia wine
Cheese and grapes fordessert
Sherry or Dessert Wine with dessert
Notice we did not offer a heavy dessert
or a lot of food choices. During the holidays we all tend to overeat and a
simple but elegant meal is a welcome change.
Larger Parties:
If you feel that you have the
small dinner party under control and are ready to branch out to large group
entertaining, here are the basic steps to making a gathering a success:
Decide what type of party
you are going to have. Cocktail hour, dinner buffet or hors d'oeuvres.
This will drive your menu as well as your cost and party supplies.
Determine the area in your
house where you want to have the party.
How many people can stand or sit
comfortably in this area? This isn't a crowded bar/night club. Having to
say ?excuse me? and bumping into people loses its charm very quickly.
Check your room arrangement. Is
it an open floor plan if you intend for people to stand? Move the furniture
out of the way. Bruised shins from coffee tables are no fun. Is it conducive
to conversation if you are using your seating areas? Rearrange furniture into
conversation areas.
Are there places for people to
set drinks? Nervous nelly coaster girl/guy is not attractive. If you want your
guests to use coasters, have them strategically placed throughout the area
ahead of time.
Ventilation: Keep the temperature
a little lower than normal in an area that is going to be full of people. It
will heat up fast when everyone gets in the room. If you are using candles
for ambiance, remember that they add heat to a room.
The ?Bar?: If you are having
a cocktail hour, then a fully stocked bar is more essential than if you are
having a dinner buffet. Keep these facts in mind.
Bars are very expensive to stock
because there are essentials you must have to satisfy the drink needs of your
guests.
A bartender is essential if you
have a full bar. It doesn't have to be a professionally hired bartender but
it needs to be someone who knows his/her way around a bar and the drink menu.
If you are having a dinner buffet
where the focus is food rather than drink, then make choose signature drinks.
Have one or two specialty drinks for your guests that you can make in advance,
serve in pitchers or decanters and have on a min self-serve bar. Again there
are essentials you must have like an ice bucket but you do not need a fully
stocked bar and a bartender in these situations.
The placement of the bar is
key. It needs to be in an open, accessible area.
The Menu. We could write a
whole article on your menu so here are a few key reminders.
Have a theme. That doesn't mean
you have to don a sombrero for Mexican or throw plates for Greek food but you
need to have some commonality for your menu or you will end up with a hodge
podge of random items and probably too many of them to boot. Your theme does
not have to be an international food either. It could be ?winter foods? or
?seafood? for example.
Keep dietary and religious
restrictions of your guests in mind.
If having a cocktail hour, keep
the menu to a few appetizers no more.
If having a dinner buffet, keep
the menu balanced. Appetizers should not overpower main course or dessert.
By Indra Books
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