Dinner parties have moved on from the very formal affairs of the seventies and eighties. These days, a dinner party can be whatever you want it to be- you can keep it fancy and sophisticated or go super casual, it’s entirely up to you. Good food and drinks are a great way to get everyone together and spend time with the people that matter, and there are no longer strict rules and etiquette surrounding dinner parties that there once were. This makes them much easier and more enjoyable to throw, and you can customise them to whatever you and your guests like. If you still find the idea of entertaining and cooking for a group a little daunting, here are a few tips that might help you out!
The menu
The first step to planning a dinner party is to decide what food you’ll be serving. If you don’t like the idea of cooking things like meat or fish to order once your guests have arrived, then make things easier for yourself. Choose dishes that can be made ahead- soup can be made a day or more before, stored in the fridge and reheated in a matter of minutes and makes a good starter. Big pots of food such as stews and casseroles would have once been considered completely unacceptable on a dinner party menu, but now you can cook whatever you like, these kinds of one pot dishes can make things far easier.
Bolognese, chilli, meatballs and other similar dishes can be cooked up in bulk and kept warm and then served with whatever rice or pasta accompaniment that they go with. You could even go ‘family style’- serve up a big dish of fajita or taco filling and let people build their own dish with the extras provided. If you do want to go a little more fancy, it can be worth practicing first and knowing that you can get your timings right pretty much every time. For example, if you want to go with a steak night, then be sure you know how to cook a steak different ways first for yourself. That way, when you’re having to cook them for a group and the pressure is on, you don’t completely go to pot! Your dessert can be easily made in the morning and stored in the fridge until after the meal, and so this doesn’t have to add to the workload in the evening.
One of the main things to get right when it comes to your menu is ensuring that all of the courses work together well. The flavours and dishes should complement each other. For example, if you have a very heavy main course, then something a little lighter for starter and dessert is a wise move. Get your portions right too, you want to make sure people are full but not overstuffed. One good way to do your menu is to base it on a particular kind of cuisine, that way the flavours of each course will mesh well together. It could be Indian, Mexican, Thai or English, or any other cuisine that you enjoy! Do some research when you’re planning your party, work out what’s best to cook based on your skills, budget and the tastes of you and your guests. From there you can plan a menu that works and is cohesive.
The drinks
While there might not be any set rules for dinner parties these days, as a host, one of the things you will probably want to ensure is that the drinks are flowing. If you’re going a little fancier you could serve champagne or any other type of fizz on arrival (prosecco and cava work well if you don’t have as much to spend) otherwise red and white wine are solid choices. Work out which kind of wine will best suit your dishes- white tends to pair best with lighter flavours like chicken and fish while red complements meat. You can also buy sweeter dessert wines to serve with your pudding. If you sign up to a subscription such as the Roscioli Wine Club, you’ll get a number of shipments of great wine a few times a year, so will always have something on hand for a dinner party. Otherwise, do some research and decide what will be best based on what you’re serving. These days, supermarkets bottles of alcohol frequently win awards, so you don’t always have to spend much!
The entertainment
While dinner parties are about enjoying delicious food and drink, they’re also a chance to spend time with the people we care about and have fun. To break the ice, get people chatting and make the evening as enjoyable as possible you might want to consider some entertainment. This could be something as simple as a game around the table to hiring a musician or entertainer for the evening. Again it all depends on how simple or extravagant you want to go, if you’re celebrating something special for example you could make more of an effort. Dinner party entertainment is a good way to help people mingle, gives them something to chat about, get to know each other more and find common ground. If you’re hosting a party which will bring together people who haven’t met for example, the right kind of entertainment can alleviate awkwardness and help the evening run more smoothly.
The surroundings
One of the best things about dinner parties is that you get to enjoy your home. It’s a major perk to being an adult and having your own property, especially when you’ve reached the age where going out and partying every weekend doesn’t appeal. Instead you can have friends over for food and drinks and have fun in a more grown up way. When you’re having people to your home, you will of course want to make sure it looks its best and is presented in a way that makes you feel proud of your property.
Your first step would be a general clean and tidy, when you’re having visitors over you don’t want them to be greeted by piles of shoes in the hallway, kids toys in the living room and a messy bathroom. The day before your party, have a deep clean and make sure everything is spic and span. Another important area to get right is the dinner table- this needs to be large enough to fit the guests you’ve invited. If you only have a small family but have regular large get togethers, how about investing in a table that pulls out to create more space? Keep the spare chairs in the shed or garage, and when you have parties you have enough room for everyone but without having to sacrifice kitchen or dining room space the rest of the time. If you’re hosting a more formal dinner party you could go with a tablecloth, place settings, a decorative centerpiece and a fancy dinner set. But at the very least, a table runner with matching placemats will make everything look put together. If you’re going to add things like candles and flowers, ensure these aren’t obstructing anyone’s view as it can make it awkward for people to have to lean around them to chat.
Finally, set the ambiance. If you’re going to add things like scented candles and air fresheners to the home for when your guests arrive, make sure they’re not overpowering. If you usually have a plug in air freshener in the dining room for example, you might want to turn this off when guests arrive to it’s not overly strong. Music is another way to set the ambience and provide some nice background noise, but again choose carefully. You want something chilled and relaxing and at a volume where you can still clearly have a chat without having to raise your voice. Smart devices like the Amazon Echo are useful for entertaining, you can ask it to play any song or playlist, change the volume, song or artist using just your voice and can control your lights and heating with it too making it easy to set the right vibe from one device.
If you’ve never thrown a dinner party because you thought it had to be very fancy and formal then it’s time to think again. You could even cheat and buy in your dessert and utilise things like sachet and jars too for your meals if you’re not confident cooking from scratch. As long as you serve up some tasty food your guests will be happy, and it’s the perfect way to spend time together. Now that barbecue season is over, dinner parties are fantastic for meeting up with friends and enjoying your home.
Have you ever thrown a dinner party for friends? What tips and advice would you give to anyone who’s hosting something like this for the very first time?
*Collaborative post*
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