What are useful tips for hosting a successful dinner party?

Question

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Answer 1

Great Booze to go with it.

Answer 2

I always plan ahead, including the menu. Invite people who you know will get along with each other, so you can avoid tense moments. Music is always good, but (in my opinion) not if it's too loud. Consider traffic flow through your house - you want to keep people moving and circulating with each other before and after dinner. I usually ask if anyone has any food restrictions at the time that I make my invitation. More and more people do, so it's worth it to make sure you have something that everyone can eat and enjoy. I usually keep most of the food simple except for maybe one extravagant dish or dessert (or both) because it keeps me calmer about the meal's success and I can have more fun. If someone asks if they can bring something - let them! Everyone likes to shine and participate and receive compliments, so if your friend makes a fantastic dessert, appetizer, or side dish, let him or her bring it and give them the cudos. Then it becomes part of the evening, not just more food. If cooking is not your strong suit, don't try to cook the whole meal - make it pot-luck or cater it or have some good take out delivered. Maybe you just want to try to make a new dessert. It's tough to balance hosting the party and partying at your party., so don't try to do too much or you won't have any fun!

Answer 3

Limit the number of guests to about six to eight people.

Make sure the dining table is large enough to seat the number of guests invited. No one wants to be stuck at the kiddy table.

Keep the menu simple. Plan dishes for which most of the work can be done in advance, and avoid recipes that require hours of prep time.

Choose dishes that complement one another. Begin by choosing the main dish, then plan the side dishes around that main course.

Make the dinner colorful--avoid using the same color in all the dishes. For instance, serving a pasta dish with cream sauce alongside mashed potatoes and cauliflower really doesn't offer any flattering colors. Try to keep dishes colorful and varied.

The same thing goes for flavor. Avoid repeating flavors or ingredients in the main course, side dishes and dessert. Don't let guests experience "death by dairy" with a heavy cream sauce in the main course, a cream-based soup as an appetizer, scalloped potatoes as a side dish and cheesecake for dessert.

When serving courses, make sure to have a relaxed setting. Don't rush the courses, and keep the portions small.

To make things even easier on you, purchase at least one course from the store.

Setting the table is also important. Place dinner plates at the center of the setting with a soup bowl on top of the dinner plate. Dinner knives go to the immediate right of the plate, and the soup spoon goes to the right of the knife. The salad fork goes to the immediate left of the plate followed by the dinner or main course fork. The butter knife and bread and butter plate is placed at the upper left side of the dinner plate. At the top of the dinner plate is the dessert fork, and to the right of that is the place for water and wine glasses.

Get creative with a table setting by folding napkins, creating a centerpiece or making up place cards.

Answer 4

Planning is essential.

Choose courses that can be made in advance and just heated through on the night or desserts that can be made then stored in the fridge ready to serve.

Menu planning is a good idea too, try to mix the courses for instance have a cold starter followed by a hot main followed by a cold dessert or try it the other way round Hot/Cold/Hot.

Drinks are also important, if you are having cocktails then have some ready to pour when your guests arrive.

Make sure white wines, champagnes and beers are nice and cold and also make sure you have plenty if ice available for soft drinks and shorts.

After you have pre-prepared your food as much as you can make sure you washup everything and try to leave your kitchen as close to tidyness as you possibly can, it makes such a difference at the end of the meal to know that all you have to clean up afterwards are the things used on the night.

Answer 5

A successful dinner party is all about Research, Planning and execution.

Do the obvious. What are the likes dislikes of guests. veggies, vegans, Alcoholics, seafood's,
allergies such as nuts, pepper etc.

I find that by doing a special meal for that one awkward guest you score points.

What ever you do, don't get to experimental with the food the old favourites are the tried and tested best.

Now. Who have you invited that may start awkward discussions that may result in conflict or very quite moments of embarrassment etc.

When you host a dinner party one of you should be doing the running around while the other Chairs discussion and steers the party away from disaster.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Answer 6

First, preperation is key to ensure the host or hostess can actually enjoy themselves. Do not wait until the day of the party to try and get everything together. begin with an agenda-date, location, time. Then a menu-what food and drinks will you serve? Then a guest list... after that-you can get a grocery list together and get done any work that can be done before the party. As far as cleaning goes-try to get all the house work done the day before the party.
And, learn how to delegate...
honey-can you take the garbage out and get the tables and chairs set up?
If your prep time is limited, enlist friends to bring dishes or to come over and help.
and one last thing-try not to sweat the small stuff! Most of your guests wont notice the dust in the corners!
Party On!

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Preparation is the key....know exactly what order food will need to be heated in order for it all to be ready hot and together. Have a seating plan so that you can seat people without having to wing it on the night. Have more rather than just enough food and drink available. Make sure no one coming has any food allergies, is a veggie, doesn't drink alcohol etc...so that no one has that uncomfortable feeling of being a nuisance on the night. Have a selection of background music ready so that you don't have to rummage to find appropriate music, and it is always worth having a cloth tucked away in case of food / drinks spillages. Then (as much as the host can), kick back, relax and enjoy your night.

Answer 9

Prior research is essential, knowing what your guests DO NOT like to eat is the easy way to start rather than what they do like as the list could be rather long for each individual. Plan the menu and the timings for each course, then if chosen anything that you have not tried before, practise with it prior to the diner party, should it not be successful then you can change it. The dressing of the table is important and seeking out the right wine to go with each course, local wine merchant will gladly help. And finally people eat with their eyes, presentation of the food & taste is the key.

Answer 10

Don't try to do too much. No one will enjoy the party if they think that the hostess has to work too hard. People don't like to feel guilty. Let your guests feel free to touch your furniture and be a bit messy. Nothing puts off a guest more than a hostess acting too eager to clean up. I have been to a barbecue where the legs of the table (carried from the kitchen to the garden) were all wrapped up in supermarket carrier bags so they won't mess up the ultra clean kitchen floor after the party. It made me wonder whether I should wrap my feet up with carrier bags too.

Answer 11

Keep things simple;

Variety of foods that will hold in the warmer oven - make sure you know your guests tastes, especially if there are special food needs for diet or religious reasons - IF you don't or are unsure, be safe and prepare a range of dishes that nearly anyone can enjoy.

A starter such as a simple green salad can be plated, dressed and ready to serve from the fridge. An elaborate bowl of shrimp can be offered to add to the top of the salad, as well as two sauces - UK cocktail sauce and a horseradish based American version of cocktail sauce.

Two vegetable sides; either steamed or roasted veggies [NOT buttered] and cold veggies - red & yellow pepper finely diced, thin sliced spring onion, quick steamed mange tout (snow peas) folded into bowtie pasta with a light drizzle of good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar will please any vegetarians - and if done with a NON-egg pasta, they will please non-dairy eaters as well.

A main could be braised halal chicken with carrot and potato cubes, simply slow cooked with a small pinch of thyme for accent. Halal will make the chicken a dish everyone can enjoy, braised means it will be cooked with a great deal of broth so that the chicken and veggies will remain very soft and moist.

Fresh fruit wedges, international cheese board, small profiteroles with a variety of cream fillings - alcohol based ones seperate from rest, etc.

Uncomplicated decorating - all white linen, dishware, taper candles and jewel tone glassware. A single focal point such as a run of beautiful ivy down the center of the table is a nice touch.

So those are some ideas...