Winter Dinner Party

The best winter party I ever gave involved flip flops, bathing suits,  and sun screen. No, I was not lolling in the sunbelt. I was in the Time Zone and at the Freeze-Your-Beach-Balls-Off Latitude Where I Live, throwing a summer-themed party during a dreary winter in which it rained 40 days and 40 nights. Out went the invitations and in came the guests - towels over swimsuits, zinc on noses, beach balls at the ready. One guest even brought a surf board!

We huddled around our wood-burning fireplace, serving fire-grilled hot dogs and marshmallows on paper plates. With songs by the Beach Boys issuing from a ghetto blaster, we laughed ourselves silly. The rain couldn’t dampen our spirits on that memorable night!

Winter is a chilly affair in much of the Northern Hemisphere, but a gathering of friends is a sure way to warm the heart. Today, my parties are placid, paling beside those of my beloved friend, Helen. 

When Helen lent $20 to a couple who forgot to pay her back, she organized a creative dinner party around her friends’ omission. Helen invited her slow-paying pals to a formal, fancy-dress dinner party, while asking her other guests (who were in on the joke) to dress in their oldest, shabbiest clothes. 

Helen asked the friends in their finery to arrive an hour later than everyone else. When they rang the bell, the house was in complete darkness. Looking like a cast member from Les Misérables, Helen cracked open the door. Carrying an oil lantern and wearing an old shawl for warmth, she apologized for her attire and for the lack of lights by explaining that she’d lent $20 to someone who’d forgotten to reimburse her, with the result that she couldn’t pay her bills.

Her shabbily dressed guests emerged from the shadows, saying they’d so empathized with Helen that they’d dressed accordingly. The well-dressed couple soon got the message and coughed up the dough, knowing that they were the butt of a good-natured joke. What made this party succeed? Helen’s wonderful sense of humor. Have fun with your guests! Be playful!

Our friends Bob and Shirley have a great sense of fun! Last summer, they helped organize their neighborhood’s 31^st annual block party, complete with Hawaiian entertainment. Life is what you make of it, Dollinks! 

Although we rarely have such lavish entertainment or theatrics, we enjoyed hosting a Winter Dinner Party earlier this week. I’ve posted the Dinner Party Guidelines and Tips that emerged from our dinner; you’ll find them in the blog below this one. Giving in to the temptation to watch a late-night movie rather than addressing menu plans the night before will certainly make the preparations more difficult, but unfortunately, that’s what I did before our Winter Dinner Party. Do as I say, not as I do, in my suggestion that you allow yourself ample time!

As regular readers know, I particularly love tablescaping - planning the colors and “feel” of the table. I should have set the table the night before, but didn’t, squeezing my preparation time a little tighter than I like on the day of the party.

I’ll walk through the menu for our Winter Dinner Party. With our guests expected around 5, I knew they’d be tired and hungry after fighting rush-hour traffic in winter’s darkness. Soon after they arrived and took a seat by the fire, Ron offered each a Champagne Cocktail. You’ll find the recipe in the Index under Beverages. The aromatic bitters the recipe requires are sometimes difficult to find, but persevere in your search.  They’re an essential ingredient of this excellent drink.

I served several easy appys with a variety of crackers: Chunks of room-temperature cheddar and blue cheese, Kalamata Olive Aioli Dip, Lox Mousse (this excellent mousse serves a crowd, so I cut the recipe in half), and Firehouse Prawns. You’ll find those recipes indexed under Appetizers. The prawns were the only appetizer served hot, allowing for guests’ staggered arrival times. I basted and grilled them only after everyone arrived, though I’d skewered and refrigerated them well ahead of time. As soon as they were ready - about a minute, total time - I whisked them off the long bamboo skewers on which I’d grilled them to serve them in a little bowl with cocktail picks. In the meanwhile, the cold appetizers made perfect little nibbles.

I’d planned to serve a slightly complex chicken dish with a variety of vegetables including mashed potatoes. Ron peeled and I mashed the potatoes early in the afternoon, keeping them hot in a crock pot (slow cooker) set to “warm.” When my friend Nancy made the same scrumptious chicken dish on a bed of mashed potatoes, the result was sublime. At our house, it wasn’t to be, because I’d made a fatal mistake two hours before dinner. 

I’d forgotten that the chicken recipe I intended to make needed several hours’ marination (Nancy’s impressively showy Chicken Marbella is indexed under Main Dish: Poultry). Ron - truly my secret weapon and right arm - came to the rescue with his easy-to-make barbecue sauce (indexed under Sauces: Ron’s BBQ). I basted a pan of skinned, boneless chicken thighs with it, baking them uncovered at 375 deg. F. for 35-to-40 min. They emerged from the oven moist, flavorful, and nicely browned.

We started dinner around 6:15, roughly an hour after our guests arrived. About 20 min. before the chicken was done, Ron called everyone to the table for Rosalie’s Caesar Salad, indexed under Salads: Caesar. I’d chilled the Romaine lettuce in the fridge, prepared the croutons in advance (see Croutons: Nicole’s Special), and bought the coarsely grated Parmesan shavings this salad needs rather than grate the cheese myself. 

After the main course, we concluded the meal with one of my very favorite desserts, which I served in turquoise sundae dishes. You’ll find it indexed under Desserts: Grand Marnier Fruit Bowl.

By the way, neither the plates (which came from IKEA, years ago) nor the dessert dishes (which I found in a flea market) was expensive. Each item cost less than $3. When you find a bargain, buy it!

I wanted a warm, informal feeling for this dinner, so minimized the use of silver, serving both the chicken and vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and asparagus, drizzled with melted butter) on long, thin wooden trays. These are light and easy to pass around, don’t take as much table space as standard serving platters, and require no hot pads underneath them. I have two of these trays in different sizes, and have found them very functional over the years. 

Truth-telling time? I steamed the aitch out of the broccoli. It also looked like aitch, but I served it, anyway. My guests shrugged and didn’t complain - but next time, I’ll program my electric vegetable steamer to start a little later! Timing, as they say, is everything.

Don't forget to serve water - a basic with any meal

A simple center piece flanked by two smaller candles 
balances the length and breadth of the table

I ringed this center candle with acorns and twigs
to hint at the informal mood of the table 

With the placemat adding a casual touch, the table 
offered a largely monochromatic color scheme

A long, thin platter saves space. Chicken grippers are fun!

Serving potatoes in a tall bowl with 
a narrow base saves room at the table 

Maggi: Leaving room for seconds

Bonnie: Watching as Ron serves

Robin: The conversation flowed like wine

Bob: Chuckling through the meal

Ron: Our genial host

Dinner Party Series: Early Christmas

Hazelnut Torte: Worth the effort!

We recently celebrated an Early Christmas Dinner for a visiting family member who lives out of town. Although we love turkey, we were ready for a change. Ron made most of the meal while I focused on dessert. We didn’t have the full complement of vegetables we usually do because we were trying to take it easy and spend as much time as possible with our guest, so Ron cobbled up his own version of Scalloped Potatoes, some lightly steamed broccoli and carrots, and a beautiful Baked Ham that we’re still eating to this day.

I’d normally make dessert and set the table the day or night before, but I was tired and turned in early, so I made dessert on the day of the event while Ron made the rest of the meal. Dessert was elaborate but well worth the effort: I made the splendid Hazelnut Torte I blogged June 13, 2012. If you have an extra day to bake and decorate this superb, gluten-free torte, by all means do! Be sure to check if any guests have nut or dairy allergies. 

Ron’s ham? It was quite simply the best we’ve ever had. We bought a 10-pounder, not thinking that the average serving is ⅓-lb. per person. I now believe it was enough for 30! Since feeding five of us our Early Christmas Dinner, we’ve breakfasted on ham and eggs, lunched on grilled ham sandwiches made with cheese and egg, munched our way through a ham-and-vegetable casserole - you get the point! This gorgeous chunk of meat cost $20 and proved a bargain. And yes, we still have plenty left! 

When we finally arrive at the highly prized soup bone, I’m going to pass along my late friend Denny Boyd’s Christmas Eve Pea Soup - the single-best pea soup I’ve ever made or tasted. 

How did Ron prepare that beautiful Baked Ham? His recipe follows in the blog below, as does his great recipe for Scalloped Potatoes. Tomorrow, I’ll feature more of my promised Guidelines and Tips for easier entertaining, and the day after that, Denny's fabulous soup, so you'll have a plenty of time to make it before Christmas Eve! 

And now I must dash to wrap Ron’s gift! It’s snowing in the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live. There’s magic in the air!

Dinner Party Series: Guidelines and Tips

As regular readers know, I love color! If you think that means only the bright reds, yellow ochres, deeply saturated blues, turquoises, and pale greens you’ve seen on this website, you’d be very wrong. I love color in every shade and hue, and am especially interested in color’s effect on perception and mood. That’s why today’s Dinner Party Guidelines and Tips focus on setting a beautiful table. I’ve done several other blogs on tablescaping, because it’s a subject close to my heart. You'll find them indexed under that heading.

I recently found these pretty, complementary plates at Cost Plus World Market in Oregon, and marveled at how inexpensively almost anyone can set an elegant table for a very small outlay. 

The traditional blue-and-white "Willow" pattern makes its mark in 
gray. Paired with a square plate, it takes on a contemporary look

This beautiful jug complements the gray
Willow-pattern china I sourced in Oregon

But wait ... There’s more! (as the TV pitchmen say) 

I went online in search of serving pieces that would tie in with these beautiful plates. Just look what I found on an auctioneer’s website - 
this beautifully shaped jug in the same classic design! 

Although it sold quickly, you can always search for another. Twelve inches high, it’s described as a “mulberry pitcher in the ‘Pelew’ pattern, made by E. Challinor.”  The opening bid? A mere $70. 

The plates above are $7.50 apiece. Each piece of matching cutlery (sigh!) was less than $2.00. 

The perfect match for the gracious dishes, above

Although you may be thinking “bargain!” I found the dishes above too expensive, and didn’t buy them or the beautiful pitcher. But wait ... There really is more! I bought my Thanksgiving place settings in a California WalMart store at $2.50 a plate! You’ll see them next month, when I blog another in my Dinner Party series - this one titled Thanksgiving. 

What else didn’t I buy? I didn’t buy any ceramic pumpkins masquerading as soup bowls. They’re beautiful, but have only limited use (i.e., Autumn) and may present a storage problem.

Pumpkin-shaped soup bowls

Beautiful and trendy, but worth buying? You decide!

I’ve said it before and will say it again: If you see it, love it, and it fits your cupboard and your budget, buy it. If you aren’t sure, wait 24 hours before plunking down your dough. A well-considered purchase will give you, your family, and your guests years of pleasure. The satisfaction you feel from an impulse buy will probably be short-lived.

I check eBay and Craigslist for bargains when I search for interesting table settings. Many people no longer want Mom’s fine china. The seller wants to get rid of it, and I want to love it and use it and give it a good home. If the price is right, why not? One of my daughters-in-law even bought a collection of matched Waterford drinking glasses for the flat price of $50! 

Consignment stores, antique stores, and newspaper ads are other excellent sources for bargains in china and silver plate. Half the fun is in the hunt! 

I have one more tip: If you can’t find what you want, make it. I’d yearned for a nice red pitcher for years. I feel very, very proud of the serviceable, attractive pitcher I made in a ceramics studio last summer. On it, I wrote the word “Believe.” If you believe you can do it, you can. My completed pitcher cost $25. Given the memories it already holds, it truly was a bargain.

When all else fails, DIY ... Do It Yourself!

Dinner Party Series: Guidelines and Tips

Don't overdo it!

In writing about dinner parties over the past several months, I’ve passed along some of my favorite Guidelines and Tips. There’s a lot to think about when you entertain, so here are even more suggestions for hosts and for guests! If you don’t entertain much, this list may feel intimidating - but it will soon become second nature as you start to host more often. You’ll also find a useful section in the Index headed How Much and How Many Appetizers and Beverages to help you determine the average amount your guests will eat and drink. 

These suggestions aren’t hard and fast “rules” - except for my guidelines around the toilet. Yes, the toilet! It’s a no-brainer to leave an extra roll of toilet paper in the bathroom. At least, you’d think so. But let me tell you, Dollinks, I’ve been to a couple of parties where there was no toilet paper at all. None! Nada! Zip! So today’s Guidelines and Tips are going to focus (to put it delicately) on what goes in and what goes out, and what you need to do about it whether you’re a host or a guest. I’ve done several other blogs on Dinner Party Guidelines and Tips. You'll find them in the Index under that heading.

What Goes In ...

• Don’t drink as you cook. Let me repeat: Do. Not. Drink. 

• Wash any beverage glasses you haven't used in awhile. They may be clean, but chances are, they’re dusty.
• Don’t put lemon slices in a water jug too soon. They’ll cloud the water. Drop lemons in at the last minute, as you add ice.
• I like tablescapes that pack a “punch” - not just a few lemon slices in a glass jug, but a whole lemon, cut in half or in quarters. Does that work for you?
• Did you know you can buy netted lemon wraps to prevent lemon pips from escaping? These are wonderful for fish - but consider using them to wrap the lemon halves in your water jug or cooler. A tiny, tight cotton elastic secures these yellow-tinted wraps.
• If you’re a host, always, always, always provide plenty of beverage choices for guests who don’t drink alcohol.
• And … if you’re a host, make sure your guests get home safely by ordering them a cab, arranging them a ride with a non-drinking driver, allowing them to stay over, and (worst-case scenario) taking their car keys.
• Coffee will not sober up a drunk; try to ensure that no one gets that way by serving ample food and water with every alcoholic drink and by seeing that the over-imbiber is kept “busy” telling his life story in the conversational swirl. 
• Despite coffee’s limitations, a large party needs three self-serve urns - one for full-leaded coffee, one for decaf, and one for the simmering water needed to make tea. So there’s no confusion, label each urn. For about $3, some restaurant suppliers sell aluminum labels that dangle from a chain attached to the top of each urn. If you can’t find these in your city, email Fullner Food Service in Lynden, Washington. The address: info@fullnerfoodservice.com 
• If you collect fine wine you intend to serve from your cellar, politely signal your guests not to bring any. All you need say is that “We’re going to be sampling a selection of wine from our cellar!” or “We’re supplying the wine for the evening!” 
• If you’re a guest and know your host will appreciate a bottle of wine, bring one. Do this even if you’re traveling solo and all you ever drink is a single glass. Likewise, if you don’t drink alcohol, bring a little something you’ll enjoy. More about this in a moment.
• Unless your homemade wine is famously popular, leave it at home and buy your host a bottle. Please don’t bring the stuff you brewed in a backyard still! Unless it, too, is famously popular, of course.
• If you tote fruit juice to a party, drink fruit juice! We’ve all seen the guy who places a bottle of fruit juice on the communal bar, drinks everyone else’s wine, and later carries home his untouched bottle of fruit juice. 

Must Go Out ... 

• Ensure you have a full roll of TP in every bathroom, as well as an extra roll in plain sight. Offer liquid pump soap and fresh hand towels (better yet, disposable ones) in each bathroom, as well.
• Two little words: Bathroom spray. Buy some. Keep it visible.
• While you’re at it, clean the bathroom as a host and clean up after yourself as a guest! Now’s the time to get that slow-flush/no-flush toilet fixed, too. 
• Unless you favor unguided “house tours,” make sure you alert your guests to the location of the bathroom/s. 
• I like to tease my guests. And so, when I hosted a Fourth of July party years ago, I floated red, white, and blue candles in one of the bathrooms. You can guess where I put them! My guests were stunned - and then everyone started to giggle. Mission accomplished. 



Enter the darkened bathroom, and ...

Dinner Party Series: Early Autumn

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness …” Written nearly 200 years ago, John Keats’ exquisite ode, To Autumn, addresses the fullness of early Fall. As the days shorten and cool, and the leaves turn to yellow, red, and bronze, the harvest starts in earnest. Now is the time to introduce Fall’s warm colors to the dinner table, sharing some of the Autumn bounty with family and friends. No recipe, today - though plenty in the days to come! 

Today, I’d like to talk about the beauty of color in setting a table, setting a mood, and setting out to have a great dinner party! Everyone has different ideas about table-settings: Don’t be afraid to try something creative and different! 

http://home.lifegoesstrong.com/video/how-set-perfect-table?utm_source=taboola

I recently gave a Fall-themed party in which I did the unthinkable: When the main course proved difficult to navigate with a knife and fork, I suggested my guests pick up the food with their fingers. Why not? After some initial discomfort, everyone ate exactly as they would have (given the same awkward-to-handle main course) in the privacy of their homes. 

I’ll talk about menus, mains, and mistakes tomorrow, but color’s the focus, today! What better way to “talk” about color than to “show” you? If you’re clueless about color or feel you just don’t “get it,” collect a handful of paint chips to determine what pleases you. That’s a strong starting point.

I’m fortunate to have lived in both urban and rural settings as well as in the desert, near the ocean, and in the middle of a forest. Whatever your setting - whether geographic or cultural - make the most of it by transporting that environment into your home and onto the table, bringing the “outside” inside. That’s what I always try to do when I work with color and design at home.

I believe the heart of any home is the kitchen. Whether you live alone, live with a partner, share your space with friends, or have a houseful of kids, good food generates good feelings. When you’re setting a Fall table, the loveliest color palate comes directly from nature itself. It is a misconception that you need a lot of money to do this! The following are some Guidelines and Tips for what I often do: 

If you feel that collecting and spreading a few Fall leaves on the table and sideboard will beautify your surroundings, do it! Arrange bare twigs in a tall vase. Buy table glitter - it’s less than $2 - and spread it with flair! Light candles - whether natural ones with a wick, the new battery-operated (flameless) type, or tea lights. But let me caution you on the latter!

A tea light that fails to light a second time? Disgusting! 

The shot on the right shows what not to buy - a tea light less than half the depth of the former standard size, filled with so little wax that it burns barely an hour. The wicks are so poor that once extinguished - even with plenty of wax remaining - they cannot be relit!    

(IKEA once sold quality tea lights, but this is what IKEA and other merchants sell today. Boycott these tea lights. They are dreck, Dollinks. Keep your money in your pocket. Don’t fall for this made-in-China scam.) 

Color can make any party memorable. Although bright, bold colors may not be to everyone’s liking, this palate sets a striking Autumn table. Clicking on each photo will enlarge it:

Bring the outside inside with the jewel tones of Fall

My palate employs rich reds, yellows, and gold highlights 

Bright, warm colors offer casual flair

Place cards at each setting: I had the extra time to be creative

A candle is a focal point: Ensure the flame touches nothing

A cornucopia on the sideboard extends the Autumn theme

I love the warmth of whimsey: This rooster fills the bill!

A celebration deserves  a splash of bubbly

This water jug has had many years' use, indoors and out

Any items can further your color theme, from teacups ...

To tea bags

Where did I find these lovely things? In the most unexpected places! The red plates came from World Market in Oregon, on sale for $1 apiece three year ago. I’ve had the yellow napkins for at least 25 years, paying $2 for them in a department store. The red glasses came from the giftware department of a drugstore, where I paid $6.50 for each, 10 or 12 years ago. 

The gold-lacquered charger plates were $1 apiece in the same drugstore store; all these years later, they’re still just $2 today. I’ve had the placemats for years and years, and use them all the time. I bought the little baskets (beside the place cards) at Michael’s, a nationwide craft store, more than 10 years ago for no more than $1 each, gluing on the ribbons and tiny cones. The orange candle and Fall decorations around it came from the same place; I bought them for $15 a few weeks ago. I bought the filled cornucopia and the rooster at a dollar store, years ago. I’ve had the yellow cups more than 25 years. The silver tray under the tea bags normally lies under a small gravy boat my parents gave me in 1967: I’ve used the tray for after-dinner mints or tea bags ever since.

Most of these things, I save and store from one year to the next, bringing them out to celebrate the change of seasons and rarely adding anything new to this admittedly large collection. I use the cups, glasses and dishes throughout the year, intermingling them with other color schemes to get the most use from them. 

The message? If you see it and love it and can afford it and it works with what you already own, treat yourself and buy it! Setting a beautiful table is well worth the effort - whether just for you or for a crowd. The more important message? When you buy it, use it! To be fully enjoyed, beautiful things should be shared. Break bread with someone, Dollinks - and use your favorite plates.

Note: I’ve done several other blogs on Dinner Party Guidelines and Tips. You'll find them in the Index under that heading.

Tomorrow: Quail in Balsamic Glaze as well as more Guidelines and Tips.

Dinner Party Series: End of Summer

Like a party that wraps up too soon, summer always ends too early. The leaves scatter and swirl and the sun slants flat on the horizon, so that everything shimmers with a pale golden light. These crisp days start with cardigans draped over our shoulders and end with an extra blanket on the bed. Yesterday, trudging beside one of the many marshes in the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live, we watched two herons hunker into their downy coats, necks lowered against the chill, beady eyes intent on finding the prey that will now come less often. Each eventually flew off, fighting the wind, their scrawny frames resembling blown-out umbrellas.

In the early evening, we braved the cool breeze on our deck to have one more outdoor dinner party - a small and simple one, to be sure, but still an occasion to enjoy a visit from our youngest grand-daughter and her lovely mother. 

There was really nothing to the meal, which we fixed quite quickly - barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, a no-fuss potato salad, and a few small custard tarts topped with a sprinkle of berries. I’d hoped to make a mixed green salad, but the greens were a little too old and a little too wilted, so I substituted a bowl of cherry tomatoes, instead. 

This is the second of my occasional blogs called Dinner Parties. In it, I’ll tell you how we whipped this meal together so quickly while still having time for a long country walk.

Main Course:

Barbecued Chicken: We almost always have Ron’s BBQ Sauce in the refrigerator; if we don’t, it’s quick and easy to make. You’ll find it in the Index under Sauces. Ron basted skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs a total of 25 min. at about 400 deg. F. Grilling the basted chicken skin-side up for about 10 min., he basted it again, flipping it over for a further 10 minutes’ cooking. When the skin-side down chicken seemed cooked, he basted and turned it over one last time, for about 5 min. Your cooking time will vary with the cut of chicken used and with whether it does or doesn’t have a bone. Of barbecuing, Ron says: “It isn’t scientific. It’s visual. You can tell when something is cooked.” 

Corn on the Cob: If you think you know everything there is to know about corn on the cob, consult the Index for How to Shuck and Cook Corn an easier way! I’m half crazy about “Clean Ears Ken,” who is completely adorable as he demonstrates his nifty little trick for perfect, silk-free corn-shucking. Should you choose to barbecue your corn, the same post will tell you how.

Potato Salad: Because it’s quick and totally scrumptious, I made my recipe for Easy-Does-It Potato Salad, posted below this blog.

Cherry Tomatoes: Honey, if you don’t know how to plop cherry tomatoes into a bowl, you need more help than I can give you. Given extra time, I might have mixed a few tiny, fresh shrimp with a scant pinch of dill and a dab of mayo, sliced the tops off the tomatoes, hollowed out their centers, and stuffed them with the shrimp, but this was a family meal at which I didn’t even offer an appetizer. 

Dessert:

Custard Tarts: Here, I went all-out - with simplicity! Shortly before dinner, I baked a few commercially made tarts I had in the freezer for exactly this kind of quick dinner party. I filled the tarts with a commercially made custard (we’re talking “Bird’s Custard Powder,” available worldwide in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. For use in tarts, chill the prepared custard, Dollinks). I dropped a few blueberries and a couple of raspberries on each tart, et voilà! If you want to get fancy - which I did not - brush a light glaze over the berries (see the Index for Glaze: Fruit).

Guidelines and Tips:

Always keep something on hand for emergency entertaining - whether you’ve made it yourself or bought it. The ice cream, sherbet, and gelato recipes I blogged last week? Tucked away in the freezer, each is a fast and fancy dessert (see the Index for Frozen Treats). Those cans of smoked mussels in the cupboard? Served with crackers, they’re a great emergency appetizer. That brick of cream cheese in the fridge? Pour a little jalapeño jelly or cranberry sauce over it as a quick pre-dinner snack served with crackers.

Speaking of always ... Always have a bunch of fresh parsley and a whipping cream bomb in the fridge. You can fix any presentation problem - savory or sweet - with these. Just don’t mix them up, Dollinks.

Have a rough plan in mind before you start. If you’re missing a vital ingredient or what you’d planned doesn’t look fresh enough, substitute something else. Did you know you can plug whatever you have on hand (Random example: sugar + flour + raisins + ricotta) and the Internet will tell you what you can make with it? 

Know your “cooking personality.” If you work best alone, chase everyone out of the kitchen. If you could use a little help, assertively but kindly ask for it - but be very, very clear on who’s the “chef” and who’s the “sous-chef.” Sometimes Ron’s top banana in the kitchen, and sometimes, I am. Sort that out before you start. If your kitchen is too small for two or more cooks, each of you prepare a dish before making way for the other. 

What? Me worry? A sound philosophy!

Keep it light and keep it fun. Don’t stress yourself! A large sign in my kitchen says RELAX. It reminds me to do just that. Take breaks between the preparation of the dishes on your menu! 

Keep a “cheat sheet” in the kitchen drawer with each recipe’s bottom line: Time, temperature, and (for us forgetful folks) exactly where you’ve stored it - inside the barbecue, on top of the washing machine, on the second shelf at the back of the fridge, and so forth. Be sure to list every item on your menu. That way, you won’t forget that you’ve stashed the dinner rolls in the microwave.

Don’t make more than your fridge or freezer can hold (The meal was great, but the food poisoning wasn’t …). Likewise, don’t prepare more than your energy level allows. Remember that very young and very old guests tend to eat “less.” Don’t ever - ever! - urge a guest to eat or drink “more.” That can be offensive and embarrassing. 

Advance-prepare. While this meal didn’t need it, it’s generally good advice.

I recently discovered that an electric camping cooler serves perfectly as a “second fridge,” as does a basic cooler with a block of ice. Conversely, I’ve discovered that a plug-in roaster oven can cook several casseroles, bake a cake, and even roast a turkey, effectively giving you a double oven. If you have the storage space and love to entertain, I recommend you buy a cooler and a roaster oven.

If your table is small, use a side table and/or small serving dishes. To compensate for our small deck table, I usually go vertical. Narrow-based, tall serving dishes hold a lot - but occupy very little space on your table. 

Buy the best kitchen equipment you can afford. A quality vegetable peeler that is contoured to the hand will make the job faster and easier! A quality can opener will last and last, whereas a cheap one will fall apart quickly and make can-opening a more difficult chore than it should be. A quality blender … you know where I’m going with all of this. Quality items cost more than the cheapies, but if your budget is small and the price is high, buy them gradually. If you don’t treat yourself, who will? 

Although a nicely set table is important to me, one of the best meals I’ve ever had used newspapers as tablecloths. Considering that we were eating fresh crab served with oven-fried potatoes and crisp white wine, I couldn’t imagine anything more appropriate! Our host provided plenty of paper napkins, finger bowls with hot water and a slice of lemon, and little metal buckets in which to drop the shells. The setting? A picnic table at the beach. She brought the hot water in a Thermos.

As you set your table, mentally walk through the meal and your guests’ needs. Salt and pepper, corn-cob holders, dessert forks or spoons, napkins, water glasses, hot pads for hot items, serving cutlery, a small tray for the milk and sugar needed for tea and coffee at the end of the meal … It’s easy to forget such items unless you consider each course and how you plan to serve it, whether family-style (where everything is passed around), plates dished up in the kitchen, or a buffet at which diners help themselves.

If you’ve got the money, I have three words of advice: Cater, cater, cater! But if you have a special recipe you just love making, satisfy your Inner Martha by preparing that one gorgeous dish on your fanciest plate or in your fanciest casserole. And for heaven’s sake, quietly brag to everyone that you made it yourself! 

If you don’t have the money, you can still have a “catered” meal. Bring on the home-delivered Chinese food, the pizza, and the Kentucky Fried Chicken! I’ve done that! They were among the most successful parties I’ve ever given!

I’ve done several other blogs on Dinner Party Guidelines and Tips. You'll find them in the Index under that heading.

Introduce a bit of whimsy for a relaxed, fun feel

Summer's light is fading: I used an Eiffel Tower table 
center because the tablecloth came from Provence

Nothing fancy: After 2-1/2-year-old Milla sawed through her
cob of corn, she proudly shouted: "I did it!"

Easy-Does-It Potato Salad: Note the shape of the serving dish

Barbecued Chicken: Ron's BBQ Sauce is superb!

Thumbs up: Milla gives my Custard Tarts her seal of approval