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DigsMagazine.com.
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hosting
a divine
Dinner party
without losing your mind |
1 2 3
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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/ess, 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 …
1 Limit the guest list to 12 and under.
Six to ten is ideal, twelve 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. Case in point:
I once cooked sushi for thirty people. Although the party was, by all
accounts, a big hit, the stress of having to prepare that much food sent
me into a frenzied panic that in the future, I will take care to avoid
at all costs. Sushi as light appetizers, served in conjunction with
other, more low-prep hors-d’oeuvres – great idea. Enough sushi to
constitute a full meal for thirty hungry guests – don’t even think
about it.
2 Can’t
decide on a menu? Start with 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.
but
wait, there's more!
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