How to host the perfect dinner party is a question that often plagues young hostesses. Whatever your age, if you are inexperienced and not exposed to such events hosting a dinner party may be a daunting task. For an average dinner party let us consider that the guest list numbers 20 to 30 people, of both sexes and different ethnicities.
A host should consider the food and beverage preferences of guests and if it is not possible to ascertain them beforehand, plan your menu to include a couple of vegetarian dishes and non-alcoholic mocktails (cocktails without alcohol) and beverages. So you can be comfortably prepared for any eventuality. Also take care to prepare a main course with different dishes to include seafood, poultry, etc. to cater to all tastes. Likewise with dessert, plan on a couple of offerings, with and without nuts, in case of anyone being allergic to nuts and offer a variety of cheeses.
If you are catering to people of a particular ethnicity, say Japanese or Chinese, you can go for their cuisine if you are sure enough of your abilities in the kitchen. But serving a catered meal for a small group is not considered proper dinner etiquette. If you are not confident of carrying it off, then please do not hesitate to order in the more complicated dishes and try to prepare the simpler ones at home. No one will be any the wiser and your guests will really appreciate the trouble you took to cook the meal.
If you are hosting a party for a large group, as the host, you should take care to keep the conversational ball rolling and keep introducing neutral topics to keep your guests engaged while the pre-dinner drinks are served. Once the guests are all introduced to each other and everyone is comfortably engaged in conversation, say in 30 – 45 minutes, it is time to move to the dining area from the drawing room.
If you are planning on a sit down meal for a large gathering, it would be better to hire wait staff so that you are free to spend time with your guests. On the other hand if you plan on a buffet, be sure to put out more food than actually necessary, as you never can tell who will have more of which dish. It is better to end up with leftovers than run short in front of your guests. However, someone to tend the bar and serve drinks would be advisable even for a buffet dinner. You need someone to keep track of the alcohol consumed and keep the cocktails coming.
For post dinner entertainment, dancing would be ideal. So keep music discs handy with an eclectic collection of songs from different eras to suit all age groups. Post dinner liqueurs and cheeses can be set out and the guests can be left to help themselves. You are sure to be complimented on your dinner party if you follow these simple guidelines.
This article was written by Rupal.
Tags: cocktails, dessert, dinner party, dinner recipe, expensive dishes, mocktails