Dinner Parties
From LoveToKnow Party
Dinner parties are a great way to entertain friends in your home. A lot of people get stressed by the idea of dinner parties because it seems like you have to do a lot of planning and really try to impress people with your cooking. Hosting a dinner party doesn't have to be stressful; here are some tips to help you out.
Dinner Party Themes
The first thing to think about when you're thinking about throwing a dinner party is a theme. The easiest theme revolves around the ethnicity of the food, such as:
- Mexican
- Italian
- Thai
- Spanish
- French
- Chinese
- Japanese
- Greek
Other themes can reflect a specific type of food or a culinary theme, such as:
- Pizza
- Soup
- Salads
- New England Clam bake
- Soul food
- Comfort food
- Fondue
- Barbecue
You should choose a theme based on food you are comfortable cooking. If you've never made Ethiopian food before, that genre is probably not the best place to start for your first dinner party.
People always think they have to go fancy with the food at a dinner party, but it's a much better idea to go with food you know will turn out great, which usually means simple, delicious things that you have made before.
Think about the foods you make for guests or family that are consistently complimented. Those are the kinds of things you should be serving at dinner parties.
How Many People?
Another key to hosting successful dinner parties is getting a good number of people and a nice mix of people. Unless you have a lot of practice entertaining, you probably don't want to host more than six or eight people.
The number of people you can comfortably entertain depends on the size of your home, particularly your dining room table. Dinner parties are meant to be intimate and cozy, but if your place is so small that everyone can't sit at the same table, that's a problem.
A great way to start hosting dinner parties is to invite over a couple of your favorite couples for a meal. Don't call it a dinner party if that seems like too much pressure. Just have some people over for dinner. As you build your confidence, you can invite more people and have fancier parties.
How Much Food?
A big question that a lot of people have when planning dinner parties is how much food and how many courses you should serve. The amount of food will depend on the number of guests and exactly what you are serving. If you're having burgers, steaks, or fish, for instance, one burger or a three to six ounces of meat or fish are fine for a main course.
If you're cooking an ethnic meal, you might want a couple of different "main" dishes for people to try, such as a lasagna and a pasta dish or a couple of different kinds of pizza if you're planning a pizza party.
While just a main dish and a simple salad or vegetable might be enough when cooking dinner for your family, for a dinner party you'll want to be a little fancier and make a little more food. Greet your guests with an appetizer or two related to your theme, and maybe a special cocktail or glass of wine that compliments the first course.
With your main course, include a salad and a side dish or vegetable and bread if necessary. Include a simple dessert that you can make in advance and feel comfortable serving in your living room and you'll be ready to go.
Other Dinner Party Details
Decoration for a dinner party isn't really necessary, but if you've got a theme that you would like to reinforce through decorations, go ahead. The color and pattern of your tablecloth and other linens you might be using can also suggest your theme.
Music is important for a dinner party, especially if you plan to have some downtime between courses. The theme can dictate your music, or go with some cool jazz or other happy, quiet music that can be kept on in the background throughout the meal.
Remember to be a good host: take your guests' coats and offer them drinks first thing. Give them appetizers and introduce anyone who might not know everyone at the party. And remember that being a good host may begin before the dinner party itself—if you are planning to invite friends with special dietary needs, make sure you get details about what they can and can't eat before you plan your menu. You don't have to make everyone's meal identical, but you should make the effort to provide something nice for the person who needs something special.
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