Now, I am not the most organised person in general, but when it comes to dinner parties I want nothing to go wrong. From the food to the decorations, everything has to be perfect. And even if everything is not too expensive, I still want it to be delicious and nice looking.
In order to have a nice dinner party, you need to start planning and preparing quite early because you don't want to be all stressed the night of the party. That's why it is good to serve foods that can be prepared in advance.
What I like to serve as a starter is Italian antipasti. Olives filled with almonds or garlic, roasted red pepper, zucchini or mushrooms in olive oil, roasted aubergines filled with mozzarella ...
All of these little goodies have to be pickled in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic at least one day before being served, so that the day of the party you can focus on the main course. If you serve a cold dessert like crème brûlée or ice cream that needs cooling, you can prepare that in advance, too.
Here I have created a dinner party plan for you to follow:
Two days before the party:
Make sure you have all the ingredients for your dishes, drinks and any decorations you need for your table. If you are planning to have professionally made flower arrangements, make sure they'll be ready on time!
If you are going to serve any cold foods like antipasti or a cold dessert, prepare those.
Work out a concept for any decorations or seating.
One day before the party:
If you are going to serve any foods that need to be bought the day of serving them (e.g. meat or fish), pick those up.
Put any drinks that need cooling in the refrigerator – you might forget that later in the flurry of the party.
The day of the party:
Set the table and arrange your decorations.
Try and prepare as much as you can before your guests arrive (e.g. chop vegetables)
Tips for being a good hostess
- Don't try too hard!
You don't need to impress anyone - Its just a fun get-together with a bunch of friends! If you have a more formal dinner, still try and be yourself. Nobody likes a tense hostess.
- Don't keep your guests waiting for too long!
You should try and start making your main course the second you serve your starters (e.g. preheat the oven, boil water...) That way, you can spend a little more time with your guests because you won't have to wait after finishing the starters.
As a basic rule: Prepare as much as possible in advance!
- Be attentive!
Make sure your guests' glass is never empty for more than two minutes, except if they refuse, obviously ;)
- More is more!
Always make sure to have enough food. You will always want to have some leftovers just in case any of your guests asks for a second serving. If you have cooked too much, don't worry, you can always freeze your leftovers and heat them again.
I hope this was helpful to you, enjoy your dinner party!
xoxo Allison
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