How to Throw a Stress Free Dinner Party

When it comes to home cooking, one of the most stressful situations is a dinner party.

And in many respects, this is a dread that is founded in reality: you are cooking in larger amounts, you may have prepared an overly ambitious meal, there is the distraction of arrivals, and it may be difficult to plate beautiful food while still attempting to pay attention to the discussion. In addition, the quality of your cuisine never seems to bear as much significance after everyone is seated at the table.

You are not putting on a show when you make guests feel at home in your home; you are making them feel at home. This means preparing meals that everyone, including yourself, can enjoy, rather than staging an improvised performance that leaves everyone feeling uncomfortable, hungry, and fatigued.

There are a lot of different ways to have a party, whether it is a casual dinner during the week, a party for a special occasion, or something more elaborate on the weekend. Here are some guidelines for hosting a dinner party. 

Dinner Etiquette: What to Do and What Not to Do

Plan ahead so you are not stuck in the kitchen

Sitting down to note down a rough plan will help you estimate how much time you will need if you are having a large group of people over. This will allow you to prioritize procedures that require more attention to detail for earlier in the day, or the day before, and narrow down which finishing touches can happen at the very last minute. If it is a more intimate gathering, people will not mind lingering in the kitchen to chat aimlessly while they sip their beverages and snack on some appetizers.

Provide plenty of nibbles

Nothing makes a guest feel more welcome than walking up to a beautifully set table that already has a few appetizers on it for them to snack on as they mingle. Some examples of appropriate nibbles include juicy olives, cheese, a dip, crackers, or some chunks of good bread such as this zaatar bread recipe at vidhyashomecooking.com. These bites will keep everyone constructively amused and prevent any drinking on an empty stomach. You do not want everyone drinking before you have even made it out of the kitchen, so you will want to keep everyone busy with these bites.

Stick to tried and tested recipes

 ​​If you are the sort of person who can shrug off a less than fantastic meal and not sheepishly lament about it, then you are the kind of person who is ready to dream big. But we believe it is important to know oneself in this situation and to keep in mind that practise makes perfect. Instead of venturing outside of your comfort zone with supposedly amazing meals that require you to scramble, it will be much easier for you to serve a dish that you are confident you can perfect because it is one that you have prepared a number of times in the past. Keep in mind that it is usually the simplest foods that end up being the most popular. When the chef is happy, the diners enjoy themselves so much more.