MSN Shopping, May 30th, 2007
I have some friends who entertain at the drop of a hat. (“Hey, I found some fresh morels at the market today and I bought way too many – are you free for dinner tonight?”)
Frankly, it always takes a great deal more than loose morels to inspire me to go to the trouble of giving a dinner party. But, there are really only two things that kept me from me from having friends over for a meal more often: laziness and fear of failure. The first is a character flaw that I’m certain I could overcome if I had any sort of motivation to do so. The second I’ve managed to eliminate altogether through a few simple strategies and the recognition that I completely lack the Martha Stewart gene. If this strikes a chord with you, you’re reading the right page. Here are a few tips and shopping links to help make your next party a snap.
Think small
There are many occasions where lofty ambitions should be applauded. This is not one of them. The place to start overcoming your dinner party stage fright is the guest list. Under no circumstances should you seat more than six at your table. In fact, four is fine for starters. Keep in mind that your dinner guests won’t be coming for the culinary experience of a lifetime. They’re coming for a sociable evening with friends. The food is really little more than a MacGuffin.
Plan a simple menu
This cannot be emphasized enough. If you shoot the lock off with three fancy appetizers you got out of Gourmet, a main course, two side dishes, salad and a frou- frou dessert, you only have yourself to blame. Limit your meal to three courses, including dessert. Start with an appetizer or salad, followed by a meat, poultry or fish course with a starch and a small helping of vegetables. Then bring on the dessert. No one will go away hungry and you won’t go crazy.
Serve what’s in season and choose appetizers and desserts you can prepare in advance. The best main courses are ones that go in the oven before your guests arrive and come out when you’re ready to serve. The fewer steps you need to take care of at the last minute, the better.
When it comes to wine, plan for a half a bottle per person during the meal. I’d recommend sticking to wine before the meal, too. Cocktails add an extra dimension to planning and serving and are not required for a dinner party. If you decide to serve wine before the meal, get an extra bottle for four people or two for six. It’s a good idea to have both whites and reds on hand to keep everyone happy. Chances are your guests will be thoughtful enough to bring a bottle or two. In that case, it’s good form to serve theirs first.
Follow this fool-proof schedule
From landscaping and retirement to balancing the federal budget, few things in life don’t benefit from a little advance planning. Use this schedule as a guide and your party will go off without a hitch.
2 weeks out
- Invite your guests
- Pick up any special cookware your recipes require (Assuming you have the basics, this shouldn’t be too complicated. If you’re starting from scratch, go with a cookware set. Start by checking to see what’s on sale.)
- Take inventory of your tableware and place settings and fill in the blanks.
1 week ahead
- Shop for all your non-perishables
- Buy the wine
- Clean the house.
1 day ahead
- Shop for your produce and perishables.
- Buy flowers for the table.
- Make any dishes you can prepare 24 hours in advance
The day of the party
- Prepare all your make-ahead dishes and do all kitchen prep for the rest (dicing, chopping, etc.)
- Set the table
- Choose your dinner music
- Touch up the house
- Put the hors d’ouevres out (crackers and cheese with crudités will do fine) just before your guests are due to arrive.
Set the scene
Ambience is every bit as important as the dishes you serve. A well-laid table and the right music will add to the enjoyment of any meal. Let’s go over the basics. Cover your table with a freshly-pressed tablecloth. Napkins lie folded to the left of the plate or in a napkin ring across the plate itself. Place the silverware and plates an inch in from the edge of the table with the silverware in the order from the left in which the utensils will be used. Forks go to the left of the plate and spoons and knives to the right with blades facing the plate. The water glass goes above the knife and the wine glass to the right of the water glass. If you’re adding a floral centerpiece, try to keep its height around six inches, so your guests won’t have to converse through the shrubbery. White flowers will add an elegant touch. Your candles should be unscented and placed neat the center of the table to either side of your centerpiece. Choose your music carefully. It should be light and non intrusive. Keep the volume low, even lower if it features vocals. Dinner music should fill in the conversational lulls without demanding center stage itself. Room lighting should be lowered or turned off when it’s time to come to the table. It’s also a good idea to figure out the seating plan in advance. No, you don’t need place cards, but showing your guests to their pre-determined places saves them an awkward moment when they all arrive at the table at once.
Kitchen disasters: What you can do to save the meal
However diligent you are in following a recipe to the letter, accidents will happen. Normally, you could chalk things up to a bad job and order a pizza, but with company on the way, panic may seem like the only option. Here are a few tips to help you cope with the most common kitchen catastrophes.
Burned the sauce?
Pour it into another pan and gradually add a little sugar, a teaspoon at a time, tasting it as you go. You don’t want it too sweet, but sugar will help mask the bitterness of the burn.
Burned the bottom of a pan?
Get it off the burner quickly and don’t stir. Place the bottom of the pan in a sink full of cold water to stop the cooking. Then carefully remove the unburned portion with a spoon and transfer it into another pan. Add a little more liquid and continue heating.
Too salty?
The best solution is to add more of the ingredients of the recipe, but if that’s not an option, try adding a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of cider vinegar at a time to taste. Depending on what you’re cooking, you can also add some canned tomatoes or a little plain yogurt to help counter the salt.
Lumpy gravy?
Pour it through a sieve into another saucepan. Don’t force it through, just let it drip.
Soggy vegetables?
Since there’s no way to make overcooked vegetables crisp again, throw them into the food processor, add a little seasoning and turn them into a puree. Or, add fresh cream while they whirl and you’ve made a delicious soup course.
Dessert dilemma?
Cakes that crumble or break can be artfully disguised with a little whipped cream. Or, if it’s undercooked, serve it under or over ice cream. You can also use pieces of the dessert layered with fruit and whipped cream for an easy parfait. If all else fails, serve fruit and a good deli cheese at the end of the meal.
Food presentation
You can make any meal look even more appetizing just before serving by adding a little garnish. A sprig of fresh herbs, sliced strawberries or other fruit or even a few edible flowers will turn each plate into a work of art. Similarly, a light sprinkling of fresh herbs over the main course adds color and texture. Remember to wipe around the edges of each plate with a paper towel to remove any stray bits of sauce.
When the doorbell rings
If you take the time to plan ahead, keep your meal as simple as possible (it’s okay to serve a store-bought dessert, for instance) and remember that you’re not going to be ranked by Michelin, you can greet your guests with confidence and look forward to enjoying your own party. Bon appetit.
