Once you get settled into your new home, you know what comes next: hosting a dinner party for your favourite guests. You know you’ll want to show off your modern and contemporary townhome that embodies elite urban living. Follow these three easy steps, and you’re sure to impress everyone with a successful dinner party hosting gig.
Guest List
Start by choosing a guest list. If it’s your first party, keep things intimate with six guests or fewer. If you’re a pro, feel free to invite a long list of diners.
Invitations
Send elegant invitations in the mail, or keep things casual with a phone call or even Facebook event invite.
Allergies
Make sure you ask about allergies in advance. It’s no big deal if someone’s just picky about mushrooms, but you don’t want to put anyone’s health at risk!
Tried and True Recipes
Now is not the time to experiment. Go with meals that you know work and that aren’t too finicky. Practice them ahead of time, because even if you have a perfect lasagna recipe, it’s a whole different ballgame cooking for a dozen people instead of two.
Practice, Practice, Practice
If you insist on cooking a new meal, you absolutely must practice in advance! You don’t want to find out at show time that a) the recipe wasn’t up to snuff, or b) the complexity is way above your pay grade.
Keep it Simple
Don’t cook anything too complicated. You should give yourself some wiggle room and not cook anything that requires constant attention and will fall apart if you cook it one second too long.
Stock Up
Make sure you have every single ingredient and accessory well in advance. This means making sure you have enough plates, wine glasses, cutlery, and other kitchen utensils. Obviously you will want to have your main ingredients (meat, vegetables, starch), but also make sure you don’t run out of kitchen staples like eggs, salt, garlic powder, or butter.
Prepare Extra
What if someone drinks more than their fair share of wine, or heaps a second portion without asking? Give yourself a bit of wiggle room with food and drink volume so everyone leaves sated and satisfied.
Your townhome is the perfect backdrop for a successful dinner party, and these tips can help you plan the night down to a tee. With all the planning out of the way, all you need to do is cook up a storm and enjoy!