How To Have A Great Dinner Party
By Fred Henderickson

This article will explore what need to be done to have a great dinner party. Whether it's a big shin ding or a small quiet gathering, there are some fundamentals that need to be planned to make sure that the evening goes off without a hitch.

We'll explore them in a number of parts -

1) Some simple maths.

How many people are coming? Did you invite 2 people or 12 people? Will your guests bring some welcome, but unexpected, people too? Knowing the number of people, even as a rough guide, helps to plan things better.

2) What's to eat?

If you are planning a BBQ, and it's bring your own, the preparedness needed is different to a more formal setting, where the food and drink is provided by the hosts. Do you have enough to go around, remembering whether extra people may marterialize. Whether yes or no, do you have the resources and the time to cater for your expected guests.

Also, when considering the menu, are some of your guests allergic, or sensitive, to some foods. It may be peanuts, that the person is a diabetic, or a vegetarian. Is there a alternative food or drink that may be offered, and if yes, then does this hinder your plan for preparing the food and drink?

3) Where's every one going to sit?

This may sound silly, but if you invited the local football team, and there is only a four seat dinner table, will every one sit on the floor? Of course, this depends on who is coming, as well as how many. If it is your sister and husband, and their kids, there's no drama in bringing out the fold out card table, and having a 'grown-ups' table, and a kids table (saves some head aches for the adults), but if the Queen of England is coming, then I am sure she wouldn't be amused to be sitting on the floor.

4) Do you have the time?

Do you expect to knock off work, Tuesday, at 6pm and have every one arrive at 7pm? Will that give you enough time to cook the food and drink, and be ready? What time will every one go home, 10pm or 2am. Will you be awake Wednesday morning for work? This can make for a rushed event, and problems aplenty. Maybe a Saturday afternoon is better, 4pm to 8pm-ish, is better with Sunday for wind down.

5) Remember the mess.

Hosting a event is not a clean affair. That's not to say there'll be muddy elephants tramping through your abode, but everyone likes to put on their best front. Is the house clean, or will it need to be tidied prior to the event? If the sister's children are invited, will they wreck havoc? A late finish, can mean more time than the fun bits to get things back to normal, or it is left to tomorrow, making your lovely evening a two day event.

6) Make a plan.

Have a rough, and I'll re-emphasis the word rough, as to how you would like the evening to unfold. A good plan is for light refreshments, and a chat, for about 1/2 hour, followed by the main meal of about an hour, followed by a wind down drink, and farewells of about 1/2 hour, making for a 2 hour scenario. Now times by 1.5, to get 3 hours (of entertaining, not counting preparing and clean up, which is triple the estimate) as a guide. And the big rule - be prepared to through your schedule out the window.

7) Set out a basic step by step guide.

Take a blank sheet of paper, and make a pointed guide as to what to do and when, e.g. when to go shopping, a list of what to buy, when to start cooking, and cleaning, when you hope to see the guests arrive and when to sit down to eat. And importantly, allocate tasks to some responsible people, it's not just your job. Your other half will surely pitch in to make things go twice as fast.

8) Have some conversation, or activity ideas.

Don't get me wrong, don't force the evening, but have some back up things to talk about, or activities, if worse comes to worse, like the guest of honor arriving late, or the chicken that is taking it's sweet time to cook. What are you guests interested in, have you seen my new jigsaw, Picasso painting, 3 speed whipper snipper, are all time favorites. If children are present, what will they be doing? Are there amusements/distractions for them? May be that new jigsaw is the answer?

9) Don't Panic.

This is really important - DO NOT PANIC, it's just a dinner party. Relax, it's supposed to be a good time. Remember, things go wrong sometimes, as in life learn to see the funny side, and if all else fails - LAUGH.

10) Smile

You're having a good time, aren't you?

These 10 points are designed to ask the questions, and hopefully provide some answers, as to having a great dinner party. Sometimes we are caught up in the moment, and don't think things through. By following this article and asking some tough questions, and providing some answers, that next get together will be something to remember for all the right reasons.

Fred Henderickson is an acclaimed recipist, and has been involved in food and catering industry for most of his adult life. His great collection of recipes, food and drink ideas and cooking know how can be found at http://www.cooking.is-the-coolest.com/

There you can find a great collection of food and drink recipes

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