One of my favourite social events is to host guests to dinner at home. I find it so pleasurable to be in my own comfort zone while delighting others to a great meal, drinks and some additional entertainment. It always makes for great conversations and I learn a lot from my guests too. Find below a list how to throw a successful dinner party at your own home.
- Invite the right crowd
Dinner parties should be fun and entertaining, so make sure you choose the right group of people. To keep it manageable I would choose between 6 to 8 people. You know your friends best and you should want everyone to feel comfortable and relaxed, so try to find a balanced group who maybe have similar interests and people whose presence and conversations won’t make the rest of the group uncomfortable.
- Be prepared for your guests – Start early!
I cannot stress the importance of this enough. There is nothing worse than being flustered and run off your feet the day of the dinner, your guests might enjoy themselves but all the pleasure is taken out for you. Send out your invitations early. A week before will give your guests adequate time to arrange to be present. A text or a call will do, but if you want to intrigue your guests, then send them a hand written note. Find out if there are any allergies or food they do not eat. This will help avoid making last minute meals. Check the recipes and buy all your ingredients in advance, so nothing is left out.
- Table setting
This is such a fun part for me. You can be as creative and as quirky as you want, after all you are at home. You can choose to keep it casual with paper napkins, colour coordinate your table runner with your plates and dishes, have an arrangement of flowers in the centre or use Ankara/Adire as your table cloth to set an Afrocentric tone. Have fun with this, but remember to place all necessary cutlery, glasses and serving spoons on the table. I would set the table the day before so you have it just right.
- Keep the food simple
For the food, you want to go with what you know. Something you have prepared a few times and have got great reviews on. Making something new, fancy and complex might end in disaster on the day which will only lead to apologies. For example, a soufflé that failed to rise. Prep all your meals in advance so that you have little to do before your guests arrive. I usual start with small bites when the guests arrive, this gives me time to finish up in the kitchen. For dinner, a fun starter to set the mood, let your guests know to dig in and have fun. Followed by a sturdy home cooked main course, then a couple of options for dessert (including fruit) and I finish with tea or coffee and chocolates. Browse my recipe page for meal ideas.
- Drinks
Wines are a must have at a dinner party. They pair really really well with food. Have a red and a chilled white ready to satisfy all palates. Make sure you have a few bottles of each should your guests want more. You might also want to prepare a cocktail that can be had before dinner and afterwards. Have a large quantity ready made to keep it flowing. If there is a special event, consider getting some champagne or sparkling wine for a toast.
- Set the mood
Music and Candles help to set the ambiance and can give your dinner party a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. Have your music selection pre-planned and ready, a compilation is best to avoid you having to constantly look for the next track. Candles, side lamps and dimmer switches are your best friend and you should use them to your hearts delight. Even Christmas fairy lights in a fairly dim room make for a cosy setting.
- Remember your objective
The mood of the party depends on you, so remember to stay calm and collected, even if the food was not perfect. Try to involve everyone in the conversations so that they don’t feel left out. Think up some topics for discussions earlier so as to keep the momentum going. Avoid overly controversial topics that people have a strong opinion about as this can lead to shouting. Be cheerful and relaxed always, and remember that you are there to enjoy yourself too.
It really doesn’t matter how you do it, the important thing is to have fun. I would love to see pictures of your next dinner party, so be sure to take pictures and selfies and post them right here on my blog.
