Easy Dinner Parties - A Little Planning Makes A Successful Dinner

This section will show how some careful planning and simple dinner ideas (along with delicious dinner party food) will make your next dinner one to remember.

The main reason you want to plan these occasions well is that everyone enjoys themselves, especially you! No-one wants to be stressed out, running from kitchen to living room to dining room, trying to do too many things at once, all at the last minute. Your guests won't appreciate it either.

The first step to easy dinner parties is that you need to do is draw up a guest list. Try to stick to the number of people that your home can comfortably seat, and you can comfortably cook for. If you're just starting out on the dinner party scene, I would suggest starting with just 2 good friends, with a maximum of 4 people. Once you gain experience, you can start catering for more people at dinner parties.

Once your guests have accepted your kind invitation, start thinking about what you're going to cook. Begin planning the meal as early as possible. Decide how many courses you will cook – a full 3 courses of entrée, main and dessert, or just a main and dessert? Try to choose foods that you know your guests will like (make sure you know about any preferences and/or allergies).

Menu planning is naturally the most important part about dinner parties – it's why you've invited people over! So, you should take extra care is making it memorable.

One critical piece of advice I can offer from my own experience is to be aware of your cooking skills when planning the menu. Simple dinners are best for beginners - remember we're after easy dinner parties, not complicated ones. Once your skill levels increase, then you can start with more complex dishes.

Another bit of advice (which follows on from the advice above) is to never cook something you haven't cooked before. I once tried to impress my parents-in-law by cooking Lobster Mornay. I'd never done it before but I thought it looked easy – I was wrong. The recipe is simple but the technique requires a bit of practice. I think my parents-in-law were somewhat alarmed by the frantic sounds of activity coming from the kitchen, but said nothing during the meal. It was OK, but once I cooked it a few more times it tasted so much better!

Anyway, only choose dishes that you know you're comfortable making. It'll be less stressful for you and your guests, and you'll know your food will taste great!

Start also planning the table setting – where will people sit, whether you want flowers or candles on the table etc. Also make sure you have enough cutlery, crockery and glassware.

On the day of the party, try to get as many tasks done as possible earlier in the day, such as cleaning the room, setting the table, making any other small arrangements. This will ensure you can spend as much time as possible with your guests, rather than disappearing every 5 seconds to do something. Remember, guests will take their cues form you, so if you're relaxed, your guests will be too.

Once final piece of advice is about presentation. Once upon a time I was a bartender, and at bartending school we were taught the important rule of "please the eye, please the palette." This meant that if a drink looked nice with pretty colours and nice fresh garnishes then almost inevitably people think it tasted nice. So, if you've ever wondered why a cocktail is served with pieces of fruit held on with small umbrellas, now you know!

The same applies to your dinner setting. Have a clean, freshly ironed tablecloth with matching cloth napkins. Polish all cutlery and glassware so it gleams. Make sure any other table items like salt and pepper shakers are clean and shiny, too. Make sure any lighting is soft and not too bright (but no so dark you can't see what you're eating!). When your guests sit down, wow them with a beautifully presented table. Follow this up with beautifully presented food and they'll be completely won over by your cooking skills!

All this takes a bit of planning, of course. But if you follow these simple pieces of advice, your easy dinner parties will be a great success!

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