MID-DINNER PARTY CHECKLIST
CHILL OUT
If you’ve seen to your pre-party checklist properly (see page 9), there’ll be no need for you to jump up and down from the table every five minutes to check on your roast chook. Remember, the reason you’re hosting this godforsaken dinner party in the first place is to socialise with your nearest and dearest. So enjoy the $15 wheel of brie you bought and be present in the moment.
H2O: JUST ADD WATER
Lashings of red wine and salt and vinegar chips will surely leave your guests parched and cotton-mouthed. Keep them hydrated without ruining their buzz by slicing up some lemons and chucking them in a couple of iced water jugs, or break out the Sodastream for the sparkling-inclined. (Sorry if you thought this one was going to involve mermaids.)
AVOID DEFEAT WITH A SIMPLE SWEET
After plaguing your guests with gnocchi and garlic bread, they are likely a single gluten strand away from falling into a slumberous food coma. Unless you want your dinner party to end early, serve a light, refreshing dessert that gives your guests the sugar rush they need to keep the riveting conversations flowing. Chocolate strawbs are always a winner.
STOP MICROMANAGING
Maybe Melissa doesn’t want to taste your oddly chunky vegan mushroom pâté. Maybe Lachlan doesn’t want a third pour of your alarmingly zesty party punch. Have a wine, have a breadstick, and leave people to their own devices. You’re all adults, after all.
KEEP THE MUSIC FLOWING
As the wise woman Madonna once said: ‘Music makes the people come together’. Avoid songs that make people eat fast or feel sad and you can’t go wrong. And if you’re not a playlist aficionado, there’s always someone who fancies themselves a Spotify DJ, so just delegate the music responsibility to someone else ...
STICK TO A LOOSE TIMELINE
The key word here is ‘loose’—you don’t need to go all school camp coordinator on your guests and hand out laminated itineraries. Having a timeline in mind will keep the evening nicely paced and help you avoid the manic ‘flustered host’ look. Serving charcuterie at 7? Have the main course out by 8.30. Dessert by 10 and second dinner when all bets are off.
