PRE-DINNER PARTY CHECKLIST
Sean T. Barnes
KEEP YOUR MENU IMPRESSIVE ... BUT ACHIEVABLE
It’s tempting to want to bust out extravagant dishes to impress your collection of acquaintances, but unless you’ve made it numerous times before ... save yourself the nervous breakdown. Stick to your tastiest, simplest, most tried-and-true recipes and you won’t embarrass yourself (well, no more than usual, anyway).
CHECK FOR ANY FOOD ALLERGIES OR DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
There’s nothing worse than seeing the look of disappointment on your best friend’s face when they realise you’ve forgotten about their nut allergy for the third time. Always double check with your guests beforehand or keep a list for regular visitors (note to self: no strawberries for Carol).
BUY FLOWERS
Just because organising this dinner party has been nothing short of chaotic, doesn’t mean you can’t appear to be a totally in-control adult. Get yourself a fresh market bunch for the kitchen bench to aromatically woo your guests (however, disregard this point and refer back to the one above if one of said guests is allergic to pollen).
HAVE SOME SNACKS ON HAND
Even the most perfectly made dinner plans can fall apart. Maybe you’re running a little behind schedule, or you’ve somehow managed to set the oven on fire. Either way, make sure to have some back-up snacks to temporarily sate your guests and keep hangry political debates to a minimum.
PREP, PREP, PREP
You don’t want to spend the night gazing longingly from the kitchen at your table of guests. If you prep everything right, get that oven schedule going and ask for help when you need it (top tip: socially anxious guests would love an excuse to do something with their hands), you’re sure to spend way more time in the party instead of watching from the sidelines.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Your guests will remember how you went to the trouble of painstakingly crafting their serviettes into lumpy but charming rosettes. They’ll remember the adorable ceramic salt and pepper pinch pots you bought on Etsy. They’ll even remember the fancy hand soap in the bathroom (bonus points if you can splurge on a hand cream to match). When it comes to hosting, love is in the details.
