fancy table, here is the general thinking on how your place setting should look:
What to serve?
Choosing your menu is the first important step to a good party. More often than not in planning what you serve, seasonality is the key. But menu planning is also about choosing dishes that will both complement each other and be enjoyable to eat together. So avoid a repetition of ingredients from course to course, as well as ensuring you have different colours and textures of food throughout. Ensure, too, that each of the elements when added up are not too heavy.
As before, be sure to get any dietary restrictions from your guests well in advance of your planning. Don’t feel you need to plan three big fancy dishes-one show stopper will be enough to create a memorable meal if you are time-starved but still want to impress. Your other courses (should you choose to serve them) can then be less complicated. You also don’t need to serve fancy dishes just because you’re having guests-simple food beautifully presented in your warm loving home can have just as much of an impact, if not more so.
At the end of each chapter I have grouped together my favourite recipe combinations or advice for preparation to make well-balanced menus in order to help simplify your planning.
PREPARING AHEAD
Do remember that entertaining should be about you having a good time too, so the more prepared you are, the easier and more fun it will be. Much to my husband’s complete puzzlement, I find list-making and even an ‘order of work’ (writing out in what order and when things should be prepared and cooked) a great help.
For stress-free entertaining, choose your menu well in advance rather than on the day or the day before. Shopping ahead is always going to make things easier! Be sure to include some recipes that can be prepared in advance so you can get ahead and not be stuck at the stove while your friends are all having a great time without you. If you are making something quite ambitious for a main course, then make sure your starter or dessert is easier to prepare. I have included lots of recipes for the time-poor, sweet-toothed among you.
It sounds so obvious, but write down exactly what you need, including any suggested cookware sizes, then check it very carefully so you can be certain you have everything you need once you get to the till.
On the day itself, set plenty of time aside to get yourself ready. Even if you’re still putting things in the oven when your guests arrive, you want to feel ready to entertain. Easier said than done sometimes, but this is where working out the timings in advance will come in handy.
Also don’t forget to place the basics on the table ahead of your guests arriving, like bread and butter or olive oil, salt and pepper, or any sauces you may need. You don’t want to have to keep jumping up and running to the kitchen.
BUDGET
One very important point to make is that entertaining does not have to be costly. Clever, seasonal shopping, and even a bit of foraging if you have the time and the resource (even if just for flowers), can lead to a great get-together. Why not invite your friends over for a relaxed casserole, or ask them to each bring a dish? Either tell people what you would like them to bring (a salad, a dessert) or let them bring what they want for a ‘pot-luck’ party-though this may not be everyone’s idea of a balanced meal! You can give them a general idea of what you want them to bring (a starter or a main, for example), so you don’t end up with ten desserts and no dinner…
If you want to have a more formal meal on a budget, think about simple but delicious stews, pasta or vegetarian dishes. Entertaining doesn’t have to be fancy-but just a little thought, such as laying the table beforehand, can make it feel special. If you’re having a special celebration but don’t want to splurge on Champagne, try less expensive, but still delicious, Prosecco or Cava. Or make it go further by making Champagne cocktails such as buck’s fizz or Bellinis.
You also needn’t feel pressure to serve a lavish three-course meal-one lovely main and a dessert is just as special.
Drinks
Not everyone is a wine expert. In fact, most people can feel a little intimidated when it comes to serving the ‘right’ wine with their meals. The easiest way to get around the stress of what to serve is to go to a good wine merchant and ask them to suggest not only what to serve with your meal, but how much to serve per person-which is, of course, entirely subjective, but the experts will take this into account! If you’re planning a large party, wine merchants also often offer discounts on multiple bottles, so don’t be afraid to ask what deals they have going for bulk purchases. For bigger parties, they may also supply returnable wine or champagne glasses free of charge. Just ask!
If you choose to serve cocktails, try to limit these to one or two, unless you really enjoy acting as bartender and/or have a big budget.
Be sure to have soft options for those who don’t drink alcohol. Even if you just posh-up a big jug of ice water by adding lemon or lime, or mint-or even coriander.
Keeping calm …
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Nobody expects you to be a superhero, so if you need help chopping, recruit a friend or family member. If you’re having a big party, enlist a few people to be on standby to pass things around and pick things up as the evening progresses. You don’t have to do it all single-handedly.
One handy but easily forgotten tip when preparing is to clean as you go along so that your guests don’t arrive to a mess and so you have an easier clean-up afterwards. Chuck out packaging, put things in the dishwasher and wash-up bowls or utensils. It’ll also help keep your head clear if your space is as clutter-free as possible.
Try to remember that part of the fun of entertaining is the preparation itself. So crank up the music, pour yourself a glass, and go for it! Remember, everyone will appreciate your hard work and probably only you will notice if something isn’t quite as you expected. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s all about the having fun and sharing great times with those you love. Be prepared to have a few mishaps and you’ll have a much better time!
I hope this book helps you create many memorable meals. Above all, enjoy!
Getting together with friends and family doesn’t always mean ‘dinner’. You can have just as special a meal before the sun goes down. Birthdays, Mother’s Day, or just getting together with the girls are reason enough to plan a nice meal together. Brunch is one of my favourite meals- it allows you to put a little extra something into what is essentially a late breakfast, and it means you can have a sneaky glass of something fizzy or a Bloody Mary before noon! Here you’ll find many ideas for easy and special daytime meals.
This is delicious for brunch. If you can’t get kale, use spinach. I love to use the Irish farmhouse cheese Glebe Brethan for its delicious flavour and melting texture, but you can use Gruyère instead.
SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN
25g (1oz) butter
900g