It’s Your Serve: Hosting The Perfect Dinner Party

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

We’ve all entertained the thought of entertaining (at home) more often. But, when it comes to fancy feasts, both set up and clean up we are often left less than amused.

But, according to experts a fun and effortless fete is easier than you think

Serve Yourselves: Rather than trying to dish it out on your terms, consider setting up a buffet style meal, enabling your guests to pick and choose as they please. The secret is keeping it soft and simple, using colors and décor of the season and setting foods out beforehand keeping them comfortably at room temperature.

· Consider mixing fine China with more ordinary dinnerware or with plastic or paper plates, just make sure plastic and paper and elegant and durable.

· Enhance your “table”, counter, and/or environment with festive and fragrant flowers, spices vegetable or herbs of the season; and ALWAYS keep it sophisticated but simple

· Keep food small, simple and basic. Don’t integrate too many colors all at once, but rather choose a food with a standard hue (such a potatoes) and embellish it with one or two varying shades of season hues.

· Keep food ample and fresh by diving and “conquering”. Consider placing foods on separate trays of platters and keeping either in the fridge or oven and replenishing frequently or swapping platters when the first one runs low.

· Give yourself and your guests some (much needed) space. Make sure there’s ample room for your guests to gather, mingle, and get (easily and comfortably) to and at the food. Also make sure there are plenty of utensils for the picking.]

· Make your home a “comfort” zone. Even though you may not be sitting down to a formal dinner, you’ll want to make sure guests have proper accommodations and that they can comfortably find a seat and enjoy the company and the repast. And, don’t forget to arrange occasional tables beside couches and assembling small chairs into cozy groups that encourage mingling and interaction.