How to host an excellent dinner party without having a nervous breakdown during preparation

There are bad, average, good, and excellent home-party hosts, and there is Bree Van de Kamp. In case you’ve watched Desperate Housewives, you know exactly who we’re talking about, but if you didn’t, allow us to briefly explain this character, as she embodies a persona that definitely shocks through her ability to throw impeccable parties instead of hysterically crying when tragedies occur. In spite of her family drama, widowhood, alcoholism, nervous breakdowns, divorce, and the loss of her business, she managed almost entirely to keep up a plastic appearance. Leaving aside the very few moments when she allowed herself not to be perfect, she never betrayed her neurotic, obsessive, and perfectionist character. If someone dies, Bree makes muffins. If her husband is cheating on her with an older woman, Bree bakes a pie, and the list never ends.

Our point is, everyone wants to host impressive dinners, but very few of us are ready to spend an entire night cooking Basil Puree Soup, Braised Duck, and Chicken Saltimbocca. However, we’re here to elevate your party hosting skills, guiding you through all the essential steps. Having a festivity at home doesn’t lead to mental exhaustion if you have a clear purpose and impeccable organization. Shall we begin?

Choose an interesting theme

If you want your dinner parties to become the talk of the town, you must make them impressive, delicious, and memorable. And what better way to ensure that than planning your party around a theme? Let’s see some fascinating ideas that can transform any basic evening into a night to remember.  

• Murder Mystery Dinner Party exists in several different formats, and you may choose what suits your guests’ personalities the most. You must give your guests clues throughout the night, as they have to solve a mystery that can range from guessing the next course or finding the hidden dessert to assigning a character for each of your friends and encouraging them to find the murderer by asking questions. To emphasize the theme more, you can come up with a Fun Murder Mystery Menu: Steak through the heart, Silent lamb with poison ivy, Dead man’s finger with clue cumber, and Strangled eggs with toast. 
• Blind Testing Dinner is a creative idea for your next gathering that will definitely leave your guests begging for more. Once your friends are blindfolded, you can serve the samples and let them realize what they are eating while answering any questions they might have.
• Time Travelling Machine: We’re not talking about the cocktail party Steven Hawking threw for time travelers but about a more conventional skipping-through-time event where each course represents an era of history. For example, you can start with “Apicius’ Stuffed Dormice”, which is one of the most famous Roman recipes. For an authentic feast, you need to marinate the dormice in a mixture of honey and wine, stuffing them with pork, pepper, and herbs. Accompany them with honey-drizzled figs, and preferably avoid telling your friends what’s in there before they taste it.
• DIY Sushi Night: How does a sushi bar where guests can make their own sushi with different toppings, fillings and sauces sound? Amazing, right?

Cook with confidence

Beginning the baking 3 hours before your event has the same disastrous consequences for everyone, no matter your skills and experience:

1. You feel like throwing pans in the air
2. You end up doing takeout, arranging each dish with care on the plate to make it look like you cooked it.
3. Both of the options mentioned before.

Fortunately, cooking can be fun and stress-free if you know what to prepare and when to start the process. Advance prep is the key to culinary success – you probably wouldn’t like to spend time in the kitchen when your guests arrive; after all, you’re what brings them together. Food transcends cultural, linguistic, and social barriers, acting as a universal language that makes memories and creates connections. Here are some crowd-pleasing dinner party dishes:

• Herb-Crusted Chateaubriand
• Cheesy Sprout Gratin
• Honey Harissa Carrots with Whipped Feta
• Roast duck breast with honey, sesame, orange, and celeriac
• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Chocolate Cake

Don’t forget about décor 

We can only imagine how much time and thought you put into choosing an undeniably beautiful kitchen design, from the perfect backsplash to the most suitable kitchen doors. Still, dinner party décor goes far further than that: tablecloth, runners, napkins, cutlery, flowers, candles, everything matters! The thing is, you must create a symphony between those, as a white tablecloth with yellow dots doesn’t actually suit red roses, forest green napkins, and pink runners. Lightning is also significant, as candles and fairy lights can definitely create a magical ambience, fostering a cozy, intimate setting where your guests can have lovely conversations.  

Be as creative as you can – with a sense of consideration, of course, as exposing your Christian Louboutin heels on the table wouldn’t be that ethical – but you can show off any art piece from your collection. Moreover, you can considerably enhance the night by displaying an easel on which guests can leave their mark as they wish. They will definitely not have trouble channeling their creativity after a few drinks, which makes us move to the last but not least part…

Cocktails, please!

Is there anybody who fancies alcohol-free parties? It may be, but gathering a whole group that stands for that is not likely to happen. Cocktails are conversation starters, mood setters, and quite often a social lubricant. From fruity sangrias to espresso martinis, you have infinite options to choose from. You can anytime create a mocktail station where your guests can make their own drinks, keeping in mind that among people’s favorite drinks, we’ve found: 

• Margarita
• Classic Daiquiri
• Maple Old Fashioned
• Gin Martini
• Mezcal Negroni
• Rye Manhattan
• Whiskey Sour
• Bourbon Sidecar

Final Thoughts

We hope that this article has offered relevant information, helping you channel your inner Bree Van de Kamp with more ease. What are you waiting for? Send those invitations and get ready to shake things up!

>SUBSCRIBE FOR THE BEST THINGS TO DO EVERY WEEKEND<