Host A Dinner Party This Oscars Season

One of the best ways to show off your culinary academy skills is to throw a dinner parry. What better day to do that than the night of the Oscars? Celebrate the classiest night in Hollywood with a classy dinner party and all of your closest friends in their finest red-carpet attire. Here are some tips for throwing a dinner party that nobody will forget:

Make your signature dish
While it may seem exciting to attempt a recipe you’ve been dying to try on this special occasion, it’s a better idea to make a tried-and-true favorite. You know exactly what you’re doing, how long it takes to make, and how much food you’ll have when you make something you’re familiar with. You’re taking a lot of risks trying to whip up something brand new right before guests arrive, and you don’t want to be stuck ordering pizza if the recipe doesn’t turn out.

Start early
In fact, if any of the items you’ll be serving can be made the day before, do that and heat them up before guests arrive. Make your main entree as early as possible and keep it in a warm oven. You’ll be happy you got everything taken care of ahead of time when people begin arriving. It’s nice to be able to actually spend time with your guests before dinner instead of rushing around the kitchen.

Talk to your guests about dietary restrictions
If you know you’re having a vegetarian over, have a hearty dish that doesn’t include meat. If you have a friend with Celiac disease attending, keep the dinner rolls separate. It’ll be uncomfortable for them to sit at the table while everyone eats if none of your dishes fit into their diets.

Consider the ambiance
A classy dinner party needs a certain ambiance to seem like it’s something more sophisticated than some friends having dinner together. Turn on some mood music – but not too loud, you don’t want your guests shouting to each other – bust out that nice tablecloth and light some candles.

Think about dessert
While the dinner is the most exciting part of a dinner party, it doesn’t feel complete without dessert. Consider serving dessert and coffee in another area of the house, like the living room. This allows you to clear off the table and your guests to relax. If you worked hard on the meal and can’t fathom baking a dessert for multiple people as well, just put out a nice fruit plate or even buy some cream puffs from the store.

Ending the night
Once everyone’s eaten, you may wonder what comes next. If it’s a group of people that already know each other, the conversation may be flowing until the evening ends. However, if there are a lot of people who don’t know each other, there may be some awkward lulls in conversation. Think about having a game readily available to keep guests comfortable.

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