Though I am a loud & proud lover of the summer months (nothing better than a peak-season heirloom tomato)… late fall/early winter is essentially a big ol’ party train. Who needs 9pm sunsets and juicy tomatoes when you have an excuse to hunker down and get together with family, friends, and loved ones for countless parties, feasts, and celebrations October through December?
One more time for the girls in the back though: sweet heirlooms in all their glory
For some, hosting can be incredibly stressful, but thanks to the truly expert entertainers that raised me (shoutout mom & dad), I’m lucky to have inherited both a passion for hosting and, turns out, a knack for it too. That’s why I want to share a few tips & tricks I’ve learned along the way in hopes it helps you all host with ease. You may have heard the expression “anyone can cook” (Ratatouille <3), but have you heard the expression “anyone can host”? Now you have! 🤪 Let’s dig in.
Best practices for hosting:
As early as possible: try to get a rough headcount, give or take a few people.
1 week before event: hone in on the menu (What’s in season? What do you like to cook? Try any new recipes you loved lately? Dietary restrictions in the group?)
3-4 days before event: set your to-do list (How long will it take to prep and cook the entree? The sides/snacks? The dessert? The drinks? Do you need any special utensils or equipment? Will you be serving on your own dishes, or paper? Do you have enough seating?)
2 days before event: grocery shop & begin prep (What can you take care of in advance? Think about marinating proteins, chopping veg, making dressings/sauces. What needs to be done day-of? Get as much out of the way as possible without sacrificing freshness.)
Day before event: cook anything you can in advance, batch cocktails, set table, make playlist.
Day of event: tidy up, ice down drinks, finish cooking, set lighting.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “damn, this is not how I prep for dinner parties,” I hear you! I very rarely am able to follow a schedule like this. Realistically, my timeline more closely follows the below:
Day before event: decide on menu, grocery shop
Day of event: grocery shop again, begin prep, cook, tidy up, etc…
If you tend to procrastinate like I often always do, here are a few bits of wisdom that help me with hosting:
Read each recipe (all the way through) before cooking. This is K E Y!!! It sounds obvious, but this allows you to prioritize the longer lead time recipes and plan an accurate schedule for cooking.
Be flexible! If you can’t find certain ingredients, or forget them at the market, don’t worry. Most of the time, you can find a worthy substitute on Google.
Clean/tidy up as you cook — this will allow for both a much quicker clean up and a more organized prep space.
Give your guests cocktails when they arrive, and leave small apps out to nibble on while you’re finishing up cooking (that way, they won’t notice or care if dinner is later than expected).
Always have music on in the background when cooking & hosting (see here for my cooking playlist, and here for my hosting playlist if you’re looking for some inspo).
If a certain dish isn’t turning out like you expected, don’t worry. As long as it tastes good, no one will know if it doesn’t look like it does in the cookbook.
If there’s a lot of food leftover, send your guests home with some in Tupperware. This takes care of part of the cleanup, clears your fridge space out, and they’ll be psyched to have tomorrow’s lunch ready to go.
Depending on the event, it can be fun to have a little lagniappe for your guests: menus, flowers, name cards, costumey items, Polaroids, etc.
Leo Dinner 2022 was peak menu (Claire let’s run it back)
If there’s a pileup of dishes, turn up the music and crank them out as a team before everyone leaves. The chore becomes more fun if it’s a dance party!
Last but definitely not least: try not to stress! A stressed host can stress out the guests, and just remember that the people you’re inviting over are there to eat and drink — it’s not that serious!
Now for a couple recipes I find myself frequently whipping up when I have people over, because they’re super simple and very flex:
Alison Roman’s sizzled scallion labneh dip
Claire’s za’atar crackers: Preheat the oven to 325. Evenly coat flatbread (lavash, pita, or naan) with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar seasoning. Toast in oven for 8-12 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Eat with labneh dip!
Fruit on ice: This is it, there’s no real recipe — but trust me when I say it feels incredibly ancient-Rome to eat cherries, melons, figs, and/or stone fruit over ice.
If anyone has more hosting tips, feel free to leave a comment — would love to hear.
Sending big hostess energy to alllllll this festive season!
Green Eggs & Sam
YESSS!! LOVE this message and confidence builder! Hosting IS fun!! It’s all about bringing people together, whether super casual/simple or elaborate, people are just psyched to gather/share love!!🤗💃🕺🏻