Planning a Perfect Dinner Party
Posted by Cate O’Malley on The Cook’s Kitchen
Actress Kate Walsh (from Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice) is one busy woman. Besides her flourishing career, she fell in love, got engaged and got married … all last year. None of that stopped her from talking to O at Home magazine, and sharing her “Prescription for a Perfect Dinner Party.” Here’s what she had to say:
1. People Love Place Cards. They make guests feel special from the moment they approach the table and say, “Oh, look, there’s a place for me!” In your best handwriting, print each person’s name on nice paper, and then put the cards in pretty place-card holders. I use a set of mini pewter chairs that remind me of something out of Alice in Wonderland.
2. Know Your Limit. My guest limit is 12 people. I find that with this size of group, each person can easily get to know somebody new and no one will become a wallflower. In a larger crowd, there’s a greater risk that someone will feel left out.
3. Good Things Come in Threes. To wit: pasta, salad and wine. Don’t worry about making a fancy entree or lots of courses. Everybody likes pasta and salad, and Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything - a book that actually lives up to its name - includes loads of foolproof recipes for both courses. Add a few bottles of a good, full-bodied red wine, preferaby a Sirah, then lean back and let the conversation roll.
Photo from Wikipedia.
