Amuse Bouches

Fall is in the air and after lazy summer months where salads and anything grilled turn a get-together into a dinner party, entertainment season looms large. Who hasn't uttered the one-too-many-drinks-induced, enthusiastic outburst: "Come over for brunch/dinner/Thanksgiving" only to realize in sobriety and panic the next day that you'll need to produce enough edible and relatively coherent dishes for six people.  Take a deep breath. Have an om moment. Throwing a lunch or dinner party is really like yoga - you start off thinking "I could NEVER do that" but as you get into it you realize that you are actually more bendy than you ever thought you could be. Never mind that you're a tad sore after the first couple of times - you get better with practice.

Hosting with the most (fun) comes down to one thing: making a plan and sticking to it. Follow this rule and you'll have a blast, enjoy the company and food, and look like you put it all together without batting an eyelash. Make lists. I'm serious. Picture what you would want to serve and how you would want the evening to go, and write down everything: food, drinks, dishes and platters and utensils you'll use, background music, what kind of napkins, what you need to do. Be as exact as possible: slice bread, fill up salt and pepper shakers, replace light bulb, and so on. Once you're done with your list you can stop thinking - simply check off what's done as you shop, cook, and prepare.

Here's what goes on top of my list: Know Your Limits! I'm no Martha Stewart. I always pick one course that I don't make myself. I'm not a great baker so I usually focus on appetizers and the main course and leave dessert to the expert hands of others. Regulars on my shopping list include rich chocolate cake that I garnish with raspberries, or chocolate and vanilla gelato with berries and good biscotti.  I also don't spend too much time on nibbles. To stave off the munchies while I put finishing touches on the food and catch up with guests over cocktails, I serve big juicy olives, good quality hummus, toasted pita chips and assorted nuts.

Another great tip: serve dishes that can sit cooling in the oven until it's time to eat. Roast lamb or beef actually taste better if you take them out of the oven when they are still very rare and leave them resting for a while, covered with foil. Stews are another great option since they can be made the morning of or even the day before and left to fully develop their flavors as they steep.

For side dishes I like potato salad or couscous which taste great at room temperature, or something like orzo that I cook ahead of time and then quickly toss in olive oil and fresh herbs to warm up, right before people sit down to eat. I keep printouts of successful recipes in a drawer by the stove and clip together recipes for appetizers and desserts I served alongside, for easy reference the next time someone comes for dinner.

And if I have a little extra time I add some glamour to our plain white china through fancy dinner napkins in bright, seasonal colors and a few small decorative objects depending on the time of year - wooden, pastel-toned eggs in the spring, orange and green candles in the fall, and small, jewel-toned globes in December.

Here are some of my favorite, tried and tested recipes for entertaining - check back for updates.