To die for.
Tips
1 Hostess Etiquette: Offer Your Edible Gifts
Wine
2 Yummy Links: From Liqurious to Stephanie Izard
Tips
3 Diddy's Tips For Hosting the Ultimate Party
Hostess Etiquette
4 What Not To Party: No Stations = No Flow
How To
5 Tips For Hosting a Debate-Watching Party
beer
6 10 Party-Ready Pantry Items
Tips
7 What Not To Party: Toast With Care
parties
8 What Would You Do?
Wine
9 When Giving Wine as a Hostess Gift, Do You Expect to Drink it?
Tips
10 Party Foul: Hostess No Show
Thanksgiving
11 Thanksgiving Tip: Select a Menu
Poll
12 Do You Entertain on Weeknights?
Wine
13 Party Foul: Mixing Wines
party planning
14 Party Foul: One-Sided Introduction
Tips
15 Simple Tip: Inform Neighbors About Your Party
beer
16 Party Foul: Serving Drinks in Incorrect Glasses
party planning
17 Party Foul: Assuming the Kids Can Come
Link Time
18 Yummy Links: From Bananas to Dharma Fish Biscuits
When it comes to cooking, there's nothing more rewarding than serving your friends and family at a party. Whether it be a dinner, baby shower, or birthday bash, crafting the perfect menu is crucial to an event's success. From your guests' dietary needs to the occasion to the season, there's a lot to consider when planning a menu. Don't be overwhelmed, I've got a handful of suggestions to keep in Read more
This weekend I'm hosting a big dinner party that 22 people are expected to attend. I keep asking myself the following question: should I do a seating chart? Many of the guests are couples and traditionally couples should not sit together; a seating chart will ensure that everyone is separated. Still, I want to the conversation to be lively and hope that everyone will have an awesome time. Is this Read more
My favorite kind of party is a sit down dinner complete with a hand-written menu and cloth napkins. Since I love hosting, I throw an intimate dinner at least once a month. However, the other day I realized that while I'm always planning my next dinner, I rarely attend them. Do my friends just not host dinner parties? Or has the dinner party become a thing of the past? Do You Host Dinner Read more
December is a time for edible gifts, festive lights, and fabulous parties. Since I never know who may stop by my apartment on their way home from Christmas shopping or before a spirited Saturday on the town, I'm always party ready. Not only does that mean keeping my house presentably clean, but I also have the previsions on hand to throw together a quick snackable spread. Here you'll find out Read more
While I've always kept a hostess journal, I've recently started documenting my dinner parties with paper menus. Since my table only seats six, I like to write out a menu for each guest. It serves as a take-home reminder of the event and in a year's time, I'll have a fabulous collection of pretty little menus. How about you? Do You Craft Menus For Dinner Parties? Yes No Read more
100 things (other than banana bread) to make with bananas. — Endless Simmer This Fall, Fox will premiere a new animated restaurant series, Bob's Burgers. — Feast Since Gourmet shut down, where have all its subscribers gone? — New York Times An inside look at the 1st Annual Los Angeles Vendy Awards. — Serious Eats For $200, you can learn how to cook like a top chef at the new Top Chef Read more
The first time I hosted a big party in my very own apartment, I was 20 and lived in Spain. A lot more people than I expected showed up, and what with the noise and coming and going, many of the neighbors called the cops to complain. I learned my lesson the hard way and since then, I always let my neighbors know I'm hosting a party — before the event begins. When writing this sort of note Read more
When it comes to entertaining, I don't limit myself to strictly the weekend. I'll host a dinner party on Monday or a game night on Wednesday. However, I know not everyone entertains as much as I do. Thus, I want to know, when do you have people over? Any old night of the week? Or only for special occasions? Do You Entertain on Weeknights? Yes No Read more
There's an interesting article about the protocol of party wine in the December issue of Food & Wine. Lettie Teague discusses how hard it is to find the perfect bottle. She also talks about the different kinds of wine gifters: those who prefer that the wine be opened at the event and those who wish it to be enjoyed by the host at a later date. It got me wondering, which type are you? Read more
From his annual white party to his recent 40th birthday bash, Diddy is a celebrity who's known for his extravagant entertaining. Even Martha Stewart is excited to receive a coveted invitation to one of his events. While ordinary people like you and me can only dream of attending a blowout bash hosted by Diddy, when I spoke with him last week he shared his tips for hosting a Diddy-style soiree. Read more
