This week I had my introductory post as a community contributor over on my favorite neighborhood blog, the NY Times’  The Local. You can read the full post over here, but below is an excerpt from the first of an ongoing series on entertaining. All secrets of how to run a supper club or large dinner party will be revealed! Stay tuned for more insights!

Hosting a Dinner Party Without Breaking a Sweat

August 18, 2010
Reposted from The Local

I started the Supper Club three years ago. Since then I’ve served home-cooked dinners to a couple of hundred friends and strangers in my Carlton Avenue apartment.

It’s great to see what transpires when a bunch of strangers are put together in a room with a ton of food and copious amounts of wine. Guests have forged friendships, networked for jobs and even sparked a little romance. I also thrive on the logistical challenge of preparing a four-course meal for 12 on a budget.

Over the course of three years I’ve learned a lot about entertaining, including how to throw a weeknight dinner party without stressing out or getting stuck in the kitchen for the whole evening. I hope to be able to share some of those insights through this column, from strategic menu planning, to best places in the neighborhood to pick up ingredients and get deals. I’m looking forward to helping inspire a return to home cooking and entertaining.

Below, and in posts to follow, are some of the guiding principles that have helped me shape my dinner menus:

Moderate culinary ambition and focus on the fun. You don’t want menus that get you stuck in the kitchen when you have a table full of interesting and exciting guests. I’ve learned not to choose fussy dishes that require a lot of last-minute preparation. As the host, you’ve put a lot of time and money into the evening. Enjoy it — it’s a dinner party, not a restaurant, and you’re not the help. Unless you’re somehow making a lot of money off this dinner, you belong at the table. Simple can still be impressive, less stressful and more fun. Overly ambitious plans have been the downfall of many dinner parties I’ve attended (and even some of my own). Read More