Entertaining Tips
Top 10 Dinner Party Planning Tips
By Trish Magwood, host of Party Dish

Tips and tricks from caterer extraordinaire Trish Magwood, host of party dish! Heed her 10 tips and you'll be on your way to hosting a stress-free dinner party.

1. Decide Now, Save Time Later
Consider your space, your guest list and your budget. They go hand in hand. Magwood says the first rule is to, "Make sure the type of events you're planning fits your personal style and suits your space." A formal sit-down dinner for 12 people would feel cramped in a small bachelor pad, for instance.
Magwood suggests holding a stand-up dinner party with finger foods instead. She says it's important to note that dinner parties can be more cost-effective than a full-fledged cocktail party, because hors d'oeuvres can be pricey and time-consuming. Once you determine your budget, create a guest list. Give guests enough time to respond before you begin your shopping.

2. First Things First
In real estate, the motto is "location, location, location." For hosts, the dinner party mantra is: "Be organized, be organized, be organized." Magwood says, "You'd be surprised how many people run around the city without a list or a game plan. "You will need a list of ingredients and a schedule for shopping, food preparation, cleaning, baking, cooling and decorating in the days leading up the party. Keep it legible; you'll use this as a checklist later.

3. Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
Complicated recipe? Ingredients out of season? Utensils you can't pronounce? Save these recipes for a rainy day.
Don't forget to ask your guests about allergies or religious restrictions.
Organize a menu that you can prepare over at least a couple of days time. "If the entire menu needs last minute touches, you will be frantic no matter how organized you are," Magwood says. She suggests comfort food such as lamb shanks, osso buco, coq au vin, or anything that can be prepared in the oven.
"Don't think just in terms of 'What's my appetizer, what's my main?'", she says. Magwood herself likes to throw fondue parties. "They're inexpensive and interactive and great for discussion," she says.

4. Keep Drinks Simple
Instead of champagne or eggnog, try pastis or mix sparkling wine and raspberry liquor. If you're set on serving traditional cocktails and don't know a screwdriver from a corkscrew, hire a bartender for the night.

5. Shop 'Til You Drop
Don't forget to check your pantry before you head out. Murphy's law dictates you will run out of sugar and flour on the day of the party.
And if at all possible, for fresher produce and accessible expert advice, Magwood stresses the importance of shopping at specialty food stores as opposed to a one-stop grocery store.

6. Don't Be Afraid to Take Shortcuts
Magwood reminds party hosts that unlike famous TV personalities, most people don't have a catering entourage behind them. It's no sin to hire wait staff, or order dishes from a caterer if you're pressed for time. If the theme is Thai food, save yourself the hassle and order the spring rolls.

7. The Day Before
This is the day that the bulk of the preparation should be done.
Wash and chop your veggies and seal them in plastic containers. Set the dinner table if you can. Put aside potential CDs and decide on an outfit so that you are not hyperventilating when the doorbell rings.

8. D-Day
Take a deep breath and remember the objective of the day is to eat, drink and be merry. Magwood says, "You should be having a glass of wine and not freaking out. That said, hosting the party shouldn't be a solitary pursuit.
"Figure out who is available to help. I think you should never cook alone. Engage your husband, wife, kids, your guests." Don't rebuff guests' offers to help. Ask them to light the candles or pour the wine.

9. DING-DONG!
The table is set, your guests have arrived and Sinatra is crooning in the background. "The most important thing is to try to be a guest at your own party and try to enjoy it," Magwood says.

10. Rally the Troops
When the time comes to clean up, "Make sure your good friends don't leave you high and dry. If they offer to help, always take them up on it and pour them a glass of wine," Magwood says.

Most importantly, "Don't try to do it all!"