c/o Blake Klein
Are you looking for a fun new evening activity to do with your friends? Sick and tired of getting rejected at Mezzo or walking around campus in the cold? Why not host a dinner party! All you need is some good food, great company, and enough people willing to pitch in on groceries. Got that, and you’re good to go. Of course, it may be difficult trying to plan such a significant event, whether it be deciding what to cook or where to host it. Here are a few key tips for the students who aspire to culinary greatness and hosting finesse.
Plan, plan, plan.
Make sure that you choose your menu ahead of time so you will know exactly what groceries and ingredients you will need. I’d recommend keeping it relatively simple as well; a five-course meal might sound like fun, but in reality, a salad, main course, and dessert is plenty enough to impress your nutrient-deprived friends. Also, make sure you account for Wesleyan time. Expect every dish to take at least 30 minutes extra to prepare, and invite everyone at least half an hour before you actually want them to show up.
Procure cookware ahead of time.
I made a lasagna at the last and only (thus far) dinner party I helped host. Lasagna, traditionally, requires boiling the pasta before you assemble the entire creation. As I started to boil the noodles, I quickly realized that the biggest pot in my friend’s kitchen was the size of a teacup. Given this unforeseen situation, I had to cook each noodle one at a time. What’s more? I had to deal with eight other people in the kitchen, all of us getting in each other’s way. Don’t make the mistake I made. Take inventory in whatever kitchen you are cooking in (I doubt the Butts C kitchen has many pots and pans) and get any extra cookware you need ahead of time.
Feeding the village.
While this may depend on how many people you plan on inviting, I would wholly recommend cooking dishes that can serve a large amount of people. This can range from lasagna to homemade pizzas (bonus points if the food is interactive and everyone can cook together). It’s also good to cook things that are easy and don’t need to be served immediately: You never know how long it may actually take for everyone to sit down. Don’t make homemade pasta, keep it simple and fun.
Beverages.
You will go through it all. Get that extra bottle of grape juice.
Just enjoy yourself.
No matter how stressful cooking for a large group of people may be, remember that you are doing this for fun. It’s ok if something is baked for an extra minute or anything goes wrong, your friends will likely be impressed with whatever you serve them at the end of the day. Take a deep breath, live in the moment, and just make some great memories with your friends.
Blake Klein can be reached at bklein@wesleyan.edu