Millennial’s Guide to Throwing a Dinner Party

Written By Sydney Navid
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In Persian culture, feeding others with an abundance of delicious, home-cooked food is our way of saying “I love you.” Some of my fondest memories growing up take place in the kitchen, sampling pomegranate molasses, stringing delicate threads of saffron over buttery rice, and savoring the unique sweet-sour smell of my favorite khorest or stew, fesenjoon. When I moved to Atlanta for college and then to New York for graduate school, I preserved this tradition of cooking for and feeding the most special individuals in my life as an expression of my love and gratitude for them. It’s no secret that I love to entertain - it’s my hobby, my thing, my therapy, my way of bringing people together. It’s also no secret that I truly enjoy each aspect of entertaining from planning the menu, to shopping for ingredients, to reveling in the kitchen. Most importantly, spending time with my loved ones and witnessing the smiles on their faces as they take their first bites of food brings me the most joy.

As Alison Roman puts it, “entertaining” is just making dinner, with more people - “unfussy food, unfussy vibes, and the permission to be imperfect, no occasion necessary.”

My guide to easy entertaining will hopefully show you that having people over doesn’t have to be this whole thing. I’ll provide you with helpful tips, menu ideas, and encouragement, of course, so that you too can be a bad-ass hostess with the mostest.

  1. Choose what excites you

    What kind of get-together are you in the mood for? Here are some ideas…

    • Pot-luck: have each of your friends contribute! Those who like to cook can make something and those who shy away can bring wine, dessert, or something store-bought.

    • Appetizers-only: ditch main dishes and opt for small bites and finger food. I love transforming a coffee table into a yummy cheese, charcuterie, and crudités board (for more on building a beautiful board, check out this post). There are so many options and everyone always leaves full and happy.

    • Dessert & Drinks: invite your friends later in the evening for dessert and drinks. Depending on the guest list, make one or two homemade treats and supplement from a bakery or the grocery store.

    • Brunch: make some soft-scrambled eggs with bacon, buy some bagels and lox, set up a little fruit-yogurt-granola bar and you’ve got yourself a party. A pancake situation is also never a bad idea…

    • Cook your way through a cookbook: I’ve been really into this lately, especially if I’m having foodie friends over. Choose a few recipes that catch your eye from your cookbook collection. Or, if your friends want to be involved, send them a selection of recipes from the book and each person can contribute a dish.

    • Have a theme: I like to choose a cuisine in order for my menu to be cohesive. Here are some ideas…

      - Mexican: do a taco bar or make a big batch of cilantro rice, beans, roasted veggies, pulled chicken

      -Asian: fried rice, jap-chae, crispy tofu, glass noodle salad

      -Persian: green rice, turmeric chicken

      -Middle Eastern: tabbouleh, hummus, falafel, chicken, veg

      -Italian: pasta, salad, veg

      -Indian: sag paneer, curry, rice

  2. Do some planning and cooking ahead

    This is key! Plan ahead and cook as much as you can before hand so that you’re not stressed the day-of.

    • Decide what you’re making, what will be store-bought, and if your friends are bringing anything

    • Write a grocery list and decide what day you’re doing the shopping (at least 1-2 days in advance)

    • Write out what can be prepped before hand i.e.

      -washing produce

      -making salad dressing or sauces

      -prepping/making dessert

    • Make a timeline to keep yourself as close to schedule as possible

  3. Be creative yet comfortable

    Choose your own adventure. But, I wouldn't recommend going over-board. Stick to what you know and save the experimentation for a different time.

    Less is truly more. I’ve found that it’s better to have less of a variety and instead more of the same thing. Try not to make too many things; I suggest 2-3 dishes (1-2 main dishes and maybe a veg side/salad, and a dessert. and one thing to munch on with drinks as people are arriving. Again, I want to emphasize that not everything needs to be homemade or made by you!

  4. As Ina Garten says, “store-bought is fine”

    Buy some nice parmesan, olives, salami, crackers and you have a lovely appetizer set-up

    Buy a rotisserie chicken

    Buy dessert

    Not everything needs to be 100% homemade. Make your life easier by buying the pre-washed and peeled veg, tomato sauce, salad greens, etc.

  5. Ask for help

    “Think of your guests as contributors and collaborators and you’ll notice everyone loosen up, things happen more quickly, and the whole vibe gets significantly more fun” - Alison Roman

    Here’s what your guests can do:

    -bring a dish or dessert

    -bring drinks

    -help set-up

    -help clean-up and do the dishes

    -get involved in the cooking process earlier in the day or during the party. they can help with garnishes, mixing a sauce, tossing the salad, etc.

  6. Set the vibe

    I live in a cozy (read: small) apartment in New York and I’ve managed to fit 6-8 of my friends very comfortably. You don’t all need to be sitting around a table. Make it casual. Some people can sit on the couch and on chairs, some around a table.

    Light some candles, buy some pretty flowers, have a great playlist and you’re all set

7. Don’t fuss, never apologize, and have fun!

most important! go with the flow and enjoy yourself throughout the process. Don’t put unnecessary pressure onyourself. Some things won’t go as planned and that’s OKAY. Embrace the imperfections.

Sydney Navid
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