Dinner Party on a Shoestring

Cooking for company is a way of getting interesting people together, lubricating conversation with food, drink, and candlelight. Going out to dinner is fine, on occasion, but it always ends with the moment when everyone puts hand to wallet and wonders how much they spent, whether or not to use cash or split it between five credit cards. Eating at home is never punctuated by an awareness of the cost of the meal, which is always, when cooked in earnest for friends, priceless.

When I throw a dinner party, I set the table, light candles, and play music on low. I make sure the food is never ready when the guests arrive. About a half hour before anyone should be there, I begin chopping vegetables, putting anything that takes a while in the oven or on the stove, and continue cooking and greeting as people filter in. For one thing, it removes the inconvenience of guests coming late. They ought to arrive on time, but if they don’t, you’re less likely to pace and fret if you’ve got something to do. Secondly, meals should not be unveiled all at once like a live rabbit from a hat; guests should interact with the food they are about to eat, should stir the soup or baste the roast, if they like.

The worst thing a host can do is fuss over the dinner. By all means, care how it turns out, but don’t work yourself into such a froth that the whole process ceases to please you and your guests. And if stress should begin to take hold of you, turn off the stove, pour a fat glass of wine, and sit down with your guests.

In fact, a great dinner party need not cost a thing if you encourage people to bring a dish or a bottle of something nice to drink. Other inexpensive ways to feed a group are casseroles. For an easy lasagna, layer tomato sauce, parboiled lasagna strips, ricotta cheese, and thawed strained frozen spinach, salted and peppered, until you run out of room or ingredients and top with handfuls of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for about an hour (check on it half way through) and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Lasagna needs nothing more than a light-bodied red wine and a simple green salad. If you like, make strong coffee and butter cookies for dessert.

Dinner need not take long either—sausage, potatoes, and steamed kale might take a half hour altogether. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and salt it, then drop in as many small potatoes as you think you need. In another pot bring an inch of water to a boil and stuff in as much kale (a pleasantly bitter, leafy green—delicious with the salty sausage and bland, creamy potatoes) as you can and keep adding as it wilts until it’s all in. When it’s wilted, salt it and drizzle oil or toss in butter and set aside with the lid on. In another pan heat one link of Kielbasa for every two people on medium heat until the skin crisps and set aside. The potatoes should be done after 15 or 20 minutes. Strain, butter, salt and pepper them. Hearty, fast, and gentle on the pocketbook, this is a fine meal to master for unexpected or last-minute guests.

When deciding what to prepare, it is important, of course, to know yourself and your limitations. Make a meal you think you can manage, avoid trying anything new the night of the party, and if you begin to feel overwhelmed, delegate.

Polite guests will offer to clean up—let them help you and chat until things are tidy, thus avoiding waking up to crusty plates, wine-stained glasses and napkins, and the stench of sour booze and day-old food. Better to rise at your leisure to a clean room so that the only thing on your mind is the night before and the good black coffee you are about to drink.

Whether it’s an elaborate feast for ten or a pot of spaghetti shared between roommates, eating with company can elevate a meal to communion. Whatever the occasion, when you can, make it count.