6 Tips for an Easy Dinner Party
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Discover Mahin Arastu’s expert pro tips for hosting a relaxed and easy dinner party. Learn how to create a beautiful, low-key menu that fosters meaningful interactions.
Lifestyle expert Mahin Arastu has insight on what puts people at ease, she was formerly a human behaviors neuroscientist. She recently teamed up with Pottery Barn to showcase her version of a beautiful yet relaxed example of casual and easy weekend entertaining. Mahin’s interpretation of low-key draws up on her mantra of simplicity.
For her menu, she pulled together simple ingredients.
Dinner Party Menu
- Fresh Bread
- Avocado Crostini
- Double Gloucester Cheddar
- Substantial Living Mixed Pickled Vegetable Achar
For Mahin, the joy of entertaining is the people, so she always plans a meal in which most things are assembled rather than cooked. “It’s the people and the interaction that the food fosters that is important,” she says. This is why for this meal, she chose her go-to entertaining appetizer, Chipotle Avocado Crostini—it’s simple, quick, and always delicious!
Chipotle Avocado Crostini Recipe
Ingredients
- fresh bread (a French boule is a great option)
- fresh avocado slices
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt or fleur de sel
- chipotle chili flakes
Directions
- Slice the bread on the diagonal into slices. Lightly coat each slice with olive oil and toast in a 450 degree oven until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on baking rack.
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil on toasted crostini and lay long slices of avocado across each slice. Once all crostini are assembled, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with salt and chili flakes.
- Style with edible flower petals and enjoy!
6 Tips For Hosting an Easy Dinner Party
These simple tips will help create the best experience for you and your guests.
Tip 1: Be Genuine
Don’t try to impress your guests by doing things you would not normally do just to be a “good host.” Instead, feel joy that someone is coming into your home and that you get to share a huge part of your life with them.
Tip 2: Ask for Dietary Preferences
Before setting the menu, ask about restrictions and preferences to save yourself and your guests the headache. This shows respect and thoughtfulness. It always makes me feel so nice when people ask me what I eat and don’t, so I try to be mindful of that. It requires some work, but all good things in life do.
Tip 3: Simplicity is Beauty
Less is always more. If you are not comfortable cooking a lot, just make the things you really enjoy eating if it’s simple mac and cheese. I find my inspiration from nature-which is uncomplicated and pure.
Tip 4: Clean Your Kitchen
Before your guests come, clean up your mess. You could be a Michelin-rated chef, but a messy kitchen ruins the experience for the guest. No one wants to look into a kitchen that looks like a disaster zone.
Tip 5: Serve with Enthusiasm
If you are not excited about your food or your guests, who else will be? Excitement and passion are contagious. Find something you love about the process-the medicinal properties of the spices, a cool historical fact about the food or dishes, or anything, and share the love.
Tip 6: Music
Music completes the circle of senses. I love streaming old school jazz like Billie Holiday or international flavors such as Cesaria Evora in the background.
Weekend entertaining doesn’t needn’t be difficult. Focus on the people you invited, follow Mahin’s simple tips, and your next party will be smooth sailing!
Visit the blog to read more and view examples of the simple table Mahin has created for Pottery Barn.