So you’ve decided on a get together at home – inoffensive music, some food and endless drinks. The alchemy of personalities however, is like a magic mix. Throw together some old acquaintances, and have them mingle with close friends, singles and a couple shots of new blood with interesting occupations. The best parties are the ones where people turn up with no expectations, but leave with fond memories and new forged relationships that keep them reminiscing till the next one comes round.

Make drinks for your guests. Or rather, start those concoctions earlier and swish it around in a huge punchbowl with massive chunks of ice. Something simple with two to three drink mixes (see sidebar). This helps with the indecisive ones and keeps them from lingering at the bar for too long, preventing a build up. Leave that on a side table with a few bottles of prosecco buried in generously sized ice buckets. Naturally, you’d leave some wine out. But when in doubt, do as Ted Allen, host of cooking show Chopped, advises – buy more red than white. “White-wine drinkers generally don’t mind switching to red; red drinkers generally do mind switching to white.”

Whichever the case, never, EVER leave a glass empty.

Then there’s the food. Absolutely essential, yet offers ample opportunity for disaster. Design a meal you can handle, not one that handles you. If you have hired help, great, the sky’s the limit. “Find a reputable caterer who will take away all the headaches that comes with hosting a party mainly the cooking portion. As much as it is tempting to want to do something different or exciting, the most successful parties are the ones where the food is kept tasty yet simple,” suggests Edina Hong, co-owner of Saint Pierre restaurant.

If you haven’t, well, big sharing plates are your best friend. Hong says to “make sure the dishes that you choose to prepare are easy to plate and can be prepared in advance.” Slaving away in the kitchen can’t be much fun when everyone else is enjoying the evening outside. Think sesame bread sticks and/or melon wrapped with prosciutto to graze on, followed by a big, juicy leg of something that can be easily carved up, with a mesclun salad mix on the side.

Your guests should be well-mannered enough to know that parties are white-flag events. But just in case the alcohol causes an etiquette lapse, let them know gently that they can leave their generations old family feuds behind. It’s a genial get-together, not an episode of Dynasty. Keep a watch out for loners. They’re like wayward sheep you need to nudge in the right direction by way of a new, friendly introduction.

It’s okay to get a little tipsy, after all, you did pay for all that booze. But there’s a fine line between amicable revelry and raucousness. Like any good host, you’d want to avoid politics, religion and Freudian slips. However, if things start getting out of hand (and perhaps it’s starting to get so late that it’s early), perhaps it’s time to start winding things down. Lower the music volume, and don’t serve coffee – why do people serve coffee at the end of a meal anyway? You wouldn’t drink it before bedtime under normal circumstances, right? Try offering cognac instead. If all fails, there is no clearer indication that the night’s at an end when the host announces bedtime. Ask if they’ve had a good time, because after all those drinks, it’ll be pretty difficult for them to lie. When someone asks after the next soiree, you know things have gone well.

So pick up the phone and make a few calls. One of the few things that make life more tolerable is the autonomous choice to surround yourself with people you actually like.
– LA