Hosting a dinner party can be a pure delight—provided you can maneuver through the stressful aspects. Family style can be easy, but small plates or an appetizer-style dining experience allows you to provide more interesting dishes.
But it’s also a lot more complicated to pull off. Here are seven tips that will help you master the art of small plate dining at home!
Plan With Intention and Variety in Mind
Variety is the spice of life—and a good dinner party. Aim to provide a mix of flavors and textures. Offer cold tapas, like marinated olives or cured meats, alongside hot tapas, like patatas bravas or gambas al ajillo. Just don’t go overboard and overwhelm yourself with too many options. You’ll still be catering to dietary restrictions or preferences as well, so keep that in mind when you’re planning.
Don’t Forget the Ambiance
Use soft lighting to make a warm vibe. Dimmed lamps and candles are perfect for this, as long as the candles aren’t scented (that can conflict with flavors and aromas). Comfortable seating and music are also something to consider. You might want to try what many tapas restaurants do and play jazz or something relatively upbeat.
Make Ahead When You Can
Prepare your cold tapas a day in advance to give yourself breathing room day-of. Some hot dishes might be fine if you make them early in the day and heat them up when guests arrive. Either way, your goal should be to do minimal actual cooking once people start showing up, so plan accordingly.
Mix and Match
Encourage mingling and sharing however you can! You might want to even have multiple options that can play nice with each other. For example, having a chimichurri on the table that works well with many other dishes or having a specific cheese that could be equally delicious with fruit, cured meat, or both!
Pair With Equally Delicious Drinks
Don’t forget about the drinks! Wine is a classic choice, but you may want to consider serving sangria! You can make this by the pitcher in advance and add ice when you’re ready to serve. You can also do a signature cocktail, though you may need to recruit someone with a free hand to help prepare drinks while you focus on preparing the meal.
Engage With Your Guests
If you’re throwing the party with close friends and family, invite them into the cooking experience! An interactive element isn’t necessary for a good dinner party. But people like to feel useful, so giving them small tasks like assembling a cheese board can be a good way to get some help without asking too much of your guests.
Don’t Forget Dessert
Wrap up the dinner with a sweet note. Churros or flan are traditional for strictly Spanish tapas. But if you’re going more rogue with your menu, the dessert could be anything you like. Consider serving it with coffee or a digestif to tie everything together in a neat little bow.
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