Entertaining in the Kitchen

Dear H,

I am entertaining a group for dinner this weekend, but whenever I host I always seem to get stuck in the kitchen.  What is a good meal for 10 that is hands-off enough to let me socialize with my friends?

Thanks!

Dirty Apron

Apron,

There are a plethora of make-ahead or one-pot meals that could be options, but Crock Pot-gone-bad can ruin a dinner party pretty quickly. 

Instead of taking yourself out of the kitchen, why don't you bring your guests into the kitchen?  There are a lot of fun ways to get your guests involved in the meal while still having fun.  Here are three of my suggestions:

1.)  Pizza Party

Making your own pizza is a great entertaining option in itself, and is quite simple.  Most grocery stores sell refrigerated or frozen pizza dough, and just pick up some sauce, fresh mozzarella, and the toppings you'd like.

But why not take it one step further and let your friends create their own personal pizzas?  Just put out miniature balls of pizza dough for guests to roll out, along with sauce, cheese, and a variety of toppings, and let your friends have fun with it.  This might make for a crowded oven, but grilled pizza is delicious, and if you've got a grillmaster around, your duties in the kitchen are over! 

2.)  Culinary Competition

Nothing is hotter on TV right now than food competitions, like Top Chef or Hell's Kitchen.   Why not host your own?

A competition is pretty simple to execute, it is really just a matter of setting the ground rules.  Some contests you may consider that draw from elements of various shows on the Food Network:

• Iron Chef--Have all guests bring "staple" foods and their favorite kitchen utensils, and let them kow there will be a secret ingredient (it might be helpful to let them know in which food group the secret item is).  Split guests into two teams, and each team has to make one or more dishes incorporating the secret ingredient.  You may want smaller teams, so you can designate guests as judges, and even name a chairman, who should get to decide the secret ingredient. 
• Throwdown with Bobby Flay--Does one of your guests excel at a dish?  Buy all of the ingredients necessary for the dish, and work on your own version.  Don't tell any of the guests about the game, but when they arrive, let the chosen one know that you are ready for a throwdown.  Or, have two of your friends compete against each other.
• Ace of Cakes/Food Network Challenge--Since Food Network seems to have a thing for cake decorating, here is a contest you can use for dessert:  make a batch of cupcakes, and provide decorating supplies.  Give guests a theme, and vote on a winner of the best-decorated pastry. 

3.)  Kitchen Board Games

Don't want your guests to actually play with their food?  Several companies now make various food or wine board games, based on culinary knowledge or trivia.  This can be something fun to set up in the kitchen, so you and your friends can have a few drinks and play, while you are finishing up dinner.  If you do want to pick one of these board games up, I recommend Winerd for oenophiles or Foodie Fight for foodies. 

None of these options appeal to you?  There is always take-out...or the Crock Pot. 

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!

H*

Readers, have you and your friends had fun in the kitchen? Leave a comment.

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