When planning the dinner party, are there important rules for the menu? It depends on what you are trying to do and if there is a particular theme (for example, if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas) or if you are trying to showcase something like a particular food item.
When getting ready to host a dinner party, it is important to remember that it is your dinner party, so the only set rules are the ones that you make. There are a few things, though, that you will want to take into consideration when planning your menu. It's also important to remember that although you are the one planning and throwing the party, you are committed to preparing a meal for your guests to enjoy and so their interests and tastes should be taken into consideration.
According to Brian Hay, a chef and culinary instructor at Austin Community College and a sommelier who also teaches for the International Sommelier Guild, what you serve "depends on what you are trying to do and if there is a particular theme, for example, if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas or if you are trying to showcase something like a particular food item."
Hay gives the following example. "This Friday I am doing a dinner party and it's going to have ostrich on the menu; something that most people have never seen before. So if you are going to plan something like that, that means you have to really make sure you know how to handle it, instead of trying to do it at the last minute."
When planning your menu you do need to make sure it is something you can pull off successfully. Don't try a new recipe out on your guests. If you want to try something you haven't made before, do a trial run before your dinner. It might turn out perfect and be a wonderful dish, but you might also find it doesn't meet your expectaions.
Hay says, "I think the biggest element is really looking at your menu selection and what you are trying to do and what the guest wants."
It is important to take the guests into consideration. If you know you have several vegetarians or vegans coming to your dinner, you need to make sure you have at least a couple of dishes that will be appropriate for them too.
Hay says, "I find a lot of people will go and make the menu for themselves. In other words, 'I like this at my house and therefore everyone else should like it' and it doesn't necessarily work that way. You have guests coming into your place and you are cooking for them. So try to figure out what they want and take out your menu to work on that a little bit more. I am trying to leave my personal taste out of it and try to figure what they want to have."
You don't want people to leave unsatisfied, or even worse offended because you didn't take their needs into consideration. This is also why it is important to know whether or not any of your guests have food allergies. Serving peanuts to someone with an allergy to them can be devastating and an extremely serious problem.
Finally, you will want to take your theme into consideration and choose foods and dishes that will accentuate your theme. You wouldn't serve tacos at a luau, but a roasted pig fits right in!
