How to Prepare a Dinner and a Show

APRIL 25, 2009

This is the first post-dinner blog entry. I had originally planned to do two entries, one pre-dinner, one post – but that didn’t work out so well. I think I’ll title this “How to Prepare a Dinner and a Show”.

First things first; this is a two-person job. The amount of preparation can be done by one chef alone; but the shear monotony and boredom of the situation calls for a partner in crime. They will assist in serving, preparation, greeting the guests, etc. You, however, will be busy with other things. Think of them as your Executive Officer (XO).

Second things second; you will need a good two days preparation. One day for cleaning, one day for cooking. Yes, you should try and plan a meal that can be prepared a day early and then heated to serve. Sounds gross? Wrong. Keep everything freshly sealed, and make sure everything is ready for the big day. Trust me, so long as you’ve done a good job preparing anything, you’re guests won’t mind some freshly heated leftovers. The importance of cleanliness in the venue is paramount – like dinner guests of any restaurant from McDonalds to The Gilded Truffle, a certain level of cleanliness is expected in both the kitchen and the dining area. Providing your guests with both of these is essential in letting them know your level of responsibility and appreciation for their dining experience.

Third; have a great guest-list. The event in January consisted of mostly the core group, which was fantastic – but I thought I’d mix it up just a little bit for the second and possibly last get-together. Having some ‘newbies’ attend was a great way to expand the circle of friends, and get a good mix of people who share interest in the project. As a final goodbye party, the dinner was a good excuse to invite some people together that otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to meet. As much fun as hanging out with the same group of friends is, it’s even funner, 100% of the time, to introduce some new faces. No number is too high for a guest-list, but keep in mind you have to COOK for all these people. I had around 16-18 guests at the last get-together and I don’t think I’d want to cook for a single person more than that. If you get along with your all friends, chances are your friends will get along with your friends so never be too nervous about inviting someone new.

Fourth (but really first); have your project completed before you’re ready to invite and serve guests. There were a few forgivable grammar and formatting errors – but aside from that, Episode Two was complete. Nothing would be more embarrassing than inviting your guests to an event that was in someway unprepared. There were some issues at the beginning of the reading (such as assigning characters/actors) that probably could have been taken care of earlier in the night – before everyone was liquored-up.

Which brings me to Step Five; Booze. Every good party has free booze – it’s a fact. Ours’ had free booze and a roulette-wheel drinking game. Dinner took longer than expected, but by the time everyone was shitfaced drunk, who cared? By the time dinner was served, everyone was moderately drunk, decently fed and ready for some D-List entertainment.


The final, optional Step Six; sobriety. I can vouch 50/50 in favor of this one. I had a good time at the first one where I was considerably wasted, but I also had a great time at the second time where I was not. Sobriety is essential for a first time cook. For one who’s a bit more comfortable around the cooking-wear, it becomes optional. It can be quite dangerous operating hot cooking-gear while intoxicated but use your own judgment when making this decision. One thing to consider is that in a way, you are responsible for providing both the food and the entertainment – and your chances of doing either successfully decrease with every drink you have. You be a sober host, a drunk host, or anywhere in between, but make sure it’s at a level that makes you a good host.

So what we’ve concluded here is that:
Good Friends + Good Food + Good Booze + A Little Effort
= A lot of fun had by everyone.

I think that summarizes what went into the dinner party and what made it successful. I think that’s enough for now, but there will probably be a second post soon detailing what was so successful about the dinner, as well as some updates for SOUNDTRACK itself.