Home > Articles

Party Basics

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Planning for Food and Drink

Although your menu will change from party to party, one fact remains the same: Your guests will want to eat and drink. Before you get into extensive menu planning, consider a few basics.

Fire It Up! Candles and Other Forms of Illumination

Even if you cannot afford a single decorative item for your party, you can still create an abundance of ambience just by placing candles around your home. Try a few bright ideas:

  • Set floating candles in clear glass bowls filled halfway with water and place in several areas: the living room, the dining room, and, of course, the bathroom.

  • Purchase tiki torches (about $5 each, plus citronella oil) and plant them around your front walkway and backyard or patio.

  • Arrange pillars of different sizes (but the same color—perhaps white?) into small groupings in areas where guests will be lingering. Feel free to decorate the bases of pillar candles with décor appropriate to your party, such as flowers—just make sure you aren't inviting disaster with a fire hazard. Use new, tall candles, and ensure any décor is far from the flame.

  • Dim overhead lighting and cover lamps with sheer, colored scarves. Check your local thrift store for pieces that you might not be caught dead in, but that would look great draped over your too-bright living-room light. Keep safety in mind, ensuring anything draped doesn't touch the light bulb or feel hot to the touch.

  • Combine radiance with aroma by lighting assorted scented candles in each room. Keep the flavors the same in each room so your guests don't get overwhelmed by several different odors.

If your budget is extra-tight, don't worry. Candles are inexpensive, especially when purchased in bulk at discount stores or chains that specialize in closeouts.

Save yourself a series of headaches by purchasing several disposable or refillable torch-style lighters and stowing one in each room where candles will burn. During your party, you won't have to search for matches or try to find a lighter that works.

Finally, no mention of candles would be safe without pointing out the dangers of leaving open flames unattended: Don't do it! In the bathroom, leave a candle burning in a fire-safe holder. In other parts of the house, don't light candles at all unless you plan to have guests in those rooms. Check your candles frequently, just to ensure the flame is burning at a safe height, far away from anything flammable. Trim wicks to 1⁄4" before lighting, and make sure the candle wax doesn't spill over onto your furniture or carpet.

Understanding Party Food Basics

Food will probably be the largest, most important variable at any party you host. Although I will go into much greater detail about food later in this book, you should know a few basics about what kinds of food go with what kinds of parties.

  • Standing parties (cocktail, casual gatherings) call for nibblets and finger foods, and at least six different kinds of appetizers, including dips and sweets.

  • At buffet parties, plan for one or two main courses (chicken and meat or fish, usually) and up to six side courses, including vegetables, grains, salads, breads, and desserts.

  • At seated parties, one main course and related side dishes are all that is required, but you will want to serve dinner prefaced by an appetizer and/or salad, and follow it with dessert. Don't forget to have a few pre-dinner noshings available for guests: cheese and crackers, chips and dips, and an additional appetizer or two.

TIP

Try to keep your menu varied and surprising, but don't make it overly complicated. For example, you might make an exotic main course, but you should pair it with a relatively bland side dish, allowing guests to take a break from spicy flavors. Likewise, spend your time (and money!) preparing one or two significant appetizers, and then round out the menu with dips and breads.

Don't go overboard with food! You might think a sagging table will impress your guests, but if you overdo it, you'll only have leftovers that probably won't keep, as well as an empty wallet. To determine how much food you'll need per person, please consult the Food and Drink Calculator in Appendix B, "Party Tools."

Planning Drinks for Your Party

Although the beverage selection should vary from party to party, a few basic rules hold true:

  • Stock up on bottled water and assorted soft drinks (including diet drinks) and juices for guests that don't drink alcohol.

  • Make sure you have plenty of ice! A few hours ahead of time, fill a large bucket—or the bathtub!—with ice and chill a selection of soft drinks, beer, and water.

  • If you are serving spirits, take into account your guests' varying preferences. Include red and white wine and assorted cocktails.

  • Regardless of the event, always have regular and decaffeinated coffee ready to brew toward the end of the night, as well as sugar, cream, and a few interesting coffee condiments, such as cinnamon or vanilla syrup.

Don't forget two critical planning elements with respect to beverages: space and chill factor. Make sure you have enough space in your freezer for the amount of ice you'll need, or plan to hit the store just before the party so the ice doesn't melt before your guests arrive. Also, remember to chill your cold drinks at least 24 hours before the party so that your drinks are deliciously chilled when the guests arrive. You might think you only need a few hours of chilling, but your refrigerator will cool down 80 cans of warm soda more slowly than you might think. You'll need to make room in your refrigerator for all those cans and bottles, too, so keep your cold food requirements in mind.

TIP

Although water, juice, and soft drinks are perfectly fine for those who don't drink alcohol, you might also add a few exotic options, such as freshly brewed iced tea, flavored bubbly water, or sparkling juice.

Although you can't be expected to stock every type of beverage your guests could possibly demand, a good host will have enough of a variety on hand to suit most requests.

As mentioned elsewhere in this book, you don't have to stock your bar with top-shelf liquor. Keep a few bottles of quality hooch on hand—citron vodka, a good scotch—and decant the bargain liquor into attractive glass bottles. You can also purchase two types of wine: the good stuff for the first hour, and the mediocre stuff for the rest of the night, after the guests have loosened up a little on the quality cabernet.

Basic Tools for Dining and Drinking

No matter what kind of party you're planning, if food and drink are involved (and they'd better be!), your guests will need something from which to drink and eat. You'll need a few basics:

  • Paper, plastic, or glass cups from which guests can drink cold beverages; guests will grab a clean glass at least once, so plan accordingly

  • Insulated cups or mugs for hot beverages

  • Large plates for eating the main meal

  • Small plates for desserts and appetizers

  • Enough knives, forks and spoons—plastic or metal—so that each guest has a complete set, plus a few extra, just in case

  • Twice as many paper napkins as you think you will need (linen napkins are great for the table, but guests will need cocktail napkins for drinks and appetizers)

  • An adequate stash of serving bowls, pitchers, and platters in assorted sizes, shapes, and colors

  • Any tools you will need to actually serve the food and drinks: large spoons, meat forks, a ladle, a corkscrew, a bottle opener, and a carving knife

For more information on recommended party tools, please consult Appendix B.

How much booze do you need?

If you're serving alcohol at your party, how much booze do you need? Although this subject is covered in greater detail in Appendix B, it's worth mentioning a little basic math right here:

  • Plan for two drinks per person for the first two hours of the party, and then one drink per person for every hour thereafter.

  • One 750-milliliter bottle of booze (wine, champagne, or liquor) will yield about six 4-ounce glasses.

  • Plan two cans or bottles of soda per person—change that quantity to three if you are hosting a sober party.

  • If you're hosting a party heavy on drinks that require ice, such as iced soft drinks or blended or shaken cocktails, you'll need 1⁄2 pound of ice per person.

Based on the preceding facts, we can calculate the following:

  • For a 4-hour party of 20 expected guests, you would plan to serve a total of 120 drinks.

  • To fill glasses 120 times, you will need 20 bottles of booze.

  • For this same party, you'll also need 80 cans or bottles of soft drinks or water, as well as 20 pounds of ice.

Of course, you can never predict what your guests will want to drink, so don't get 20 bottles of the same liquor! Purchase a mix of red and white wine, champagne, vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and scotch, plus a few six-packs of quality beer. You might also want to add a few extra bottles of wine, just in case the party runs late. No need to overdo it, though—many guests will bring a bottle as a hostess gift.

Thrifty Ways to Stock a Party Closet

Consider starting a "party closet." Similar to the fabled "gift closet," a party closet is a storage container large enough to safely store your party tools: dishes, cutlery, glassware, linens, candles, and leftover favors that might be put to some future use. Because these items are stored in one place, and only pulled out for parties, you'll always have a good supply on hand. One less detail to plan!

If you aren't independently wealthy and would like to stock your party closet nonetheless, scour local second-hand stores for dishes, glassware, and flatware. Keep one element the same—color, style, or pattern—and your guests will think of you as eclectic, rather than dirt-poor.

Whether you're using matched china or thrift-store finds, always make sure your party tools are clean, polished, and in good repair. Everything looks better when sparkling!

TIP

Take a cue from moderately priced restaurants and make "rollups" several days before your party. Nestle a complete set of cutlery—knife, fork, and spoon—in one napkin, and roll it up. Secure the roll with clear tape (if you're using paper napkins) or some other festive touch, such as theme-related napkin holders, or tuck the end of the napkin into the roll.

CAUTION

If you are thrift-store shopping for your party tools, avoid any plates or glasses made with lead. Generally, old china, glazed terra cotta or clay dishes, or dishes with highly decorated, multicolored interior surfaces can contain lead. If you are in doubt, err on the side of caution. Lead poisoning can lead to serious health consequences.

TIP

Cloth napkins don't have to be expensive! Most housewares stores sell white cloth napkins in bulk for under $20. Invest in a couple of packages and you'll be covered for a long time. Also look for plain, matching napkins at discount and closeout stores. Starched napkins fold and retain their shape better than limp napkins, so bust out that can of spray starch and heat up the iron.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020