Planning a simple dinner for friends

The difference between a relaxed host and a frantic one is almost never cooking skill. It is a plan written down the day before, with most of the food ready before anyone rings the bell.

Start small and decide the basics

• For your first time, invite 3 to 6 people. A small group is easier to cook for and easier to talk with; Arab News's iftar hosting tips also recommend keeping gatherings to a few people.
• Fix the date, start time, place and number of guests before you think about recipes. Put all of these in the invitation.
• Ask about dietary needs and allergies in the invitation itself, not on the day (see lesson ho-04). Example: 'Dinner at mine on Friday at 7.30. Let me know by Tuesday if you have any allergies or foods you avoid.'
• Set an RSVP date a couple of days before the dinner so you know exactly how much to buy. Gulf News advises guests to reply at least two days before an iftar for exactly this reason.
• Check what you own: enough plates, cutlery, glasses, chairs and serving spoons for everyone. Borrow from a flatmate early rather than discovering a gap at 7pm.

Choose a menu that cooks itself

• Ina Garten's rule: check whether each dish can be made ahead, and if it cannot, swap it for one that can.
• Aim for only one or two things that need last-minute attention. Garten says her last-minute instructions should fit on a single Post-it note.
• A reliable student formula is one main that sits happily in the oven or a covered pot (a biryani-style rice dish, a tray bake, a stew), one fresh salad, one bread or simple side, and one dessert made the day before.
• Choose dishes you have cooked at least once. A dinner party is not the moment to try a recipe for the first time.
• Make it easy to share: food served from big dishes in the middle of the table, or as a buffet, means you are not plating up eight portions while your guests wait.

Write a timing plan working backwards

• Garten works backwards from the time she wants to serve and writes each recipe step next to the clock time it must happen. Do the same on paper or in your notes app.
• Worked example for dinner served at 8.00pm: 7.45 dress the salad and warm the bread; 7.30 guests arrive, drinks and snacks out; 7.00 biryani goes into the oven; 6.30 shower and change; 5.30 cook the curry layer and par-cook the rice; 4.30 chop everything and set the table.
• The day before: shop, make the dessert and chill it, wash the salad leaves, and clean the kitchen and bathroom.
• Add a 20 to 30 minute buffer before guests arrive. Something always takes longer than the recipe says.
• Arab News's hosting advice is simple: have the table set, the food ready and your outfit chosen long before guests arrive.

How much to cook

• Love Food Hate Waste suggests 75g of dried rice or pasta per person for a main meal and about 37g per person as a side dish.
• Recipes vary: Nisha Katona's one-pot chicken biryani uses 400g of rice for 4 people (100g each). If your friends are big eaters, lean towards the higher figure.
• Plan to have a little extra, but not three times too much. Leftovers must be cooled and stored safely (see lesson ho-08).
• Keep a simple backup in the cupboard or freezer, as Garten does, in case an extra guest appears: for example, a bag of frozen flatbreads or a tub of ice cream.

Common first-timer mistakes

• Cooking everything from scratch at the last minute and missing your own party.
• Not tasting as you go. Taste every dish for salt and sharpness before it goes on the table.
• Forgetting drinks and ice. In the GCC heat especially, have plenty of cold water and a non-alcoholic option or two ready.
• Leaving the washing-up from cooking piled in the sink. Wash as you go so you start the evening with a clear kitchen.