Reply to Logistics of Hosting A Dinner at Home for 60 people in January

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We host a Christmas party for about 80 people every year in a much smaller house and without any help of staff. I take tge day before off to start the cooking. I don’t know why everyone is pretending that this is so difficult![/quote]
I have so many questions. How far in advance are you planning the menu and shopping for the ingredients? What are you cooking that only takes 1-1.5 days to prepare enough for 80 people? Do you make the same food every year? How many refrigerators and ovens do you have? How long does it take to clean up the kitchen afterwards? Is your house guest-ready at all times or do you also need to tidy up before your party? When does furniture get moved around to set up for such a big crowd? Do you get to mingle with guests or do you spend the whole party reheating/replenishing food?[/quote]

I generally plan the menu a week or two in advance. I will order a jamon or prosciutto a couple of weeks in advance but will buy everything else the day before from Costco. I will make something like a brisket, pork butt, chili or beef rendang, flatbreads, salads, tapas etc. some dishes I do every year, some are new. My spouse does the desserts. we have one refrigerator and one oven, but I will usually cook some things on the BGE or pizza oven. We use paper plates etc so clean up is not an issue - I would rather hire glasses as I find the plastic cups a bit vulgar but I have to admit it is easier. Our house is never really “guest-ready” but the cleaners come on a Friday so it is in reasonable shape. We move the furniture around a couple of hours before the party. The food is usually laid out before guests arrive, only one or two things are replenished, and I usually get the kids to do that. Plenty of time to mingle with the guests. Everything is very low-key and relaxed. We are not fancy.[/quote]
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I’m in awe of people who entertain with ease. My parents and my spouse’s parents did very little entertaining and not on a large scale, so we really don’t know how to do it. When we host 10 extended relatives for Thanksgiving, the lead up is chaotic and we’re exhausted afterwards. Our guests end up with a good meal and things are calm while they’re here, but I always feel like I just *barely* pulled it off. You’re teaching your children a valuable life skill, even if it’s one they won’t use often.[/quote]

I entertain a lot and have occasionally even been the house like 20-30 people show up to on short notice if something happened in the community. I do think the key is like pp said, to be relaxed and not too fancy. You need a decent amount of food, you need places for a decent amount of people to sit and relax but the reality is that guests kind of do most of the job themselves. People find places to stand and chat. They hold food in their hands on a plate if they want to. They find a table and sit and eat if they want to do that. They cozy up in a group on the sofa if they are feeling that. It just kind of works out, people like to be together!

I think there is a lot of overthinking that happens when people host, you just need good food and drinks, a lot of it and a comfortable and welcoming environment. [/quote]

+1. I think people get hung up on the idea of entertaining and forget about just being hospitable.  It's more about greeting your guests, offering them a drink (much better for the host to offer than a paid bartender) and introducing people to one another. The other stuff (food, drink, clean house) is just secondary.[/quote]

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