“[M]ost people are just plain scared to entertain,” says Denise Vivaldo, author of Do It for Less! Parties. Her book, and another I recently discovered, The Surreal Gourmet Entertains by Bob Blumer, go head to head with many of the common fears that keep us from giving parties. The two books are very different in style, but they both contain plenty of solid advice, and leave you with the feeling that entertaining might not be so bad after all.
If you’re afraid that . . .
- you’ll forget something really important — Do It For Less! tells you exactly what lists you need to make to ensure everything’s covered.
- your house just isn’t up to it, The Surreal Gourmet says, “Overcoming the shortcomings of your surroundings will add to the pleasure and spontaneity of the party.” If you only have two chairs, he says, put them away, seat everyone on the floor, and eat Japanese.
- you’ll miscalculate how much food/drink/table space you need, Do It for Less!, written by a professional caterer, has charts and estimates for everything.
- people won’t get there on time, The Surreal Gourmet has a trick that will work once: Pretend to be someone else, giving a surprise party for you.
- you won’t be able to think of a theme, or you’ll pick the wrong theme: The two books disagree here, to a point. Do It for Less! finds themes inspiring; The Surreal Gourmet says they’re risky. “Half-baked themes tend to die slow and miserable deaths.” He goes on to suggest some, nonetheless. You can read some suggested themes and make up your own mind — it’s your party.
Both books have tons more tips for the party-phobic, as well as plenty of recipes that’ll feed small or large crowds. If you want to get over your fears of entertaining, either one is a great place to start.
