[phoebe]

The biggest problem for me with dinner parties is timing . I prefer to have everything either done or cooking when guests come, so I can relax and enjoy a drink and appetizers with them. Because we have a breakfast area connected directly to the kitchen, my husband sees no problem with doing the majority of cooking with company there. We can talk to them as we work (bump into each other, drop things, trip over the cats, etc.).
Does your book have a timing orientation? Do most of the dinners allow for time with guests or do they require attention right up to service?

[Denise Landis]

My book is all about planning dinner so that you can be a member of the party. To learn more about the book, go to my website at www.TheCooksCook.com. In Dinner for Eight each recipe has tips for advance preparation, and the menus are designed so that a single cook can prepare a dinner party for eight and still be able to socialize with his or her guests.

There are some terrific recipes that benefit from advance preparation. Some ragouts and cakes taste better after a day or two, and some soups and stews need to be chilled overnight so that they can be skimmed of fat the next day. Did you know that risotto can be partially made ahead of time? And there is a way to prepare a salmon mousse hors d'oeuvre so that it takes only a few minutes to pipe it out right before your guests arrive. I like all of the cooking to be done by the time my guests are walking in the door, so that all I need to do is serve the food and enjoy the party.