Hosting a Cooking Event for Friends

Dinner Created and Shared with Others

Sep 1, 2009 Janice Benoit

Duplicate the fun environment and delicious dishes that Food Network hosts Rachel Ray, Alton Brown and Guy Fieri do in your home and share the experience with friends

The shows of Food Network are engaging, entertaining and stimulate one's creative juices. On top of that, the food produced during the shows is delicious and hosts like Rachel Ray, Guy Fieri, and Alton Brown bring it to life for everyone. You can duplicate the qualities and fun of these food experiences and share it with your best friends by hosting a Cooking Event in your own kitchen.

Concept

Create a group cooking experience in your own home, to share with your friends. You can be the sole cook or you can share the responsibilities with your guests. Complete the food experience with a delicious meal made from the goodies created at your event.

Invitations

Keep the invitations completely personal. Individual phone calls to your foodie friends are the best invitations and will enable you to answer the questions that will inevitably occur. Make sure to ask your guests of any food allergies or dietary constraints, as these will be critical in selecting your menu.

Planning

The cooking will be the focus of your event and eating the meal will be the celebration of your efforts. So take the time to select a meal that will hold up to the scrutiny of your guests. While it’s safest to choose a meal that you’re an expert at making, by adding at least one new recipe into your plan you will bring a fresh twist to the final result.

When selecting your menu, include a starter course like an appetizer, soup or salad. Then shift to your main course of an entrée and complementary sides. Finish with a dessert with impact. If your meal is heavier, select a light and refreshing dessert. If your meal is on the light side, indulge in a more decadent dessert.

Gather the cooking tools, pots, pans and all ingredients. Plan for the staging of your cooking experience. If your kitchen is large, create stations where each of the various courses will be prepared. If your space is confined, you will need to prepare the courses sequentially and reuse the same prep area. For simplicity, borrow a tip from the Food Network stars and gather the materials needed for each course on its own tray. Then simply swap out the trays as you prepare course after course.

Pre-set your dining table, so that everything is ready for you and your guests to enjoy your treats.

For details on the event implementation and menu suggestions, read Cooking with Friends.

The copyright of the article Hosting a Cooking Event for Friends in Entertaining is owned by Janice Benoit. Permission to republish Hosting a Cooking Event for Friends in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Cooking with Friends