Written by: Zoé Jouan | 01/2023

Hosting for a lot of people 

Hi Chewers! 

Today we are hopping on a light and fun topic which was on trend these past few weeks: How to host for a lot of people? 

Hosting is an art but also a sport. Some of you might love it, some of you might dread it, and others might want to hop on the bandwagon but fear it! Ironically, when you talk to some of the best host and hostess that you know, that makes everything look so easy, beautiful, and natural, most of them will tell you that behind the scenes a lot of late nights happened, tears were shed and stress was among them the whole time. But this nightmare dressed as a daydream doesn’t have to be one. With a couple of tips and a few organizational skills, you can become the host, hostess of dreams and not need a full week to recover from it. 

So, without further ado, here are five tips that we believe will make you want a host every week (well…maybe every other week…). 

Tip #1: Make it simple but make it look fancy 

Here’s the secret, create a simple recipe, that will take you a few minutes to do, whether it’s hummus or crushed peas with shrimp on it, these only take a couple of minutes to do in large quantities. As long as you have the right amount of spices and olive oil, it’s hard to fail. Then, add those little hors-d’oeuvres in a shot glass, a ceramic little bowl, or a stylish soup spoon! This easy trick will help you solve the appetizer problem. Little “amuses-bouches” are always pleasant to people and occupy them while waiting to be seated. The good news is that you can switch it up so easily, beetroot hummus, basil hummus, dried tomato hummus, any hummus can do the trick. So my advice is, get a good blender, some shot glasses, fresh champagne and you’ll have your guest waiting for days! 

Tip #2: Healthy kitchen, healthy mind

Cooking for a lot of people can lead to multi-tasking and a messy kitchen. Although you might not even have time to think about cleaning you should. If you manage to keep your kitchen somewhat organized, you will end up being a lot more efficient and calm. After each task, put what you can in the dishwasher, quickly clean your kitchen worktop, throw out what you no longer need, and empty the trash if it’s full. At first, you might feel lazy about it, but cleaning between recipes will quickly become a habit and will never take more than five to ten minutes.  

Tip #3: Overnight meals are your friends

There are a lot of recipes that you can prepare a day before. Especially desserts, whether it’s a tiramisu, baklava, or blueberry cheesecake, these recipes will impress your guests and will make you gain so much time. Anything that you can prepare a day before should be welcomed with open arms. Salmon Gravlax is also a meal that needs to be prepared a day before and can serve as a great starter. So if you have a fridge, which I’m sure you do, I suggest you invest in a cooking book that offers overnight recipes. 

Tip#4: Don’t overthink it 

Although you might think otherwise, you will have last-minute issues and some things might not go exactly as you planned. The chicken might be a tiny bit overcooked or you might forget to buy the paprika. Don’t stress it, it’s not worth it! You will always find a way to make it tasty. You are not a Michelin-star restaurant, you are a cooking amateur who’s already courageous enough to invite many friends over for them to have a fun Friday night. If the paprika’s missing you’ll probably find some curry or pepper in some of your drawers. And if not, it will most likely be good anyways.  

Tip#5: Keep calm, drink wine 

This brings us to my last tip which is: Have a good time! Indulge in a glass or two of champagne, spend time with your friends and if something goes wrong…laugh it off! Of course, you will be spending a lot of time in your kitchen but at the end of the day, the things you’ll remember are your friends' jokes, the conversations, and the things that you cooked on your own! And when you forget to have a good time, remember one thing, before your house, your guests were most likely at the office or taking care of their kids, and that is far worst than an overcooked chicken…