Pantry Prep
The key to pulling off lavish, last-minute dinner parties
Image courtesy William Geddes
It's easy to become overwhelmed when preparing a dinner party, especially if it's at the last minute. Be prepared the next time someone suddenly drops by your home for dinner. Arm yourself and your home with a party pantry -- an area in your house to store the bare necessities for your entertainment endeavors. Entertaining expert and best-selling author Karen Bussen discusses tons of tips about preparing for an impromptu dinner party in her latest book ,"Simple Stunning Parties at Home" (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2009), including pantry-stocking ideas.
Here are Bussen's top five items to squirrel away in your party pantry:
1. Big, white platters and bowls: "Food always looks great on white," Bussen says. Start with white and you can always build in colorful accent plates later.
2. Good set of glassware and silverware
3. Votive, pillar and floating candles: "You can organize those in a million different ways to create a great centerpiece," Bussen says. And make sure they're unscented -- lavender and spaghetti don't mix.
4. Non-perishable items, like olives and nuts and dried fruits
5. Fun accents: Bussen suggests using only two accent colors for glassware, placemats, etc. She advises catching these items on sale after the holiday season.
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