If you’re having a dinner party appetizers will be expected. Everyone likes to arrive at a place and be able to immediately start stuffing their face. I prefer to stuff mine with cheese. Murray’s is for the true cheese lover, so if you’re aren’t into anything particularly pungent go with something a little bit more mild, or your standard cheddar sans Ritz crackers. Also set out a tray of mixed olives and artichoke hearts. If people’s mouths are full they won’t notice how long it’s taking you to figure out how to set the table.

“WOA! Are we having a seance?” My dinner parties can typically look like I’m about to bust out the Ouija Board and attempt contacting Marilyn Monroe. The truth is, it sets a mood and in candlelight you can’t see how scuffed up the walls in my apartment are. And if you’re someone who burns the bread, no one will know if you get room diffusers. Favorite candle: Black Mission Fig and Sandalwood

Can you ever go wrong with a trip to Williams-Sonoma? No. Well, I take that back…. there is a chance you could spend entirely too much money and resort to spending your savings on fancy china and uniquely shaped canters and end up completely screwed. I have yet to do that, though I assume it’s happened before. My apartment was stocked with paper plates and plastic cups, so in order to impress the dinner party I had to at least buy GLASSWARE…

Look, you’ll need liquor and lots of it. Or maybe that’s just my kind of party….regardless, if your cooking sucks people will need something to wash their mouths out.

So what, you don’t have a dinner table. You don’t have chairs? This is where we insert the ‘floor pillow.’ If you want to live a normal existence where you have guests over, they may as well feel comfortable if they’re going to sit in the floor. Poufs, pillows, etc. All of which go even better with a Morrocan themed party, belly dancers may cost extra. Also, keep in mind anytime you take off your shoes in front of each other you’ll become exponentially closer, stinky feet do that to a relationship.

Dessert is my favorite part of a dinner party and instead of going the traditional route and baking a pie- (which is so un-New Yorky) I buy chocolates. Chocolates are go well with wine, they’re less of a hassle than attempting frosting a layer cake and they feel like a real “treat,” as long as you’re not giving people Hershey’s kisses. Truffles work wonders.

Feel like getting a little competitive? Buy some board games! You learn a lot about your friends and whether or not they’re sore losers, or trivia Nazi’s. Anytime I invite my friends over we end up playing an intense match of Sorry (which can also be turned into a drinking game, if you folks are feeling creative.) Suggested games: Apples to Apples, Clue, Cranium, Guestures, and any/all types of trivia, I love knowing where my intelligence level is compared to that of my friends…It can do a lot for one’s self esteem. ha.