Timing can make or break a party, says Steel.
Tanya Steel: I think timing for entertaining is kind of key, and that really is what makes or breaks people’s parties. Because a frazzled host is not someone that you wanna be with or you wanna be. So organization is key. I’m just a huge proponent of organization in my life. I’ve had to be, and it really does work. So if you are gonna have a big dinner party, the night before I would set the table. I would definitely have figured out what you could make that day or days beforehand. You should have, you know, the wines chilling and anything that you can make a day ahead made ahead – sauces, breads, cakes, that kind of thing. And then that morning, the morning of the party, I would just finish whatever it is that you need to do in terms of baking, and cooking, and roasting. And you know grilling is a great way to entertain. In fact that’s a kind of casual, relaxed way to entertain. It’s delicious. People love it. It’s a way that’s very social. Men love to grill. In fact every man I meet I always tell him what a fantastic griller he is and a great pit master he is, and so they get a real kick out of it. And so that’s a . . . another great thing to do when you’re entertaining, is to have grilled foods and build the party around the barbecue.