When I think about throwing a dinner party, especially a big one like this polenta supper I'm sharing with you this week, my thoughts immediately go to: What can I make ahead? Last week, I had an easy answer: a shredded, succulent mess of beef braised in red wine and tomatoes, falling apart in its juices. It's a terrific make-ahead dish, since like most braises, this beef gets better overnight, and takes all the stress of a main dish off your hands entirely. Sound good? It gets better. 

While all of us here at The Kitchn love to chat about simple meals and the day-to-day realities of cooking, we also really love a good party. So this week we're launching a new monthly series, Gatherings from The Kitchn, showing you our own dinner parties, large and small. Gathering with friends can be as simple as a cozy dinner party for for four in a little apartment, or as ambitious as a backyard movie night. We'll show you our real-life parties, taking a week to walk through planning, recipes, tips, decorating tips, and the party itself. 

Our first party comes from my own kitchen, where last week I threw a dinner tailored for the end of winter, one with hearty, rustic polenta and lots of red wine. Simple, right? Well, we decided to add a dramatic centerpiece for this party -- a four-foot-long polenta board! Want to see more? 

I always find it interesting to take a few moments and look at how other countries and cultures do things. It's that type of exposure and open-mindedness that helps to accelerate new ideas. Working in the United States, I know all too well what an American lunch looks like — it's typically anything from a sandwich to a slightly smaller portioned dinner complete with sides. But what about the rest of the world? What are we missing out on? More

We're adding this to our list of pink and red foods for Valentine's Day: red beet gnocchi from Jodi of What's Cooking Good Looking. She uses beets instead of the traditional potato in this recipe, which give the gnocchi a beautiful deep pink color — perfect for Valentine's Day. (Her version is also gluten-free and can be made vegan, if you so choose!) More

I've never been to San Francisco's acclaimed SPQR restaurant, but that hasn't stopped me from thoroughly enjoying Shelley Lindgren and Matthew Accarrino's cookbook. Indeed, the wine director and executive chef make it a point that this isn't a restaurant cookbook but rather a passeggiata, or stroll, through the ancient Roman roads of central and northern Italy. Along this photo-filled journey, readers discover each region's people and wines, along with gorgeous recipes that bridge the traditional and modern. More

It's been months since I yanked basil from the ground and whizzed up some pesto. When basil is in season, I'm slathering it on everything from pasta to crostini to eggs, to the point where it is a kitchen staple. What happens when that pesto-craving hits, but your window-box is bare and the market only has sad limp little bouquets of basil? Get creative.
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Q: I recently made gnocchi from scratch and flash froze a batch of uncooked ones. Unfortunately, when I cooked them they dissolved into a gooey, starchy mess. Since boiling water seemed to ruin them, I tried sauteeing the frozen gnocchi next, with better, but not much better, results. More

Q: My Puerto Rican mother has been cooking Christmas Eve dinner for my Italian father's family since the '90s. The problem: they only eat pasta or plainly-seasoned meat, which creates some creative roadblocks for my mother. Any ideas for dishes to serve to a large, picky Italian crowd?!

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If you're looking for a clever yet easy-to-understand Italian cooking app, we think we've found it. Sara Jenkins' New Italian Pantry is built around the idea that once you have 16 basic Italian ingredients in your pantry, you can create almost any meal with whatever other ingredients you have on hand. Picked up some gorgeous greens at the market? Have a little pork you'd like to use up? Just plug in what you have, and the app will show you what you can do with it. Watch the video below to really be impressed: More

If you happen to be into chick flicks, which I am, then maybe you love the Christmas movie The Holiday as much as me? (Unfortunately I have to watch it alone, because it doesn't meet my fiancé's manly standards.) In one scene in particular, Kate Winslet offers to whip up some "Christmas fettuccine" for Jack Black, who is in need of some much-needed cheer. More