Gatherings From The Kitchn

This week I’ve been sharing the outdoor movie party I hosted with my friend Beth, and today I’m going to give you a full look at how we transformed her tiny backyard into a cozy outdoor living room perfect for movie-watching under the stars. We wanted to give our friends the full outdoor summer movie screening experience, but with lots of homemade touches to make it more personal than the usual movie in the park.

I’ve been sharing glimpses of my recent All-American Beer Bottling Party this week — the initial party plan, the tasty Honey & Chili Chicken Thighs we had for dinner, and how to bottle your own beer — and today I’m going to show you how the whole shindig came together! There were shrimp tacos to start, a batch of amber ale that got bottled, and a table full of good food to share at the end of the day.

This week I’ve been sharing a spring brunch I hosted for my book club, a dressed-up daytime party spent gathered around a pretty table talking books, sipping sparkling wine cocktails and coffee, and eating quiche with friends. Here’s a look at the full party and the recipes I used, beginning with fresh strawberry-basil cocktails and ending with a buttery lemon cake with elderflower whipped cream. Can you think of a better way to spend a sunny weekend morning?

Thanksgiving is the most iconic of American gatherings, and when we were planning our year of Gatherings from The Kitchn, we were already thinking about this holiday and what we wanted to say. The classic image is so memorable: A sprawling family around the table, sideboards creaking under five kinds of pie and an 18-pound turkey burnished to perfection. It’s a feast to make even experienced cooks quake under the weight of expectation, tradition, and sheer logistics.

One of my favorite fall parties I ever threw was this pumpkin-carving party, co-hosted with my friend Lydia, an autumnal afternoon of carving pumpkins, sipping cider and sitting down for a romantic outdoor dinner at dusk. Today I’m going to give you a full look at how we transformed the blank slate of Lydia’s backyard into party central, with a casual pumpkin-carving zone and a cozy buffet and dining area.

Pumpkin-carving parties have become an annual tradition for my friends and I. And along the way, we’ve picked up a few tips and tricks for hosting a better bash — one that provides your guests with everything they need to carve a great pumpkin, but leaves you with enough time to join in the fun. You have enough to worry about when hosting a party — you don’t need to add lugging home a trunkful of pumpkins to your prep list.

This week I’m showing you how a casual Friday evening playing board games with friends can turn into something a little more special thanks to good food, drinks, and minimal yet fun decorations. So far I’ve talked about the party plan and make-ahead menu, and Faith shared her totally delicious recipe for whipped feta dip (not to be missed!). Now it’s time to share how the low-stress party went down! Are you ready to play some board games?

My mother had eight kids and raised us well (in our unbiased opinion!). She homeschooled us in our early years, and taught us important things like how to make sloppy joes and fold fitted sheets properly, then sent us off into the world with good grace. It seems a little silly to single out Mother’s Day as just one celebratory moment, but this spring holiday is still a good occasion to gather the whole family and enjoy a meal together.

A few springs ago, my friends and I spent a sunny afternoon toasting our friend Beth and her baby boy on the way. We skipped the usual baby bottles and blue food, and instead focused on the party details we knew Beth would appreciate: a fresh, sophisticated salad bar spread, sunny and colorful decor, and a fun, simple craft table where guests personalized burp cloths for her to take home.

Plates might not get a lot of consideration when you’re planning a party (other than whether you’re going to go disposable or not), but here’s something to consider: for my recent porch party, I used white plates that had a bit of a lip, or curved edge, and thus discovered a nice benefit of this design:. It’s pretty simple, really: plates with a defined lip or curved edge help keep food from rolling off the plate. (I know, duh.

A few weeks back, on a very hot Southern California day, I had a gaggle of girlfriends over for a tea party in a fancy greenhouse to celebrate the launch of my cookbook, Food with Friends: The Art of Simple Gatherings. I went pretty over the top with a decadent menu of nibbles from the book, soul music crooning from under the table, a dress code (yes, I went there!), and finally a beautiful group walk on the beach when it was all over.

Every year we tell you to skip the fancy prix-fixe menus and crowded restaurants in favor of a home-cooked meal on New Year’s Eve. But the same advice rings true for New Year’s Day brunch. Instead of waiting two hours to spend $20 on a plate of French toast, you can host a cozy, festive gathering from the comfort of your own home (in your pajamas, if that’s your thing).

When I was a kid, I used to build a fort any chance I got: A rainy day was always a good excuse, but growing up in temperate Northern California, it really was a year-round activity despite the constant 74-degree weather. It wasn’t the same fort over and over again, either. Every indoor structure had a very specific purpose and story.

Most of the best — and best-known — dishes in the Eastern European Jewish cannon are heavy, rib-sticking things. They are delicious, to be sure, but not exactly foods you want to eat on a sweltering Friday night. This summer, break out of the traditional Shabbat dinner mold by swapping the classics with fresher, lighter fare that keeps the spirit of the holiday without weighing you down. Here are a few suggestions pulled from my new book, Modern Jewish Cooking.

Making guests feel comfortable is my primary goal at any dinner party I host. On Shabbat, that can be a little tricky. On top of the typical considerations — things like food allergies and guest compatibility — there is just a lot of stuff that happens during Shabbat dinner that can be confusing to people who have not experienced it before. Of course, every Shabbat dinner is a little different. Some folks are very traditional and follow all the rules; others, not so much.

I don’t want to be another in the chorus of voices implying that you should freak out about Thanksgiving. I think that as a meal it gets blown out of proportion to its actual difficulty, and it’s best approached in a relaxed frame of mind. Our small and swanky make-ahead menu emphasizes this grand holiday as the homey, fun gathering it can be. Having said that, advance preparation is the key element of every good dinner party and cheerful host.