Q: I'm fork- and spoon-challenged -- but I'm entertaining people from work and I really need to get this right. Can you show me the correct way that everything should go around the plate?A: Here are the basics: the utensils for a dinner are placed in the order served, from the outside in. (This eliminates confusion for guests.) To the left of the dinner plate, lay the napkin. On the napkin, moving from left to right, add first a salad fork, then a dinner fork. On the right side of the plate (again, moving from left to right), add a dinner knife followed by a soup spoon. A dessert spoon, facing left, should be laid horizontally above the dinner plate; a dessert fork, facing right, should be placed directly above the dessert spoon. Water and wine glasses should be off to the upper right.
Final Tip: For extra-special touches, use linen napkins, decorative napkin rings or unique place-card holders crafted from copper or other distinctive materials.
Q: We're having a family dinner -- and ham is a favorite. I just don't know how to be sure I have enough of that and the rest of the buffet. Is there a rule of thumb?
A: When planning a buffet, a good general guideline is to prepare for each guest to have two servings. An average serving of ham or turkey would be about four slices (or six ounces).
Q: How long should I chill beer and wine before my guests arrive?
A: About 2 to 3 hours. And if you're putting the drinks on ice (as opposed to in the refrigerator), here are some easy suggestions. First, place individual bottles in plastic bags to prevent the labels from getting wet and peeling off. For white wines, fill a decorative metal tub with ice and arrange the bottles within. To really add some pizzaz to your party, try this trick: begin by placing a bottle of wine (one suitable for chilling) in the center of a round metal ice bucket. Fill the bucket about two-thirds to the top with water, then add garnishes around the sides -- for example, green grapes. Freeze the entire bucket and remove it from the freezer about 30 minutes before your party. Once the exterior of the bucket has defrosted, pull out the ice-cold bottle of wine -- now inset in its own custom ice mold!
