More Rules for Hosting a Dinner Party

Plus: Garlic Mushroom Couscous, Parmesan Asparagus, and Upside-Down Citrus Cake.

Hey everyone,

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Yesterday, Joanna Goddard published my essay “How to Be A Good Dinner Party Host: Seven Rules” and as the article went live, I was in the process of cooking for another dinner party.

Our friends Mason and Zack were coming to dinner and I was busy making my favorite citrus upside-down cake (recipe here) with the bounty of citrus I had leftover from last week’s CSA.

It’s funny to read the comments on the Cup of Jo post, because the thing that was most triggering for people was that I said: “Don’t do the dishes in front of your guests!” My point was that if people see you working, it takes away from their fun and makes them feel bad.

That said, I sometimes do dishes in front of my guests — usually if they’re close friends and we’re all just hanging out. I’ll also start doing the dishes if it’s time for people to leave (I start to wane at 11-ish). I suppose that’s a kind of passive-aggressive dishes-doing.