Creating a menu need not be a long process but it is a fun one. The first question to answer is, "What, who or why are we celebrating?" The answer to this question helps shape the purpose of the dinner party as the “who,” a special guest, might influence food choices. A "what," such as a holiday or business success might also steer the menu's direction toward one kind of dish or featured ingredient. For example, if the purpose of your dinner party is to "give back" to friends who have hosted in the past, your menu can be more flexible than a party for a lactose intolerant, vegetarian who is celebrating her 48th birthday with you.

The second question to ask is, “What's Your Flavor?” Hosts with a strong hankering to cook a particular cuisine, such as French Bistro, or specific dish, such as Osso Bucco, should start with these ideas and see if they compliment the purpose of the dinner party. At this stage, there is no need to focus on budget, skill level, or timing as these will generally be most critical in determining exact dishes. At ChefsLine, chef consultants have professional experience in most world cuisines, which gives authenticity and depth to menus based on a particular region. Whether working with a chef or alone, home cooks should be clear about their food likes and dislikes for the party at hand. Baseline food allergies and dietary restrictions should be noted as should the stands at the farmer's market or grocer. Ingredients that are in-season will taste better and be less costly; two considerations when cooking and entertaining.

The next issue in creating a menu is style. Many people who entertain at home have a strong preference for family-style, plated, or buffet-style presentation. Generally, family-style foods are self-serve but not necessarily less elegant than meals brought to the table on plates. A buffet is best reserved for larger dinner parties, parties that are shorter in length, or "party time," child guests, or guests with strong food preferences. Chef Kevin Weeks, like most chefs, is inspired by the season. "If I am excited to serve beef - a hearty pot of braised beef ribs would be a great winter menu for family and friends. But if it's summer, I'm making barbequed ribs - they're lighter and a better choice with summer vegetables." Season not only influences the kinds of main courses to serve but also side dishes. Most foods are at their best and most enjoyable during their proper season. For example, avoid asparagus in the winter, go for roasted root vegetables or winter squash. Consider Brussels sprouts instead of a salad in the late fall.

Kevin, a personal chef and ChefsLine consultant, always begins his planning with the main dish and the party’s purpose or theme. Kevin says, "For example, Beef Wellington might be perfect for a romantic dinner, but braised beef ribs would be a better choice for family and friends. This is because Beef Wellington requires more effort to prepare and involves timing issues – you want the Wellingtons to arrive at the table on a precise schedule. Wellingtons might also make a good choice for a formal dinner party because they can be prepared in advance and make an elegant presentation."

For some cooks, the party's purpose, season, cuisine, guest list, or even the last best thing they had for dinner is enough to help focus the menu. Perhaps you would enjoy serving a family-style Italian meal featuring beef and allowing you to use your new stovetop grill pan? Or, you would like to serve an elegant plated meal featuring flavors from your recent trip to the Bahamas. Maybe you have a signature dish from your youth, such as a three-cheese macaroni, that you'd like to prepare again? You've had much success with recipes from your favorite food magazine, and perhaps you would like to try the dish shown on the most recent cover? Whatever dish or ingredient gets your creative juices flowing is your first dish decision and try to stick with it.

As to how many courses, like everything else, it depends. These days we typically serve more than one dish at a time so the days of even six or seven course meals are pretty much a thing of the past. Some sort of hors oeuvres' are almost always called for, just to give folks a little something to munch on while everyone gathers. Dessert is required at any party, although it need not’t be elaborate. It also depends to some degree on how well you know the guests – the less well you know them the more thought you need to give to alternatives such as offering a chicken or vegetarian option. Also, the more people you’re serving the more dishes you should prepare. A buffet for 24 might call for two salads, two main dishes, two desserts, and half a dozen side dishes. A dinner party for six probably needs no more than an appetizer, a single main dish, one or two side dishes, and a dessert.

After determining your main course or "flagship" dish, select your other courses by tastes and also texture and color. Does the plate include something chewy (often the meat in the main course), something crunchy, something soft, and something creamy? These textural contrasts make simple chewing more fun. Also look for opportunities to include bright colors like red or yellow beets, orange carrots or sweet potatoes, white parsnips or potatoes, and greens go almost without saying. Will my menu be satisfying to everyone? There are five basic tastes (flavors, which are nearly infinite, are combinations of tastes and smells) and every meal should ideally contain all five tastes: Sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami. The main dish almost always satisfies the need for unami, or savory. Sometimes, the dish includes others – including sweet.

A dinner party menu that includes all five tastes is simply more satisfying. Not that not all tastes, textures, and colors must appear on the same plate or at the same time. Crackers with a cheese and proscuitto spread are a delicious hors d’oeuvre and combine crunchy, soft, pink, tart, and salty. Rhubarb mousse is a wonderful springtime dessert that’s tart, sweet, smooth, and creamy, and an appealing light red color. Expertly balancing flavors among your dishes is also an important consideration, and an area of expertise reserved for the most experienced of home cooks. Let the cuisine and its influences be your guide. For example, a meal with an arugula and mozzarella salad, Thai Curry, couscous with dates, and a strawberry pie might satisfy taste, texture, color, and timing considerations, but it's just "not right."

A great dining experience stirs up memories for guests, and that familiarity should be coaxed and rewarded by complimentary flavor profiles. Travel, migration, wars… these have all had an incredible impact on world cuisines and the "best-of" combinations are well documented in cookbooks. When in doubt, refer back to your menu's cuisine or keep your dishes on the same continent.Don’t forget about drinks. Sangria is an excellent and easy spring or summertime beverage, hot mulled cider is wonderful on a chilly fall night. Barbeque demands either beer, iced tea, or homemade lemonade – perhaps all three.

A key consideration in planning your menu is of course, your skill and time. Is a dinner party time to try out a new recipe? Yes, of course if it was developed by a reliable recipe or cookbook author. Is a dinner party time to learn a new cooking technique? If you feel confident that you have the time to dedicate to the cooking process while also preparing the house for guests, then this party might be just the reason you need to stretch your skills. Is a dinner party a good time to try an ingredient you have never tasted or is exotic? Probably not. A key to successfully preparing a dish is tasting and seasoning and if you are unfamiliar with or worse yet do not like the ingredient, your dish and confidence will be lacking.

Although your menu might appear easy and your recipes are written with the moniker of "30 minutes or less," only experience or a cooking timetable will help you determine "do-ablity." According to Chef Kevin, "I find that it usually takes two or three passes to completely tie down the menu. One reason for this is your dinner party recipes need to take account of prep time, the need for various cooking vessels, and the availability of the oven and stove top."

Kevin writes, "For example, if you’re braising beef ribs then your Dutch oven will be required as will the oven itself for about three hours at 350 degrees. That pretty much eliminates the oven for other uses. So plan side dishes that can cook on the stove top. Something like a mousse or cheesecake are great desserts because they can be made a couple of days in advance and can be served with no additional prep. It your oven is tied up with a braise, consider sauteing root vegetables. The veggies can be prepped and par-boiled in advance, then tossed with olive oil and dried herbs before sauteing just in time for dinner."

Although friends might share their "best recipes" and tips with you, you cannot always count on them being available to walk you through a dish or complicated cooking technique. Best to let your own comfort level and a thorough review of your menu's recipes be the guide to making individual dish decisions. Fortunately, great friends and services such as ChefsLine, are available when you find yourself in a pinch.

According to Chef Kevin: “The single, greatest tip for a successful party is to do as much as possible in advance. This removes a lot of pressure as well as making sure you have time to recover if something goes awry.” Begin your scheduling process by deciding how far in advance dishes (or parts of dishes) can be prepared. These are things you can get out of the way the night before or a week before. Decide when to do them, put them on your schedule, and forget about them for now. What you’re left with is the stuff that must be done the day of the party. Again, figure out what you can do in the morning or evening before and add those items to your schedule. For instance, you could make the salad in the morning and then store it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add the dressing and serve it. Vegetables for a braise could be peeled and cut up as much as 12 hours in advance.

Now you’re down to the nitty-gritty – the dishes and preparation that have to be done just before, or even during, the party. Pick the item that takes the longest time. Figure on having it ready 15 minutes before serving, now back up from there.

For example, suppose you’re grilling a pork loin and you plan on serving at 7:00 PM. The loin needs to be done at 6:45, it takes 45 minutes to cook over a low fire so it needs to start at 6:00. And it will take the grill (if you’re using a charcoal grill) about 30 minutes for the fire to be right, so the fire starts at 5:30.

And there’s your schedule for the loin:

5:30 – start fire : 6:00 – start loin : 6:45 - pull loin off grill : 7:00 – serve

In working up this schedule you may find some equipment conflicts or find that you need a few extra hands. If so, rethink your menu. Better to know of the conflict in advance than discover it at the last minute.

Once you've decided on your dishes, thoroughly review your recipes and create your shopping list.

ChefsLine Has Over 100 Menus Developed by ChefsLine Chefs For Our Member's Special Occasions. Following are links to some of our favorites.

Impress the Guests, Save Time
Backyard Party for a Crowd
Fall Colors
Country Ribs and Slaw
A Southwestern Spread
Summertime Vegetarian Lunch
Tapas Birthday Party

Below is a lovely Romantic Winter menu by Chef Kevin that demonstrates how all elements of a menu work together.  Kevin enjoys Mediterranean foods, hearty fare, and baking - preferences very evident in the style of his menu.

	Tastes	Textures	Colors	Prep
Individual Beef Wellingtons	Savory	Chewy, crisp	Brown, gold	Assemble day before then bake before dinner
Beet Salad	Sweet, tart	Soft	Red, gold, green	Make in advance and assemble just before serving
Sauteed broccoli rabe with pancetta & pine nuts	Bitter, salty, savory	Soft, chewy, crunchy	Green, red, white	Saute just before serving
Chocolate mousse	Sweet	Soft, creamy	Brown	Make the day before