How to Throw a Dinner Party With Just $60

That said, I know us, and we also probably want to make it nice. But to do so, you just have to get creative with things you already have. Mismatched plates and glassware is a mood! Use a linen bedsheet as a tablecloth, or tape down a length of butcher paper! Check the craft drawer for ribbon, if you’re into cute accent bows, and raid the fruit bowl for a centerpiece. Do you have a yard? Stuff a few small branches in a vase. Do you have a scarf? Spread it down the middle of your table like a runner. Lean into a style you can create with what you already own for a party that feels genuinely you.

3 Things Before Friends Arrive

With a DIY-cinderblock TV stand and a dented IKEA table, my apartment is not exactly Architectural Digest–worthy. Still, I manage to throw dinner parties with (if I do say so myself) impeccable vibes. My three favorite moves to set the tone involve no extra spending or errands:

Go on low-power mode. Turn off any overhead lights, and turn on all the lamps you’ve got. If you have candles, light them. Is there a little light in your vent or microwave over your stove? Turn it on, that counts as a lamp. Instantly, everything and everyone looks gorgeous.

Employ a good soundtrack. Music fills the silence so conversation feels pressure-free. Pick something that’s gently groovy but not distracting, keep it at a moderate volume, and if you’re building the playlist by hand, add more songs than you think you’ll need. Mellow R&B is always a good place to start.

Make use of the giant black box on the wall—your TV. Chances are, your TV is right in the middle of the party zone. It’s easy to ignore, but better to integrate—think the Yule Log channel during the holidays, leveled up. Pop on something vibey and artful (bonus points if it’s seasonally appropriate) and set the TV to mute. When set against your playlist, you can pretend In The Mood For Love isn’t a heartwrenching tale of longing and just soak in the visuals.

What to Do About Wine

Photo by Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet

Photo by Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet

When everyone coming to your dinner party asks what they can bring, I believe there are better items to request than wine—more on that here. But there’s a reason the most common answer to that question is a bottle: It crosses something off your to-do list, and allows you to focus your budget on food. Even if you don’t ask for it, at least one friend is inevitably going to stride through the front door with pinot grigio in their bag, so keep some fridge and freezer space available.

Grocery List

Get at the store

• 1 large fennel bulb with fronds
• 1 bunch celery
• 3 lemons
• 1 wedge Parmesan
• 5 oz. thinly sliced mortadella
• 1 1-lb. box short tube pasta (like mezze rigatoni)
• 1 box unsalted butter
• 1 large orange
• 1 jar peperoncini or cornichons
• 9 oz. dark chocolate (about 2 bars)
• 1 carton eggs (you’ll need 3)
• 1 pint heavy cream

Have on hand

• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Cocoa powder

Ask friends to bring

• 1 large piece of focaccia
• Sparkling water and wine
• If your pals are ambitious, you could also hand off the mortadella and/or pepperoncini (cheaper than wine, more useful for dinner)

Prep Schedule

Photo by Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet

Two days out

Day before

• Chop chocolate → keep in a container in the fridge, or on the counter if your kitchen isn’t too hot
• Set aside serveware: platters, serving utensils, individual plates/cups/wine glasses/silverware. Make sure you have enough forks (a personal problem of mine, where do all my forks go?) and if not, borrow some from a pal

4 hours till dinner

• Bake cake → set aside to cool
• Slice fennel and celery → place in a large bowl, top with a slightly damp paper towel and keep chilled in refrigerator
• Shave parm for salad
• Juice lemons for salad
• Slice lemons for pasta
• Grate parm for pasta for the sauce (set a knob of cheese aside for garnishing later)
• Set the table

2 hours till dinner

• Whip cream and top cake with finishing touches

1 hour till dinner

• Set a pot of salted water on the stove for pasta (if your stove heats up fast, wait till 30 minutes out; mine takes forever)

Go time

• Assemble mortadella snacks → plate
• Dress and toss the salad → plate
• Finish pasta → serve out of the Dutch oven