Simple Pleasures: Share Supper in the Kitchen

What could be cozier than a simple supper in the kitchen with friends? Part dinner party, part casual gathering, a shared meal in the kitchen instantly puts people at ease — it naturally invites participation and takes a lot of pressure off the host. The size of your kitchen will somewhat determine the number of people you can invite, but you may be surprised by how many friends you can squeeze in. Below are some of our best tips to make your cozy kitchen supper a big hit.

Make it special: Write down the menu. It doesn't need to be superfancy to feel special; just include a main dish plus one side, a make-ahead dessert and a few easy nibbles to set out right away. Someone once told me never to try a new recipe for company, and I think that is sage advice. Why stress? Choose something you have made and enjoyed before, and you will be more relaxed ... which means you will also be a better host.

When your menu is set, make it official: Write everything on a chalkboard or make a sign.


Start with a clean, cleared kitchen. Run and empty the dishwasher, dry and put away dishes on the draining rack, and take out the trash. Remove all nonessential and nonbeautiful items from your counters. Hide clutter in a cupboard or even under your bed if you must — whatever you need to do to make your kitchen more visually pleasing ... at least for one night.


Set up your mise en place. Make like Julia Child and set the stage for success in the kitchen by preparing in advance. Gather your supplies — cutting boards, pots and pans, mixing bowls etc., and have everything neatly set out and ready to go. Choose your best-looking, oven-to-table-type cookware. Look through the recipes you will be using and do a little prep work (wash veggies, chop onions) to make things easier later.


Decorate naturally. A pot of fresh herbs, a bowl of gourds and a vase of simple flowers snipped from outside or picked up at the market are all you need to decorate for your kitchen dinner party.

If you don't have time to gather even these things, don't fret. The fresh produce you will be cooking for dinner, arranged nicely on the counter, will be ornament enough. If you have a garden, you can always run out at the last moment and snip some flowers, herbs or pretty foliage to adorn the table with.


Bring in supplemental lighting. Soft, glowing light makes everyone look beautiful and conceals flaws in your kitchen to boot. While cooking, it's fine to have the overhead lights on, but when you are ready to sit down, turn to other lighting methods. Here are some ideas:
If your overhead lights have a dimmer, use it.If your overhead lights are terrible (for example, old fluorescents) bring in floor and table lamps from other rooms and use those instead, even while cooking. The light should be fine as long as you use higher-wattage bulbs (at least 75 watt).Tuck small table lamps with low-wattage bulbs onto the kitchen counter for an ambient glow.Hang a strand or two of café lights or fairy lights over your table or island.Put candles everywhere.


Have snacks ready to go. There is no need to tire yourself out making elaborate small plates — some ripe, in-season fruit plus nuts, cheeses and olives would be ample. Vary the height of your display for visual interest and set everything out (along with the makings for drinks or a bottle of wine) before guests arrive.

A few ideas: Put antipasti on wooden or marble cheese boards, a wood slab or cake stands; stand up cheese straws or bread sticks in glasses; plunk olives and nuts in tiny bowls or ramekins.


Option 1: Feed people at the bar. If you have a kitchen bar or island, you can set up dinner right at the counter. If you love to cook, consider this your chance to play Food Network chef and feed your friends delicious tidbits as soon as they come out of the pan.

If you are planning a more collaborative cooking experience, take a moment to clear the counters after the cooking frenzy, and sit down together with friends.


Option 2: Sit at the kitchen table. A breakfast table is a natural place for sitting down to a casual supper with friends. Put a vase of flowers and some small (unscented) tea lights on the table before your friends arrive, and assign someone the task of setting the table when you get closer to eating time. Of course, you could set the table in advance, but having friends help do this small task makes everyone come together, and it's a great way to break the ice.


Set a simple but special table. Speaking of the table, just because this is a simple and casual gathering doesn't mean it can't also feel a bit elevated from the everyday. Make little place cards, put out some of your favorite dishes or trot out the heirloom tablecloth. Temper one or two special details with something more humble — like silverware in a caddy or flowers in a jelly jar.


Borrow furniture from another room. A soft rug or cushy seat can be an absolute delight if you have the space. A love seat can house a few friends who want to chat and drink wine while others cook; or it can serve as a cozy spot for dessert and coffee. Just rolling out a nonkitchen-y rug can elevate the entire room.


Get creative with table coverings. If you are eating at the bar, there is no need to cover your counters — and really, there is no need to cover your kitchen table, either. But if you want to, here are a few cheap and chic ideas to try:
Use superinexpensive burlap. No need to hem; just cut with scissors and leave the ends frayed. This works equally well as a tablecloth or runner.Cover your table in brown butcher paper.Pick up a painter's drop cloth at the hardware store and paint it with stripes or stencils.Use double-sided tape to stick a length of pretty wrapping paper down the center of your table.How to make a pretty burlap runner


After the fact: Keep a gatherings journal. When the guests have gone home, the plates have been cleared and the event is still fresh in your mind, take a moment to jot down a few notes about what went well, what could use work and what, if anything, you were missing.

Would it be nice to have a set of simple white dishes and bakeware? Would you have liked more garlic in the chicken dish? Bigger napkins? Better speakers for dinner music? Record it all — even, if you want, who was there and what you ate. Years from now this journal could be a fun way to walk down memory lane.


Dream big. If you enjoyed having friends for supper in the kitchen, make a plan to repeat the event. Perhaps you could even start a kitchen supper club, where you rotate homes and trade recipes.

And you may as well start adding some favorite images and ideas to an inspiration file for your dream kitchen. Mine would definitely include a hearth. What about yours?

More: 10 Reasons to Bring Back the Humble Kitchen Table

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