I used to a party person. I used to have people over, on a weeknight, like it was no big deal. But then the pandemic hit, and the next thing I knew it was three years later and I realized I'd barely entertained a soul in all that time. I knew I needed to get my groove back. Enter Natasha Feldman. "There's just something about having dinner and drinks at a friend's house that is 1,000x more memorable than going to a restaurant," the creator of Nosh with Tash writes in her debut cookbook, "The Dinner Party Project: A No-Stress Guide to Food with Friends."
In my heart I know this, and you do too, but if you need a little extra motivation, the book doesn't just make a case for having friends over, it offers easy guidance on how to do it with ease and panache. There's a flowchart of strategies depending on how much time you have, if you're feeling fancy or nostalgic, and how much you're all planning on drinking. There are tips for "avoiding disasters." And of course, there are gorgeous recipes — like for a "very adult salad," for "your new favorite herby meatballs," and for Rice Krispies Treats with an addictive secret ingredient.
