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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Elizabeth Quinn

Overconfidence, inexperience and vanity: the seven deadly sins of dinner party hosting

Man engulfed in oven smoke.
‘Undercooked meat can go back in the oven, but there is no remedy for overcooked meat.’ Photograph: South_agency/Getty Images

In the age of MasterChef, The Great British Bake Off and Nigella Lawson, the reluctant home cook faces a very high bar. Throw social media showoffs into the mix and it’s enough to deter all but the most supremely confident from inviting friends over for a dinner party.

No one talks about the dark side of dinner parties: the disparate dietary requirements; the culinary carnage.

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