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The Hostess Kit: Wine, Food, Plates & Music for the Parties I Host
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items I love hosting. I do not love spending three days preparing for one evening. These are the bottles, plates, ingredients, and shortcuts that have made me look like I had it together, even on the nights I absolutely did not.
Sections
5
The Bar (Wine, Spirits, Mixers I Keep Stocked)
The Entertaining Shelf
Serveware That Earns Repeat Use
Easy Wins for Food
The Cleanup Crew
The Bar (Wine, Spirits, Mixers I Keep Stocked)
What lives on my bar cart and in the fridge. The bottles I would open for friends.
The mixer that makes a gin and tonic worth drinking. I buy it by the case; running out is the hosting emergency I actually prepare against.
Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water (24-pack)
The one bottle that makes hosting low-effort: Aperol Spritz needs only Prosecco and soda, everyone drinks it, nobody leaves disappointed.
Aperol
One bottle that upgrades four cocktails: champagne, gin, vodka, rum. The hosting trick that makes you look like you thought harder than you did.
St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
The Prosecco I open for the first arrival and keep refilling. Reliably good, available everywhere, nobody turns it down.
Martini & Rossi Prosecco DOC
A non-alcoholic distilled spirit for guests who are not drinking. Serve with Fever-Tree and a lime; they stop feeling like the sober person at the party.
Seedlip Spice 94 (non-alcoholic)
The Entertaining Shelf
Oils, vinegars, finishing salts, the small things that elevate fast food into served food when guests are coming.
Finishing salt with a crunch and a clean flavour. The one that sits on the table during dinner and gets passed around without asking.
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
The condiment that elevates a cheese board, a dip platter, or a slow-cooked lamb without effort. I keep two jars at all times.
Belazu Rose Harissa
Finisher for pasta, eggs, roasted vegetables, or anything that needs one extra layer. A small amount goes a long way; the jar lasts months.
Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Salt
High-quality fruit preserves for cheese boards; the flavoured versions (raspberry, apricot, blackcurrant) do the work of a dedicated condiment.
Bonne Maman Conserves Assorted Gift Set
The scent that signals an evening has been thought about. I light it an hour before guests arrive; the room is already doing work before anyone walks in.
Diptique Baies Candle
Serveware That Earns Repeat Use
Boards, platters, glassware, linens. The pieces that come out at every dinner I host.
A wide, stable board that holds a full cheese and charcuterie spread for 8 people. Mine comes out at every dinner; still looks new after years.
Large Acacia Wood Charcuterie Board
Lead-free crystal glasses thin enough to feel premium but robust enough to go in the dishwasher. The ones that make a table look dressed without effort.
NUDE Terroir Crystal Wine Glasses (set of 6)
Cloth napkins for drinks and appetizers; better than paper, washable, they signal the evening was intentional. I buy in sets of 8 minimum.
Linen Cocktail Napkins (set of 8)
Three knives with the right blade for soft, semi-hard, and hard cheese. Lived on the cheese board so long they have become part of the furniture.
Wüsthof 3-Piece Cheese Knife Set
A deep serving dish that goes from oven to table without looking like it came from the kitchen. The size holds a full dish for 8; the enamel cleans itself.
Le Creuset Stoneware Serving Platter
Easy Wins for Food
The Sicilian green olives that hold their own on a board without any dressing. I buy the large jar; they last two weeks and anchor every grazing spread.
Nocellara del Belice Olives (Belazu)
Thin flatbread crackers that carry cheese without competing with it. Better than standard water crackers; guests notice without knowing why.
Lavosh Crackers Assorted - Cracker Barrel
The sweet finish that closes a dinner without requiring baking. Box on the table after dessert; guests take one more than they planned to.
Lindt Lindor Truffles 200g Assorted Box
The secret base for a quick warm starter or dipping sauce when there is no time. A tablespoon with hot water, spring onion, and tofu is 4 minutes and always appreciated.
Clearspring Organic Japanese Miso Paste
The one element on a board that earns a genuine reaction every time. Stuff with goat cheese or serve with salted almonds; genuinely Middle Eastern and genuinely delicious.
Medjool Dates (premium, pitted, large)
The Cleanup Crew
Dishwasher tabs, scrubbers, the things that make tomorrow morning not awful.
The tablets that leave wine glasses streak-free and serving platters clean in one cycle. I stopped trying cheaper options after the third dinner party with cloudy glasses.
Finish Quantum Ultimate Dishwasher Tablets
Spray that cleans marble, granite, and stone counters without stripping the seal. Safe on every surface I have in the kitchen; smells like a decision was made.
Method Daily Granite and Stone Cleaner
Soap-dispensing bottle brush that cleans wine glasses and decanters without hand-washing risk. The one tool that makes post-dinner cleanup faster than the sink.
OXO Good Grips Soap Dispensing Bottle Brush
One bottle of concentrate that becomes 5 litres of multi-surface cleaner. I refill the spray bottle in the kitchen and bathroom from the same source.
Koh Universal Cleaner Concentrate
Microfiber cloths that clean surfaces with water alone; no chemical needed for glass, counters, and appliances. I go through 4 after every dinner; they wash and reset.
E-Cloth Kitchen Cleaning Cloth (8-pack)