How to Host a Dinner Party

How to Host a Dinner Party

Written by: Mintz, Corey
Illustrated by: Murray, Steve
Introduction by: Polley, Sarah

A fun, informative guide to hosting the perfect party every time.

"Every dinner party experience I’ve had in the last ten years at Corey’s has been incredible. But practice really does make perfect and I can now honestly say there is nowhere I’d rather be in the world than at his table … I can’t begin to express the relief I felt in reading this book and realizing there was a method to his success."
- Sarah Polley, from the introduction

We’ve all been there: twenty minutes before guests arrive, and you’re unsure if you’ve got enough wine, or enough chairs, or whether your friend is a vegetarian or a vegan. Hosting a dinner party is hard, but Corey Mintz can help. For his popular Toronto Star column, "Fed," he has presided over 115 dinner parties, every week opening his home to strangers and friends alike in an effort to perfect the craft of hosting. And in How to Host a Dinner Party, he shares everything he’s learned in a hilarious handbook that will appeal to everyone — from those throwing their first dinner party to seasoned entertainers looking to enhance their skills.

This book guides readers through everything they need to know about hosting, starting with the golden rule — that the goal of a dinner party is to have fun with our friends, not to show off our cooking skills. It will explain why we like to gather for dinner, when we should host, who we should invite, what we should cook, and how we should cook it. Featuring recipes, anecdotes, expert analysis, and an endless bounty of how-to tips, it is the essential guide to perfecting the art of welcoming people into your home.

A fun, informative guide to hosting the perfect party every time.

"Every dinner party experience I’ve had in the last ten years at Corey’s has been incredible. But practice really does make perfect and I can now honestly say there is nowhere I’d rather be in the world than at his table … I can’t begin to express the relief I felt in reading this book and realizing there was a method to his success."
- Sarah Polley, from the introduction

We’ve all been there: twenty minutes before guests arrive, and you’re unsure if you’ve got enough wine, or enough chairs, or whether your friend is a vegetarian or a vegan. Hosting a dinner party is hard, but Corey Mintz can help. For his popular Toronto Star column, "Fed," he has presided over 115 dinner parties, every week opening his home to strangers and friends alike in an effort to perfect the craft of hosting. And in How to Host a Dinner Party, he shares everything he’s learned in a hilarious handbook that will appeal to everyone — from those throwing their first dinner party to seasoned entertainers looking to enhance their skills.

This book guides readers through everything they need to know about hosting, starting with the golden rule — that the goal of a dinner party is to have fun with our friends, not to show off our cooking skills. It will explain why we like to gather for dinner, when we should host, who we should invite, what we should cook, and how we should cook it. Featuring recipes, anecdotes, expert analysis, and an endless bounty of how-to tips, it is the essential guide to perfecting the art of welcoming people into your home.

Published By House of Anansi Press Inc — May 25, 2013
Specifications 192 pages | 5 in x 7.75 in
Supporting Resources
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Excerpt
Written By

Corey Mintz writes the popular Toronto Star column “Fed,” in which he documents the weekly dinner parties he hosts for friends and featured guests.

Illustrated by Steve Murray is a columnist, cartoonist, and illustrator for the National Post. He lives in Toronto.
Written By

Corey Mintz writes the popular Toronto Star column “Fed,” in which he documents the weekly dinner parties he hosts for friends and featured guests.

Illustrated by
Steve Murray is a columnist, cartoonist, and illustrator for the National Post. He lives in Toronto.

“After 150 dinner parties, Mintz is well equipped to dish out advice...with good humour...with a thoughtful introduction by Sarah Polley (a friend of Mintz’s), lively illustrations by Steve Murray and several dinner party-appropriate recipes, the book is beautifully laid out in 10 chapters.” —Maclean's