Throwing the perfect dinner party remains the toughest triathlon in the Olympics of entertaining because you are cook, server and host.
You've made up your guest list and menu, now you need to make up your mind - are you going to get through it in one piece? Dan Segall, executive chef and partner at Corner Kitchen Cooking School, shares some of his stress-free strategies for the home chef.
'This appears simple but it is so important. Despite having been in the kitchen for 18 years, I still cook from cookbooks. There are a million great ideas around and they don't always come from your own head. Recipes also give you a point of reference.
'The most important thing is to read the recipe a couple of times before you get involved in the cooking, because things are going to come up during the process and you may not have time to go through the fine print again. If you just quickly scan the recipe, you might miss things like 'soak rice overnight before cooking' or there might be a crucial piece of equipment that you are missing; you just don't want to choke in the middle.
'It's good to try new things but have a couple of the old standards on your menu. If you know you can make macaroni gratin or prawn etouffee with one eye closed, you can focus on the experimental dish, knowing your guests won't starve if it bombs. The other thing is to give a new dish a test run - try it out on a willing spouse or friend before you do in front of a large audience.
'When planning menus, dessert comes last, but during the cooking process, it's the best thing to get done first because it usually keeps best. That way, when you are done pulling your weight with the main courses, you don't have to stress towards the end of the meal.