Food & Drink 

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Lively dinner party ideas

All dinner parties have the same basic structure: the guests arrive, have a drink and a nibble, sit down to eat, wind down with coffee and/or dessert then leave. Why not mix things up and make your party one that guests talk about for weeks to come?

Food that's fun or a bit tricky to eat, or that involves your guests in the preparation, is the culinary equivalent of a game of Twister. It's also ideal for livening up guests and creating rapport and energy. Lay out all the ingredients, give clear instructions to your guests, and invite them to do all the work. That way, everyone has something to do, shy people get involved, and the food becomes a natural focus of conversation.

It's a good idea to serve interesting punch or cocktails when people arrive (essential if members of your family are coming). Prepare everything in advance - you may long to escape and hide in the kitchen but your guests will be left stranded and feeling awkward. Then vary the rhythm of the meal, so you're not sitting staring at your plate and the same bit of the wall for hours.

Five-point anti-dull party plan:

1.  Break the ice with a heady strawberry punch: mix 1 bottle of white wine with a handful of strawberries, roughly chopped, 10 mint leaves, removed from the stalks and chopped, and 3 tbsp of vodka. Leave for a couple of hours to chill and add a handful of ice cubes before drinking.

2.  Lay the first course out on a side table and have it as a buffet, for example, or insist that people switch places between each course, to see if they find more in common with their new neighbour.

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