Issue Date: November 10, 2002

In this article: Where to find more creative tips Other recipes this week: Ethnic Thanksgiving: Mexican Mole Sanchez Chinese Sweet Potato-Coconut Purée Greek Bread: Hortopita Jamaican Mango Chutney

Ivory Coast Fried Plantains Indian Green Cabbage Thoran Cuban soup: Guiso de Maìze Vietnamese Grapefruit Salad PLUS: All-Purpose Butter Cookies Cookie variations Classic Thanksgiving Dressing Ginger-Cabbage Salad "Can"-do cooking: The tinned gourmet

No-sweat entertaining
Have a heaping helping of advice from four experts on party pizazz.
By Michele Hatty

Friends and family soon will gather to eat, drink, catch up and celebrate the holidays. Will you be the host? If so, you don't have to be stressed out, say four seasoned party planners and entertaining gurus. All it takes is a little planning, a fresh eye and the courage to be creative. Read on for inspiration:

The menu: Don't be a kitchen martyr
When it comes to planning the menu, think fast. "You get no medals for chopping, slicing, dicing and doing it all from scratch," says Colin Cowie, party planner to the stars and host of WE's "Everyday Elegance" with Colin Cowie (Saturdays, 8:30 p.m. ET). "Plan a menu that won't keep you chained to the stove. Do a soup or a salad as a starter, then a one-dish main course in the form of a casserole, a risotto or a pasta dish. And finish with a fantastic store-bought dessert."

Don't be afraid to take shortcuts. "The savvy entertainer is the person who is resourceful -- who knows how to get the end results, the biggest bang for your buck, without spending a fortune of time or money."

To that end, Cowie shares his tricks. "I use store-bought marinades. I buy meat and fish that's already half-prepared. I buy a great salad dressing and doctor it up. I buy a cheesecake from a restaurant down the road from me that does a spectacular job. I wouldn't even attempt to make it." It's even all right, he says, to get a complete takeout meal from your favorite restaurant, reheat it at home and transfer it to your own serving dishes.

The key, he says, is to serve the best food possible. And if you have it in your budget to splurge a bit, even better: "If you want to do seafood, fly in crabs from Maine. Want amazing ribs? Fly them in from Texas. For a great Virginia ham, order it from Harry & David [harryanddavid.com]." But even if you pick up everything from your local supermarket, he says, the bottom line is, "There's no excuse not to entertain in style today."

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The wine: Bend the rules
For many get-togethers, you'll want the wine to flow. Private wine consultant Judy Beardsall says people are too anxious about the "rules" of wine. So how do you navigate the vino scene?

"Get to know the people at your local wine shop," she says. "They can help you develop your tastes and will suggest the right wines for your meal." For instance, Beardsall suggests serving a California red zinfandel with the Thanksgiving turkey: "It's a patriotic holiday. Drink American wine."

With expert picks in hand, try each party wine ahead of time to be certain it meets with your approval. Then, once you know what you want to serve, plan ahead. "The holidays are wine shops' busiest time," she says. "If you're going to need more than a couple of bottles, make sure to get your order in at least a week before your party."

Don't forget non-drinkers: Add a bottle or two of sparkling cider to your list.

In terms of quantity, Beardsall suggests planning on half a bottle per person over the course of a dinner party. Help guests regulate how much they're drinking by refilling their glasses only when they are nearly empty. And don't fret over whether you have the right glasses. "It's OK to use the same style glass for red or white," Beardsall says, "as long as it's clear, has a stem and is not terribly big."

The table: Repeat elements
With the menu set and the wine ordered, it's time to think about the table. Preston Bailey, a New York City-based event designer, advocates matching shapes and colors to create a classic, elegant tabletop.

"Repeat things: Take votive candles and group them into three tight groups. Space the groups evenly along the length of the table and you have an elegant look," he says. "Or fill three matching glass bowls with fruit: a bowl full of red apples, one of green grapes, another of oranges. Space those out along the table. It's simple but elegant. Or repeat shapes: Use square serving platters and plates at a table featuring cubes filled with fruits or candles."

It's not all about buying new table dressings, though. "When I have a party," Bailey says, "I go through my house and try to look at everything with a fresh eye. I'll mix and match dishes -- sometimes I'll use one color for men, one for women."

Bailey also takes inspiration from nature. "Lay a sprig of berries across a white, folded napkin to add a little color to the table," he says. "Make leaf place mats by taking leaves from your back yard and gluing them in an overlapping pattern onto pieces of cardboard. Or use individual leaves as place cards by carefully writing or typing names on them. Improvise with what you have."

The setting: Rethink your things
The same goes for the rest of your house during the holiday season. Designer Susie Coelho urges you to re-examine your usual style.

"Thanksgiving is all about texture. Pine cones, twigs, leaves. The turkey has texture, the color of sweet potatoes, of cranberries. These can be your cues," she says. "Use them as your color palette, bringing a little earthiness in."

As you prepare to deck the halls, make use of what you have, but give it a twist. "If you're decorating for Christmas, for example, take all of your decorations and separate them into groups of similar things," she says. "In the end, you may find you have a ton of Santas, a slew of angels and a distinct collection of glass ornaments. Instead of throwing them all up on the tree, do different vignettes around the house."

Most important, and this is true for all elements of entertaining: Enjoy the creative process. Don't censor yourself. And trust your instincts. Says Coelho: "The holidays are the time to express your creative spirit."