Q:

The best entertaining advice I ever got was:

A:

“Relax, this is not the last party you will throw.”

Q:

My go-to dish is:

A:

It depends on the season, but I love a pantry pasta... to make something special out of almost nothing.

Q:

What’s the star of the show: mains or sides?

A:

Hmm... mains, I suppose, are the crescendo to the night but it's all part of the song.

Q:

Cook while your guests are there or make ahead?

A:

It all depends on the dish and menu. For instance, braising is an all-day affair. Most things I cook are simple with few ingredients, so I love to cook throughout the evening and with friends and guests. Part of the joy of a dinner party at home is the lack of structure (unlike seated dining at a restaurant)—people arriving at different times, hanging in the kitchen, changing a record...you’re gauging when things should happen and you’re choosing when things do happen as the host, but you can’t fully be in control. That spontaneity is the charm for me—it’s a dance.

Q:

How do you create atmosphere?

A:

That’s hard to say—it's never a set idea with music or decor, or menu for that matter. It’s maybe just instinctual at this point, so I hate to put a list together and say this is my music for dinner parties. I don’t really work in list form. All the ingredients of a night make up its composition: lighting, music, food, drink.. but the most important factor in being a great host, in my opinion, is disarming people. Warmth and generosity of spirit guides people to actually relax and have a good time. Nothing is more important than how you make people feel, and that’s what they should leave with... and, of course, the memory of a perfect al dente.

Q:

Biggest entertaining short cut:

A:

A juicy hug and a strong drink. It doesn’t matter how behind you are, or how ‘off' something is—if you can get these two things to your guests as they arrive, you’re on the path to a good night.

Q:

What do you serve store-bought?

A:

Bread and ricotta!