Ours was a cookbook club potluck, but when you are the host you can pick any theme. Themes encourage creativity and make it easy to come up with inspired details. (Think: ugly-sweater parties, cookie swaps, a holiday comedy roast, Christmas carol-oke, and latke-eating contests.) It can help tie all the elements of a party together, such as the decor, menu, music, and favors.

Also, a well-executed theme means your friends will be definitely talking about your party for years to come. And especially when gathering guests who don’t always know each other, a theme can be a fantastic conversation starter.

Caterer: Linwoods Catering
Floral Design: Simply Beautiful Flowers
All tabletop items a mix of the homeowners’, along with Table Toppers, Wishbone Reserve, and The Turnover Shop.

• Chesapeake Bay Cooking by John Shields
• Bread Baking for Beginners by Bonnie Ohara
• Le Sud by Rebekah Peppler
• What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers
• Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables by Joshua McFadden
• Southern Grit by Kelsey Barnard Clark
• Desi Bakes by Hetal Vasavada
• Pie Squared by Cathy Barrow
• What Goes With What by Julia Turshen
• The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

BUFFET: Roasted chicken with fresh herbs; sliced roast filet of beef; baked dinner rolls; fall arugula salad with peaches, nectarines, candied walnuts, goat cheese, and a citrus vinaigrette; baked French toast topped with fresh berries; artisanal deviled eggs; roasted Brussels sprouts and butternut squash; sun-dried tomato, leek, and goat cheese quiche; and a butternut squash and apple soup. “With Monsters” painting by Katie Pumphrey.

BLOODY MARY BAR: Olives, shrimp, lemons, oysters, celery, tomatoes, peppers, and bacon and brown sugar breadsticks.

DESSERTS: Apple cider doughnuts, blueberry crumble and morning glory muffins, chocolate-dipped macarons, assorted shortbread cookies, sculpted pear mousse, and spiced mixed nuts. Handmade ceramic speckled mugs and cake stands by Kate Rowe Creations.

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN
By Nelle Somerville

Don’t be afraid to use the family silver and integrate family heirloom pieces into modern tablescapes. In fact, the more you use it, the better it stays. Here are some ideas:

• Baby silver cups can be used for florals and are a fantastic conversation starter. This smaller size is a great way to keep your flowers lower to the table, so guests can easily see each other across the table.

• Mix and match your silver napkin rings. These are also great items to collect. Or alternate with a velvet ribbon if you don’t have enough for a large crowd or set every other setting with a bamboo ring to make it more modern.

• Rinse your silver after the big meal and clean more thoroughly later. I put all of our silver in the dishwasher and have lived to tell the tale.

• Keep it polished, once or twice a year with a strong microfiber cloth and Hagerty silversmith polish—I do it to zen out.

THE BEAUTY OF A SHARED MEAL
By Amy Langrehr

Whether it’s with friends or family, big or small, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because it’s simply about coming together to enjoy good food with people you love. No gifts, no pressure.

When we were kids, our family would gather at our house in Kingsville with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We had it there because my dad had multiple sclerosis and getting out and about was not easy. The youngest kids’ main task was to set the table while the big kids watched football or hung out in the backyard.

Aunt Joan’s onion dip (Lipton onion soup mix packet served with Utz potato chips) was always my favorite pre-dinner snack and Aunt Barbara’s coconut cake was the absolute best dessert. The thing I remember most, though, was how everything for the meal came together at the exact right time—it was like magic.

For me, the perfect Thanksgiving plate is dark meat, mashed potatoes with my mom’s homemade gravy, stuffing (Stove Top, a nod to my childhood), green beans, and sauerkraut. To this day, I spoon a little dollop of sauerkraut on the edge of my plate every year as a reminder of my dad.

As much as I treasure those early years, I really like how low-key my Thanksgiving celebrations are now. I am not a huge holiday person, but Thanksgiving with my mom is the best. At 90 years young, she still makes the best crudités plate filled with things like pimento-stuffed olives, radishes with salt, and celery with cream cheese. Sometimes it’s just the two of us and we’ll roast a small bird or maybe just a breast and a couple of thighs that I usually order from Eddie’s to make it easy.

Food memories mean a lot to me. They connect us with our people, especially once they are gone. I love that I can still feel like my dad is there with us with that tiny bit of sauerkraut on my plate. Food memories also take us back to a time or place. Things like picking steamed crabs over newspaper on a picnic table and having a cream cheese and olive sandwich on white bread remind me of my childhood home and the memories my family created there. A super-special treat of a standing rib roast at Christmas, chocolate cream pie on Mother’s Day; those are things that will always remind me of my mom.

One thing I have learned over the years is that the best thing about food isn’t the size of the crowd or how fancy a meal is, it’s about the people we share it with.

A SWEET SOUVENIR: Gather all of the recipes ahead of time and collect them into a book for the perfect favor.

We’ve blinked and it’s that time of year again time  for holiday parties and festive outings. But even the most seasoned partygoers and throwers could use some pointers. Our “Field Guide to Holiday Entertaining” will help you identify everything from what to wear to what to make to what to drink to what to bring. The objective is for every single person to have the very best night. Cheers!

Three Festive Outfits for All of Your Holiday Gatherings

BH&CO
Owner Kohli Flick put together three looks for us, below. A ladies’ holiday dinner/white elephant gift exchange, a work cocktail party, and finally, a New Year’s Eve fête.

An Ode to The Ugly Sweater

Sam Barsky, artist/knitter of sweaters at @sambarskyknitter

“Throughout most of the 1990s, when I was in college, I had a desire to learn how to knit and make sweaters. I finally learned how in 1999, and about a year later, I was designing my own sweaters. Once I realized I could make sweaters depicting anything, it just seemed natural to include holidays in my collection. And Hanukkah was one of the first for which I made a sweater. When others hear the flames glow in the dark, they become interested in seeing this. The flames are made of glow-in-the-dark yarn. I guess the Hanukkah one is popular because of all its bright colors, and Hanukkah is a time when people have a lot of joy.”

Old Bay knit sweater, Route One Apparel.

What to Bring

Seven Rules to Be the Perfect Guest

Katey Clark, Creative Director and Owner Lemon & Lime Event Design

RSVP on Time
Don’t wait for the host to ask if you saw their invite.
Get that RSVP out within 48 hours of receiving it.

Don’t Cancel Unless Truly Necessary
We get it, the holiday season is the busiest time of the year, and nothing sounds better after a busy day of work, sports carpooling, and dinner prep than  parking it on the couch. Unless you or a family member is truly sick, get to that party and have a blast.

Dress Up
Unless noted, most holiday parties encourage festive cocktail attire. Show the host your appreciation and excitement by dressing to impress. Less is not more here.

Bring Breakfast for the Morning
Your host will get plenty of wine and flowers. Bring over muffins, bagels/spread, or a quiche for them to heat up in the morning for an easy breakfast after a late night.

Mingle
Be kind and genuine. Don’t hesitate to approach new people and show interest as you’re talking to them. Avoid making negative comments on the food, guests, or host.

Clean Up
If kids are invited, budget 10 minutes for your kids to help clean up before you leave. Set a timer and make it fun in hopes other children also join. Kids can destroy a basement in a matter of minutes and this gesture goes a very long way.

Thank You Notes Are a Must
A handwritten note will show your gratitude and help your words to stand out. Handwritten notes are becoming a lost art and will truly impress the host.

How to Set the Table

Table Setting Tips and Tricks

Select Event Group

The Focal Piece: To make a cohesive tablescape, we recommend starting with one element in the setting and building from that. For example, find a component that is a must on your table, whether it’s florals, linens, or even something as small as a napkin. These can be the building block for the rest of the table. Whether it’s a pattern or a color scheme, having one item act as inspiration will bring everything together in a beautiful and creative way.

Flatware Positioning: Don’t forget, for a seated holiday dinner, forks will always go to the left of the plate, with knives and spoons on the right. And the dinner knife’s sharp edge should be facing the plate.

Napkin Folds: Don’t underestimate the importance of a nice napkin. It can make all the difference when it comes to elevating your tablescape, even for a simple buffet. For a seated dinner, try a  ribbon tie with a festive plaid trimming or use pinecones or berries as place-card holders next to a simply folded napkin.

What to Make

Aunt Effie’s Cheese Straws

Laura Lippman, Prolific Author

1 lb New York sharp cheddar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter or margarine
Sawa cookie press

The following is from my mother’s handwritten recipe card; comments in parentheses are mine.

Cream grated cheese and butter well with your hands. (With your literal hands, so please wash them first.) Sift dry ingredients together and blend by hand slowly into cheese and butter. (No, seriously, use your hands.) Mix well. (With your hands.)

(Make sure you buy a Sawa with an instruction manual. Use the disc with a single jagged line, sort of like a robot was frowning. Don’t overfill it. The dough is very hard to press, and you will need to practice getting the hang of it, but eventually you will start pumping out ridged rectangles 2-3 inches in length.)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 min. on an ungreased cookie sheet. Timing always varies. Do not let them brown on top. Look for light browning on the bottom. They should be cooled on racks. They freeze exceptionally well.

Potato Latkes & Applesauce

Shelly Hettleman, Maryland State Senator

2 lbs potatoes (preferably Idaho)
1 medium onion
4 eggs
2-4 tbsp matzo meal
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup olive oil

Peel and shred potatoes. Peel and chop onion. Combine potatoes and onion. Add eggs, matzo meal, salt, and pepper; mix well and quickly.

Place oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Spoon potato mixture into hot oil; press lightly to flatten. When bottoms of latkes are golden brown, turn and brown the other side. Remove latkes from pan and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately or collect on cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Applesauce
3 lbs apples
1 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon and/or grated lemon zest
1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar or to taste

Wash, core, and quarter apples. Place apples in a saucepan. Add water and cinnamon and/or lemon zest and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes or until the apples are soft. Use a masher or plunge blender in apple mixture to desired thickness. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Chill to desired temperature.

Mistletoe Shortbread Cookies

Amanda Mack, Owner of Crust By Mack

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

In a medium bowl, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla at medium speed using a hand mixer, two to three minutes until creamy. Sift together flour and salt, gradually adding it to the butter mixture. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter, cut dough into 24 cookies, rerolling scraps only once. Using a 1-inch fluted round cutter, cut into the center of each cookie, making a wreath. Place 1 inch apart on prepared pans.

Flatten frozen raspberries between two fingers and gently press into dough. Arrange almonds and raspberries around the cookie to make a wreath and generously sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely on pans before removing. Enjoy.

How to Decorate

First Impressions

Local Color Flowers

Front-door wreaths are a classic and timeless way to add a touch of festivity to your holiday party and set the tone for guests as they arrive at your home. It says the party is here. A door wreath is like putting fancy stamps on an envelope—it’s letting everyone know there is something special inside.

Where to Sit

How to Make Your Home Super Comfy and Versatile for Your Guests

Raina Smallwood, Owner of Adorn Vintage

This white vinyl swivel armchair is the perfect seat to gather around as loved ones spin tales of holidays past. And it’s a twofer—offering both sleek design and maximum comfort.

This folding stadium bench is the best seat in the house. Perfect for a trio of cousins cutting up in the corner. And when the show moves, these seats can too.

These retro dining chairs will have all of the aunties reminiscing about the good ’ol days. A set of four makes for great seating at the holiday card game. High backs, high seats, and high comfort keep the games going.

These lightweight swivel barstools will keep you on top and in the mix, and are the perfect pair to flank the bar cart and provide a little extra seating. It’s not the holidays without a little holiday cheer, and finding seats closest to the bar setup is a great way to keep the party going.

This vintage tufted sofa will be the evening’s star player. After the food coma has set in, everyone will fight for a seat on this comfy three-seater.

What to Nibble On

Cheese, Please

Prigel Family Creamery

A cheese plate is the perfect way to kick off an evening as friends are pouring their first glass of bubbly and want just a little something savory as the night revs up.

What to Drink

The Cardinal

Brendan Dorr, Dutch Courage

1.5 oz. Farmers Organic Gin
0.5 oz. Fonseca Bin 27 Port
0.75 oz. Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
0.75 oz. Spiced Red Currant Syrup (see recipe)

Shake with ice. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with Topo Chico soda. Garnish with a dehydrated lime and skewered cranberries.

Spiced Red Currant Syrup (yields nearly 2 quarts of syrup)
4 cups sugar
4 cups organic cranberry juice
2 cups dried red currants
2 whole cinnamon sticks
15-20 whole allspice berries
5 whole star anise pods
5-10 whole cloves
1 crushed nutmeg pod

Combine all ingredients, except the sugar, in a large pot over medium-high heat until simmering. Let it simmer for 10 min., until red currants are rehydrated. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Let simmer for an additional 10 min., then remove from heat. Allow to cool, then strain out whole ingredients. Bottle the syrup and store it in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Mole Manhattan

Jake Tarr, Bunny’s Buckets and Bubbles

1.25 oz. Mezcal
1.25 oz. Amaro Montenegro,
0.5 oz. Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur
3 dashes Angostura Cocoa Bitters

Stir and strain all ingredients into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an expressed or flamed orange peel.

The (Spirit-Free) Bar

Darryl Collins, founder of Hopscotch Zero Proof Bottle Shop

The days of offering sober guests limited options are long gone. There are now dozens of delightful non-alcoholic wines, beers, and spirits that allow you to savor the flavor without the burden of a buzz. Consider making a non-alcoholic holiday punch that everyone can enjoy, allowing guests to add a libation of choice to their individual glass if they wish. That way the host can make sure everyone at their gathering has a great time

What to Listen To

Holiday Mix

WTMD Disc Jockeys

In honor of WTMD’s 20th anniversary, enjoy this compilation of festive songs.

The Party is the People 

How to use your friends, in the best way possible,
to throw the most epic of holiday parties.

EDITED BY JANELLE ERLICHMAN DIAMOND

CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING BY JAMIE CAMPBELL BYNUM OF JUNIPER HOUSE STUDIO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIE HOVE ANDERSEN

“I think the idea is that in our friends group, especially with old friends getting together for the holidays, we all bring something to the table. Because of recent events, the act of simply getting together is now a gift and a celebration.”

—Jamie Campbell Bynum, Juniper House Studio

The Hosts

Jamie Campbell Bynum and Drury Bynum

The Guests

Megan Isennock, Dan Martinez, Colin Marshall, Hilton Carter, and Fiona Vismans

How to Properly Guest

Dish: For a shared meal, bring your food in a ready-to-serve dish—no Tupperware, along with the proper serving utensils.

Flowers: If you bring your hosts flowers, have them already prepped in a vessel. No one wants to be snipping stems and searching for a vase as guests arrive.

Wine: Make sure the bottle is ready to go at the appropriate temperature.

Ice: Bring a bag of ice; you always need more ice.

Toast: Toast your host, then keep an eye on their glass and offer to refill it when it seems low.

Clean-up: Offer to help clean up. The host will most likely say no, but the thought is there.

“I’m going for simplicity. No sweeping tablescapes. More like something we’d do for ourselves, but a little more elevated, a little foraged, a little found, with a stylish splash of a floral designer.”

Black Tuesday

By The Baltimore Spirits Company

• 2 oz. Epoch Rye
• 1 oz. Amaro Averna
• 3 shakes Black Walnut Bitters

Stir and strain over ice in a rocks glass. Express an orange over the top of the drink, and drop the orange peel in for garnish.

The Duchess of Earl Grey

By The Baltimore Spirits Company

• 25 oz. (1 bottle) Shot Tower Gin
• 25 oz. Earl Grey tea (fresh brewed)
• 6.5 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup coconut palm sugar
• 8 limes
• Fresh nutmeg, grated for garnish

Peel the limes. Try just to get the peel and not the white pith. Put the peels in a bowl with all the sugar. Mash the peels into the sugar for about 5 minutes. Let the peels sit in the sugar for 30 minutes to an hour. Pour all the sugar with the peels into a container with all the other ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Strain the mixture to remove the peels. Serve from a punch bowl over ice and grate fresh nutmeg on top.

Bring Fresh Oysters to Your Next Party. It’s Food and a Show. 

Don’t be afraid: With a decent shucking knife and a kitchen towel or two, you can handle anything.

Buy great oysters: Oysters are sold alive and should be closed tight. A popped-open oyster is a dead oyster. We’re partial to Maryland-farmed ones, ourselves.

Keep ’em chill: Store them in your refrigerator by putting the net bag they come in inside of a bowl with a damp towel on top. Don’t put them in a sealed plastic bag.

Ice, ice, baby: Oysters don’t need extra ice in the fridge. But, when you take them out to shuck, put them on ice. Serve them on ice, too.

Garnish it: The toppings are part of the fun. Wedge a few lemons,
grab some good cocktail sauce, add a ramekin of horseradish, and try making a creative mignonette.

– Kathleen Tozzi, True Chesapeake Oyster Co.

“We wanted an approachable but elevated table and menu to show how to do this in a way that’s cool and high style, but doable.”

Hostess Gifts

Green/gold tray, Earl Gray tea candle, Ruxton Mercantile; Madhu chocolates, Good Neighbor; Bella Cucina aromatic salts, In Watermelon Sugar; Lord Jones gummies, Hedgerow; brie warmer, Ruxton Mercantile.

Mad About Magnums

A magnum bottle of wine, or party-size, as some would say, is just about the best thing you can bring to a gathering. At 1.5 liters, it’s the equivalent of two bottles of wine. Not only does the wine age better in magnum bottles, but pouring it in front of all your friends and family is cinematic. It is a true delight to share.

—Lane Harlan, Angels Ate Lemons 

How to Make the Perfect Party Playlist

I like a mix of old and new songs that makes me happy, like Devandra Banhart, Beach House, and Leon Bridges; stuff that feels nostalgic, like Vince Guaraldi’s “Charlie Brown Christmas”; anything by Etta James and Nat King Cole; and music that makes me want to hang out till the wee hours, like Frank Ocean, Solange, and Future Islands.

–Jamie Campbell Bynum, Juniper House Studio 

When planning seating arrangements for holiday gatherings, keep in mind personalities, common interests, and even left-handedness versus right-handedness to assure comfort and lively conversation. Solid color place cards (prices vary) at The Pleasure of Your Company. Kate Spade gift enclosures ($24/set of 24) at Simply Noted.

Showing up with a bottle of wine is never a bad idea, but if you’re looking to say “thank you” to your host or hostess for the wonderful evening with a gift that will last past the night, here are a few ideas.