I would only add one thought to it. As a member of a group that, several times a year, prepares sit-down dinners for over 100 at a time, there is one other thing to keep in mind.

Always have more food than you think you will need.

The last thing you want to have happen is for your guests to leave hungry. It allows you to recover if something happens and one item on the menu turns out badly, or be able to handle an extra guest or two if someone surprises you by bringing their old friend along. And while your candied Brussels sprouts may be the greatest thing this side of the Mississippi, if Frank’s wife Sophie doesn’t like Brussels sprouts, you won’t make both of them feel awkward with an empty plate while everyone else is chowing down.

p.s. A well-made and elegantly presented parfait should delight your female guests after the men have satisfiedatheir primal instincts with the rib roast…