Making and eating dinner with your friends should be a pleasure—nothing tops getting people together, sharing good food, and laughing until you cry. The Dinner Party Project is hereto revive and democratize the dinner party, to make it a fun, communal practice rather than a stressful solo performance by the host.

Move over, fussy recipes with ingredients lists that run a mile long. This cookbook has not only 80+ simple yet impressive recipes, but also 24 menu suggestions plus tips and tricks for taking the pressure off of hosting. Feldman provides recipes for every mood and cooking comfort level (including permission to order takeout or delegate to friends), with sections on appetizers, main dishes, cocktails or mocktails, sides, desserts, and even dedicated chapters on the perfect pizza party or taco night. Whimsical illustrations help demystify the cheese plate, offer store-bought dessert options, and guide you to your ideal dinner menu; tips within each recipe not only ensure great results but also help you plan ahead and avoid last-minute scrambling.

Recipes include:

Crunchy Radishes Dipped in Honey Fennel Butter Peel ’n’ Eat Shrimp with Basil Dipping Magic Perfect Seared Ribeye with Pistachio Date Salsa Verde Party Pesto Very Adult Salad: Bitter Greens with Roasted Grapes and Pecorino Veggie Pot Pie with Black Pepper and Parm Phyllo Thin Mint Pudding Pie

So go ahead: pick a date, plan a menu, and invite people over—after all, nothing brings friends together like a good meal.

Other cookbooks by this author

• The Dinner Party Project: A No-Stress Guide to Food with Friends