h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We have a christmas dinner (four or five courses) with our friends (12 persons in total) in early december, for the sixth time this year. This is always at our place, because we're the only ones who could seat 12 persons on a single table. Some points that have proved to be very useful:

- The earlier the date is set, the better. Apart from other appointments that usually gather before christmas, all the guests have children and they have to hire babysitters in advance. We have sort of a fixed date on the second saturday in december, so everybody knows beforehand.

- We've cancelled the 'everybody brings something' rule a few years ago, out of two reasons. For once, not every dish could easily be transported and the re-heating of hot dishes often takes more time than to cook it in the first place. The other point is, at one time we ended up with one couple buying all the wine for 12 persons, while another couple just had to do the dessert (which was a rather cheap one). So now we buy and cook everything and each guest pays their share, no hassle.

- Cooking? Planning is everything. Even gourmet chefs don't go to the loo without having a plan. Have dishes that could be prepared a day or even days before. Think soup as a starter, and soufflés or other dishes which go in the oven as a main course. See to it that only a few side dishes have to be prepared really fresh. That way, you don't have to stand in the kitchen all the time while the guests are already there. But, have in mind that there's usually just one oven which doesn't hold five dishes at any one time.

- What dishes? Either you have a main course that determines the other courses in some way, such as deer or fish, or you have a motto, like 'italian food' or 'mexican food' which makes it easier. This year, maybe we're having the set meal from 'The 90th birthday or Dinner for One'. Read cookery books to get ideas, and think of the point made before.

- Don't get stressed and have fun. Have one or more digestives after the meal, put everything in the dishwasher or let the guests do the washing-up (only joking).

For the last couple of years, I've organised a christmas dinner for my uni friends - 16 of us in total.

The first was probably the hardest to sort out, as we were living in halls. We all shared one kitchen with a single oven. So we had to commandeer a few other kitchens...

Last year wasn't so bad. We're all living within shouting distance of each other, so we had three kitchens to use. A few of us went to get the veg on the day, and split the cooking between the three houses (I'd already got the turkey).

We'll probably do something similar this year, but I'm not sure where - we won't have enough space this year!

It's always been a formal do - one to dress up for. But it's been really good fun!