Throw a Great Spring/Summer Party

Throwing a party shouldn't be difficult.  Yet, how many have you wanted to leave within five minutes of entering the room?  Either the host is too overbearing, the ratio of drinks to food sucks, or maybe you just did a little too much pre-gaming before you arrived and things start off weird.  Either way, make sure none of this happens when you're the host.  Here's how to throw a great party like a post-graduate member of society.  (Save the keg stands for the 4th of July Party.)

First things First: The Key Word is "Abundance" 

• Make sure you have an abundance of food and drink. Especially drink. Make a house drink in bulk and keep it flowing. 
• For Spring/Summer, try an Aperol-Orange Fizz. It's strong enough for everyone and girls like it. To make it, put equal parts Aperol (a particular orange liquor) and [good] orange juice. For a aesthetic touch, add sliced orange. 
• Fill glass with ice. Add half the aperol-orange mixture. 
• Top with Prosecco

Be a [Good] Host

• Make Introductions, Start Conversations (if you have to, be awkwardly funny)
• Try to be as gracious as possible i.e. don't get pissed if the food doesn't turn out the way you wanted 
• As Obvious as it sounds, be present.  Hopefully your guests want to see you. So if you're going to cook or prepare something, make sure it's within your control. You don't want to  spend the whole time worrying in the kitchen while threatening to burn the place down.

Abundance! Keep the Party on Ice

• Put the White Wine and Prosecco in a bucket with a generous amount of ice (with some water on the bottom to get it really chilled).  That way you're not taking up valuable fridge space and your guests aren't spying on your weird eating habits.  

Play DJ

• Ambiance.  Good Music is as important as the food and drinks. Make a playlist and try to keep the it "middle of the road".  If you think your fiesta will last 4-6 hours, make a playlist that's 6-8 hours long. Always allow for 2 more hours.  There's a remote app too for the iPhone that links to your iTunes so you can control the playlist from your phone (via WiFi).

Invite the Right People

• Glenn O'Brien once said that creating the right environment at a party is like assembling a pick-up basketball team. It's all about chemistry.

"You want somebody who can shoot, somebody who can pass, and somebody who can clear the boards. At a [dinner] party, you want somebody who can be provocative, somebody who can enchant, and somebody who can get laughs. But of course, you don't want a fistfight.  If a guest is part of a couple, you have to invite the other one. Unless you can figure out when he will be out of town. If you invite a single, let him bring a date. Sometimes that surprise guest will be a magical X factor. The host and hostess, or host and host, should sit at the head and foot and put the guests of honor at their rights. Put people who don't know each other together. Do NOT seat couples together. Couples are conversation killers, and the shy one will take the easy way out. If they try to sit together, stop them. In fact, separate them as far as possible. If a ballsy wife tries to corral her husband, seat him next to the cutest girl. Never let a guest subvert your plan, which is based on who should meet whom. The liveliest dinners are probably those where people who misunderstand or fear each other wind up lifelong pals or where love affairs are launched. 'You're getting a divorce?' 'Yeah, remember that dinner you gave last August...?' Excellent."

Keep the Food Simple

• Go Mediterranean.You can't miss with a platter of store-bought olives, good cured meats, and quality cheeses (one soft, one hard and sharp, one mild).
• Go Spanish and make pan con tomate. Get a few tomatoes and a good loaf of bread. Cut bread into slices, and toast them on a baking sheet in a hot oven. Rub each slice a few times with a clove of garlic and then with a halved tomato. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Boom.

• If you daring enough to do dinner, Variety is key. You want a meat (or fish), a vegetable, a starch, a fruit, something spicy, something sweet. A meal should be balanced. If you're serving a heavy, creamy lasagna for a main course, think twice about that homemade tiramisu for dessert.
• Speaking of dinner, Cook as much of the meal as you can ahead of time. You don't want to be the host stuck in the kitchen half the evening, Remember "be present"? It's not fun for you, and it's not fun for your guests. The evening should be relaxing; it should be social. It should not feel like you're running a restaurant.

Everyone Wants Dessert

• It's part of a balanced meal! Once again, keep it simple and keep it in the freezer. Suggestion: A few Ice Cream Flavors and some simple toppings. DIY. You'll be appropriately drunk by then anyway so who cares if you had flourless layer cake lined up. 

Lastly:  Find an elegant way to kick your guests out!

You're on your own :)