Sometimes, there’s just no place like home – especially when it comes to entertaining your friends. You don’t have to worry about people showing up on time, bad service or being shooed away to make way for second seating. And, with the right preparation and party food, you can have an evening of fun and good fare that will rival any night at restaurant.

Taryne Hall is a master of homegrown entertaining thanks to her catering and event planning business, Relish Kitchen. I’m a very casual entertainer, says Taryne, who often hosts summer barbecues at home and enjoys dining alfresco. I find the best conversations happen as the sun is setting, when everyone is fed and a slight food coma settles in.

For house parties, Taryne suggests food platters that are hearty, healthy and bursting with colour. Here, she presents a bright and cheery menu featuring lamb tenderloin bites served with a chimichurri dipping sauce; a trio of fresh, chunky salads served in eclectic bowls and cups; whole artichokes served alongside creamy goat’s cheese and chipotle tomato sauce atop crusty bread.

For a sweet treat, a two-tiered, spiced blueberry chia seed cake with whipped ricotta yogurt does the trick. If there’s a lot of food left over, Taryne advises packing takeaway boxes fro your guests – they make for practical goodie bags, and ones that can be devoured later on to fight the hangover.

Photography Edgar Tapan

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