Anything goes.

Over the years, I've hosted a successful dinner party or two (an epic, eight-course dinner for ten friends cooked out of a kitchen smaller than my studio walk-in closet; Thanksgiving dinner my freshman year of college; etc.), but the latest in my portfolio might have reached new heights (literally) last weekend.

My friend Amanda (fellow food enthusiast and an aspiring marathoner -- check out her brand-new blog!) joined our little group when she moved to the D.C. area last year. Now, just in case you haven't picked up on the theme, to give you an idea of the fullest extent to which food permeates my life, even my closest friends here are joined by a common love for food: our e-mail distribution list is called "Potluck People." (Of course, we've branched out from only food-related events, but you can pretty much guarantee a snack when spending time with these folks.) As we got to know each other, Amanda and I discovered that we shared a serious passion for cooking. We decided to throw a dinner party last weekend, and we settled on the Great Gatsby as a theme.

We constructed a buffet menu fit for one of Gatsby's parties, called up a Cole Porter channel on Pandora, decked ourselves out in sequins, fringe, feathers, and knotted pearls, and -- la pièce de résistance -- strung up an old-fashioned set of lights on Amanda's fabulous Capitol Hill townhouse rooftop. The roof proved a bit tricky to get to, particularly in high heels and with a drink (or two) in hand (and belly) -- a precarious ladder and completely unsecured step stool get you most of the way there, requiring one last boost from a toned pair of arms as one hoists him/herself up to get to the refreshing breeze. But it's well worth the effort: a perfect view of the Capitol and Washington Monument. We somehow dragged an entire cake up to the roof, popped a bottle of Champagne, and a good time was had by all.

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Bev's Rules/Reminders for a Successful Dinner Party:

• Have a great co-host(ess) -- Amanda is an excellent chef and a fun prep buddy...hours of singing and chopping in the kitchen.
  
• PLAN AHEAD. You'll need a menu, shopping list, and a detailed, hour-by-hour game plan for the day-of (cleaning, chopping, prep, setup, preheating ovens, etc.)
• Remember that even the best laid plans will at some point be unceremoniously derailed by, oh, say, a bag of mussels (and their replacement bag) dying in the summer heat before you can get them home to the fridge.
• Remember that pancetta burns fast.
  
• Leave time for the chefs to shower before guests arrive.
• If guests ask if they can bring anything, tell them "ICE."
  
• When the guests arrive, just relax (no matter how much you have left to do). The most important thing is to remember to have fun at your own party -- it's amazing how easy it can be to forget that when you have all four stove burners going and a sink full of fishy dishes, so it's a good thing your friends will be around to remind you.
  

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The Menu:
Appetizers

• Stuffed mushrooms with cayenne pepper
• Sun-dried tomato and pesto palmiers
• Mesclun greens with orange, strawberry, toasted almonds, blueberry goat cheese and a citrus vinaigrette
• Chilled cucumber-mint soup
  

Dinner

• Baked tilapia with fennel, lemon, and pancetta
• Sautéed veggie ribbons with fettuccine and herbs
  
• Summer vegetable risotto

Dessert

• Southern lemon squares
• Amanda's decadent brownie layer cake

Drinks

• White sangria with nectarines and citrus
• Red sangria with plums and berries
  
• (A few people brought other beverages, in the prohibition style)