As I see each season of Top Chef I see that clock ticking and know that the clock is my bete noire in the kitchen!
In order to remedy this fault, I resort to a scribbled timetable of what goes in when, then just follow it.
Guests arrive at seven so appetizers have to go into the oven 15 minutes before and the oven has to be turned on 1/2 hour before they arrive.
I like to do simple dishes that don’t require a lot of preparation right before serving, because I like to enjoy our guests as well. Or, it’ll be a grill night with guests helping my husband cook the perfect steak.
One of my favorite things to do is menu planning. I used to sit on my bed with cookbooks all around and plan away. I haven’t had one of my books in the past three years so have had to look online for new things and match them with my cooking knowledge and experience.
Try the timeline. For a 7:00 dinner put in the roast at 3:00 after pre-heating the oven, then go from there. Prep, prep, prep, so you can enjoy your guests. Lots of little bowls are helpful.
My mother used to not want me to cook, just because she said I used every dish in her house! Mise en place, Mom! Cheers, Dee
Cooking with Dee 
I’m making dinner for friends tonight; it has to be cooked and assembled at the last minute. Not my favorite way to entertain, but I think it’s going to be worth it for this dish…
Let me know how it went! If you’ve got mis en place, you’re good to go. Starting to chop garlic, scallions, et al after guests arrive is an issue for me. Thanks for contributing, as always. To my readers: PDX and I have been friends since the first week we started our blogs (hers has more readers) and while I send her Western music CD’s and she sends me hand-knitted winter hats, we’ve still never met! Someday soon, I hope. Check out her site. D