Susan in Alameda asks:

How in the heck do you get all the food to the table warm and have each dish cooked just right? Especially for dinner parties?

Chef Stephen answers:

Hi Susan, Chef Stephen here.

You should know that throwing a dinner party is about as stressful as public speaking for most people; anxiety is a common ingredient. But never fear, like under dog, Chef Stephen is here!

First of all, it's important to determine the cooking times for each dish, what could be pre- or par- cooked in advance, and how to finish the food in the proper order. I've put together a mock menu so that we can get a better picture of what I'm talking about.

Here’s the menu for your fabulous dinner party:

Heirloom Tomato and Roast Beet Salad with Fava Bean Crostini and Shaved Pecorino
Seared Day Boat Scallops with Lemon Curry Cream and Wilted Greens
Pecan Crusted Fillet with Roast Fingerling Potatoes and Sauce Verte
Chocolate Mousse with Mocha Creme Anglaise

The day before the party, you can:

• Roast the beets, peel off the skin and quarter them
• Cook off the fava beans and puree them with olive oil
• Bake the crostini and shave the cheese.
• Make the lemon curry cream
• Chop the nuts
• Cut the potatoes in half and place in water
• Make the sauce verte.
• Lastly, you can make the mousse and creme anglaise.

On the day of the party, six hours before the guests arrive, you can:

• Slice and season the tomatoes and make the vinaigrette
• Par cook the scallops by pan searing them until they are half-way cooked
• Crust, season and and sear the fillet
• Roast the potatoes (leave them out after they are roasted, as they tend to get mealy if put in the refridgerator after cooking).

OK Susan, here we go.... it's one hour before the guest arrive.

You have already set the table. Pour a glass of wine and put on some tunes.

Turn on your oven to 400 degrees. Pre-plate (up to you on design) all of your first course salads with out the vinaigrette and put on an out of the way surface. Smear the crostinis with the fava bean whip and top with cheese. Put on a platter (this will sit in the middle of the table). Slice some bread, place in a basket and cover with a linen napkin.

Put the curry sauce in a small sauce pot and set to the side. Get a pan out too wilt the greens in.

Place the scallops, meat and potatoes on separate parchment lined sheet pans, cookie pans or shallow casserole dishes.

So your guests arrive and you now have a moment to share a glass of sparkling wine and some good gossip from the week.

Prior to having them sit, drizzle the salads with the vinaigrette and place on the table. Put out the crostnii and beverages as well.

Clap your hands and tell your guests to get on to the diner table. While they slowly drift over pop the scallops in the oven and put the curry sauce on a very low flame. Turn on a burner to medium heat throw in some oil and wilt the greens. It takes all of two minutes.

Now go and enjoy the first course.

Act really relaxed, eat and down some more wine, but pay close attention to your watch. Seven minutes and up you go in the kitchen. Pull out the scallops and put in the meat and potatoes.

Plate the scallop dish and go out for more stories and wine.

After a good ten minutes go by, back into the kitchen you go. Repeat and this time you can relax for a long while. Bask in the glow of your success and multiple glasses of wine. Tell even more far fetched tales, chuckle even.

Your mousse is, of course, in a nice martini glass or stylish shallow bowl. Finish with the creme and some whipped cream.

You’re done! Easy, wasn't it?