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"\"Being prepared for dinner parties isn't all about the food,\" says Food52's Amanda Hesser, who wrote our &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/parties/article/no-stress-dinner-party-guide\"&gt;How to Throw a Stress-Free Dinner Party&lt;/a&gt; feature. \"A few kitchen and home goods make entertaining a whole lot easier, and some items, like a great salad bowl or cake stand, will last you a lifetime. Invest now, and no longer scramble for a platter for your crostini!\" Check out the slideshow above for selections from her site's new &lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Provisions&lt;/a&gt; section, and get ready for guests. Don't be afraid to buy prepared and cured foods for the hors d'oeuvres\u2014let all those talented artisans and chefs do some of the work!\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/189-olympic-provisions-favorite-sausage-collection\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Olympic Provisions Favorite Sausage Collection&lt;/a&gt;, $30.\u00A0&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/213-jose-andres-galician-cockles\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Jos\u00E9 Andr\u00E9s Galician Cockles&lt;/a&gt;, $29.&lt;/em&gt; Pre-dinner snacks deserve a simple, handsome plate.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/129-oval-textured-tray\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Oval Textured Tray&lt;/a&gt;, $64.&lt;/em&gt; I like to make a good cocktail for parties, and couldn't live without a snappy mixing glass and small-batch syrups.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/15-regular-yarai-mixing-glass\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Regular Yarai Mixing Glass&lt;/a&gt;, $55.\u00A0&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/172-liber-co-syrup-shrub-collection\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Liber &amp;amp; Co. Syrup &amp;amp; Shrub Collection&lt;/a&gt;, $39.&lt;/em&gt; You should always have a larger platter around for large snacks and family-style serving.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/43-irezumi-serving-platter\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Irezumi Serving Platter&lt;/a&gt;, $76.&lt;/em&gt; For a salad course, a generously sized mixing bowl is in order\u2014we had this color (\"fresh soil\") made for Provisions.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/136-hand-dipped-beech-wood-bowl\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Hand-Dipped Beech Wood Bowl&lt;/a&gt;, $32\u2013$62.&lt;/em&gt; Parties are a great excuse to upgrade your linens, which most of us need to do: natural linen goes with just about everything and always looks sharp. Iron your linens early in the week so you don't have to worry about them at the last minute.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/257-heirloomed-linen-napkins-set-of-4\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Heirloomed Linen Napkins&lt;/a&gt; (Set of 4), $34.&lt;/em&gt; I like these well-made yet utilitarian knives\u2014they'll get you through any party.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/231-r-murphy-reclaimed-pecan-carbon-steel-knives\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;R. Murphy Reclaimed Pecan Carbon Steel Knives&lt;/a&gt;,\u00A0$125\u2013$249.&lt;/em&gt; For dessert, I like to make custards, which can be done ahead of time. It's great to have these little guys around.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/77-pillivuyt-custard-condiment-kettle-set-of-4\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Pillivuyt Custard/Condiment Kettle&lt;/a&gt; (set of 4), $52.&lt;/em&gt; And I often make cakes, because many cakes improve with age, making them Friday dinner party secret weapons. A delicious cake recipe deserves the right tools, and a pedestal.\u00A0&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/251-complete-ateco-cake-tools\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Complete ATECO Cake Tools&lt;/a&gt;, $115. &lt;a href=\"http://food52.com/provisions/products/79-pillivuyt-cake-stand\" target=\"_blank\"&gt;Pillivuyt Cake Stand&lt;/a&gt;, $69.&lt;/em&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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