7 Tricks For Beautifying Your Dinner Party Dishes

When hosting a dinner party, half the battle is setting the scene and making your guests comfortable. And the rest? It's all about the food and drink. Naturally, what host or hostess doesn't want to impress their guests with a delicious meal impeccably paired with unforgettable wines?

But you don't need to be a slave to your chef's knife and spend all day in the kitchen to pull off a show-stopping meal. You just need to know the right tricks for making that poached salmon with broccoli and sweet potatoes really shine.

Think about the last time you ate out — how was your entrée served? What were your surroundings? Little tricks like serving your food on white plates, a strategic sprinkling of basil and Parmigiano atop your fresh tomato pasta, and aiming to have a variety of contrasting colors on the plate will ensure your dinner could never be considered drab. Even how you serve the food matters.

Hosting a dinner party? Read these tips for stylish, stress-free entertaining then consider Roger Morris' advice on pairing wine with food. 

Click here to see the 7 Tricks to Beautifying Your Dinner Party Dishes Slideshow.