Food & Wine

Everything You Need to Host Outdoor Dinners, According to Ina Garten

by kennedyevogel
Ina Garten Outdoor Dinning Amazon

Here’s how to do outdoor dining safely.

Ina Garten has gifted us with nuggets of wisdom for hosting and entertaining over the years. Even in the middle of a pandemic, she delivers. The idea of safely hosting friends and family members for the holidays may sound like a daunting task (as if hosting without a pandemic wasn’t enough to worry about), but Garten took to Instagram to share her tips for safe, socially distanced gatherings outside. 

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Entertaining outdoors has been such a surprise pleasure during these difficult times. As the weather turns chilly, I’ve done several things to make sure we can continue the fun. First, for safety, I only entertain people from one “household” at a time, so I put chairs at both ends of a 6-foot dining table or both sides of a 5-foot square coffee table to ensure social distancing. Second, although we’re sitting far apart, I want it to feel cozy, so I fill the tables with flowers and candles. Third, I set up outdoor heaters or build a nice fire, plus cushions and blankets for each person so we’re nice and warm under the stars. And finally, since entertaining outdoors is more work than serving inside, I make really easy no-cook appetizers for cocktails and very simple lunches and dinners. This is the time when a take-out pizza and a big Caesar salad makes the best evening for everyone, even the host. Click on the link in my bio for more outdoor entertaining menu ideas! #staysafe

A post shared by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on

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This article originally appeared on Food & Wine.