Hello my fellow gourmands, you must be wondering what is going on, no labels this week – but goodness, it is so hot that I had to take a break and welcome the new season. July means sweet summer is in full effect, which means lots of entertainment and fun. I’d like to officially open the season with a dinner party featuring finger food. I don’t want to be stuck in a hot kitchen slaving for hours when I could be outside chilling with friends with a nice glass of rosé, the perfect summer wine, reminiscing about Paris café culture.

Besides, I don’t know about you, but when temperatures soar my appetite craves much lighter foods such as salads, meze and tapas, easy, fun and healthy with lots of choice. This time of the year the fruits are more delicious and vegetables are packed with sun-ripened flavour and lovely colours.

Today I will show you one of the ways I host my friends and will give you some pointers on easy entertaining. The first thing you have to do is plan the number of people you are going to cater for. Ask your friends if they have any allergies as you don’t want to prepare something which will make someone sick, or at least if one of your dishes has an ingredient which is intolerable to one of your guests, you can warn them not to touch it.

I have many friends from around the world who do not eat particular foods because of cultural or religious reasons and you don’t want to offend anyone. I always try to have a mix of seafood, meats and vegetables so each person, whether a pescatarian (someone who eats only fish), carnivore or vegetarian has plenty of choice.

Ask my friends, none of my parties are complete without a welcome cocktail. I am the queen of mixing cocktails (check out my Smirnoff libations which are great summer drinks). A fancy cocktail sets the tone and creates a nice buzz in the air.

Once you have established all of the above, you can begin to plan your menu. To save on time, you can buy some things which are already prepared such as sauces and dips, nuts, cold meat cuts, breads, plus cheeses. Remember, entertaining is supposed to be enjoyable, you don’t want to be making everything and then be too overwhelmed and pressured to enjoy your friends. Of course, if you have money to splurge there are many great caterers around. If you are on a tight budget, however, to save on costs, you could ask each friend to contribute a dish or to bring a bottle. People love to share and everyone has a special dish they are excellent at.

I have found that it is cheaper and better tasting to cook what is in season. I know sometimes we like to have that ‘wow’ factor, but ask yourself, is it worth driving up and down to every supermarket in search of that one elusive ingredient which may have passed its peak or whose character is yet to develop? Trust me, in-season food is fresher and healthier for you and it makes a huge difference. Believe me, if the food is not fresh, I am not cooking it because I do not compromise on quality, nor should you. This is the secret of many of the best cooks in the world, we cook around the seasons.

Right, you have your menu, your shopping is done, so you need to take an inventory of your cutlery, glassware, plates, bowls, and serving dishes. What look are you trying to project, is there a particular theme you wish to convey such as Mexican night if you are preparing this particular cuisine, or a certain colour? Do you want to create an eclectic hodgepodge of different foods, smells and sounds? I always have the right music to match the food I am preparing to set the ambiance for the evening.

I hope my tidbits of advice will help you jumpstart your brainstorming for the next do. Please enjoy my recipes on the following pages which are a mixture of Moroccan and Spanish cuisine, two of my favourite countries in the world. Remember, entertaining should be a pleasure for you and your guests, c’est la joie de vivre! Bon appetit!