A make-ahead dinner party menu means most of the cooking is done before guests arrive. Here's how to structure one, what dishes work best, and three complete menu frameworks to get you started.

Setting a table properly is one of those skills that looks instinctive in other people and feels elusive until you understand the logic behind it. Cutlery, plates, glassware — once the rhythm makes sense, you can build on it however you like. Here is how to get it right every time, and a few of my favourite variations for when the occasion calls for something a little different.