It’s nice to have a theme for a dinner party and recently I decided to focus on Italian food. It was a far cry from the occasion many years ago when I tried to woo my (now) husband with a candle-lit Italian feast of Heinz minestrone (tarted up with a handful of Schwartz herbs), a spaghetti bolognaise and a catastrophic attempt at zabaglione.
As an antipasto I prepared acciughe sotto pesto or anchovies in parsley and olive oil for those who, like me, have somewhat limited Italian! The great thing about this recipe is that it can be prepared days ahead of the dinner party so long as it is kept in the fridge and the anchovies are completely covered with the oil. The anchovies are placed in a large jar along with some olive oil, parsley, a dried chilli and some garlic, mixed up and left for the flavours to develop. I served it with a lovely rosemary and garlic focaccia from my local deli.
For my main course I opted for a delicious roast lamb dish which is traditionally served in Italy at Easter.  I had made a herbed olive oil in advance using rosemary, sage and garlic and it is this oil that gives the lamb its fantastic flavour. I had cheated by ordering a deboned leg of lamb from my local butcher, although if you are handy with a knife you can do this yourself. The oil needs to be drizzled over the inside of the lamb before it is rolled and tied, then more drizzled on the outside. I cooked it with small potatoes and a glass of wine which made for some very tasty pan juices.
For pudding I made a tiramisu (literally a pick-me up) which turned out to be dead easy to make and certainly more successful than my zabaglione!

So you want to throw a dinner party for a group of friends but are short of time to shop and prepare for it – what’s the best plan of attack? Gone are the days when you could buy a cheap load of mince, raid the Schwartz packets and cook a huge spaghetti bolognaise, then open up a few bottles of cheap wine and know that you would have a ball. You’ve left your student days behind and are looking for something a bit more sophisticated. You have a bit of cash to spend on it but want good value for your money.
If you live in London and can get to Borough Market (only open on Thurs, Fri and Sat incidentally) this could be the answer to your prayers. You could lay on a fantastic spread for your guests and not have to cook a thing. Pates, cheeses, cold meats, olives, artisan breads, pies, shellfish, patisserie and not forgetting the wine – you name it you will find it at this South London market. Its critics say it is expensive but, as is so often the case with food, you get what you pay for.  If you can’t get to Borough Market then why not explore your local deli? My local deli in Harrogate, for instance, sells a fantastic range of local Yorkshire produce that would grace the table of any discerning gastronome.
If you are willing to do a bit of “cooking” you could have a look on the website of the various speciality butchers who will deliver dishes like beef welling ton which just need to be popped in the oven. For a starter you could get your local fishmonger to prepare a platter of shell fish. My local fishmonger will prepare one to your requirements with 48 hours notice and all you need do is remember to pick it up on the day of your dinner party. For pud have a look at an upmarket patisserie where you will be bound to find something to tempt the taste buds.