You’ve been to a great dinner party before. The food was delicious, the wine flowed endlessly, the sparkling conversation never stopped, and the host was relaxed and gracious. You’ve probably also been to a disastrous dinner party, complete with food fights, drunken brawls, and a main course of burned popcorn.

Now it’s your turn. Luckily, throwing a great dinner party doesn’t require any time in Martha Stewart boot camp. All you need is some smart planning and a little know-how.

Before you launch into menu mode, take a few moments to think about the purpose of your dinner party. Do you have to wow your scrutinizing, potential in-laws, or are you just trying to have a few interesting people over for an enjoyable evening?

The basic rule is, the simpler, the better. In general, people don’t go to dinner parties expecting live entertainment and flaming desserts. The goal is a relaxing evening with good food and conversation.