· You have to know the rules of etiquette to entertain well, and then you can choose to break them.

· Make sure the table is pleasing to the eye and there aren't too many pieces crowding it. Give each piece space on the table. If you have wonderful candlesticks, for example, use them by themselves. Don't make table settings too ornate. If the table is fussy, people are fidgety.

· Use what you already have to decorate the table. For example, fill hurricane lanterns with stones, shells, or flowers.

· The food has to complement the table and vice versa. For example, if I find beautiful red roses, I might make a roasted red pepper soup, or if sweet oranges are in season, I might serve vanilla-scented oranges for dessert.

· The food should taste and look delicious but keep the "made-at-home" look. I avoid cascading towers of vegetables and very complicated foods -- and stick with the classics.

· Vary your ingredients so there's no repetition within a meal. For example, don't serve a soufflé, followed by an egg dish, followed by an egg-heavy dessert. I also think of the texture of food so as not to serve a creamed soup for the first course followed by a meat with a purée.

· If your table only seats eight, trying to squeeze in 10 will make it uncomfortable. Either stick to eight or set up two tables and invite more friends.

· If I'm serving a large group, I place wine decanters, baskets of bread, and any sauces on the table to be passed around. I sometimes set up a buffet or side table with extra glasses, wine, water, and dessert plates.

· Casualness doesn't mean being unprepared. All or most of the dishes have to be made before friends arrive. Once the doorbell rings, I'm out of the kitchen.