Dinner Party Tips Keep Entertaining Fun

Dinner Party Tips Keep Entertaining Fun

BUITONI(R) Offers Five Italian Dinner Parties with Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello

SOLON, Ohio, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Like a pendulum swinging from side to side, successful dinner parties have a rhythm of their own. Whether you're planning to spend an evening with friends or organizing a family gathering, you will want to remember that the occasion is more about the food and less about the glimmer of your floors.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050908/SFTH155A )

Following are a few tips for maintaining dinner-party appeal from BUITONI(R), the maker of refrigerated pastas and sauces, and Michael Chiarello, television celebrity chef and author of the new cookbook, At Home with Michael Chiarello.

-- Keep it casual: Leave the seven-course meals for black-tie affairs. You want your guests to be comfortable, not concerned about which fork to use. Plus, you don't want the monumental clean-up job following the festivities. -- Stick to your strengths: Decorate simply with objects from your yard and home. Most importantly, however, create a menu that calls for ingredients you can easily find for recipes you have already mastered. You'll have more success turning your favorite ravioli recipe into bite-sized appetizers than starting with something unknown. -- Make a strong first impression: Food is the cornerstone of every dinner party, but don't let that limit your creativity. From the moment your guests arrive, entertain them with flavorful light bites and a selection of unique beverages. Everyone will have more fun! -- Don't do it all on your own: Preparing for an evening of entertaining can be stressful at times. So when someone else offers to help plan a wonderful dinner party, take advantage of the opportunity!

Now is your opportunity! In addition to these helpful tips, Buitoni is offering the chance for five people to win an Italian dinner party with celebrity chef Michael Chiarello in the comfort of their own home. Winners will also receive a year's supply of free BUITONI(R) products.

How to Win an Italian Dinner Party

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. (ET) on September 19, 2005, contestants may visit www.ItalianDinnerPartySweepstakes.com and fill in the required entry information to enter the sweepstakes. Entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. (ET) on October 17, 2005. Contestants may also enter by mail. On a plain 3 1/2" x 5" card, legibly hand-print your name, address, zip code, age, plus day and evening phone numbers (including area code). Then, mail your 3 1/2" x 5" card in a first-class postage affixed envelope to: "Buitoni Italian Dinner Party" Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 2628, Knoxville, TN 37950.

Five "Grand Prize" winners will be selected in a random drawing on or about October 24, 2005, from among all eligible entries received. Winners will be notified by e-mail, U.S. mail or phone on or about November 3, 2005, and will be given instructions on how to claim the prize.

In addition, the first 1,000 people to enter the sweepstakes online will receive a free 6-month subscription to zagat.com(SM) (while supplies last), where they will be able to access the latest ratings and reviews for more than 30,000 restaurants worldwide. Access complete sweepstakes rules at www.ItalianDinnerPartySweepstakes.com.

For more recipe ideas and entertaining tips, visit Buitoni.com. Or visit NapaStyle.com to order a copy of Michael's newest cookbook, At Home With Michael Chiarello (in stores October 2005).

About Michael Chiarello

Chef Michael Chiarello is the Emmy award-winning host of Easy Entertaining on Food Network, NapaStyle on Fine Living, and numerous PBS series. During his 20 years as Executive Chef of Tra Vigne Restaurant (Napa Valley) and 7 other restaurants, he was twice named Chef of the Year: in 1985 by Food and Wine Magazine while at Toby's in Miami, and in 1995 by Culinary Institute of America. He is founder/CEO of NapaStyle (www.napastyle.com), a media-driven lifestyle retail brand, and has created several award-winning specialty food lines and exclusive home products and cookware. He is the owner/vintner of Chiarello Family Vineyards (www.chiarellovineyards.com), which produces sustainably farmed, organic, estate wines from his property in Napa Valley.

About Buitoni North America

Buitoni North America, the maker of BUITONI(R) refrigerated pastas, sauces and shredded cheeses, is part of Nestle USA in Solon, Ohio. Nestlé acquired Buitoni in 1988 with the vision of applying its vast technical know-how to expand the range of BUITONI(R) products. Today, a wide variety of BUITONI(R) products are available throughout Europe and the United States. Many of the favored BUITONI(R) recipes were developed at Casa Buitoni in Italy where Buitoni has been creating award-winning Italian foods for more than 175 years. For product news and information, visit Buitoni.com.

All trademarks are owned by Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050908/SFTH155A AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840 Source: Buitoni North America

CONTACT: Davina Gruenstein of Publicis Dialog, +1-206-270-4602 or davina.gruenstein@publicis-usa.com, for Buitoni North America; or Roz O'Hearn of Nestle Prepared Foods Company, +1-440-264-5170 or roz.ohearn@us.nestle.com

Web site: http://www.buitoni.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Chef Michael Chiarello is available for limited interviews. Please contact Davina Gruenstein at 206-270-4602 or davina.gruenstein@publicis-usa.com for more information.

------- Profile: Ent