If you've ever found yourself on the foodie side of TikTok, chances are you're well acquainted with Meredith Hayden, perhaps better known as @wishbonekitchen. The NYC-based recipe developer took on her first gig as a private chef in 2020 and began blowing up on the clock app shortly after, bringing followers through days in her life cooking for clients in the Big Apple and the Hamptons. (Yes, she's been known to spend $2k on groceries for some of these meals. What of it?)
Cosmo recently sat down with the cooking content creator (try saying that 10 times fast) to chat about one veeery important topic: dinner parties. Because a) summer has arrived, and b) hosting your friends for a gorgeous al fresco soirée is kind of the definition of being a chic adult, right? Right. Obviously, Meredith is v well-qualified to give tips, which is also why Corona Premier tapped her as the face of their Lighter Life Summer Refresh program, designed to make entertaining easier and a lot more organized. They let us chat with her about all things y-u-m, and we couldn't be more grateful.
Read on for Meredith's best hosting tips, the most useful thing she learned in culinary school, how she gets her iconic tablescape shots, and more.
So, pretend you’re talking to someone who is kinda lazy, but loves good food and hanging out with their friends. (Okay, hi, it’s me.) What should they do if they want to host a dinner party that won’t break the bank or their spirit?
Honestly, I’m pretty lazy myself, and I love hosting, but there's a lot that goes into it. Even though it looks like I'm doing the most in my vids, I'm definitely looking for shortcuts where I can. So, my first tip would be to make a signature drink ahead of time, like a big batch of it. And then just set out a bucket of beer. That way, when you're hosting, you don't have to also double as a bartender, and people can just, you know, grab a drink when they want. My second tip would be to try to incorporate the flavors of your drinks into your menu to make things feel intentional and on theme. And then my third tip would be to really lean into family style and encourage your guests to serve themselves, again so you don’t have to be worrying about it all night long.
Between hosting on your own and helping clients, you’ve put together many a multi-course meal. What are your most-requested dinner dishes?
My most requested appetizer would probably be seafood. You know, like a raw bar situation. My clients love raw oysters and a little shrimp cocktail moment—they're super refreshing, especially for summer. And then my favorite thing to do for like a main course would definitely be a surf-and-turf situation where you turn the grill on; get a bunch of really great meat, seafood, and produce; season it with olive oil, salt, and pepper; and throw it on the grill. It's super easy and doesn't take a lot of mental work because you're really just doing the same motions with all your different dishes. And it makes for a really great laid-back dinner party vibe.
That all sounds amazing, but what about dessert?!
I honestly hate baking, so my favorite thing for dessert is to bring out sorbet or ice cream. And then I just hope that everyone is so full from the meal I just made they’re not looking for a gorgeous homemade pie or anything.
So throughout your time as a private chef, you've probably seen some pretty chic spaces. What table decor do you think makes a big statement? And what’s worth splurging on?
I've found that keeping it simple with the table arrangements normally ends up looking the nicest. I gravitate more towards a white tablecloth, maybe some simple hydrangeas in the middle. Maybe incorporating ingredients from the meal that I'm serving, like throwing some fresh citrus or fresh produce in the middle of the table. I think that's a really great touch. But if I'm going to splurge on decor, it'll definitely be on fresh flowers. You can always get pretty creative with florals.
What’s one thing that you learned in culinary school (go you!) that could be useful for someone hosting a chic lil dinner party?
One of the most useful tips that I learned in culinary school that I use genuinely every time I cook is to always keep your station clean as you go. I remember our instructors would always come around and make sure that our cutting boards were clean at all times and that all of our different prepped ingredients were organized in little containers. So, taking a few seconds to stop what you're doing and clean off your workspace can really make the biggest difference when you're stressed and it just makes everything a little bit more relaxing and easy.
Very important question: Do you drink while you cook?
You know how on TikTok everyone has like a getting-ready cocktail? My getting-ready cocktail is the cocktail that I'm drinking while I'm cooking. So…yes. And that's honestly why I love something like a Michelada, because you don't want something too high in ABV when you cook. You want something light and refreshing, not something that’s going to knock you over while you're chopping vegetables.
So, a good dinner party requires good content. What tips do you have for getting the best food, drink, and tablescape shots?
Well, the best photos are at golden hour. It’s honestly a struggle for me because I love spending all day at the beach in the sun, so pulling myself off the sand in order to get dinner ready before the sun sets can be hard. So, long story short, if you can have everything done before golden holden, then your photos are going to look amazing. But if you don't, that's okay too.
Hannah Chubb is the associate lifestyle editor at Cosmopolitan, covering all things home, travel, food, health, career, and more. She spends pretty much every hour of every day curating the internet for the best new products, trends, and travel destinations. You can typically find her looking for houses she can’t afford on Zillow or Airbnb, planning her next meal before she gets to the restaurant, or taking all of the Justin Bieber classes over and over and over again on Peloton. Follow her on Instagram.
