Cooking With Friends

The Provisions

• Tomatoes: Ask guests to bring the main ingredient. For a party of six, figure on each person contributing 5 pounds of tomatoes toward a big batch of sauce. The host provides the other ingredients.
• Signs: Mark workstations with note cards set in place-card holders. Binder clips turned upside down also work.
• Snacks: Rev up the troops with a “Take a Break” area, complete with a spread of Italian cheeses (try Gorgonzola, Robiola, and bocconcini), prosciutto, olives, fruit, honey, bread sticks, and crackers.
• Kitchen essentials: Multiple helpers require multiple tools. You’ll need 3 cutting boards, 2 paring knives (for coring and peeling), and 2 chef’s knives (for chopping), as well as 3 large pots (for blanching the tomatoes and cooking the sauce).
• Aprons: Outfit your guests in aprons ($8 each, apronstore.com), or have them bring their own from home.