Essential holiday-dinner tools and tableware

It's November — and time to take inventory of your kitchen.

Do you have the pots and pans to cook the whole meal? Do you need a gravy boat (or will a bowl do)? Do you have 12 people coming to dinner but only 10 place settings?

What do you really need for those sit-down holiday dinners? We turned to a few guides on etiquette and entertaining and found some essential items you'll want to look for as you evaluate your pantry.

Making the meal

Household pots and pans will do to make the usual fare. Make sure you have a 2- to 4-quart sauce pan and a whisk for gravy. Mixing bowls are handy for baking and preparing casseroles.

Cooking a turkey requires a baster, meat thermometer, and a roasting pan and rack. If you don't have a roasting pan and rack, you can buy an inexpensive aluminum pan from a grocery store. However, keep in mind that a heavy turkey could unexpectedly slip out of an aluminum pan when transferring from oven to platter. If you're serving a large bird, buy a sturdier roasting pan.

For homemade mashed potatoes, a potato masher and a vegetable peeler are crucial.

And every holiday host should have an apron for cooking. It will help you get in the mood.

Serving the food

Depending on what you've made, you'll need a dish to serve it on and a utensil to serve it with. You'll need a large platter for your main dish, whether it be turkey, ham, prime rib or tofurky.

Assorted casserole dishes will hold your green-bean casserole or candied yams. If you don't have a set of serving dishes, consider buying a Corningware 18-Piece French White Bakeware Set ($79.99, Bed Bath & Beyond). This set will cover more than enough of your serving needs.

For gravy, a gravy boat or a bowl with a ladle will do. Make sure you have a bread basket and a cloth napkin for warm rolls, a pie knife for pies and a carving knife for your main dish. If you're serving punch, use a pitcher or punch bowl to serve your guests.

Don't forget plastic containers so you can send guests home with leftovers.

Setting the table

Setting a holiday table can be a daunting task. Start with table linens. Set up candles and a centerpiece next. Candles that are too tall can get in the way of guest conversations, so make sure that they are the appropriate height.

Next, set the dinner plates down. On top of each dinner plate, place a salad plate and a soup bowl (if needed).

Knife and spoon go on the right of each dinner plate, salad and dinner forks on the left. The bread plate and butter knife reside above the forks. The wine and beverage glasses sit above the knife and spoon. A dessert spoon can be placed above the dinner plate. Napkins can be placed on top of the dinner plate or underneath the knife and spoon. Coffee cups can be introduced after dinner.

Consider using place cards. As author Mary Mitchell says in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette" (Alpha, 2004; third edition): "Never let seating happen by accident. Every party of more than eight people should have place cards." They're a nice touch and can be used, for example, to make sure your nervous aunt doesn't sit next to your paranoid brother-in-law.

Renting it out

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the need for serving pieces, flatware, drinkware or china, plan to rent items. Places like Totally Tabletops (www.totallytabletops.com) and AA Party Rentals (www.aaparty.com) rent out nearly everything needed for hosting a holiday meal. Wine glasses and flatware can cost less than $1 apiece.

Or, if you want to save a few bucks, be traditional: Knock on your neighbor's door and borrow what you need.

Donna Kostanoski is a freelance writer in Kent.