A party primer

Acting, decorating and entertaining all require attention to detail, a good sense of occasion, showmanship and a bit of magic.

I give bimonthly dinner parties -- with the help of a Brazilian chef. My one semi-culinary skill is whipping up a packet of Moroccan couscous from Trader Joe’s, to which I add fresh mint, pine nuts, cranberries, tangerine and grilled chicken and usually a splash of Cointreau. I discovered this by mistake one day when a friend showed up unexpectedly at dinnertime. Of course I invited him to stay, even though I don’t cook. That’s my English upbringing -- you must always invite people to dinner. It was a panic station, but I gamely prepared the only thing I had. Now it’s become my standby, my prized menu. I’ve found that it tastes better if it’s left for a couple of hours.

I buy all my wine at Du Vin on San Vicente near Melrose. The owner, a lovely man, always asks what you’re going to be serving, and he directs you to exactly the right wines.

L.A. tends to be so casual -- it’s a jeans and T-shirt culture -- but it’s nice to dress up a little bit. I love to dress up for dinner, even in my own house. It automatically makes the evening better when you look a little smarter. Plus I love clothes -- any excuse for a new outfit. I’m still heavily in mourning over the loss of Tom Ford from the fashion industry.

People don’t always arrive on time, so I invite them an hour before dinner, and provide hors d’oeuvres. It’s lovely to relax and get to know your dinner partners before you dine.

I like to have the fire going no matter what time of year. There’s nothing more enticing than the smell of real wood burning. And the crackle of a burning log is music to the ear.

Music is a great part of my life. Growing up with an opera singer as a father, it’s basically in my bloodstream. It’s a very important element in all my dinner parties.

You can plan your entire evening around the kind of music you’re going to play. I, at the moment, am heavily into Brazilian music, because of my Brazilian chef. The first night she worked with me, I started playing it, and we drank that crazy toxic cocktail, Caipirinha.

Candles are so important. It immediately creates a magical atmosphere -- and God knows, we look better in candlelight. My favorite fragrance candles are by Hotel Costes, available at Maxfields and Tracey Ross in L.A. It’s the most delicious smell, a blend of vetiver, exotic flowers and sandalwood.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to get that million-dollar look. Rather than just doing flowers on the table, I love rose petals. They bring an extraordinary air of romance. I usually buy them from Pavilions but since they’ve been on strike I tear about two dozen roses apart myself. Other flowers come from the floral studio, T.F.S., next to my office or Moe’s on Melrose. I favor unusual containers. I use silver cornucopias stuffed with roses or a 1930s Tiffany ice bucket.

I mix and match my tableware -- and I mix and match my friends. It’s important at a dinner of eight or more that at least two guests are fresh to the group, which creates new and interesting conversation. That way, you always keep everyone on their toes.

In sum, the real key to good entertaining is to make people comfortable with all the ingredients of candlelight, good food, great music and a marvelous mixture of friends. I like my guests to feel at home, use whatever they want, and leave it behind when they go.