A simple table makes the food look good

Ina Garten welcomes her friend and business partner, Frank Newbold, into her suite at the Four Seasons Hotel, offering him a cushy seat and a glass of water from the mini bar.

"Stop being the hostess," Newbold teases as the two sit down for an interview with a reporter.

"I don't know how to do anything else," Garten says with a laugh.

Garten, better known as the "Barefoot Contessa" on the Food Network, has spent years teaching her fans about food and the art of hosting stylish but comfortable parties.

Her own gatherings have ranged from a soiree for 150 guests to celebrate her first book to intimate dinners for four.

When it comes to outfitting a table for any party, she starts with the basics.

"I think first about what the season is," says Garten, who was in Boston recently on a tour to promote her new book, "Barefoot Contessa at Home."

The season helps dictate the centerpiece, whether traditional or creative. Colder months, for instance, lend themselves to red pears, which can be paired with blue cheese and port for dessert.

Garten also likes votive candles placed in small glasses.

Making your own flower arrangements can be a bit more difficult, Garten notes. Her trick is to buy several types of flowers in just one or two colors and group them all together.

In the winter, she especially likes bunches of white flowers such as tulips or freesia.

She is careful to test the height of the arrangement so it's not blocking the view of any guests.

For dinnerware, Garten leans toward white because it shows off food better than plates with patterns.

Gray is another preference. "It really brings out the green in the broccoli or the salad," she says.

And it's OK to mix and match plate styles on your table but make sure they are all the same color and try to organize them so they don't look random.

Says Garten: "I hate anything that looks like a bowl of M&Ms, except a bowl of M&Ms."

Even if you prefer small parties, Garten suggests buying more dishes than you need in case something breaks. She now is likely to buy as many as 14 of a certain dish, but also says that one set can be enough.

According to the NPD Group, a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y., Americans spent $763 million on dinnerware and flatware over the past year. Stoneware and earthenware were the top dinnerware materials, followed by plastic.

Stainless steel was the top choice for flatware. Garten keeps a few sets of flatware, including a "continental" set, which features larger pieces that she believes look better on the table and feel better in your hand.

Garten sticks to napkins in solid colors that go with the centerpiece and likes using dish towels as napkins because they are larger. Some of her favorite stores for tabletop accessories include Muriel Grateau and Doucement, both in Paris.

While you may be inclined to bring out all your best accessories at a party, Garten cautions against using things that might make you -- or your guests -- nervous. If you're worried about someone spilling wine on your antique tablecloth, for instance, it's probably best to keep it in the linen closet.

"At the end of the day, I think it's really about the guests," she says.