Hosted four people in my place Saturday and remembered why I hate this kitchen. It’s not just the size—it’s the one tiny counter and an oven that runs 25 degrees hot no matter where I put the rack. We did a big pot of braised chicken with olives and a loaf of good bread, and I still managed to trash every dish I own.

What’s the one thing you actually cook for company in a tiny kitchen that doesn’t leave you scrubbing until Monday? Not looking for a 14-component plate. Something where you can be in the other room drinking instead of stirring.

I hosted my first studio dinner last weekend and picked homemade pasta, which was a mistake. Counter was dusted in flour and I couldn’t find the Parmesan in my own cabinet. I really want to try a baked pasta or a tray bake next time.

Do you all make lasagna in those small toaster ovens? My gas oven scares me a little and I don’t trust the dial. Also, how do you keep things warm without taking up all the counter? My place has basically two outlets worth using.

The move is a one-sheet-pan roast, but don’t try to force a full-sized sheet pan into an apartment oven and then wonder why the middle is raw. Half-sheet pans are the real NYC workhorse. Chicken thighs, some root veg, a lemon, maybe a red onion. Toss it all, roast hot, put a bowl of yogurt sauce or salsa verde on the side.

If the oven runs hot, stop trusting the dial and get an oven thermometer. They’re small and cost less than the takeout you’ll otherwise order when the skin burns.

The dish problem is real, but my bigger line item is the host grocery run. I go out for chicken thighs and olives and come back with marcona almonds, two fancy cheeses, a baguette, wine, flowers I didn’t plan for. I keep telling myself it’s cheaper than delivery, but after the last bougie grocery run it feels like its own budget category.

There was a thread on this exact feeling: What's your actual non-rent 'life in NYC' line item? Mine keeps inflating What's your actual non-rent 'life in NYC' line item? Mine keeps inflating. For the dish itself, braised chicken with olives is already the right idea. Add a tomato and some fennel and you can let it sit.

Sue, respect for trying homemade pasta in a studio. I won’t do that for more than two people unless I want to eat at 10pm. Baked pasta is the move. I do a no-boil ziti with crumbled Italian sausage and broccoli rabe in one deep pan. With a hot oven, keep it on the lower rack and cover with foil for the first chunk, then uncover at the end.

Gowanus, I started making guests bring the bread or the wine and not pretending I’m a restaurant. It helps a little.