It's quite the modern dilemma. The food media has declared 2012 the year of the dinner party, and while you're a gung-ho host(ess), you haven't the slightest cooking skills.

Then again, you're a multi-tasker, a modern juggler of motivation and goals. So what do you do? Host an in-home cooking class/dinner party for you and your nearest and dearest. That's where Rosaberry comes in.

I had the pleasure of meeting Rosaberry founder, Jenna Helwig, at just such a double-duty dinner in the Meredith Corp test kitchen. Our motley crew's skills ranged from "totally intimidated by cooking" to "considering going to culinary school" - but Jenna beautifully catered to all levels of interest and expertise.

The menu was Spanish-influenced...

Almond-stuffed dates
Green gazpacho
Northern Spy Food Co-inspired kale salad
Shrimp paella
Smoky chicken & baby potatoes
Spiced vegan chocolate pudding

...and remarkably delicious. More importantly, it was easy to replicate. No foam or fancy knife skills necessary, just contemporary home cooking at it's finest.

That, for me, is the mark of a top-notch personal chef or recipe developer (Jenna, in fact, wears both hats) : the ability to transform current food trends into simple - but admirable - meals. Moreover, Jenna proved quite the personable chef. Supervising five chatty and debatably focused students, she neither raised her voice nor let us burn the rice.

The best part of such a meal? The communal sense of accomplishment. Beyond the joy of sharing a meal, Rosaberry reveals the pleasure of preparing food together. Don't be surprised if it's your best dinner party to date.