What Makes A Good Dinner Party?
How do you get the vibe right at a dinner party? For bestselling cookbook author Christine Flynn, it’s pretty simple: “I am the vibe,” she jokes in Episode 3 of Group Chat. Flynn—a recipe developer, restaurant veteran and regular Chatelaine contributor—joins editor-in-chief Maureen Halushak to discuss her longstanding career in food, how she entertains and just how important food is at your dinner party. (Flynn’s new cookbook, Easy Does It, is out now, and you can preview some of her recipes in our Spring 2026 issue.)
Also in this episode: Maureen, deputy food editor Chantal Braganza and creative director Sun Ngo talk entertaining styles, disaster dinner parties—and how to get people to leave at the end of the night.
About Group Chat
Group Chat is new biweekly podcast that gets up close and personal with the editors of Chatelaine—and some very special guests.
Each episode, hosted by editor-in-chief Maureen Halushak, will explore one of the many topics, big and small, that matter to Canadian women—from menopause to weight bias to reality tv.
You can watch the podcast on Chatelaine’s YouTube channel or listen wherever you find your podcasts.
Thank you to our official furniture partner IKEA Canada.
Show Notes:
Featuring:
- Maureen Halushak @maureenhalushak
- Chantal Braganza @cbraganz
- Sun Ngo @sunngo.studio
- Christine Flynn @christineanneflynn
Production:
- Maureen Halushak: Producer
- Erica Lenti: Producer
- Ryan Carter: Director / Editor
- Natasha Zoccoli: Editor / Camera Operator
- Corey Misquita: Director of Photography / Motion Graphic Designer / Camera Operator
- Masnoon Zarif: Camera Operator / Gaffer
Furniture partner: IKEA Canada
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Chatelaine celebrates, inspires, informs and empowers. We know that Canadian women contain multitudes, and we cover all of the issues—big and small—that matter to them, from climate change to caregiving, Canadian fashion and what to cook now.
