I'm hosting an end-of-semester/beginning of summer party for my grad school cohort at my apartment later this month.

I kind of want to show off my cooking skills but feel nervous about preparing food for a large group (up to 14 people, probably more like 8).

Any recommendations on what to make that is budget friendly, good for a lot of people, and/or can possibly be made ahead of time to cut down on hectic pre-party scrambling?

I welcome thoughts on appetizers and mains.

What do you think the best cookbooks are to get as a gift for twenty-somethings who love food, are accomplished home cooks, but may not have tons of money or a huge kitchen? Region-specific cookbook suggestions are welcome.

I'm a home cook who is getting more serious about buying good quality equipment for the kitchen, but I am on a budget.

I've been really wanting a cast-iron skillet, and I'm wondering if people have recommendations of which brands to get if I want to spend less than $50? There is a Lodge pre-seasoned skillet for around $20, is this an okay bet?

I am fine with the skillet not being the absolute best model available, but given that I have a little bit of flexibility with my budget, I also don't want to buy something at $20 that is so bad I end up wishing I'd just shelled out the extra cash for something slightly higher end.

Any advice is welcome, thanks!