What is your favourite dinner party menu?

Taco mountain.

Set out the fixings for tacos.
Instead of using taco shells or tortillas, put corn chips on the bottom of your plate.
Scoop the other ingredients on top.
Fabuloso!

@filmfann Is that what you would serve as a dinner party. What about the other courses?

Anything with pesto.

Anything that has to do with whole, fresh shrimp.

@john65pennington What about a whole menu? I think shrimp in US are our prawns in the UK. And we pay so much money for prawns, particularly tiger prawns. I love them!
@toomuchcoffee911 Oh yes, I love pesto, I make my own, do you?

I really hate to ask this question, but what is pesto?

@john65pennington —Pesto:
2 cups fresh packed basil leaves
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon “fruit fresh” or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
¼ cup Olive oil.
All mushed up and mixed in together
Basically a good salad dressing/stuff to put over pasta.—

@partyparty I would serve that at a casual dinner party. If it is formal, you need to go with a more traditional fare, like braised duck or a lobster bisque.

@filmfann Ah yes, duck and lobster, two of my favourites. Many thanks

@partyparty Yes, I prefer to make my own.

@partyparty: I (someone who is thoroughly sick of the kitchen after having cooked for the hordes for decades) am stunned by
that menu. Two main courses and two desserts? Yoicks!

Are Prince Charles and Camilla on the guest list? I wish I were.

We consider hummus, guacamole; large veggie soup, huge salad, fresh fruit (and perhaps a cookie) good enough for everyone.

How about the recipe for the tomato and basil soup, please?

I second what @gailcalled said.. I was expecting a few courses, but damn. Impressive.

I don’t have a set favorite menu, that changes depending on season, who’s coming, and whether I’ve read any cooking magazines lately. The last one is because I will likely find several recipes in a magazine that sound wonderful and a dinner party is an excuse to make several new dishes at a time. You’re a champ, though, I think I’d stick to 3–4 courses. :)

The last fancy dinner I made was two Valentine’s Days ago. I made mushroom risotto, veal cutlets in a lemon brown butter sauce with capers, and vanilla bean flan for dessert.

<———-Waiting for the Thai Chicken Curry recipe here . . .!

Last dinner party I cooked, ten people:
. hyper-fresh local mussels, steamed open, with dipping sauce: olive oil, garlic, fish sauce (nam pla) and lemon juice (I made it up on the spot) – eaten standing up in the kitchen in batches
. lots of Dos Equis
. baked chicken legs – drumsticks separated from thighs, slices of bacon slipped under the skin of each, slices of lemon laid on top of each piece halfway through baking, otherwise they get too dark and turn sour as opposed to melty and zingy)
. lots of plain steamed white rice
. huge amount of thin young asparagus spears dressed with a little kosher salt and a little sesame oil
. large green salad, mostly lettuces, dressed with kosher salt, olive oil, dry mustard, lemon juice
. Gravenstein apple pie made by my neighbors who have a big tree and freeze pies every fall – I love having them over for dinner, heh heh
. a big rhubarb pudding I’d never tried before, crunchy on top, feathery in the middle, rhubarby on the bottom
. red wine on the table; I think white would’ve been better, but another friend brought it
. coffee/tea. I was too full to jump up and brew them, someone else did it.

Can we divide the fluther community into those who love to cook and those (like me) who have thrown in the towel?

When I think of the prep work for both lobster and duck, I blanch.

@gailcalled Before we end up with new “buttons“to push for questions, make sure they also include those of us who are too green at cooking to know we should be frightened! The blanched comment just about made me spew Coke out my nose . . .

@Kayak8: Cooking well is not frightening; I used to cook well and a lot. You start at the beginning (how do I boil water?) and move on from there. How do I soft-boil or poach an egg? How do I make French toast?

As long as you stay calm and don’t get yourself into a stew or on the boil, it’s easy.

My interests have changed; that’s all. The first meal I prepared (for my new husband and from The Joy of Cooking) was a tuna casserole.Two cans tuna, drained cooked white egg noodles, can of cream of mushroom soup, can of cooked peas, breadcrumbs or crushed potato chips. Mix;Bake (Don’t try this at home, and if you do, make sure not to eat it.)

@gailcalled I did really well in chemistry, so if I can follow a recipe I am in good shape (do better if there are pictures of what it is SUPPOSED to look like), but the creative part of just making things up escapes me altogether!

@Kayak8: Plenty of wonderful cooks follow recipes. My daughter and sister can improvise very well but they have been cooking for years.

Use the cook books and magazines and online recipes for the creativity.

(Really cute dog.)

Baby clams in blush wine sauce over linguine.
Tri color pasta salad with artichoke hearts
Mixed oiled olives with pepperocinis and feta chunks
Frozen fruit sorbet

or

Cheese enchiladas with minced onion
Shredded hearts of Romaine lettuce to go over the top
Sliced black olives
Diced tomatoes
Sour creme
Guacamole
Spanish rice
Sauteed corn nibblets with acorn squash, onion and cilantro

Sauteed Softshell crabs with Thai curry seasoning
Fresh corn on the cob
Roasted Asparagus Spears

Fruit Tart with Pastry Cream for dessert.

@partyparty I like your menu, nicely eclectic. I serve a combination of my favorite styles: French, traditional New England, Cajun and Asian (usually Szechuan and Thai).

My favorite main courses are Peking Duck, roast suckling pig, roast lamb or one of several chicken recipes.. I usually have two or more selections in the soup course; in the summer a bouilliabase or gazpacho to keep things cool, often a hot-and-spicy soup is popular. In season, I make a substantial salad, with whatever is fresh from the garden, and several home made dressings. Except for certain entres served in winter, I try to stay away from a lot of fried foods, as so many people are concerned about cholesterol.

With the meal I serve a variety of home baked breads; for desert I usually pull out all the stops: extremely rich fare such as black forest cake (with kirschwasser), Sascher Torte, etc. I try to match my wines to the courses and finish off with a variety of liquers, home made schnapps. I have our fancy coffee machine on the sideboard and make espresso, latte, etc to order.

@marinelife
I’d love to have that curry recipie?

@Neizvestnaya I know, I know, I am waiting here with you!

@Neizvestnaya and @Kayak8 Actually, it was a blend from Savory Spice Shop in Denver. And I misremembered. It was a Cambodian Lemongrass Curry.

I don’t have the recipe, but I do have the list of ingredients (which are given in the order they are contained in the blend):

Lemongrass, shallots, peppercorns, galangal, lime leaves, Thai chiles, green chile, roasted garlic, onion, salt, ginger and sour salt.

@marinelife
Thank you! Going to give it a go with pan friend tofu and shrimp.

“Dinner party” doesn’t really apply to what happens at my house.

We invite a few people over, then my husband goes behind my back and invites everyone in his phone book, and the ones that decide to come usually bring someone with them as well.

So, whenever I have a “dinner party”, I make:

“Appetizers” aka, the stuff on the table for people to nosh on all day:
Vegan chili – a very hearty five-bean chili with lots of veggies. It’s awesome with bread and cheese (I’m so not vegan! ^_^)
Sausage balls – a heart attack with mustard on top. A huge hit
a relish tray or three
Spinach/artichoke dip w/ pumpernickel bread

Mains:
Usually something grillable. Chicken leg quarters, steak, burgers, bratwurst, etc. Most of the time, a little of all of that.
Corn on the cob
pasta salad
greens salad

Dessert:
Chocolate fondue, with all manner of berries, pineapple, grapes, pretzels, cake, etc. to dip.
Whatever I’ve been in the mood to try for a while.

Beverages:
Lots of beer.
Floral Punch – a wine-based punch with edible flowers. The girls generally get a kick out of it.

Whomever stays to the “end of the night” gets to partake in the traditional Irish Coffee.

The ones too hammered to drive home get my famous Breakfast Casserole in the morning – that comes with its own cardiovascular warning label. ^_^

@gailcalled No Prince Charles and Camilla did not come to dinner last night. I like to give people choice at my dinner parties. What I didn’t add to my list was home baked bread (sun dried tomato and parmesan cheese) with the tomato and basil soup. I think catering for everyone is the key to a successful party. The recipe for the tomato and basil soup is:-

ROAST VINE TOMATO & BASIL SOUP
INGREDIENTS
6 large ripe vine tomatoes
1 large onion, peeled & cut into chunky pieces
1 garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally
5 black peppercorns
3–4 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon rock salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
250–350g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
Small bunch fresh coriander
Bunch basil
Roughly 600ml hot vegetable stock

METHOD
1 Preheat oven 200C. Pour a good slug olive oil onto a large baking tray & swish around until coated. Tip tomatoes on top & scatter with the onion, garlic bulb halves, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf & good sprinkling rock salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoon olive oil.
2 Put in oven and roast 30 minutes until tomato skins split & slightly blacken and onions soften & lightly brown. Remove from oven and tip in bowl with sun-dried tomatoes, coriander & basil. Leave to cool a few minutes.
3 When vegetables are at room temperature, remove the thyme stalks & bay leaf. Put all the rest into a food processor, spooning out the softened garlic & discarding the papery skins. Puree until as smooth as possible.
4 Pass through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Add vegetable stock until the soup reached the right consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with swirls of cream.
Sufficient for four people.

@Kayak8 Here is the recipe for Thai Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS
1 lemon grass stalk
450g skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
1 red chilli, de-seeded & chopped finely
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
225g chestnut, oyster or shiitake mushrooms, wiped & halved
1 bunch spring onions, sliced thinly, 1 reserved for garnish
300ml reduced-fat coconut milk
150ml chicken stock
Zest of half lime, pared in thick strips, white pith removed
1 rounded tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon reduced-salt soy sauce

METHOD
1 Remove any tough outer leaves from the lemon grass. Cut the stalk into three and bruise the pieces. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, about eight each.
2 Heat the oil in a wok. Add the lemon grass, chicken, chilli, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, to seal the meat.
3 Stir in the mushrooms & cook for a further minute.
4 Add the spring onions, coconut milk, stock, lime zest, coriander & soy sauce to the wok. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat & simmer gently for 8 minutes until the chicken pieces are cooked.
5 Remove the lemon grass & the lime zest. Shred the remaining spring onion & scatter it over to garnish.
Serve with jasmine rice. Serves 4 people.
Enjoy!!

@susanc I love your party menu. Sounds delicious!!
@marinelife I love any seafood, and the asparagus is perfectly. Sounds like a lovely menu, thanks.
@stranger_in_a_strange_land Wow that menu is certainly something else. Let me know when you are hosting your next party… I will be right round to yours !!
@Seek_Kolinahr Sounds like you have the perfect recipe for a wonderful time with your friends, thanks

@Neizvestnaya Sounds good!

@partyparty: It sounds delicious but uses way to much equipment for my extremely low standards. Baking pan, bowl, food processor, strainer and saucepan. And that’s for the soup only. No vine ripened tomatoes available here for a while, in any case.

Do you have a professional kitchen? Do you have a sous-chef. Are you a professional cook? Do you have someone to clean up and wash everything?

I have two questions, neither of which is intended as criticism or snarkiness:

1. Lemon juice in the pesto?
2. No fish sauce in the Thai curry?

@gailcalled Do you have a professional kitchen? Do you have a sous-chef. Are you a professional cook? Do you have someone to clean up and wash everything?

I just have my own kitchen, my love of cooking and lots of patience. My SO is a very fussy eater. He won’t experiment with food. No spices, no herbs, no rice, no pasta. He is quite boring to feed.
Hence my love of hosting dinner parties. My love of cooking can then be let loose. I haven’t had any complaints to date, and some guests have even requested doggy bags to take home with them.

edit; Ahem. I meant “too.”

@partyparty: Your husband’s way of eating is ironic, given your gifts.

-some guests have even requested doggy bags to take home with them. All of them should be stampeding to be first in line for left-overs.

@gailcalled Many thanks for your kind words. I certainly feel cheated when I cook the bland and boring food for him. No creativity for me.
I am planning my next dinner party already!

@partyparty:No small break for R & R? Obviously not. Did you prepare some of the dishes in advance? And where were you able to get those fresh ingredients at this time of year. Our tomato plants are still in the house and are about 6” high.

@gailcalled Yes, of course I have lots of breaks after my dinner parties. This time of year I am in my greenhouse most days, tending my seeds, cuttings and young plants. Busy time, increasing my stock of favourite plants.

I did prepare most dishes in advance. The menu above is one of the easier ones. I merely prepared the Thai curry as my guests were finishing their soup. I get all my fresh ingredients either from farm shops or supermarkets. Cooking is so very, very easy – at least for me it is. It is my way of relaxing.

@partyparty: Lucky you to have both a greenhouse and good shopping. Where do you live? Our Food coop sticks mainly to the 100 mile rule, although I did notice fresh organic strawberries last week from S. California.

I bought fresh limes at the supermarket recentlyand was able to squeeze only about two drops from each of them.

From your use of grams and mls, may I assume that you are not in the states?

@gailcalled Oops is it so obvious I am not in the USA? Actually I am in the UK, right next to the moors. Lovely wild scenery, but cold. I love it.
We have some really good farm shops selling organic meats & newly picked vegetables. English strawberries next month…. strawberry and apple pie time!

@partyparty: Your lovely use of language was a clue. You talked about, for example, sitting in the garden “of an evening.” No native statesider would say that, more’s the pity.

Forget Chas and Camilla; check out the ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine.

@gailcalled check out the ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine
My type of scenery exactly.
I hadn’t realised my use of language was a clue as to my whereabouts. We have family in California and Ohio, and although they all have an American accent, they still have snippets of their old UK accent. It sounds quite lovely.