A cheat's dinner party (+recipes) -by Amanda Laird

Of course this article caught my attention... See what you think of Amanda's suggested dinner party menu..

"From the moment you turn on the oven until dessert is served, 60 minutes is all you need. It's all about choosing ingredients wisely. One course can take the entire hour to cook but that allows a shorter time for the other two. By having a slow-cooked and quite rich dessert, the two preceding courses can be lighter."

A cheat's dinner party (+recipes) - 27 Aug 2008 - Viva magazine - NZ Herald

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

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An underground dinner party - with strangers

Today's dinner party news is about an underground supper club for foodies. I've copied a good segment of the story here.. to read the rest just click into the link. This sounds great to me..

An underground dinner party held at a Toronto loft, hosted by a professional chef. The gourmet menu of a restaurant, in the intimate setting of a home.It sounded intriguing, so she and her boyfriend signed up. They were contacted by e-mail, and only then were they given an address and buzz code.Armed with their own wine, they arrived one Sunday night. The loft had a chic, clean-cut atmosphere, the decor almost entirely black, brown or white.

In the main room sat a long, custom-made dinner table with seating for eight. Music played through large speakers. Intricate place settings had been laid out under the summer sunset that came in through west-facing windows.

It could have been the back room of a lounge, but it was a private home - and an underground supper club.

"I think it's a brilliant idea," said Ms. Millar, 22, a waitress. "It's unlike any other place that's around here."

The couple sat with six strangers while hosts Gillian Young, 21, and Durant Ellis, 28, who live in the loft, served a Jamaican-themed meal, including homemade cornbread and couscous, a spicy beef skewer with wasabi mayo sauce and oxtail stew served on sushi rice and nori. For dessert, there were two types of panacotta, each served in a shot glass.

Hidden Lounge is the pet project of Mr. Ellis, a chef, and Ms. Young, a bartender - an underground supper club for foodies who want an innovative gourmet meal, good wine and fresh conversation."

globeandmail.com: An underground dinner party - with strangers

Stay tuned for more dinner party ideas soon.

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

Blogged with the Flock Browser

007 Dinner Party Idea

I went to a fabulous party the other night - the 007 theme made me realize that you could also use this as a dinner party idea.

The party I went to had a "Casino Royale" theme and the invitation stated dressing to the theme was compulsory.

We arrived - the place looked fabulous with some very stylishly dressed people and we were handed martinis.. The hosts had hired a roulette table with croupier and all.. The finger food was classy. The movie was being projected onto an outside wall without sound but instead they were playing sensational and sophisticated music from that era.

Anyway, you can picture it I'm sure and a dinner party would work just as well.. less people but all dressed to the nines..

Stay tuned for more dinner party ideas soon.

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

Summer Weeknight Dinner Party - Menus and All!

Thanks to Bonnie Stern for this dinner party idea and menu..

Bonnie suggests a summer menu that can be prepared easily before your guests arrive and can be served at room temperature:

• Tuscan Sliced Steak
• Roasted Cauliflower and Green Olive Salad
• Summertime Pasta Salad
• Caprese
• Brownie S'Mores

Sounds good to me and looks great too! Click into the link below to see the full story with menus included! Thanks Bonnie!

Bonnie Stern: Easy menu for the weeknight party - The Appetizer

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

Blogged with the Flock Browser

A Peek Into A Royal Dinner Party, Queen Elizabeth Opens The Palace Banquet Hall To The Public - CBS News

"For a normal state banquet, the actual laying of the table takes three days - although preparations usually take short of a month before the event," Buckingham Palace curator Kathryn Jones told CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.

So, a one night affair really is a relief!

A Peek Into A Royal Dinner Party, Queen Elizabeth Opens The Palace Banquet Hall To The Public - CBS News

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Favorite Summer Recipes

Today's dinner party idea is to acquaint yourself with new and exciting recipes.

I found this video on youtube called The Summer Cooking Guru Challenge. The beauty of this is that people are quite happy to share their absolute favorite dishes and recipes.. So far, there are 83 video responses and almost 400 comments.



For instance, just 8 minutes ago, junkie4vids posted their favorite:

"My summer recipe is Mahi Mahi Wraps. Grill 4 6-oz. mahi fillets, brushed with extra virgin oil and lemon, for 5 minutes until flaky. Combine 1 cup yogurt and juices of two limes. Add yogurt sauce, shredded carrots, chopped avocado, cucumber and tomatoes wiht mahi mahi chunks and serve in about 8 large Boston lettuce leaves. Yum."

If you couldn't see the resposnes on the video link - try this link



Stay tuned for more dinner party ideas soon.