A Simple Fondue Dinner Party - Cheese and Chocolate?

Love it - fondue that is..

We have a fab Swiss restaurant up the road but where we really do get to enjoy a traditional fondue but you can prepare these at home. When is the last time you enjoyed a fondue dinner party at a friend's? It's on the unique side and very sociable and fun.. Check out this article..

"What dinner party could be more simple? Your guests do the cooking, so you can relax and enjoy your own party. If you limit the menu to cheese and chocolate fondue, you can skip the expensive entree. Just add a fresh green salad, a few bottles of wine and coffee and you're set"

03/28/2009 - Dip into fondue for a frugal, simple dinner party - STLtoday.com

Of course I have made an earlier post about fondue dinner parties but this is a nice reminder!

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A Mexican Dinner Party Feast

Kim Severson's assignment was to create a dinner party for six for $50..

"I figured if I looked toward Mexico, I could make clever use of inexpensive ingredients like jicama, beans and peppers. If I combined them with big flavors and artisan techniques, I could easily hit the $50 mark. Julia would fold like a cheap tent."

This article is well worth a read..

Kim Severson's Dinner Party - A Mexican Feast With Artisanal Technique - NYTimes.com

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Harmony Day Dinner Party Idea

Harmony Day is held on March 21 in Australia but wherever you live - this is an occasion worth celebrating. It is a day to celebrate diversity in our community.

The key message of Harmony Day is Everyone Belongs. It's about community participation, inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

You could celebrate this day with your friends in some of these ways:

- having a dinner by country theme for your dinner party (hey, check out the theme ideas here - from Italian, to Indian, to Thai, to name but a few).
- Inviting guests to bring a dish from their country of origin
- serving each course from a different continent - e.g. French entrée, Swiss main, Egyptian dessert.
- starting off with cocktails from around the world

You name it - there are so many ways you can show your friends that you appreciate diversity in out community and sharing food is such a fabulous way to bring people together in harmony - in celebration of our richness as a community.

Dinner Party Etiquette - Hosts, Be Prepared

I loved this article because as they say, the worst nightmare for any dinner party host is a surprise - something that we just didn't plan for and can ruin that special dinner party that you'd spent so long planning.

Matthew Pearson from the Ottawa Citizen has interviewed three of Canad's top etiquette experts to deliver some fabulous  tips to "handling -- and perhaps avoiding -- these sticky situations."

They give advice on:
- a guest informing you on arrival that they have certain food allergies.
- you've cooked just enough for a set number of people and one of the guests takes their share.. and someone else's!
- friends arrive to an adults only dinner party with their kids.
- you're hosting potluck and the person who promised to bring the main meal doesn't show!
- You and your spouse don't drink - are you obligated to serve your guests alcohol?
- You have a specified time for your dinner party. Three couples show up on time and the fourth couple show up an hour late..

Thinks about what you'd do before you check out the answers in the article link below.

And don't forget that a dinner party should be on enjoying time with your guests - all three experts agree on that fact for sure!

Awkward etiquette

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Why Not Throw A St Patrick's Day Dinner Party?

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 by the Irish and Irish at Heart in big cities and small towns alike with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink. So, isn't this the perfect opportunity to throw a unique Irish dinner party?

If you're looking for recipe ideas check out this site. I love the sound of the Kahlua White Leprechaun!

Or you can check out this site and discover how to serve a traditional Irish Dinner for St Patrick's Day!

And don't forget to create your atmosphere - the Irish Music - use the color green everywhere of course.

Want to see an Irish dinner party? I found this:

Underground Supper Clubs

This underground dinner party in a Missouri hunting lodge sounded fabulous!
In fact, the whole concept of these dinner/supper parties is wonderful.

The dinner guests on this occasion had no idea about where they were going or what to expect but they did know that a sumptuous five course meal was being served somewhere along the way.

They'd received a top-secret email invite from "by John-Jack, an undercover chef who'd invited each of them to the latest of what he calls his "Entre" dinner parties.

It's all about eating fabulous food in the most unlikely places...



"The trend started in food-centric cities like San Francisco, but in the last year, groups have been popping up across the country," says Jenn Garbee, author of "Secret Suppers," which spotlights some of the more than 80 clubs now up and running in the U.S."

Read the whole article here:

Underground supper clubs a delicious discovery - CNN.com

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Come Party With Me: Indian Dinner — Drinks | cocktails, recipes, Come Party With Me | YumSugar - Recipes, Menus, Food & Wine

What a fabulous blogger! I completely agree with Partysugar when she says:

"No themed dinner party can begin without the relaxing mood enhancer and conversation stimulator that is the specialty cocktail. Since India (outside of the big cities) doesn't have much of a drinking culture, I'm turning to Dale Degroff, the king of cocktails, for inspiration."

I'd suggest taking a look at her site.. I just like to share posts I personally think are interesting. Life is not about money.. it's about having a blast of a time..

Come Party With Me: Indian Dinner — Drinks | cocktails, recipes, Come Party With Me | YumSugar - Recipes, Menus, Food & Wine

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