Wednesday, March 4, 2009

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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Sunday, March 1, 2009

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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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Reduce Your Dinner Costs - Paint Your Table And Eliminate Those Non-Essentials

I enjoyed this article by Brittny Goodsell Jones.. Shari Wells was shocked one day when she the total of someone's party had come to $600 so she has just published a cookbook about how to entertain while eliminating non-essential items.

"Eliminating non-essentials means the cook has more attention given to presentation. The best way to make a low-budget meal look fancy is to “paint the table,” she says. For example, using colorful, ironed tablecloths helps the table look fuller and more sophisticated. Wells also suggests rotating napkin colors, and to mix and match with tablecloths for a different look.

Intense colors help show off a table more dramatically. Wells came up with this idea of making the table “pop” after visiting a Van Gogh exhibit in California."

It's amazing how aesthetics can be so pleasing to the eye that they really can make a difference to the success of your dinner party - regardless of the cost of the menu items.

I have always loved the way the Japanese pay so much attention to the presentation of their food.. It makes eating a real joy..

The Herald Journal Serving Logan and Cache Valley > News > Please Be Seated
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Friday, February 20, 2009

The Worst Dinner Party Experiences

Imagine going to a dinner party and being asked to chip in for the costs once the meal was done?

Or your host knowing your a vegetarian and taking delight in telling you you have just eaten some meat? Or this poor woman:

"I had dinner with my in-laws for the first time (first time we met, too), and when they were setting the table up and passing out plates they served me last. Then, they hardly spoke the whole time, didn't ask me anything about myself, and only gave short answers to any questions I asked. It was probably the most horrible, awkward night of my life."

These are just some of the bad experiences people have had ..

Let's Dish: What's the Worst Party Foul You've Witnessed? | Party Foul, Hostess Etiquette, let's dish | YumSugar - Recipes, Menus, Food & Wine

To your successful dinner parties!

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess
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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Oscars Dinner Party Idea



This event proves a fabulous opportunity to catch up with friends over dinner and then watch this not-to-be-missed annual event.

A night of glitz and glamor - maybe you could all dress to suit the occasion?

Start the night by allowing guests to  make their vote - who will win?

A great article by Kristy X-Y follows:

A snippet of an article by Kristy X-Y follows about how her Oscar party turned into an all-day affair and how it became an even for the whole family!:

"There is always so much hype over the clothes worn and people that attend, the Movies themselves get less press! That is what got us to start our Academy Awards: and the Oscar went to... all day bash many years ago.

What is the Academy Awards, and the Oscar went to... all day bash? Well, basically it is an all day Oscar winning movie marathon with a lot of food, fun and drinks thrown in. Now in college, there was a lot more drinks involved than after we started having kids and it morphed into a family event! It really is a lot of fun for everyone."

Seattle Parenting Examiner: Hold an Academy Awards: and the Oscar went to... all day party bash
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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Dinner party supports the fight against MS - The Mississauga News - Mississauga.com

Please support this global dinner party like Paula Tzouanakis who is throwing a party with a purpose at the Mississauga Grand Banquet Hall & Convention Centre in support of research to end multiple sclerosis on February 26.

Hey, my blog even appears here and can help with those ideas.

Since 2003, the dinner parties have raised more than $250,000 for research. Parties are typically hosted on the last Saturday of February.

Dinner party supports the fight against MS - The Mississauga News - Mississauga.com

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess
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Friday, February 13, 2009

Sweet and sassy: A dinner party for the last days of winter


I like this woman - Emma Christensen - she says:

"Back in January when the year was still shiny and new, I made a resolution. Forget dieting. Forget jogging three mornings a week. This year, I was going to master the dinner party".

Emma continues:

"I’ve decided that the key to overcoming my dinner party anxieties is three-fold. First, I need to relax. After all, these are friends. Second, I need to plan dishes that are easily made ahead and don’t rely on precise timing. Third, I need a theme."

And themes are what you can find right here!
"A mid-winter menu foll o sass and sweetness starts with a honey citrus salad. The entree follows suite with short ribs braised in honey-cinnamon and served with polenta. The perfect end to this satisfying meal is coffee with miniature chocolate-dipped snikerdoodles."

Sounds good to me - even though I am in Australia and we are heading toward the end of Summer.. nevertheless, I recommend checking out Emma's article - I always love it when the recipes are included!

newsminer.com • Sweet and sassy: A dinner party for the last days of winter

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess
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