Dinner party ideas- August
mtnrdredux_gw
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Dinner Party Help, please
Comments (13)What wonderful ideas! Thanks so much Jane, Pesky and Les!! I loved everything you suggested, from food to decor, and thanks for confirming the buffet idea. To answer a few questions: I had thought to do a separate pan of ziti without the sausage, just in case, even though people often select where to eat based on the menus, which are sent out ahead of time. I will be using two long tables pushed together so everyone can sit around one large table. I will serve some hors d'oeuvres, so thanks for those ideas, too. I'm feeling a little more excited about this now that you have helped me devise a plan. Thanks again!!...See MoreThai Dinner Party Ideas?
Comments (3)DD lived in Thailand for more than a year. I asked her for suggestions, and here is a recipe she sent me. This is a recipe for one of our favorite Thai dishes, Tom Kha Gai (chicken and coconut milk soup). Here is the basic recipe: "Tom Kha Gai Combine 3 cups chicken stock, 3/4 C coconut cream, 2 kaffir lime leaves, 1 piece coriander root, 2 T sliced young galangal, 1 T sliced lemon grass and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Add 200 grams chopped chicken thigh, let boil and cook for a few minutes. Season soup with salt, fresh lemon juice, and smashed chilli peppers. Serve hot in a bowl garnished with cilantro and fried dry chilies (optional). I would definitely add some chopped onions and mushrooms, maybe just before the chicken, and also some tomato wedges. When we made it here it came out really well. I guess they will know something about Thai ingredients? Galangal is a root, I don't know how difficult it would be to find there. And the lemon grass should be cut at an angle into pieces an inch or two-long. Also, on the can it may say coconut milk or coconut cream, but it's the same thing." Here is some Thai trivia: When she was searching for an apartment, none of the apartments had kitchens! Most people don't cook at home because really delicious and inexpensive food is readily available on the street, in kiosks or little stores. She had to search to find a small portable oven because she loves to cook and wanted to make something. Another piece of trivia: Most Thai do not know Bangkok by that name but rather by the name Krung Thep. Krung Thep is actually an abreviated form of its full ceremonial name which is "Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit." It might be difficult to fit that on an address label! Good luck with your dinner party! One impression I have from photos she sent is that there are flowers EVERYWHERE! Especially hibiscus and orchids. Here is a link that might be useful: Bangkok/Krung Thep info...See MoreA dinner party to make new friends?
Comments (5)I love dinner parties, too, but if I got an invitation to one from someone I didn't know, just dropped in the mailbox, there is no way I'd attend that party. Inviting people to dinner is probably not the best first step in making new friends. It's a bit too much, too soon. The way to meet your neighbors is to get out of your house when they are also outside. Smile and say "hi" to people you meet on walks. Go over to next door and ask them a question--could they recommend a plumber? a good pizza place? somewhere to buy a ladder? Get to know people first, then invite them over. You could have a dinner party where you invite three of your newly-met neighbors and ask them all to bring one new person to the party. I did one time realize that all the tenants in my three-family house and the two houses next door were all single women. So I arranged a summer afternoon get-together with all of us, just so we could meet and know who our neighbors were--and who we could call on if we needed some help. Tea, lemonade, cookies and some fruit, and about two hours of fun conversation. It was easy for people to come and go, and not feel locked into staying for hours, as they would with a dinner party. I don't fault you for wanting to make new friends, but I just think a formal dinner party is not the way to go....See MoreTonight's Dinner Party, My French Onion Soup . . . and Swim Goggles!
Comments (26)LynnNM, I made onion soup with your recipe and served it at a dinner party last night. It got rave reviews all around. I didn't need swim goggles. My 44 year old Oster Regency mixer/blender/food processor/meat grinder quickly cut the onions into perfect thin slices. Not a tear was shed. Thanks for the recipe. In return here is another soup recipe that I make that everyone loves Ina Garten’s Winter Minestrone Soup Ingredients: Good olive oil 4 ounces pancetta, ½-inch-diced 1½ cups chopped yellow onions 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots) 2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks) 2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash 1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves) 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi 6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves 1/2 cup good dry white wine 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto Garlic Bruschetta (see recipe) Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot. Garlic Bruschetta 1 baguette Good olive oil 1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic. Here it is as a work in progress from when I made it in November This picture is from Ina Garten's website...See Moremtnrdredux_gw
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