My first dinner party...HELP!

[CQueen]

I have decided to throw my first dinner party, wow I feel like a grown up It's on Friday in a fortnight and i'll have 8 people there including myself and DP. I've never cooked for that many people accept at parties and BBQ's but never a sit down meal for 8! I have a lot of questions!

The menu i've decided on is...

Entree - Crab cakes with some dipping sauces (also thinking about have some french bread cut up with some oil and dukkah (sp?)

Main - Crab-stuffed chicken with creamy sauce and baby rocket

Dessert - Individual Berry crumble and warm choc custard.

Do you think these things go together? Do you think they're all ok for a pregnant women??

Also was wondering whether to do cheese after the dessert or if that will be too much food?

Should I have nuts and things out to begin with? And do you think I should put out olives to go with the crab and bread?

Any other ideas????

Also...one of the guys i'm inviting may not bring the girl he is seeing, should I then invite another girl I know? I want to keep things even but I don't want them to think i'm matchmaking or anything!

Thats a good starting off point - thanks for listening and TIA for your help and ideas

[AngelPunks]

have as many menu items that can be prepared beforehand done

the last thing you want to be doing is running around when your guests have arrived trying to get things cooked

[fionaw]

I love dinner parties!

My suggestion on food is that make stuff that is largely prepared before the event. Last thing you want to do is fiddling around in the kitchen whilst your guests are here.

Starters - yum. Not sure on nuts, but I like oil, bread and olives for nibblies.

Entree - again, yum.

Main - I'm not sure what is involved in the main, but it seems that the big thing to do will be taking it out of the oven and carving whilst your guests are here. Again, sounds good.

Dessert - The dessert seems pretty good - you can prepare up the crumbles before and then pop into the oven at the last minute.

My only thought would be seafood allergies - you have two courses that involve crab. I'm assuming you have no vegetarians as there are no options there.

Now I want to have a dinner party!!!!!

[roses]

I think some pregnant women may be hesitant with crab. Maybe give them a call first and check. Better to be sure then you can relax on the night. Dessert sounds yummo and a real winner for pleasing everyone.
Cheese - depends again on the people you are inviting. Are they big eaters? Again there are certain cheeses not reccommended for pregnant women.
Nuts and olives are always good for nibbles to start.
Remember the key to good entertaining is NOT to be stuck in the kitchen all night. Keep the food simple and the wine flowing and everything else will fall into place. Do as much preparation as you can BEFORE anyone arrives. Have the table set, have your serving bowls and cuttlery ready. That way YOU can enjoy the wine and conversation too - remember, they are coming to see and talk to you, the food is just a bonus!!
Have a great night

[Nelle]

Oh wow sounds so exciting CQ! I'm hanging out to do something like that one day!

From what I can tell, a dinner party is a bit like a stirfry, you have to have as much prepared beforehand as you can. Can you do that with your menu?

As for after dessert, what about something that might go with coffee? Like if you're likely to sit around and talk, then you might serve coffee, so perhaps some little chocolates or something would be enough?

[CQueen]

Thanks guys!

Yep, have chosen dishes that I can do quite a bit of prep before they get here, the chicken is individual breasts and they're cooked in the oven for 45 mins so that can be going on from when I start the entree.

I wasn't sure how the preggy lady will go with crab so yep, i'll give her a call and check first. I think i'll skip the cheeses, I don't know if they are particularly huge eaters but I don't want them to be totally stuffed! I like the idea of little choccies! or maybe even some fruit - I think thats what they do in France??

Also, how long do you leave it between courses normally??

Oooh exciting exciting! I wonder if I should have a colour theme?! Placemats, candles etc

[Eluned]

On the custard in your dessert, you might want to check with the pregnant lady because I think custard is a no-no in pregnancy if it's the fresh egg custard. I *think* the processed stuff from the fridge at the supermarket is ok though.

Def go the colour theme! I love a beautifully set table with matching colours

[wouldloveabubba]

CC - Ohhhh I love a dinner party, and love hosting them ...

What is the weather like next week up in Bris ?

Your menu individually sounds delicious, and to be honest, I would love your main recipe'

Though to be totally honest, after a creamy crab chicken, I would probably go for a lighter desert to moisten the palate (so to speak) I wonder if the choc custard after the creamy crab chicken, may be a little too much, especially if you are having wine in between courses

Definatly have some candle's - ambience is the key to any dinner party don't have the lights on, just candle's and a dim lamp

Music : Pick your CD's and have them organised in order ready to play, calm dinner music whilst eating, then moving to something more upbeat, just after desert, then the fun music, for when the champa's are flowing

I am not a big fan of pre dinner nibblie's before entree', I always have a welcome drink ready for my guests

[CQueen]

I think you're right about the dessert - maybe something ice creamy/sorbet-y???

Any ideas? Anyone got any fab light dessert recipes?

[Eluned]

A lemon tart maybe? That would be nice and tangy and refreshing.

[wouldloveabubba]

For desert :

I once made a serving platter of

Strawberries dipped in white and dark chocoloate
A few slices, (mars bar) (lemon slice) then cut them up into bite size pieces
Rum Balls

Served with coffee

That is a nice alternative to having a desert at the table, and encourages everyone to another area of the house, to mingle

[Roryrory]

CQ congratulations on stepping into the world of dinner parties - they are so much fun!

Elaborate dinner parties used to be a hobby of mine pre-children (when I say elaborate I once did a 7-course vegetarian dinner party for 8 so I used to really go OTT!) So while I have had quite a bit of experience in these things I always do the following:

1. Once you think you settled on your menu, make sure you have READ the recipes carefully. There is nothing worse than realising an hour before the guests arrive that yes, it only takes 20 minutes to prep the entree but you need to have completed step 1 of the recipe the day before!

2. Check that you have the implements you need - I'm talking baking pans, serving dishes, special tools like fine graters, etc.

3. Now for the fun bit - plan! Work out when, in great detail, you will prepare and/or cook everything. I'm talking (for example) "5.00pm - wash salad and set aside to dry, take steaks out of fridge to bring to room temperature, make salad dressing"; "5.20pm - crumb the fish fillets and put in fridge to set"; and so on. This might sound really anal but it means you have everything planned out so you can stay calm and just methodically work on what you need to do and you don't forget anything. It stops you preparing things way too early (if you are making a souffle, you don't want to whisk the eggs and have them sitting for too long, otherwise it won't rise). In your case, you might want to write down the time you plan to start heating the oven for the chicken, when to start heating the sauce, make a note to wash the berries in the early afternoon so they are completely dried by dessert time, and so on. I usually do this plan a few days ahead.

4. A lot of people recommend doing a test-cook before the big day. I never did, and I have had failures at dinner parties. You get over it (but a test cook is a good idea if you are worried or have the time/money.

Most importantly, remember that the best meals are served with love and calmness, so its better to have things a little off kilter and people happy than everything perfect and you in tears from stress!

[christy]

Yummo!!! I lurve dinner parties as well.

For the desert... a sorbet is a fanastic idea. I make a lime basil sorbet and serve it in martini glasses, and put choclates out on the table as well.

Another one I did was take berries... whatever you want and cook 2 cups of berries on a low simmer with 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp brown sugar, and 2 tbsp red wine for 45 minutes. Make (or buy) merangue nests and to serve pour 1-2 tbsp of the syrupy berries on top with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.

[CQueen]

Alright after much discussion with difficult pregnant women (only joking) I've decided to completely change the menu!

The main is - Steak with Field Mushroom and White Wine Sauce, Smashed Potatoes and Watercress

and the dessert is - Tortillas with Bananas and Caramel Sauce

So i'm stuck on the entree, it's really hard to find something to go with the rest. So far I have...

Chilli Rellenos with Fetta and Corn (basically half a capsicum stuffed with rice, beans, corn and zucchini)

or

Fish Cakes (home made)

or

Duck, Leek and Rocket Pasta Rolls (kinda like Duck pancakes)

So...what do you think??

[Eluned]

The chilli rellenos sound great! yum

[CQueen]

Mmmm that's what i'm thinking and easy to make too...anyone else opinions or should I lock it in??!!!