Hosting dinner for six

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baked ziti, salad and garlic bread.

OMG no.

Agree.

+3. The baked ziti poster shows up on every dinner party thread. I think it’s the only thing she knows how to make.

Seriously, give me the ziti and taco bar people over the whiners any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baked ziti, salad and garlic bread.

OMG no.

Agree.

+3. The baked ziti poster shows up on every dinner party thread. I think it’s the only thing she knows how to make.

Seriously, give me the ziti and taco bar people over the whiners any day.

The ziti person is the same who would turn her nose up at anything too "spicy" or ethnic or weird if it's not meat and potatoes or a bland casserole.

[Anonymous]

PP who hosts a lot here -- for God's sake if your preferences are really strong about something like fish or lamb or any other common protein, PLEASE let me know ahead of time. I can't accommodate what I don't know about, and I honestly don't care. I don't want you to suffer in silence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely find out food restrictions and preferences. All these people saying salmon or fish, I wouldn’t eat either.

Agree with this. It’s always good to know preferences, especially for the main dish. My DH would never eat salmon and I would never eat lamb or veal. I’m not a picky eater but would feel rude having none of the host’s main protein.

You would feel rude because it would be rude because you ARE picky eaters who pretend you are not and don’t communicate your preferences ahead of time. Either don’t be picky, don’t accept dinner invites to places where you can’t order independently, or communicate your food restrictions in a direct but not needy way to the host ahead of time. Do not lie and say they are allergies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baked ziti, salad and garlic bread.

OMG no.

Agree.

+3. The baked ziti poster shows up on every dinner party thread. I think it’s the only thing she knows how to make.

Seriously, give me the ziti and taco bar people over the whiners any day.

The ziti person is the same who would turn her nose up at anything too "spicy" or ethnic or weird if it's not meat and potatoes or a bland casserole.

I personally much prefer spicy and “ethnic” food to meat and potatoes, but the point of being hosted for dinner is the company. Suck it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP who hosts a lot here -- for God's sake if your preferences are really strong about something like fish or lamb or any other common protein, PLEASE let me know ahead of time. I can't accommodate what I don't know about, and I honestly don't care. I don't want you to suffer in silence.

I'm a frequent host as well. I accommodate allergies, religious requirements, and vegetarians/vegans. I will not bend myself into a pretzel to accommodate multiple diners with conflicting "preferences" - one doesn't want to eat fish, another won't eat lamb or pork, another is low-carb, someone doesn't like onions... I have preferences, too. But I'm going to eat someone's lovingly prepared food even if it isn't my favorite thing in the world because I WAS NOT RAISED BY WOLVES and will survive a single meal that falls outside of my comfort zone. The world does not revolve around our personal likes and dislikes, FFS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I host a lot of dinner parties. Here are some easy go- tos when I have a busy day and don’t want to go all out:

Always:
Charcuterie plate with 2 types of meat (I usually do a spicy sopressata and a black peppercorn salami), 3 nice cheeses (goat or other soft, blue, simple cheddar for less adventurous cheese folks), olives, grapes and/or berries). I also slice a baguette thin, or offer some nice crackers, a couple varieties.

For dinner, some easy options are chicken parm—light coating of flour and shredded parm, sauté/brown the chicken, put in casserole and cover with Rao’s marinara, top with shredded cheddar and Mozzarella. Bake for 45 minutes or so. Serve with pasta cooked in well salted water, a green salad. This is always a hit, carb haters skip the pasta. Have lots of salad and definitely a good homemade salad dressing. Mine is that I mince 3 garlic cloves, put in a small jar with 2/3 cup good olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, generous fresh ground salt and pepper. Shake and rest for at least an hour. For dessert, berries with whipped cream are always fine (I put just a teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of cardamom in my whipped cream).

For vegetarians, red beans and rice is an excellent option. Easy to put together and it is hands off. Mildly spicy but generally acceptable.

Ina Garten’s Asian Grilled Salmon is great, with rice and the salad above.

Asparagus is so easy to sauté if you want an additional veggie. Use butter, salt and pepper, go underdone rather than over. Bonus points for adding the asparagus to softened shallots and garlic.

Good luck!

I would be polite and eat your berries with whipped cream, but I’d be disappointed by this dessert. I can’t speak for anyone other than myself but I hate fruit as dessert. Toss a slice of lemon pound cake in there!

FFS. You can buy your own cake to wolf down. A healthy and delicious dessert for one meal is not going to kill you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I host a lot of dinner parties. Here are some easy go- tos when I have a busy day and don’t want to go all out:

Always:
Charcuterie plate with 2 types of meat (I usually do a spicy sopressata and a black peppercorn salami), 3 nice cheeses (goat or other soft, blue, simple cheddar for less adventurous cheese folks), olives, grapes and/or berries). I also slice a baguette thin, or offer some nice crackers, a couple varieties.

For dinner, some easy options are chicken parm—light coating of flour and shredded parm, sauté/brown the chicken, put in casserole and cover with Rao’s marinara, top with shredded cheddar and Mozzarella. Bake for 45 minutes or so. Serve with pasta cooked in well salted water, a green salad. This is always a hit, carb haters skip the pasta. Have lots of salad and definitely a good homemade salad dressing. Mine is that I mince 3 garlic cloves, put in a small jar with 2/3 cup good olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, generous fresh ground salt and pepper. Shake and rest for at least an hour. For dessert, berries with whipped cream are always fine (I put just a teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of cardamom in my whipped cream).

For vegetarians, red beans and rice is an excellent option. Easy to put together and it is hands off. Mildly spicy but generally acceptable.

Ina Garten’s Asian Grilled Salmon is great, with rice and the salad above.

Asparagus is so easy to sauté if you want an additional veggie. Use butter, salt and pepper, go underdone rather than over. Bonus points for adding the asparagus to softened shallots and garlic.

Good luck!

I would be polite and eat your berries with whipped cream, but I’d be disappointed by this dessert. I can’t speak for anyone other than myself but I hate fruit as dessert. Toss a slice of lemon pound cake in there!

FFS. You can buy your own cake to wolf down. A healthy and delicious dessert for one meal is not going to kill you.

PP here -- agree. Many of my friends don't want a heavy dessert and prefer something lighter, which is why I do that. I'll occasionally do something like a pavlova with lemon curd and berries, or a fruit pie. But heavy apps, main, and dessert is a lot. Most people want fresh and lighter fare to some extent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who hosts a lot here -- for God's sake if your preferences are really strong about something like fish or lamb or any other common protein, PLEASE let me know ahead of time. I can't accommodate what I don't know about, and I honestly don't care. I don't want you to suffer in silence.

I'm a frequent host as well. I accommodate allergies, religious requirements, and vegetarians/vegans. I will not bend myself into a pretzel to accommodate multiple diners with conflicting "preferences" - one doesn't want to eat fish, another won't eat lamb or pork, another is low-carb, someone doesn't like onions... I have preferences, too. But I'm going to eat someone's lovingly prepared food even if it isn't my favorite thing in the world because I WAS NOT RAISED BY WOLVES and will survive a single meal that falls outside of my comfort zone. The world does not revolve around our personal likes and dislikes, FFS!

I agree it can be a PITA. I do judge the couple who had to be gluten free and KETO, with several protein restrictions. At that point just decline the invite...Needless to say we did not develop that relationship because it said a lot about who they were as a couple too, we learned that night. Some people are just not happy individuals and it conveys through signs like extreme pickiness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is such a WASP thread. OMG. I weep for you all. Who raised you that this is an issue? How do you live in the real world?

There are many times I am grateful to my practical as hell immigrant parents who taught me ALL of the basic life skills related to both how to work and make a living and how to take care of myself, home, and family. I think that there were a couple of generations of women in the US that believed that not knowing certain traditionally female skills like cooking or basic sewing was a form of liberation from the patriarchy. When in fact it is just a willful limitation of your knowledge and skillset. ALL people need to know how to take care of themselves and family - this includes career skills AND basic home skills. No one talks proudly about not knowing how to change a tire, but I know several women who proudly don't cook. Good for you, I guess? Go order takeout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely find out food restrictions and preferences. All these people saying salmon or fish, I wouldn’t eat either.

Agree with this. It’s always good to know preferences, especially for the main dish. My DH would never eat salmon and I would never eat lamb or veal. I’m not a picky eater but would feel rude having none of the host’s main protein.

No problem! I can fix a plate of chicken nuggets for you and your husband. You can eat them in the kitchen with my three year old. If you're really good, you might get some Jello for dessert.

Lé Best!

[Anonymous]

My go to is Ina Garten's Linguini with Shrimp Scampi https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/linguine-with-shrimp-scampi-recipe3-1916619. Always so good and super easy. Even easier- get the frozen Argentinian shrimp from trader joes so no prep. Best frozen shrimp. Make a salad, have bread, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I host a lot of dinner parties. Here are some easy go- tos when I have a busy day and don’t want to go all out:

Always:
Charcuterie plate with 2 types of meat (I usually do a spicy sopressata and a black peppercorn salami), 3 nice cheeses (goat or other soft, blue, simple cheddar for less adventurous cheese folks), olives, grapes and/or berries). I also slice a baguette thin, or offer some nice crackers, a couple varieties.

For dinner, some easy options are chicken parm—light coating of flour and shredded parm, sauté/brown the chicken, put in casserole and cover with Rao’s marinara, top with shredded cheddar and Mozzarella. Bake for 45 minutes or so. Serve with pasta cooked in well salted water, a green salad. This is always a hit, carb haters skip the pasta. Have lots of salad and definitely a good homemade salad dressing. Mine is that I mince 3 garlic cloves, put in a small jar with 2/3 cup good olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, generous fresh ground salt and pepper. Shake and rest for at least an hour. For dessert, berries with whipped cream are always fine (I put just a teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of cardamom in my whipped cream).

For vegetarians, red beans and rice is an excellent option. Easy to put together and it is hands off. Mildly spicy but generally acceptable.

Ina Garten’s Asian Grilled Salmon is great, with rice and the salad above.

Asparagus is so easy to sauté if you want an additional veggie. Use butter, salt and pepper, go underdone rather than over. Bonus points for adding the asparagus to softened shallots and garlic.

Good luck!

I would be polite and eat your berries with whipped cream, but I’d be disappointed by this dessert. I can’t speak for anyone other than myself but I hate fruit as dessert. Toss a slice of lemon pound cake in there!

FFS. You can buy your own cake to wolf down. A healthy and delicious dessert for one meal is not going to kill you.

PP here -- agree. Many of my friends don't want a heavy dessert and prefer something lighter, which is why I do that. I'll occasionally do something like a pavlova with lemon curd and berries, or a fruit pie. But heavy apps, main, and dessert is a lot. Most people want fresh and lighter fare to some extent.

I mean, that is your perspective because that is what you like and possibly your family and certain people in your close circle. But to say “most people” don’t really care for much dessert isn’t true just because that’s what you prefer. I prefer fresh fare too. I actually don’t need any appetizers, let alone heavy apps. We just have different preferences. I would never buy/make/choose a fruit pie or pavlova. I don’t even need a BIG dessert or a complicated dessert. It could be a tasty cookie, some high quality chocolate truffles, a scoop of ice cream, or a pillowy macaron. Again, you do you and you know your audience. But to insinuate that everyone would rather a bowl of berries for dessert is maybe not being in tune that others may prefer something different than what you prefer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I host a lot of dinner parties. Here are some easy go- tos when I have a busy day and don’t want to go all out:

Always:
Charcuterie plate with 2 types of meat (I usually do a spicy sopressata and a black peppercorn salami), 3 nice cheeses (goat or other soft, blue, simple cheddar for less adventurous cheese folks), olives, grapes and/or berries). I also slice a baguette thin, or offer some nice crackers, a couple varieties.

For dinner, some easy options are chicken parm—light coating of flour and shredded parm, sauté/brown the chicken, put in casserole and cover with Rao’s marinara, top with shredded cheddar and Mozzarella. Bake for 45 minutes or so. Serve with pasta cooked in well salted water, a green salad. This is always a hit, carb haters skip the pasta. Have lots of salad and definitely a good homemade salad dressing. Mine is that I mince 3 garlic cloves, put in a small jar with 2/3 cup good olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, generous fresh ground salt and pepper. Shake and rest for at least an hour. For dessert, berries with whipped cream are always fine (I put just a teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of cardamom in my whipped cream).

For vegetarians, red beans and rice is an excellent option. Easy to put together and it is hands off. Mildly spicy but generally acceptable.

Ina Garten’s Asian Grilled Salmon is great, with rice and the salad above.

Asparagus is so easy to sauté if you want an additional veggie. Use butter, salt and pepper, go underdone rather than over. Bonus points for adding the asparagus to softened shallots and garlic.

Good luck!

I would be polite and eat your berries with whipped cream, but I’d be disappointed by this dessert. I can’t speak for anyone other than myself but I hate fruit as dessert. Toss a slice of lemon pound cake in there!

this attitude is exactly why I dislike hosting meals for guests - I never know if they are judging me like the PP would be

[Anonymous]

My go to for this type of thing is steak, potatoes, salad, and dessert.

Put out hummus (buy the sabra or cava brand) and cut up pieces of pita bread for an appetizer.

Buy prime steaks at Costco, expensive but delicious. You can have hubby grill. Almost impossible to screw up unless overcooked.

I bake russet potatoes in the oven. Just wash them, prick theml and bake for at least an hour.

Let your guests bring appetizer or dessert if they ask.
Bagged Ceasar Salad.

If you need dessert, Buy a cake and cut up berries from Whole Foods. Serve together -- put berries on platter earlier.

Most importantly, hand them a drink when they walk in the door.