Hosting dinner for six

[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!

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

I’m the PP and I swear on my life I wouldn’t be judging the host. I’d be so grateful to have been invited and fed. I would have no ill thoughts toward the host. It’s like if someone gets you a book for your birthday that you’ve already read. You say thank you and you genuinely appreciate the thought and kindness they put in, but you internally feel a fleeting tiny disappointment. And then you instantly move on.

[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.

You know the mature thing to do is to eat a small portion, don’t you? I loathe eggplant, but main course were eggplant parm, I would take a piece, eat some of it, and then quietly eat the sides and dessert. The number of people who expect to be catered to is staggering.

My BIL does not eat seafood of any kind. He really only eats chicken breast, protein bars and crackers.

BUT we were invited to dinner at a friend's house and they served a pork stew with clams. They had just returned from Portugal and this recipe was in a cookbook they bought.

BIL put several pieces of the pork and 1 clam on his plate. Ate all of it, and raved. I've never been so proud.

Grown ups don't impose their petty preferences on hosts. They make do.

[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?

+1. And they can’t cook. We don’t eat at a lot of households like this but when we do we always leave hungry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

+1. And they can’t cook. We don’t eat at a lot of households like this but when we do we always leave hungry

It's not a true WASP thing, it's a raised with limited palate and exposure thing. I'm a NE WASP and I'd choke down an appetizer of various fish eyeballs covered in bull semen, followed by a main of elk penis with a sea urchin and wolf saliva sauce, and a desert of balut with durian emulsion and I'd do it with a smile and joyous conversation the whole time and thank you for the delicious meal even if I was completely revolted. I don't know who these whiners are, but "STFU and don't complain or embarrass anyone under any circumstance" is like the WASP ethos and this is not that...

I posted the fish BTW that seemed very non-controversial and is getting roasted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

+1. And they can’t cook. We don’t eat at a lot of households like this but when we do we always leave hungry

It's not a true WASP thing, it's a raised with limited palate and exposure thing. I'm a NE WASP and I'd choke down an appetizer of various fish eyeballs covered in bull semen, followed by a main of elk penis with a sea urchin and wolf saliva sauce, and a desert of balut with durian emulsion and I'd do it with a smile and joyous conversation the whole time and thank you for the delicious meal even if I was completely revolted. I don't know who these whiners are, but "STFU and don't complain or embarrass anyone under any circumstance" is like the WASP ethos and this is not that...

I posted the fish BTW that seemed very non-controversial and is getting roasted.

Amen. I grew up with parents of Northern European extraction who cooked basic, bland stuff. But damn if they didn’t teach me manners.

I eat most anything, but if you invite me to dinner and serve one of the few things I’m not crazy about (fennel, paneer, ham), I will still eat plenty and praise it to the heavens. Oh, and I’d be thrilled if dessert were berries with whipped cream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

+1. And they can’t cook. We don’t eat at a lot of households like this but when we do we always leave hungry

It's not a true WASP thing, it's a raised with limited palate and exposure thing. I'm a NE WASP and I'd choke down an appetizer of various fish eyeballs covered in bull semen, followed by a main of elk penis with a sea urchin and wolf saliva sauce, and a desert of balut with durian emulsion and I'd do it with a smile and joyous conversation the whole time and thank you for the delicious meal even if I was completely revolted. I don't know who these whiners are, but "STFU and don't complain or embarrass anyone under any circumstance" is like the WASP ethos and this is not that...

I posted the fish BTW that seemed very non-controversial and is getting roasted.

Haha! And several of us posted in support of fish en papilotte so as we’ve told op, ignore all of the 5 year old eaters on this thread. I can’t help wonder what many of these posters do when at a wedding or work event when one meal is served.

[Anonymous]

For the main, something like pot roast or beef bourguignon that you can keep warm for a long time without overcooking. Roasted chicken needs to be done to 165 and served promptly or it will get tough and dry out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

+1. And they can’t cook. We don’t eat at a lot of households like this but when we do we always leave hungry

It's not a true WASP thing, it's a raised with limited palate and exposure thing. I'm a NE WASP and I'd choke down an appetizer of various fish eyeballs covered in bull semen, followed by a main of elk penis with a sea urchin and wolf saliva sauce, and a desert of balut with durian emulsion and I'd do it with a smile and joyous conversation the whole time and thank you for the delicious meal even if I was completely revolted. I don't know who these whiners are, but "STFU and don't complain or embarrass anyone under any circumstance" is like the WASP ethos and this is not that...

I posted the fish BTW that seemed very non-controversial and is getting roasted.

Haha! And several of us posted in support of fish en papilotte so as we’ve told op, ignore all of the 5 year old eaters on this thread. I can’t help wonder what many of these posters do when at a wedding or work event when one meal is served.

Get the vegetarian meal. You really can't see that fish, veal, lamb can be very controversial? Not just a picky eater thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Lol at you saying you would never choose pavlova and suggesting macarons instead. Lolololol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

+1. And they can’t cook. We don’t eat at a lot of households like this but when we do we always leave hungry

It's not a true WASP thing, it's a raised with limited palate and exposure thing. I'm a NE WASP and I'd choke down an appetizer of various fish eyeballs covered in bull semen, followed by a main of elk penis with a sea urchin and wolf saliva sauce, and a desert of balut with durian emulsion and I'd do it with a smile and joyous conversation the whole time and thank you for the delicious meal even if I was completely revolted. I don't know who these whiners are, but "STFU and don't complain or embarrass anyone under any circumstance" is like the WASP ethos and this is not that...

I posted the fish BTW that seemed very non-controversial and is getting roasted.

Mmm. Roasted fish is so delicious.

[Anonymous]

I like to keep it simple with classic well made dishes. I opt for roasted butternut squash risotto with oven roasted chicken and a side of sautéed brussels sprouts (with maple and balsamic). We have an open concept floorplan so I'll have a charcuterie board set out when people arrive (roughly 30min before dinner will be ready). Dessert wise simple with some homemade cookies. I keep cookie dough in the freezer so we can pop what we need in the oven and don't have dozens sitting around the house lol. That never goes well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

+1. And they can’t cook. We don’t eat at a lot of households like this but when we do we always leave hungry

It's not a true WASP thing, it's a raised with limited palate and exposure thing. I'm a NE WASP and I'd choke down an appetizer of various fish eyeballs covered in bull semen, followed by a main of elk penis with a sea urchin and wolf saliva sauce, and a desert of balut with durian emulsion and I'd do it with a smile and joyous conversation the whole time and thank you for the delicious meal even if I was completely revolted. I don't know who these whiners are, but "STFU and don't complain or embarrass anyone under any circumstance" is like the WASP ethos and this is not that...

I posted the fish BTW that seemed very non-controversial and is getting roasted.

Haha! And several of us posted in support of fish en papilotte so as we’ve told op, ignore all of the 5 year old eaters on this thread. I can’t help wonder what many of these posters do when at a wedding or work event when one meal is served.

Get the vegetarian meal. You really can't see that fish, veal, lamb can be very controversial? Not just a picky eater thing?

No. These are all bog-standard proteins and I'm not catering to you snivelers.

[Anonymous]

For more formal meals, I really like this beef tenderloin recipe with horseradish sauce: https://www.seriouseats.com/slow-roasted-beef-tenderloin-recipe . I serve it with a green salad and potatoes (roasted, double-stuffed baked, or scalloped depending on my mood).

This is an easy, tasty recipe for roast pork loin if you don’t want to shell out for beef tenderloin: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roast-pork-with-mustard-herb-coating-103264

I always start with a cheese and charcuterie board, and we typically finish with macarons and other bakery pastries. Occasionally, I’ll bestir myself to make cookies or the fixings for brownie sundaes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baked ziti, salad and garlic bread.

OMG no.

Great, you stay home by yourself being snooty. Just means there’s more awesome food for us to enjoy. Without you and your judgement.

This is a work college dinner party, not a Meal Train for some lady at church that had a baby but you don’t know her well, nor do you have time to cook for another family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baked ziti, salad and garlic bread.

OMG no.

Great, you stay home by yourself being snooty. Just means there’s more awesome food for us to enjoy. Without you and your judgement.

This is a work college dinner party, not a Meal Train for some lady at church that had a baby but you don’t know her well, nor do you have time to cook for another family

*work colleague