I made Thai food recently to celebrate my son-in-law's promotion. 12 people. We also had one vegan, one dairy-free, one sesame allergy and one nut-allergy person.

Appetizers -
- Fish cake - Tod Mun Pla,
- Triple mushroom salad
- Creamy coconut soup - Tom kha kai

Mains -
- Chicken, potatoes, veggis, corn, and shallots in green curry
- Pumpkin and eggplant in panang curry
- Whole fried fish in tamarind sauce

served with rice and assorted dips/sauces

Dessert was homemade mango ice cream.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dessert is covered.

But I’m at a loss. I want something festive as we are celebrating something for the guest (a job promotion of sorts).

Ideas?

Seafood
Wine
Cheese

Lobster?

Baked ziti? Pasta salad? Chicken salad? 😂

Anonymous wrote:Dessert is covered.

But I’m at a loss. I want something festive as we are celebrating something for the guest (a job promotion of sorts).

Ideas?

Seafood
Wine
Cheese

Anonymous wrote:Boxed squash soup with a swirl of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of ginger is very easy. Just make sure you like the particular brand.

Trader Joe's Tomato boxed soup is also good if tou want to offer a soup course.

I'm thinking a sliced pear and cheese salad might be nice with some of the mains suggested.

What brands are good?

Anonymous wrote:Boxed squash soup with a swirl of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of ginger is very easy. Just make sure you like the particular brand.

Trader Joe's Tomato boxed soup is also good if tou want to offer a soup course.

I'm thinking a sliced pear and cheese salad might be nice with some of the mains suggested.

Also a very good idea!

Anonymous wrote:Blinis and caviar with sparkling wine as an appetizer will amp up the celebration and take the pressure off dinner. We get the blinis at whole foods, creme fraiche, dill. You can do egg if you like - I find it messy for an app. You don't have to do expensive caviar - costco usually has some good options.

Op this is a great idea. I suspect the guests won’t eat much of the main fwiw. I think everyone is on ozempic these days but I’m not sure!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like serving beef bourguignon this time of year. It’s not that hard to make, can be done a day in advance and reheated, and people seem to think it’s fancy. I use the Julia Child recipe and serve over mashed potatoes with a green vegetable on the side.

I think it's really tacky to serve someone reheated leftovers. That's what you feed the family when you're sick or rushing around, not a guest for a special dinner.

It would only be a leftover if they had eaten it. Some dishes improve with age - NYT Cooking recommends cooking beef bourguignon a day or two ahead.

Love love love Giada’s prosciutto wrapped lamb burgers.

Anonymous wrote:I like serving beef bourguignon this time of year. It’s not that hard to make, can be done a day in advance and reheated, and people seem to think it’s fancy. I use the Julia Child recipe and serve over mashed potatoes with a green vegetable on the side.

I think it's really tacky to serve someone reheated leftovers. That's what you feed the family when you're sick or rushing around, not a guest for a special dinner.

I'm a make-ahead person. Ina Garten's Chicken Marbella is great, she also has a pork tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto that I do with some regularity.

But like others said - something you have made before and are comfortable with is key.

If you want to do something like stuffed shells like others have suggested, there are some versions with butternut squash and sage that make it a little more seasonal/unique.

Blinis and caviar with sparkling wine as an appetizer will amp up the celebration and take the pressure off dinner. We get the blinis at whole foods, creme fraiche, dill. You can do egg if you like - I find it messy for an app. You don't have to do expensive caviar - costco usually has some good options.

Boxed squash soup with a swirl of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of ginger is very easy. Just make sure you like the particular brand.

Trader Joe's Tomato boxed soup is also good if tou want to offer a soup course.

I'm thinking a sliced pear and cheese salad might be nice with some of the mains suggested.

I make a lamb stew or a boneless short rib stew. With parsnip purée and a cabbage slaw. I enjoy that I can be done ahead of time so I can entertain guests and not fuss over the stove.

I like serving beef bourguignon this time of year. It’s not that hard to make, can be done a day in advance and reheated, and people seem to think it’s fancy. I use the Julia Child recipe and serve over mashed potatoes with a green vegetable on the side.