Anonymous wrote:I love to serve lasagna (I had no idea this was so offensive!!) But another great one is chicken marbella. It's beautiful and delicious.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/CHICKEN-MARBELLA-SILVER-PALATE-COOKBOOK-1277030

I made chicken marbella once, and that was enough. The whole olives and prunes thing was a huge turn-off (to me at least).

I LOVE pasta, but I don't cook it or serve it bc it is so unhealthy. To be honest, I could and would eat it at every meal. I also believe it can be incredibly elegant. We used to make homemade pasta including tortellini. There is nothing white trash about that.

I am from Central Fla and all this talk of lasagne and baked ziti served to "company" kinda reminds me of home.

I love to serve lasagna (I had no idea this was so offensive!!) But another great one is chicken marbella. It's beautiful and delicious.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/CHICKEN-MARBELLA-SILVER-PALATE-COOKBOOK-1277030

We usually have informal get togethers and people seemto really like options:

Fajitas with grilled chicken, steak, and veggies. Salsa, cheese, sour cream, homemade guacamole, tortillas, rice, balck beans. Pleases everyone.

Another favorite is a baked potato bar. Rub the skins with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and bake right on the rack. Let guests choose their own toppings: sauteed mushrooms, a few different cheeses, bacon, sour cream, chives, steamed broccoli. Big green salad on the side.

Chili, served with various toppings if I know my guests like chili.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so much baked pasta... this makes me sad.

try korean-style braised beef shortribs w/ rice and salad with a sweet sesame dressing on the side.

http://bakebitehate.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/korean-braised-beef-shortribs-recipe-galbi-jjim-the-secret-formula-for-awesome-korean-bbq/

What is wrong with pasta? Don't people put just as much effort into good pasta dishes as in other items?

don't get me wrong, i understand pasta can be easy to do (and do ahead) and most people don't object to it, but baked pasta in particular just strikes me as so old timey and expected. especially for people who actually take the time to browse through a food forum -- i would expect more from you!!

LOL I get what you mean now. Personally, I would be thrilled if someone made me pasta though. My husband dislikes pasta, sauces and cheese so I rarely make any pasta dishes. DH is also from a different culture and I typically cook things from his culture and loads of Indian/Pakastani fare (because he likes it).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so much baked pasta... this makes me sad.

try korean-style braised beef shortribs w/ rice and salad with a sweet sesame dressing on the side.

http://bakebitehate.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/korean-braised-beef-shortribs-recipe-galbi-jjim-the-secret-formula-for-awesome-korean-bbq/

What is wrong with pasta? Don't people put just as much effort into good pasta dishes as in other items?

don't get me wrong, i understand pasta can be easy to do (and do ahead) and most people don't object to it, but baked pasta in particular just strikes me as so old timey and expected. especially for people who actually take the time to browse through a food forum -- i would expect more from you!!

if you want to read a real forum, people who will shit on any sort of talk of baked Ziti, try Chef Talk. Those people are the shit, real chefs...none of this nonsense ziti talk.

Ziti for us is reserved for emergencies and never for guests, that would be tacky.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so much baked pasta... this makes me sad.

try korean-style braised beef shortribs w/ rice and salad with a sweet sesame dressing on the side.

http://bakebitehate.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/korean-braised-beef-shortribs-recipe-galbi-jjim-the-secret-formula-for-awesome-korean-bbq/

What is wrong with pasta? Don't people put just as much effort into good pasta dishes as in other items?

don't get me wrong, i understand pasta can be easy to do (and do ahead) and most people don't object to it, but baked pasta in particular just strikes me as so old timey and expected. especially for people who actually take the time to browse through a food forum -- i would expect more from you!!

This. It's the baked ziti/plain lasagna syndrome. Might be different if people were making Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagna Rolls or Salmon Cannelone with Lemon Cream sauce. Not some boring 1970s lasagna and baked ziti with garlic bread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so much baked pasta... this makes me sad.

try korean-style braised beef shortribs w/ rice and salad with a sweet sesame dressing on the side.

http://bakebitehate.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/korean-braised-beef-shortribs-recipe-galbi-jjim-the-secret-formula-for-awesome-korean-bbq/

What is wrong with pasta? Don't people put just as much effort into good pasta dishes as in other items?

don't get me wrong, i understand pasta can be easy to do (and do ahead) and most people don't object to it, but baked pasta in particular just strikes me as so old timey and expected. especially for people who actually take the time to browse through a food forum -- i would expect more from you!!

Anonymous wrote:so much baked pasta... this makes me sad.

try korean-style braised beef shortribs w/ rice and salad with a sweet sesame dressing on the side.

http://bakebitehate.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/korean-braised-beef-shortribs-recipe-galbi-jjim-the-secret-formula-for-awesome-korean-bbq/

What is wrong with pasta? Don't people put just as much effort into good pasta dishes as in other items?

so much baked pasta... this makes me sad.

try korean-style braised beef shortribs w/ rice and salad with a sweet sesame dressing on the side.

http://bakebitehate.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/korean-braised-beef-shortribs-recipe-galbi-jjim-the-secret-formula-for-awesome-korean-bbq/

GO TO:
In the summer we always grill one of the following:
Steaks with Roasted potatoes
Chicken Kebabs with Veggies and Rice
Salmon on Plank with Asparagus
Burgers for more casual get togethers.

Winters:
Beef Stew or Osso Bucco
Pasta Bolegnese or Lasagna
Roasted Chicken and Potatos
Salmon

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just served ziti, caesar salad and garlic bread. Everything made in advance and just put in the oven. Dessert was homemade cookies and ice cream.

Same thing. Either baked ziti or chicken parm. Very little work to make, can make the other stuff while the main dish is cooking. Only thing I'd add is that we put out crackers, cheese, and fruit as appetizers.

You serve ziti to guests? Are you from central Florida?

Same reaction here - ziti, really?

That's what I was thinking, too. I haven't been served ziti since shortly after college when we were a) learning how to cook and b) pinching pennies. And even then, it was less basic than just ziti. Or even lasagna, unless you're doing something different than standard lasagna. Though I do sometimes make a small lasagna on the side for friends whose children are picky.

Steak with blue cheese sauce
Grilled Portabello mushroom (if guest is a veg)
Roasted Brocolli
Brown rice with chives
Desssert

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just served ziti, caesar salad and garlic bread. Everything made in advance and just put in the oven. Dessert was homemade cookies and ice cream.

Same thing. Either baked ziti or chicken parm. Very little work to make, can make the other stuff while the main dish is cooking. Only thing I'd add is that we put out crackers, cheese, and fruit as appetizers.

You serve ziti to guests? Are you from central Florida?

Same reaction here - ziti, really?