Special dinner party coming up..ideas

I will try that one too but not for the party. I can't get okra here so I grow my own in the greenhouse during the summer and I would use fresh crab instead of canned . It sounds like a great recipe, thank you so much.

Alcohol will be available but I shan't be mixing anything .

I did think about making a seafood paella, I have a paella pan that will feed at least twelve but I can't figure out how to work it into a menu unless I do it as a non meat option, again this is something I don't get many chances to cook anymore these days so I am tempted. It would sit on a buffet though !!! , I think I have definitely decided on the buffet, it gives me more freedom to plan and is easier than a formal as folks can select from various options. I do have some one who would serve but I am trying to avoid that this time. although I will get some help with prep.
 
For the number of people you are having, I agree the buffet is the way to go, you could still be classy. My cousins used to do that at Christmas every year, and they had great stuff. Makes things easier for you. Yeah, I saw that drink I suggested and it did look classy, but to be honest, I usually do no alcohol too. One year my cousins made the classic stuffed mushroom recipe and added bits of crab or lobster to it. I forget which right now, it was many years ago.
 

Banoffi pie recipe.. I intended to post this after I had converted it to cups. It is a UK recipe so may be a problem for some but have been asked for it via e mail. If anyone wants to see it in it's original form from the man who first made it, go to Ian Dowding UK on Google and I think it will come up.

Will aim for the cup one in a few days

XX Jeannine
 
I'm not sure whether it's quite fancy enough for what you have in mind, but our favorite celebratory meal is seafood lasagna with lobster, gulf shrimp, and scallops. I can't get the recipe to cut and paste (bah!) but will type it out for you if you want it.
 
Hi Loosey, that sounds like a lovely recipe and one that I would like. I won't use it for the party though as I have decided a seafood dish now but when you have a minute or two it would be great to have..no rush though,,thank you
 
Now, notice, I never said this dish is healthy! However, it's delicious, especially the next day for some reason. I once had something similar at a restaurant and contrived a recipe.

Seafood Lasagna

Boil two 1.5 lb. lobsters and pick the meat out.
Boil (very briefly) and clean 1 lb. medium gulf shrimp
Cook 1 lb. bay scallops as follows
Saute two cloves minced garlic briefly in 1/2 stick butter. Add scallops and a healthy dollop of chablis. Saute 5 minutes and set aside.

White Sauce
Melt 1.5 sticks of butter
Blend in 2/3 cup of flour to a smooth paste
Gradually add 4 cups milk, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth
Add 1.5 tsp salt and a couple of dashes of black pepper
Mellow 5 minutes over low heat stirring occasionally, then add all fish

Filling
32 oz Ricotta cheese
2 medium carrots grated
2 boxes frozen chopped spinach thawed and well drained (fresh spinach would probably be good, too...)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper
Mix all filling together in a big bowl

Construct: sauce, lasagna noodles, filling, sauce, noodles, filling on upward ending up with the last of the sauce. Cover. Bake 35 minutes at 350, then remove the cover and bake 20 minutes longer. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
 
Thank you for the new recipe, it sounds lovely.

The dinner is mid February. There are folks coming from overseas, people I don't know but are associates of with various friends so it will be an interesting evening.

My menu is almost done..I think..

It will be buffet style. I have 4 people coming on the day to help me prep and two are coming the day before also so I think I am well covered. I also don't have to do clean up or serving.

My numbers are firm at 16 now so I can plan accordingly. The number is good actually as doing buffet style I can have lots of choices. I think a formal for six is much harder to do.



Well you know Radish Rose, I have never seen Conneticut and it is one place I aim to see before I pop off so maybe we can cook together one day!!
 
Jeannine said:
Thank you for the new recipe, it sounds lovely.

The dinner is mid February. There are folks coming from overseas, people I don't know but are associates of with various friends so it will be an interesting evening.

My menu is almost done..I think..

It will be buffet style. I have 4 people coming on the day to help me prep and two are coming the day before also so I think I am well covered. I also don't have to do clean up or serving.

My numbers are firm at 16 now so I can plan accordingly. The number is good actually as doing buffet style I can have lots of choices. I think a formal for six is much harder to do.



Well you know Radish Rose, I have never seen Conneticut and it is one place I aim to see before I pop off so maybe we can cook together one day!!
Click to expand...

I would be honored, Jeannine! :)
 
Just 8 days to go, menu is all sorted now I think, wish me luck. I do these dinners now and again but it has been about 18 months since I did one quite so formal so am getting a wee bit nervous especially as some of the guests are friends of friends from Europe that I don't know. Numbers are actually 18, plus the helpers who have to eat as well.

I think I may be getting a bit old for this,usually it doesn't throw me off kilter but I will be glad when this one is done.
 
Whew,, well I got through my dinner evening, I am totally shattered but it was an excellent party of people, many friends and some friends of firiends from Europe who were in politics, folks who who I didn't know personally although I knew of them.

Very long day, super evening but.. tell you about it tomorro.

Night Night Jeannine
 
Well it all went very well, we fed 23 people all told including helpers. Buffet style as I had decided earlier. One couple was fairly well known and I felt a bit intimidated at first but I need not have, they were very gracious and the husband ate enough for 4.. I started about 6 am with helpers arriving at nine am. Some things had been prepped the evening before but some had to be done fresh. I made the choux pastry for the craquenbouche the day before, but did the building about an hour before folks arrived, a helper filled them with cream and made the caramel for me and I did the building. One of the dishes was Beef Wellington, thank you so much to the poster whose idea that was, we made two. some of the filling made ahead. and there wasn't a scrap left. A big hit was a fondue dip filled with seafood, the crab, lobster halibut and scallops were all cooked the day before and they really cleaned that up quickly. I made 2 cheesecakes one flavored with Parfait Amour. the other was white chocolate and raspberries with Frambroise liquer added. Usual bits and bobs beforehand. I stuck to simple steamed green veggies, asparagus, cauli, broc etc and also did a tray of roasted roots. Salads.pretty basic nothing special. I did a dish with duck breast and redcurrants which was very nice. Potatoes were baby ones steamed , 3 colors, tossed in butter and parsley. A couple of home made breads, one is a favorite of mine with home grown sundried tomatoes and rosemary and a basic white Challah. There was a ham but I had a lot of that left.

They seemed to eat like they were starved and they at all evening.

I gave some info about the forum out and said I had ideas from all of you, there was quite a chat about it, then themes at dinners started to be discussed. I mentioned a post about 60's food and that brought great interest. I think I may have fallen into a trap LOL

Eventually folks started to slow down and we all settled down to a quiet chat, along with brandy and petit fours for those still grazing.

I was a bit nervous that politics would come up especially as one husband was a politician but mercifully I was spared that.

So after everyone left I sort of died in the corner for a while, then while my helpers cleared everything up I left the main house and went to the carriage house completely exhausted.

They brought me a few very nice gifts, some hand made chocolates, a gorgeous silk scarf and a fairly big jar of caviar, the real thing too and I had to promise I would not open it that night.

I am definitely getting too old for this though so if I do another it is going to be a peasant dinner, soups, breads fresh fruit etc.

Thank you all again for your help, I used a few of your ideas

XX Jeannine
 

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