Your dinner party menu?

looking4advice

The missus and I seem to be having dinner parties, usually with another couple but have room to sit 6 (including us).

I always find it is difficult to master the dual task of cooking and entertaining so I usually cook a 'one pot' meal which usually turns out well.

I rarely have a starter and I just buy a dessert in(Rolys do great take away ones btw). I do hope to incorporate a starter and dessert into my repertoire though! A lot of starters and desserts can be pre-made anyway so just need some ideas.

I'd like to be more adventurous - what kind of menus do you dish up?

Acoshla

Tiramisu, mousse, cakes, tarts and cheesecakes are always good desserts to go with, can be prepped in advance and just served easily after the meal. I'd do the same for starters, go with things that can be prepared in advance and left, or something really easy to put together quickly, like cheese tomato and basil puff pastry tart, yum.

Darkginger

I like to do dinner parties on a theme - usually an ethnic one, like Chinese, or Indian, Mexican, Greek, Italian, French and so on. It helps to cut down on all the options! I'm also a bit set in my ways - fish, seafood, cheese or egg based starter, meat main (always with side dishes), sweet pud.

Menu suggestions:

Chinese

Starter - sesame prawn toast, or sticky ribs
Main - Kung Pao chicken, crispy shredded beef, egg fried rice
Dessert - lychees and (home-made?) rose petal ice cream

Indian

Starter - sheekh kebabs and chicken tikka with salad garnish, cucumber raita
Main - prawn Madras, chicken dhansak, pilau rice, naan, poppodoms
Dessert - home made kulfi (Indian ice cream)

Mexican

Starter - jalapeno poppers (chillies stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon, baked)
Main - chicken fajitas, sour cream, grated cheese, salsa
Dessert - chocolate 'n chilli brownies with Kahlua cream sauce

Greek

Starter - assorted mezzes - olives, cooked prawns in shell, taramasalata, hummus, feta cubes, pitta bread
Main - moussaka and lemon/garlic roast potatoes
Dessert - fruit plate - figs, grapes and apple slices with honey-flavoured Greek yoghurt

Italian

Starter - Garlic and chilli prawns
Main - Posh bolognese, made with pork and beef mince, chicken livers, cooked for 4 hours with nutmeg , tomatoes, garlic and herbs, with pasta (anything but spaghetti!) and loads of fresh grated Parmesan on top
Dessert - zabaglione

French

Starter - Moules mariniere with loads of crusty bread on the side
Main - Coq au vin with creamy mash, petits pois
Dessert - tarte Tatin with vanilla ice cream

Oo, that was fun, went off on a sort of food fantasy there