Hey, you good cooks-What would impress you?
Have you ever been invited to someone's house for a meal for the first time? You're not quite sure what to expect. Did they order pizza-:S? Or did they really knock your socks off? I was invited to...
Forum Discussion
Interesting thread! I've always felt that the first priority is that my guests feel comfortable. They may or may not remember what you serve(some people just aren't foodies, no matter how good you are)but they will always remember how they felt as your guest. So I try to cook for the company. If you really want to get your cooking game on, start a dinner club with others who love to do the same.
One of the best things we did when we lived in our S & B home was start a weekly Soup Night. We would send the invitation out in September to the group. Each Thursday night beginning in October through December we would put on a pot of soup. Guests weren't expected to RSVP. They could bring a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, an appetizer, salad or dessert. Or nothing! Yes there were times when we had all desserts or five different breads but no salad. Worse things could happen. And everyone enjoyed just milling around and visiting. Sometimes someone would volunteer to be the Guest Chef and make their favorite soup for us. In January we switched to another friend's house for the rest of soup season. By keeping it at one location nobody had to remember who's house it was going to be at each week. It went on for several years and has resurfaced more than once since we stopped doing it a few years ago. We just got into the groove each year so setting up only took us half an hour or so. And most of the clean up was done by a guest or two who would sneak around and wrap things up while the hosts sat down to visit. It was a great experience and helped me and others feel more comfortable with the idea of entertaining.
One of the best things we did when we lived in our S & B home was start a weekly Soup Night. We would send the invitation out in September to the group. Each Thursday night beginning in October through December we would put on a pot of soup. Guests weren't expected to RSVP. They could bring a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, an appetizer, salad or dessert. Or nothing! Yes there were times when we had all desserts or five different breads but no salad. Worse things could happen. And everyone enjoyed just milling around and visiting. Sometimes someone would volunteer to be the Guest Chef and make their favorite soup for us. In January we switched to another friend's house for the rest of soup season. By keeping it at one location nobody had to remember who's house it was going to be at each week. It went on for several years and has resurfaced more than once since we stopped doing it a few years ago. We just got into the groove each year so setting up only took us half an hour or so. And most of the clean up was done by a guest or two who would sneak around and wrap things up while the hosts sat down to visit. It was a great experience and helped me and others feel more comfortable with the idea of entertaining.
