Hey, you good cooks-What would impress you?

SailorPam wrote:
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.

This is a terrific idea!

Super_Dave wrote:
This thread has been running this week and as it turns out, we're having some people over for dinner tonight. As I was planning my menu, I was thinking about this topic and think I came to a conclusion that I'm my own worst critic when it comes to my food so if I'm happy with the dinner, everyone else will be too. Plans are for dinner and a fire in the fire pit in the backyard. Desert might just be smores.

sounds great to me!

Jim Shoe wrote:
Granted that this is a special case, but when I was in college, 4 of us guys rented a house near campus. Every Thanksgiving, we had our "Turkey day feast" and invited all of our friends that couldn't go home. Usually 10 or 12. We served a huge turkey, 5 pounds of mashed potatoes, bread dressing, a bucket of gravy and hot rolls. No veggies, no salad. Potatoes are vegetables and the dressing had celery and onions in it. Then we all headed for the living room and slept thru several football games. Most of the guys wore sweat pants for the occasion to allow for expansion.
The point? Its about the people, not the food.

awesome! Where did you go to school?

That may be true, but you still served some wonderful food. That would be all I would need at Thanksgiving, in fact thats usually just what I eat anyway.

Granted that this is a special case, but when I was in college, 4 of us guys rented a house near campus. Every Thanksgiving, we had our "Turkey day feast" and invited all of our friends that couldn't go home. Usually 10 or 12. We served a huge turkey, 5 pounds of mashed potatoes, bread dressing, a bucket of gravy and hot rolls. No veggies, no salad. Potatoes are vegetables and the dressing had celery and onions in it. Then we all headed for the living room and slept thru several football games. Most of the guys wore sweat pants for the occasion to allow for expansion.
The point? Its about the people, not the food.

This thread has been running this week and as it turns out, we're having some people over for dinner tonight. As I was planning my menu, I was thinking about this topic and think I came to a conclusion that I'm my own worst critic when it comes to my food so if I'm happy with the dinner, everyone else will be too. Plans are for dinner and a fire in the fire pit in the backyard. Desert might just be smores.

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.

I'm impressed, if you want to call it that, with people who are true to themselves no matter what kind of meal is set out.

I don't care to attend a function or gathering with folks who are out to "outdo each other" or obviously "impress" someone. Keep it simple, keep it real.

I love cooking with a passion and our friends are always excited about what I'll be making when they're invited for dinner.
When DH and I invited a couple of our dearest friends to join us for lunch at our campsite, less than an hour away, I warned them that they would be having quick and easy camp food - not the 'usual' - just brats, burgers, pizza, s'mores. They brought a simple side dish each.
I don't think expecting something decent when invited for dinner is unreasonable. It absolutely doesn't have to something extravagant or expensive - a homemade soup, chili or casserole can be delicious!

Go Dogs wrote:

Mocoondo wrote:
We both enjoy cooking and entertaining and have taken classical cooking courses at Le Cordon Bleu, so we enjoy working in the kitchen. We rarely eat out and usually do a full on multi-course meal every night. For me, spending time in the kitchen, enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine, or three, or more, and preparing an enjoyable meal is a great way to unwind and de-stress.

Our home is set up in such a way that we can entertain and be involved with our guests while still being in the kitchen doing our thing. A lot of times, they enjoy watching us prepare the meal. We host for dinners quite often, occasionally but less frequently for Sunday brunch. We usually prepare dishes that we know beforehand the guests will enjoy, and we always try our best to make the experience over the top for our friends. Dinner at our house usually consists of multiple courses throughout the evening with the actual main course served later, say 8-9 or even 10PM. We are not the type to meter cocktails and adhere to a rigid schedule. When each course is ready to be served, we eat. If you are at our home, it's a generous pour each and every time. If guests end up overserved, then a good evening was had by all.

We usually start with some sort of interesting theme and work from there. For example, last Saturday, we had a group of our boating friends over (outside of RVing, we are boat owners) and we re-created the meal which passengers enjoyed on the final evening aboard Titanic. It was a fun night.

To each, His own. Your idea of entertaining sounds, as if you don't consider it a success unless all the guests have been, 'overserved' with generous 'pours'. Do you prepare for all of these drunken guests to spend the night, or do they take a taxi home? Do you have any friends that don't drink, or are in AA? I'm sorry, but I would not permit guests at my home, to drink to excess. I would consider that, as equal to the Titanic's maiden voyage.

You sound like a MADD Dog. LOL!