By now you’ve found 5 other people who would love to do a dinner club with you, so what’s next? Decide how often you will meet. I suggest once a month. If you try to schedule it more than once a month, you  may find people bailing out more frequently. When it’s once a month, people tend to schedule around it.

Pick the person who will host the first one. Even if their apartment is too small, you can always lend them your large dining room, but everyone should get a a chance to pick a theme. A theme can be a color, a holiday, a country or region, even a movie. Last year my club did Spain, cheesy 70’s, porch picnic, and Cajun-Creole food.

For every dinner think of it as three courses, cocktail, and a few appetizers if you’ll be drinking before dinner is ready. If you don’t drink or have a member who doesn’t, still make a special drink that matches your theme, just make a blend of fruit juices, ginger ale, or even fresh made mint-limeade.

We usually do a soup or a salad, but you can have both if you want. Just make sure the portions are small enough that everyone can eat all the courses. The main course can be a one dish meal or you can flesh it out with a few veggies on the plate too. Dessert is often the centerpiece and make sure to have some coffee if anyone likes it.

If you’re planning your first one for February, a Mardi Gras theme would work well. There are tons of red beans and rice, gumbo, and jambalaya recipes you can choose from. Make a bread pudding with whiskey sauce if no one wants to brave making a king cake. Make hurricanes for your main drink using fresh juices and rum.

This month my club meets at my house. We’re doing a fondue night. I found an easy and healthier fondue recipe that uses pureed white beans as its base. It’s still cheesy, but chock full of nutrients and much less fat. I also use 2% cheese. I figure that leaves room for more chocolate fondue.

Before the night is over someone should volunteer to host next months. Everyone can throw out some suggestions for the theme or sign up to bring a certain dish. Set the date then if you can, it’s easier when everyone is in the same place. Most of all enjoy the night!

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Posted by Myriam under Dinner Club & Hostessing & Party Food & Winter Entertaining | No Comments »

Thanksgiving is growing nearer and I’m confident that you have your menu ready. You’ve already arranged to get extra chairs, folding tables, and even silverware if you need it. But have you put any thought into your table centerpiece yet? Don’t get me wrong, the food is the focus of this holiday, but it’s always nice to add a special touch on the table as well.

You can go the traditional route and have some Indian corn cobs, or a basket filled with the season’s beautiful winter squashes. Of course, whatever you pick needs to go with your table linens. You could try a tall rectangle glass vase filled with autumn leaves and pine cones. You could get a square glass vase and fill it with popcorn and a pillar candle. You can even get colored popcorn for a more unusual display. Remember, if you add anything in with a candle; make sure what you add not flammable.

Another vase idea is to find some branches in your own backyard and put them in a large vase. You can add in some flowers as well, to make it a spectacular addition to your family’s meal. Hollow out mini pumpkins or gourds, then add a votive inside. They are delightful candle holders.

Don’t forget about your houseplants. They can go on your favorite Noritake dish surrounded by leaves or mini pumpkins. Use a cake plate to raise it up from the table. Doing this gives any center piece more dimension, and catches the eye more readily. Fresh flowers are always a welcome sight on the table. Try for warm orange colors if you can find them. Also don’t be afraid to get some poinsettias early and use them as well. The white ones are my favorite to have before the Christmas holiday kicks in.

Big trifle bowls of apples, pomegranates, and pears is another dynamic center piece. Plus it’s one you can eat for dessert too! A bowl of citrus can be pretty too, especially when you add in some kumquats and satumas. My favorite functional ‘center piece’ is sliced oranges, limes, and lemons in big glass pitchers of drinking water. It add great flavor and is amazing to look at too.

Try mixing and matching some of the ideas above to create your own master piece. You could create a vase of white roses in a clear vase lined with kumquats. Or add a houseplant into the center of a bowl of Indian corn. Mix dried leaves in with mini pumpkins and pears. The possibilities are truly endless.

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Posted by Myriam under Decorations & Fall Entertaining & Holiday Entertaining & Thanksgiving | No Comments »

Fall is one of my favorite seasons for entertaining. You can finally venture outside without fear that the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes will drive you back in before you can finish a glass of wine. The days may be getting shorter, but there is still plenty of time to enjoy dinner outside. Dining al fresco is a wonderful way to relax. There seems to be a restorative quality about being surrounded by nature even in your own backyard.

The leaves changing into dozens of colors on the trees creates a dramatic backdrop for cocktails or a full dinner. Using a tablecloth really dresses up the table when you are dining outside. Bring out your good china and wine glasses too. It’s just another way to escape a weekday rut. You will find yourself looking forward to eating outside as much as you do your favorite restaurant.

Since it’s getting dark earlier, you may want to add a few candles when you set your table. You can enjoy the gradual darkness as the sun sets, and have a match handy to light them just as you need that extra light. If you are on a deck or in a garden, go ahead and put a few votives around the area surrounding the dining table. Light them before dinner and you can use them to further emphasize the setting sun.

Find some colorful leaves and use them to decorate your table. Make sure that you check them well so you aren’t bringing any unwelcome guests to the table! You could also fill a large vase full of the leaves, if you’d prefer to not leave anything to chance. Make sure to not crush the leaves, but allow space to stay between each one. This creates a one of a kind centerpiece that you or your guests won’t soon forget.

A great and easy mid-week fall dinner is soup and a salad. You can make a simple vegetable soup from scratch, use pre-made, or even soup from a can. The china will dress it up no matter which route you go. For a quick, delicious salad buy a bag of pre-washed baby spinach, Mix spinach in a salad bowl with a handful of toasted walnuts and dried cranberries. Toss with crumbled goat cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette. Serve with a warm crusty baguette and softened butter on the side.

Mark your calendar for a fall dinner escape outside this week. You and your friends will be glad you did!

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Posted by Myriam under Fall Entertaining & Recipes | No Comments »