This is going to come across as incredibly homemaker of me but one of the items on my bucket list is:
To host a dinner party
I’m talking a full on, 3-course sit down meal for at least 8-10 guests and cooking up a spread Bree Van de Kamp would be proud of (Desperate Housewives reference for those of you who don’t watch). Although I’m still yet to cross that off my list, I came one step closer to it earlier this week.
In honor of my sister & friend who is getting married next week, I hosted a drinks at home a few nights ago. In addition to compiling a playlist, ordering various flower arrangements, and making list after list, the foodie in me also spent a huge chunk of time planning the food aspect of the night. After menu planning & cooking up some of the dishes with my mom, I think i want to go into catering ;).
Although I’m yet to learn plenty about hosting dinner parties, one thing is for sure: Especially as food can make or break a night, keep your guests’ dietary preferences & needs in mind when planning the menu…i.e. serve food which they would want to eat, not just the dishes that you enjoy or are easy for you to whip up. With that said, here’s what I served up:
Snacks:
- Nachni (lentil) chips
- Labneh (yogurt dip) with crudites
- Olive tapenade & lavache crackers
- Cheese board
- Meat platter
Dinner (buffet style)
- Japanese salad
- Quinoa, chickpea, avocado & miso salad
- Arugula salad with figs, roasted almonds, & feta
- Seafood platter
- Farfalle Basilico with kalamata olives & mushrooms
- Chaat
- Chicken tikka
- Thai basil tofu
- Nasi goreng
And because no meal is complete without something sweet:
And on a completely separate note- I won’t be blogging over the next 10 days or so…instead I will be celebrating as these 2 start the next chapter of their lives together :):
Have a great weekend & week!
What’s essential for a good party in your books? Music, company, food…all of the above?
Gonna miss you – come back sooooooon!!
Man, i think it takes a completely different type of person to be able to host dinner parties – I could never do something like that!
the food, the food, the food – can we have dinner one night together please?!?!?
Er you say the night and I’m there 😉
You made all that?! Wow you definitely SHOULD go into catering – it looks awesome!
Congrats to the happy couple. 🙂
Thanks Chelsea…my mom & I made it so I can’t take all the credit ;)!
That menu sounds awesome. And I love how you pulled from places all over the world! I agree with Chelsea, you should go into catering! I could never do it because I think the stress would get to me but I think you’d be great, especially since you enjoy the whole process!
And have an amazing time at your friend’s wedding!! I’ll miss you!!
Haha there was definitely a bit of stress involved but it was all worth it by the end of it :)!
I would hire you to cater for me! Everything look amazing.
I would love to throw a big fancy dinner party like that. Definitely going to have to hold off on that, because my apartment can barely fit two people.
Have a great time over the next few days – I’ll miss seeing your posts!
Thanks Sam and ditto :)!
You cooked all this?? Fabulous! I’d totally hire you to come cater an event for me! You know, if I wasn’t half way around the world. Have a great time at the wedding, can’t wait to see you back here and hear all about it!
Welllll if you ever make it to India, you have an unlimited invite to come over and eat with me 😀
I have actually never hosted my own party, that is something though I have really wanted to do in my apartment
Can’t wait to hear about it when you do!
You want to go in to catering? I want to go to a party that you cater! Everything seriously looks so amazing, and you raise a really good point about keeping your guests’ preferences and needs in mind. As someone who has to deal with a pretty severe allergy to peanuts, it always warms my heart when someone goes out of their way to make sure there are things I can enjoy as well.
I’ll miss you over the next 10 days! But I hope that you have an amazing time celebrating 😀
Haha well the next one I host, you are totally invited :)!
Wow good job on your dinner party… you totally cooked up a feast!! I would love to be able to make good Indian food!
Thanks Katy! I sound like a horrid Indian but it’s last on my list of cuisines that I want to learn how to cook…just not a fan of Indian food!
@Khusboo, Indian food is more oily. Now noone likes what I cook, because its plain boring!!!
Khushboo! I am SO impressed! You should seriously consider that catering venture; everything–especially the arugula salad and Thai basil tofu–look unbelievably delicious. I have dreams of miraculously becoming a domestic goddess (a la Bree Van De Kamp), however I’m pretty sure that after a week of baking, cooking and house dusting, I’d go nuts. 😉 So, maybe the solution is adding specific domestic goddess activities like dinner parties to my bucket list, just as you did. 🙂
I hope you enjoy every minute of the wedding celebrations next week! Congratulations to your beautiful sister and her soon-to-be husband! I’ll be thinking of you, and can’t wait to hear all about the festivities! <3 xoxo
Haha I am pretty sure the novelty of being domestic would wear off in no time! For now I’ll stick with sporadic parties ;)!
I LOVE the Bree reference, she was always so classy when it came to planning!! I miss that show haha. I would LOVE to host a dinner party!! When I get my own place I will for sure!! What a blast!! I’ll miss ya the next week, have fun!
I was so upset when Desperate Housewives finished- loved that show!
Great job! Nice variety and interesting choices. I wish I could be at the party!
Thanks, Pam! 🙂
Oh wow!!! I want to come to your dinner party!! That looks amazing!!! Enjoy the wedding and time out! Will miss your blog updates! But enjoy enjoy enjoy! What a wonderful cook you are!
Thanks so much Jess :)! Have a great week too!
Going to miss you woman, but I hope the next 10 days is just so wonderful for them, you, family, friends and all 🙂 Oh and I am coming to your next dinner party, holy moly you have a fantastic menu here!
Thanks Tess, and you are more than welcome to come for dinner :)!
You did an awesome job with the spread! We’ll miss you while you’re gone, but don’t let that stop you from having lots of fun :D!!!
Thanks P..and have a wonderful week!
Awww you guys are so cute!
🙂
Wow! I’m so impressed! You should start a catering business ;). Everything sounds scrumptious! Have fun this week! I can’t wait to hear all about it 😉
Thanks Min! I just got back and it really was more fun than I could have ever imagined :)!
Looks like a great spread of food! That’s one of my goals too, especially since i’m not that great of a cook so it’s something i’m working on. For my sisters baby shower months ago, I just ordered the food 🙁 Should’ve made at least some of it!! Anyway, congratulations to your sister and friend!!! For me, it’s all about the company and the food! 🙂
Thanks Kym and congrats to your sister! Is it her first baby?
wow Khushboo, you put a lot of people to shame with your spread. Forget the number of things you cooked, i’m so impressed by the number of cuisines available. Even the healthy foods look incredible for a dinner party. The couple looks so cuteeeeeee, both of them are cute. Enjoy this time int heir lives, they will remember it forever. You are a good sister/friend. For me, food, drinks, and company make a party! Music I can live without provided the company is great. 🙂
Thanks Nisha…I always find it difficult to stick with one cuisine- why pick when you can have the best of all worlds ;)!
I would hire you to cater my party any day! Isn’t the planning events so much fun? I love the excuse to make all the fun recipes I dream up. 🙂
Have a great time celebrating!
Perhaps we should team up and become event planners- we’d make a killer duo ;)!
Okay…you NEED to go into catering. This all looks so delish! I’m super impressed.
Thanks Alexis 😀
I am so impressed! I couldn’t have even done 1/4 of what you and your mom did. Amazing.
Congrats to the cute couple! Hope you have a fantastic time.
Let’s just say that I probably wouldn’t have been able to do 1/4 of all this without my mom’s help :)!
You had me at olive tapenade and cheese platter. Seriously, that’s one heck of a spread you put on; I’m very impressed. I’ve always wanted to host a dinner party too, but none of my friends are real foodies so I’ve been to chicken to do it. Seems silly now when I type it out.
Oh you should totally do it…even if you’re friends aren’t total foodies, I am sure they will appreciate your efforts! Plus the planning part is fun ;)!