Come Dine With Me

[Christmas Tree 4725]

Mrs Tree, me and three other couples decided to play this on the run up to Christmas. Each couple spending a night entertaining the other 3 couples.

 

(I appreciate that some of the more posh'uns on here (yes im looking at you Renton) do this all the time and its just a dinner party)

 

For us lot though who usually just meet up in the pub or go out for meals, it seemed like a good idea for a laugh, four canny nights and 3 free nights out as well as a prize for the winners.

 

The first couple held theirs last night and really set a decent standard (i gave them 9/10) with pate nibblys, home made fishcakes with a chilli sauce, fillet steak then finished off with lemon tart and fresh cream. All this was washed down with a lovely merlot and a firework display!

 

Our turn not til early December but I think that combination is going to be a hard act to follow.

 

Any suggestions for three courses that fit together well and are not over complicated. Want to be able to enjoy the night as well as cook.

 

Good fun though

[Meenzer 15531]

Do you have any foreign heritage ticking away in the background? I only ask because I know I'd channel my mother's side of the family and do a Swedish night - roll out the aquavit, salmon, strange herring concoctions and all. Gives the whole thing more of a personal note and gives people something they probably won't have had as often. Works as well if you've got any dishes with a strong regional identity to call on.

 

Otherwise, locally sourced products are always a goodie - if you can say this meat came from such-and-such a farm, this fish was caught off wherever etc., that tends to be good for brownie points (as well as tasting better!). Plus there's no shortage of good stuff like that in the NE.

 

Failing that, just get them absolutely smashed. Seems to work well on the show.

[Christmas Tree 4725]

Do you have any foreign heritage ticking away in the background? I only ask because I know I'd channel my mother's side of the family and do a Swedish night - roll out the aquavit, salmon, strange herring concoctions and all. Gives the whole thing more of a personal note and gives people something they probably won't have had as often. Works as well if you've got any dishes with a strong regional identity to call on.

 

Otherwise, locally sourced products are always a goodie - if you can say this meat came from such-and-such a farm, this fish was caught off wherever etc., that tends to be good for brownie points (as well as tasting better!). Plus there's no shortage of good stuff like that in the NE.

 

Failing that, just get them absolutely smashed. Seems to work well on the show.

 

Me mate took great pride in telling me what a great deal he got on the fillet steak from the butcher van that turns up at south shields market.

 

Mothers Australian so thats the beer sorted.

 

Also the majority of the group (please god hope they dont read this) do not have a wide variety of taste in food. The simpler the better.

 

Our lass makes a cracking Lasagne so is leaning towards that and making it an Italian evening

[Meenzer 15531]

Could be worse, makes it a no-brainer on the plonk too. You can do the lasagne prep in advance and do bruschetta and parma ham and salady stuff for the starter and there you go, minimal time away from the group as desired...

[Meenzer 15531]

And your entertainment can be dressing up as the bloke from the Go Compare ads and singing a few arias.

[trophyshy 7083]

Kill one of your chickens for the main course during hors d'oeuvres.

[The Fish 10857]

I'd go for a tapas-style night. Either Spanish, North African, to be honest you could do mini-burgers and the likes and have a Yank-themed night; little red and blue plastic cups and kegs and stuff like that?

 

if you want a proper meal, try and take them slightly out of their comfort zone with a meal you know they'd enjoy, if only they'd try it.

[Meenzer 15531]

As long as the tapas are mostly things you can prepare in advance - if he wants not to be stuck in the kitchen all night, ten fresh hot dishes are not the way to go.

 

(Ever tried this place, btw, Fishster? If not, we're going there on a man-date some time: http://www.elparadorlondon.com)

Edited November 6, 2010 by Meenzer

[Monkeys Fist 42456]

How confident are you/Mrs. Tree in the kitchen?

I ask because if you're planning to try something new, have a "dry run".

 

Why not do a course from each of the four UK countries ?

 

Cullen Skink Starter

Beef Wellington Main

Irish Coffee Pudding

Welsh Cheese Course

 

Serve Uk booze , naturally.

[The Fish 10857]

As long as the tapas are mostly things you can prepare in advance - if he wants not to be stuck in the kitchen all night, ten fresh hot dishes are not the way to go.

 

(Ever tried this place, btw, Fishster? If not, we're going there on a man-date some time: http://www.elparadorlondon.com)

 

To be honest if his chat on here is anything to go by, I'd recommend he spent as much time away from his guests

 

I haven't mate, but I'm keen, we should also go to Here

[shackbleep 0]

Program bugs the shit out of me when you get some of the arseholes moaning about menial shit like "I marked them down because they didn't make their own hollandaise...".

 

It's a fucking dinner party competition, not a cookery one. You can have a cracking social evening and the grub being a few bags of chips from the local takeaway. Some of those dickheads need to get their arses on Masterchef to satisfy their whim tbh.

[Christmas Tree 4725]

And your entertainment can be dressing up as the bloke from the Go Compare ads and singing a few arias.

 

 

[Christmas Tree 4725]

I'd go for a tapas-style night. Either Spanish, North African, to be honest you could do mini-burgers and the likes and have a Yank-themed night; little red and blue plastic cups and kegs and stuff like that?

 

if you want a proper meal, try and take them slightly out of their comfort zone with a meal you know they'd enjoy, if only they'd try it.

 

 

Exactly what Im after Risky but worth it......(If only we'd kept the placenta)

[Christmas Tree 4725]

How confident are you/Mrs. Tree in the kitchen?

I ask because if you're planning to try something new, have a "dry run".

 

Why not do a course from each of the four UK countries ?

 

Cullen Skink Starter

Beef Wellington Main

Irish Coffee Pudding

Welsh Cheese Course

 

Serve Uk booze , naturally.

 

 

Can we just come to you and Mrs Fists

[The Fish 10857]

I'd go for a tapas-style night. Either Spanish, North African, to be honest you could do mini-burgers and the likes and have a Yank-themed night; little red and blue plastic cups and kegs and stuff like that?

 

if you want a proper meal, try and take them slightly out of their comfort zone with a meal you know they'd enjoy, if only they'd try it.

 

 

Exactly what Im after Risky but worth it......(If only we'd kept the placenta)

 

I'd definitely recommend North African then

[Christmas Tree 4725]

Program bugs the shit out of me when you get some of the arseholes moaning about menial shit like "I marked them down because they didn't make their own hollandaise...".

 

It's a fucking dinner party competition, not a cookery one. You can have a cracking social evening and the grub being a few bags of chips from the local takeaway. Some of those dickheads need to get their arses on Masterchef to satisfy their whim tbh.

 

 

This was my line and I thought a few M&S meals knocked up on the night would suffice, however the spoilsports sort of knocked that on the head

[shackbleep 0]

Program bugs the shit out of me when you get some of the arseholes moaning about menial shit like "I marked them down because they didn't make their own hollandaise...".

 

It's a fucking dinner party competition, not a cookery one. You can have a cracking social evening and the grub being a few bags of chips from the local takeaway. Some of those dickheads need to get their arses on Masterchef to satisfy their whim tbh.

 

 

This was my line and I thought a few M&S meals knocked up on the night would suffice, however the spoilsports sort of knocked that on the head

 

Then they're fucking clueless CT. Thrust a chinese takeaway menu in their palms and watch the reaction.

[Meenzer 15531]

Risky but worth it......(If only we'd kept the placenta)

 

 

I haven't mate, but I'm keen, we should also go to Here

 

We should, never been but I've heard good things.

[ewerk 30616]

Don't listen to The Fish, get them pissed and given them what they want, it's not difficult.

[Jill 0]

I was going to apply recently for the actual one but didn't have the right postcode. In fairness my menu would be grim as anything, probably a tin of Heinz soup, cheese & onion toasties and butterscotch Angel Delight or something.

 

Basically if I were you I would do roughly what the Fish says about comfort zones. I'd hate going to other peoples' places and having 3 courses I'd make myself (fair enough one or at a big push two if done very well) so something a bit different would go down a treat for me. Enjoy, anyway, I've fancied doing that sort of thing for a while but need some other interested parties.

[Christmas Tree 4725]

I was going to apply recently for the actual one but didn't have the right postcode. In fairness my menu would be grim as anything, probably a tin of Heinz soup, cheese & onion toasties and butterscotch Angel Delight or something.

 

Basically if I were you I would do roughly what the Fish says about comfort zones. I'd hate going to other peoples' places and having 3 courses I'd make myself (fair enough one or at a big push two if done very well) so something a bit different would go down a treat for me. Enjoy, anyway, I've fancied doing that sort of thing for a while but need some other interested parties.

 

 

Joking aside, I would love that.

 

Im sure theres a few on here who would do a come dine with me with you.

[peasepud 59]

how the hell do you get the time with a 2 week old for both of you to do anything? let alone goto and host dinner parties?

[Christmas Tree 4725]

how the hell do you get the time with a 2 week old for both of you to do anything? let alone goto and host dinner parties?

 

 

Practise bonny lad 21 years later number 4 is childsplay.

[Guest alex]

Keep it simple but elegant, CT. The food that is. Have plenty drink on the go as well, maybe even spend more than a fiver on the bottles of wine

Do homemade soup (easy, tasty and you can prep it in advance), maybe have another starter but keep it light as the main course should be the star. For the mains do something you like that you know you can cook well etc. Don't do something for the first time on the night. If you want to be a bit experimental, practice the dish first. For puds do something like homemade cheesecake (check the web for some unusal twists on the norm and again this is something you can do well in advance). Don't spend too much of the night cooking complicated dishes as it's all about you and your guests having fun rather than trying to replicate a posh restaurant.

[Christmas Tree 4725]

Keep it simple but elegant, CT. The food that is. Have plenty drink on the go as well, maybe even spend more than a fiver on the bottles of wine

Do homemade soup (easy, tasty and you can prep it in advance), maybe have another starter but keep it light as the main course should be the star. For the mains do something you like that you know you can cook well etc. Don't do something for the first time on the night. If you want to be a bit experimental, practice the dish first. For puds do something like homemade cheesecake (check the web for some unusal twists on the norm and again this is something you can do well in advance). Don't spend too much of the night cooking complicated dishes as it's all about you and your guests having fun rather than trying to replicate a posh restaurant.

 

 

Good advice Alex. I like the idea of a soup and definitely a cheesecake. Also want to spend as little as possible time in the Kitchen so will not get carried away with the main.

 

Is wine definitely a good idea? Was leaning more towards Special Brew and passing it off as a posh belgian bier

 

Probably go with Faustino for the wine as thats a make that I definitely like (the guest would probably be fine with Lambrini).