Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Contest: Outdoor Dinner Party-What Do YOU Serve?


by Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet


Imagine: You are throwing a dinner party for four this weekend! It's 80 degrees outdoors. You're in a mountain-type setting. What do you serve? There are a few must-haves I'd like you to include in your menu: olive oil, vinegar, and chocolate...

Please include the following dishes: Appetizer, Bread, Salad, Entree, One Side Dish, Dessert and Beverage. No meat, please. And no, you don't have to show your recipes--just the titles of each course will suffice.

I'd like this intimate garden party to have a special rustic, charming European feel to it--so think Mediterranean cuisine. The easier to make but elegant selections gets extra points. The complete menu that is the most creative, bold, and healthy will standout and you will win the book of your choice: The Healing Powers of Vinegar, Olive Oil, or Chocolate--signed, sealed, and mailed by moi to you. Have fun!

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for stopping by my blog and allowing me to find yours. It's wonderful and I'm really interested in your books too. I'm going to try to figure out a menu for your contest and post it in the next day or two.

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  2. Funny, folks were game for the Stranded Island scenario--5 must have foods. This one is different, and perhaps more challenging and fun, too.

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  3. Okay here is my menu!!
    App: Roasted eggplant & Feta Dip
    Bread: Pita Bread; goes along great with the app.
    Salad: apple-feta Tossed Salad
    Entree: Feta-Tomato-Basil Fish
    Side Dish: Marinated Cucumbers
    Dessert: Chocolate Baklava
    Beverage: Horchata

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  4. Ang, very impressive! Let's see who else comes out to play and provides a menu plan. This is simple awesome.

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  5. Cal, thanks for finding my blog! If I were serviving dinner for 4, this would be a good sample menu:

    Appetizer: A fire roasted tomato stuffed with pinenuts and freshly made pesto

    Dinner: My mother's awesome salad with mandarine oranges, sugar coated almonds and sweet and sour vinagrette. Served with grilled fish over a bed of orzo with corn, fresh summer vegetables in a tangy olive olive oil, lemon and vinegar dressing.

    Dessert: chocolate lava cakes with fresh rasperries and mint chocolate icecream on the side

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  6. Since it's summer and it's a warm afternoon to evening in the pines I'd have to have some home made or close to it vanilla ice cream that was covered with a hot fudge and whipped cream. I'm talking a big bowl. Since it's summer I'd need to add some fruit to the mix, sliced peaches.

    I'd like a Caesar salad with a few extra goodies like artachoke hearts, olives, fresh crocked dill pickles, cotage cheese all on the side not to take away from the taste of the Caesar salad but add to it.

    The main course would be home made pasta made using my Marcato Ampia 150 manual pasta machine. I'd make some nice thick fettuccini cooked 5 minutes so it would have that great texture. Buttered and black pepper added and topped with a ton of fresh parmesan cheese.

    Everyone has bread with dinner I guess so some sour bough bread with garlic butter. The garlic would be cut in half and butter placed on it then raped up in foil and baked. That would be spread on the bread by each person as you eat.

    Top it all off with a cup of French Roast Coffee made in a espresso machine. Add two tble spoones of sugar and cream till light tan.

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  7. Well, this is making me hungry. Good sign Bob. Others, you can post here on this blog post or the one that notes Chocolatey Contest. I'll find it either way. Good job!

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  8. I'm still thinkin' !'
    Chocolate baklava, really, really good!
    I'll get back to you all!

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  9. I know...I was already looking up the recipe. There is still time though. Three winners. You still have time...Hint: the easier the dishes are to cook up and healthiest will grab my interest.

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