Ideas on a dinner party menu to impress

Manda said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu together
that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is sure to
impress?

Serve a meal that you are comfortable cooking. Any well prepared meal
is better than some fancy menu that you are not familiar with.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

"Manda" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu together
that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is sure to
impress?

Side dish, if you think it fits the other tastes in the meal:

1 can chick peas
2 cloves garlic, minced very fine or crushed with garlic press
2-4 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Choose a tomato sauce that's more edgy than sweet. I use Newman's Bombalina.
Probably any decent marinara would work.

In a small sauce pan, sautee garlic till it just softens. Drain about 2/3 of
the liquid from the chick peas and dump remainder of can's contents into
pot. Turn heat down to a simmer. Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce
and the oregano. Put the lid on and simmer for 10 minutes. DON'T LET IT
BOIL! The chick peas should remain firm. Add a couple or four grinds of
black pepper, and a bit more oregano if you like.

This has impressed everyone I've served it to, except one knucklehead who
said "I've never tried chick peas so I know I don't like them."

The Cook said:

Manda said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu
together that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is
sure to impress?

Serve a meal that you are comfortable cooking. Any well prepared meal
is better than some fancy menu that you are not familiar with.

Absolutley correct, Susan!

To the OP, do not attempt to impress. Guess what? Not everyone is a whiz
in the kitchen. Your partner's mom shouldn't expect everyone to be one;
that's just silly.

Jill

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu together
that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is sure to
impress?

Cook what you do well. This is not the time to be trying new things. In
any event, if she is a decent person, she will accept you for who you
are, good cook or not.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"Manda" <[email hidden]>
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu together
that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is sure to
impress?

If you really want to impress her, involve her in the cooking process. If
she's a whiz as you say, she must like to cook. If you do not want her to
participate, I'd say keep it simple and delicious. You want to be able to
enjoy their company. I could go on forever but I might serve:

Wild green salad with a home made viniagrette. I think a simple citrus
viniagrette would do nicely.

Baked fish with whatever sauce and seasonings come to mind. Tilapia baked
with a butter tarragon sauce comes to mind right away. Yummy, quick and
easy.

Roasted mixed veggies... asparagus, new potatoes cut in quarters, a few
cloves of garlic and maybe a leek or 1/4 sliced onions smeared with olive
oil, S&P, and either tarragon or rosemary.

Michael

--
"The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."
John Gould, Monstrous Depravity, 1963

Michael 'Dog3' Lonergan said:

"Manda" <[email hidden]>
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu
together that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is
sure to impress?

If you really want to impress her, involve her in the cooking
process. If she's a whiz as you say, she must like to cook. If you
do not want her to participate, I'd say keep it simple and delicious.
You want to be able to enjoy their company. I could go on forever
but I might serve:

Wild green salad with a home made viniagrette. I think a simple citrus
viniagrette would do nicely.

Baked fish with whatever sauce and seasonings come to mind. Tilapia
baked with a butter tarragon sauce comes to mind right away. Yummy,
quick and easy.

One thing I find really nice for seasoning tilapia (or pretty much any fish)
is dill weed. It also goes really nice with roasted new potatoes.

Jill

Manda said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu together
that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is sure to
impress?

If I was your partner's mom, I'd be happy with simple food (no 3 ring
circus please) and lots of good conversation with you.

Since you didn't indicate where in the world you're located, it's hard
to make suggestions..... so for inspiration, look at online menus like
this one: http://www.twinpeakscatering.com/threecourse.htm
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

Manda said:

I am somewhat stuck for ideas on what to cook this weekend for my
partners parents who are coming to stay. The trouble is my boyfriends
mum is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen and I want to put a menu together
that she will enjoy. Any ideas on a 3 course menu that is sure to
impress?

Honestly, it's the little touches that make all the difference - a nice
garnish, a pretty presentation. Cook something you are familiar with
and spruce it up.

-L.