Italian themed dinner party for 12+. I need some ideas please.

[Slubberdegullion]

yes, yes, yes before you all start I know the mn ponceometer is registering in the yellow zone.

I don't care

Its what I'm doing, and I need some help.

So it's for new years eve (I know probably not allowed to mention that either) but I'm away for most of Dec so need to get planning now.

I have a single oven.

Oh yes, there is a vegetarian.

I am thinking about
starter: big platters of anti-pasta and Italian bread.

main:
Roast lamb
and roasted vegetable lasagna
not sure if they even go together
and what else...a salad?

pudding: other people to bring. Hopefully some home made ice cream and a tiramisu.

God just writing it down, it looks rubbish. Lasagna is soooooooooooooo boring. Poor vegetarians must be given it all the time.

I would like to stick with the roast lamb and go from there.

Help please

excellent & yum

Oh I am getting excited now. Will probably have a practice run at the parmigiana before the big night.

OK a few more questions (to get the truly authentic evening).

What do you say for cheers?

Do you do anything with your Prosecco to turn it into a cocktail (thought I might do fizz cocktails and just fizz on its own when people arrive)?

And to drink with the coffee, what liquers do you serve (can't go to all this effort and bring out port at the end of the evening.....unless there is an Italian version of port which would make my DH very happy)?

White peach puree for a bellini?

sorry Tellus, is that to go in the fizz? and can you buy it?

Yes, and yes.

I get it from Waitrose. I'm sure you should probably do it yourself - but I don't...

cin cin is cheers (pronounced as chin)

bellini is a fab idea.

Everything goes as liqueurs, but after coffee. I'd try to get hold of a good grappa.

Oh chin chin , I have wondered where that saying comes from and now I know....what does it mean btw?

And what does grappa taste of? I love everything apart from boaking aniseed.

So many questions.......

grappa

we need to find a good one...

hurray, I will drink grappa very happily then. Although I am a little concerned about the booze fest that this is becoming as I am going to request that the guests bring Italian wine to complement the course they are bringing.

I'm not sure how easy it is to buy good grappa in England. You'll find a good one here (excellent website to buy poncey Italian food, but really expensive...)

In Nigella Lawson's Feast book there is a menu for a Venetian feast for eight which looks great (haven't tried it but it looks lovely). It is a bit fish heavy but appears to be incredibly festive.

She also describes how to make a bellini, with prosecco and white peach juice (apparently you can buy white peach juice in sachets for this very purpose, but whether you can only buy that in Nigella-land or if it is available in the real world I couldn't say!)

The menu is:

I Ricchi e i Poveri (prawn and bean salad)
Bigoni con Salsa (pasta and anchocy sauce)
Seppie al nero con polenta bianca (squid and ink with polenta)
Zabaglione with biscuits

For the vegetarian, a Linda McCartney lasagne

It's a great book as well and all the recipes I have tried from it have been delicious.

You can buy it in Waitrose. Is that Nigella-land do you think? Or is she exclusively an independent small supplier kind a gal?

funny link there franca. DH belongs to the wine society (yes the ponce-ometer is stirring again) might see if he can order some with our half case of Prosecco.

kitty, I might google the white peach juice sachets. That does sound like a lovely drink.
The veggie is a non fish eater too, that plus my guests would quite possibly fall over backwards off their chairs if I served them the squid and ink polenta

No waitrose up here

available in waitrose

Oops - X post.

No Waitrose

Oops - X post.

No Waitrose

ANd I really mean that

Excellent Tellus, will order it tomorrow

So available from here

try again.
anyway it's www.esperya.it. it is translated in English. we occasionally buy wine (team up with other people). A friend in london usually buys prosciutto etc, it's a great website, but as I said £

off to watch my tuesday sitcom. ciao

lol there is a little video to show me how to make one!

I think Waitrose would feature in Nigella land, but I think it would be her slumming it.

Of course I am sure she buys most of her food from Harrods food hall or bijou independent luxury food purveyors!

Now I want a Bellini. Do you reckon they sell that peach juice mullarkey in the local 7-11!?