calling foodies - dinner party suggestions please

[Piglett]

Dinner Party for 12 next weekend. DP and I are both profficient in the kitchen - ie we can both read and follow a recipe. We would likes to show off a little.
Will have to put the kids to bed before everyone arrives and would also like to be able to talk to my guests so would like to do as much as possible in advance. Home made bread and chocs is always a given.
Had thought about doing a ravioli to start with (Frank Bordoni's recipe of quail apple and bacon sounded good - do you think I could omit the bacon from four portions for my Jewish guests and what if anything could I substitute?)
Not sure about a main course yet - himself is usually in charge of that so that he can get all the credit but I am bound to have done the spuds and vegies!
Had thought of individual choc mooses or lemony moose or tarts - again idvidual but are they a bit old hat. Would like to do ready prepared individual portions of pud ideally cold so that I just need to get them out of the fridge and not faff about after serving the main save for coffee brandy etc.

What would you have you served for that number - thoughts and (shamless request) recipes please?

that you have the room and equipment to cater for 12! When we got married we asked for/received 10 of everything and by now - 18 years down the line - there's not much left!

One thing I did for a posh dinner party for a starter that looked lovely was an ensemble of mushroom-based dishes. A large, stuffed mushroom, a crostini with some mushroom pate and a 'quenelle' of mushroom risotto. Easy to do in advance and looked very pretty, as well as delivering lots of different tastes.

brilliant feedback already. We do not have enough plates but inlaws do so will borrow their special entertaining plates (please please non will be broken). We have a very large dinning table with extra ends albeit nothing much will fit in the room when the table is extended.

Love the Pommes Carlos - very showy. Presentation is never my strong point but with something like that or the cut dauphinoise I'd be on to a winner! Sundae idea sounds good but I think with 12 squashed round our table it could get messy - maybe for a sunday lunch with the kids and another family would be fantastic idea

Witch - the mushroom thing sounds great but I know that one of the guests hates the texture of mushrooms. Will keep the idea though

I want to make an effort and I'd like it to look nice (rare for me) but taste is the most important factor and the fact that the guests enjoy themselves

Numbers now reduced to 10 - will that help with the creative juices?

shamless bump....

you could make individual pavlovas - you can make them the night before and assemble before people turn up or just before serving if you want - If you add chopped nuts to the meringue they're even better - fave here is chopped pistachio served with cardamom poached apricots with a dribble of apricot sauce made from blitzing some of the apricot with the poaching syrup. Scatter with some chopped nuts as well - it looks v pretty. Also hazelnut pav with mulled wine poached pear - have also done a plain mini pav and filled it with a single poached baby pear and then dark choc sauce. They always get big wows but are v easy and look really pretty - I always have a stash of frozen egg whites as well so I'm half way there!

Potted shrimps and melba toast are always a hit here.

Mum always does individual choccie mousses for her parties, or creme brulee can be done in advance

We also do, almon mousse with some smoked alsmon a couple of big prawns. langoustine and quails eggs and salad, can be done in advance.

shoofly - pavlova sounds good as will have egg whites left over if i make pasta. Dh would love salmon mouse but I can't eat fish so limited there. Would it be poncy to give choice of pud?

If you have a baking tin with petit four sized dents, make an almondy sweet pastry, squish into tray, and bake - before baking top one third with jam then vanilla sponge mix with a couple of toasted almond slivers, then after baking top some with individual slices of banana and dulce du leche and piped cream, top others with apples poached in cider drizzled with dark chocolate when cool.

All easily done before hand, and arrange one of each in a row on a rectangular plate with some sugar-dipped grapes and poncily sliced strawberries - kind of mini Great British Puds in a row.

Worked for us, and you can scoff the disasters discreetly with your back to the dcs

it is not poncy to offer choice of pud - specially if you 're having 10 people - they'll just think you're even more fab. My DH is a bit anti fruit and one of my friends can't do chocolate, so even if there's only a few of us I do a choice of pud - Love sniggers suggestion as well - I'm all for choice!