Ideas for a fabulous dinner for my best friend, please

[MrsMuddle]

I love planning meals and menus, but I've cooked and eaten so much over the past two weeks that I can't bear to think about food at the moment.

My best friend and her DH are moving away for a year, so I've invited them and four others for dinner on 9th Jan.

She really is the hostess with the mostess, so I want to do something really special.

I'm quite happy to do lots of prep, but would prefer not to spend the evening in the kitchen when my guests are here.

We all eat everything, but BF prefers "light" things - ie, not meat, sauce and mash.

Inspire me please.

Where is she moving to? can you theme it on that? Or where she is moving from?

Glasgow to Rome.

Was going to suggest thai chicken bake as you can forget about that as it cooks in the oven. Italian might be more appropriate though? You could make little italian flag decorations etc..., have italian music playing, italian wine....etc..

even hire an italian waiter for the night

You must do the Jamie Oliver chocolate truffles from his Xmas programme. They are DIY truffles that you make at the table and the recipe is on the Channel 4 website.

Ahhh, see, I'd do a Scots-themed evening to do her a good send-off. Apologies in advance for the cliches but neeps and tatties, haggis, deep fried mars bars (ha). But you know what I mean.

Crab linguine? It's light and very quick to cook too.

Some good ideas - like the Scottish theme. May do scallops and black pudding on tattie scone...

Crab linguine sounds good too.

Believe it or not, I don't like chocolate so I won't do the truffles, but you did remind me of the frozen grapes thing he did too...

Will get some Italian decorations. And a gorgeous naked very efficient Italian waiter would be good too.

Sounds yummy.

As does the food

What did u end up cooking then?