You are so clever and wise, MNers <flattery> and I just KNOW you can get me out of this fix <desperate>

[AddisonMontgomerySheppard]

Okay
So, I have 2 couples coming for dinner (there'll be 6 of us) at the weekend. It is wednesday and after a week of flapping about and flipping through recipe books I still have NO IDEA what to cook.

I need things that can be pretty much made in advance as don't have much time on the day and also eating in the kitchen so don't want to be faffing when I could be chatting!

Current thoughts
LOTS OF WINE

Mixed antipasta (i.e. cheating by buying bits from supermarket and artfully placing on plates) to start

LOTS OF WINE

main course =???????? LOTS OF WINE

Indiv cheesecakes for pudding

LOTS OF WINE

Nice chocolate and coffee

LOTS OF WINE

Any suggestions HUGELY HUGELY APPRECIATED

Chilli Con Carne?
Put it all in a pot and leave for a few hours, freeing you up for wine time
Guacamole and nachos, a tomato and coriander sala can all be bought ready made
I would also make sweet potato wedges

Chicken Catchiatore (sp) - the Jamie Oliver one is good with tinned tomatoes and olives - have it with rice and french beans that you can ping in the microwave just before you need to serve.

Do a cheese course or offer cheese as well as a pudding - most people these days I find prefer cheese to a sweet.

Get a bottle of good dessert wine - you only need a small glass each but it makes a difference.

Offer liquers at the end of the meal or a good port maybe with the cheese.

Really just get them sloshed and whatever the food is like they will just remember the conversation and the booze.

Use peoper linen napkins and not tissue ones - it makes a difference too, candles on the table to set the mood.

Most of a dinner party can be dressing as long as the food is adequate and there is plenty of booze.

Madame Castafiore - you are so right
I had totally forgotten cacciatiore - nigella has one too IIRC
And yes, hadn't thought about cheese but also makes a difference I think

And chilli also an option

I heart MN

Hello! I've done this Jamie Oliver recipes so many times my partner is insisting i never do it again. Never fails to impress guests though and is the easiest recipe i know! Here is a link to someones site that has it on. Its for 2 in this recipes, so just x3.

Its basically salmon fillets, green beans, cherry tomatoes, olives and anchovy fillets all baked together in a huge big tray (a huge lasagne tray or 2 smaller ones).

JO Salmon

Salmon parcels (salmon fillet, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, wrap loosely and bake in oven 180 degrees for 20 mins (less than 1 minute prep)

New potatoes with butter and fresh parsley (no prep)

Grilled asparagus (sprayed with oil, sprinkled with parmesan shoved under grill)
(again, charitably) 1 min prep.

But find the corkscrew first

Either the salomon fillets or salmon parcels are a great idea. As there are only 6 of you this should be qwuite easy to prepare without a lot of last minute faffing.

Or, my suggestion, as it is a kitchen supper you are having rather than a posh dinner, would be a lovely luxury fish pie. You can make it in advance, even in the morning, and just pop it in the oven to heat through in the evening, leaving you free to drink wine and keeping the kitchen tidy so you're not eating surrounded by washing up.

Another favourite kitchen supper and one that my parents and their friends are always doing is kedgeree.

hi
I did antipasti once and it was shite.
If in doubt alwasy do a delila imo. Also dont feel the need to haev a formal starter - do smoked slmon blinis to haev with a drink , meaning more time to put veg on.
If i have that Oliver salmon thing ONcE more i will die - is very overdone.

A good thing to do is potatoes boulangere ( cook before under foil then warm through) with a joint of meat - maybe lamb boned a or bbq steaks with veg.
Or the delia con carne is very nice or her chicken basque( do with boneless thighs though)

yes the JO fish pie is SUPER nice

Hijack - sorry OP.

Jog have you heard about the er well, Joggler yet?

Hijack over

BigusBumus I love that recipe too and have also done it very succesfully substituting thew salmon for chicken peices on the bone and adding lots of onion too.

no joggling news at joggler towers.

You are bound to get picked email me if you do.

My fish pie is much nicer than the JO one.

No one ever makes pies any more. How about a nice big chicken pie served with new potatoes and french beans? Nice and rustic and kitchen suppery.

Or, if you really want to impress your guests, make a cornish pastie for each of them (but a proper cornish pastie, no mince in it)

joggler, do you know who i am?

deadbody you are right about pies though

joggler what was shit about antipasti??
Like your blini idea though

What kind of antipasti where you thinking? A lot of the bought stuff isn't actually very nice, that's probably what joggler means.

Go on, make a fish pie or a chicken pie, go on.

The great thing about them (apart form being yummy) is that you can make it all in advance and have a clean tidy kitchen when the guests arrive, with lovely pie in the oven smelling all nice, making you look like domestic goddess.

Actually I'm with the pie people now. Chicken ham and mushroom. But I'm standing by the new potatoes and asparagus though.

Sorry I meant dauphinoise.

creamy ones

I foudn anti pasti messy/awkward when you arent pissed. I did spanish ones with tortilla and manchencgo cheese etc etc.

canapes are easy = will email you the best ones. also frees you up to teeter around putting beans on to boil etc.

what abotu a stuffed boned chicken( or two)
get waitrose ncie apsircot stuffing and get your Posh BUtcher? to stuff it, Roast and slice,

I liek pie, or a lump of something>

i LOve asaparagus.

If oyu want hollandaise the Maille Jarred one is almost as good as homemade

a lump of something is always good. Boned leg of lamb is nice too.

Do a pie with new potatoes and asparagus.

I luuuurve potaot douphinous especially with roast game.

i went to my butcher and said do me this for cheaper, and he did.
red wine and redcurrant jelly sauce with( do ahead)