Let's Talk Dinner Parties

[Earlybird]

Do you and your friends 'do' dinner parties?

Tell us about your last dinner party - what you served, how many people, etc.

Tell us about your favourite dinner party - one that you've hosted or attended.

I've been too shattered to have one for the last year! Last one I had was 10 of us and I did pear, pecan and blue cheese starter, salmon or chicken with a sause I can't remember and Nigella's chocolate cups for dessert. It was good fun and we played the Top Gear DVD game and Who wants to be a millionaire afterwards which was fun.

For new year, we're having 6 friends over for fireworks and a mexican theme evening. Well - tequilla themed really!!!

I often cook a huge leg of roast lamb, with pommes dauphinoise and veg, followed by a hot pud (steam pud or crumbles go down well) or a mousse. I try to cook what they don't eat at home - and many of our friends don't cook home-made puddings.

However the last one was sirloin steak followed by peach melba with a caramel basket over the top. All chosen by the 9 year-old birthday boy, for us and my sisters family, 10 people.

This is invariably the way we get together with friends.

I usually make some sort of canape (eg little tarts with goat's cheese and red onion marmalade)to have with drinks.

Then a cold starter (eg A platter to share of proscuitto and buffalo mozzarella with rocket and some roasted courgettes)

Then a casserole or slow-roast for the main course (eg slow-roast pork belly with flageolets, shallots and wilted spinach)

Then a cold pudding (eg chocolate amaretto tart with creme fraiche)

Then cheese (pick three nice ones from Waitrose)

Then coffee/ fresh mint tea.

We're usually six at the kitchen table and it's about relaxing and having a laugh and a catch up with good friends.