On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 23:04:32 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

>On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 00:01:48 -0500, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>
>>Start a new thread, and we can all work on it!

Okay, as I mentioned in the before thread, I am having very old
friends for dinner in about 2 weeks.. This will be my first real
dinner for friends in this new house.

At this point, I am thinking of roast chicken, cause I love a good
roast chicken.. But that is not set in stone..

If it is roast chicken..I am thinking of several things...along with
various appetizers...

One of my old friends is the nephew of my best friend. When I last
saw him, he was barely in his 20s..he loved good food even then. Now
he is in his 40s....

My best friend..doesn't really like raw tomatoes, and mushrooms.. And
in deference to her, I will probably leave them out of the menu. Or if
they are in there..they will be so she can pick and choose.

The whole family is coming over..from grandma, to my friend's daughter
(who is a major foodie and cook), and her boyfriend (who is also a
cook).

This is a blast for me.. The last time I cooked for the nephew was
over 22 years ago. I love surprising him.. Now he is an adult.....

Okay..here we go...

I am thinking of several things.... If it is a roast chicken, I will
probably do the Marcella Hazan recipe I like so much. It is easy, and
superb..and doesn't demand much time. I will probably do two chickens
at least, if I do this.

And if I do this..I have one recipe that is an option..from the Greens
cookbook.. which is a Provencal potato gratin with tomatoes and
olives.. I have made this before..and it is very good. It has thyme
in it.

Looking for other options too....maybe something light, and not too
threatening for unadventurous eaters?

Another option is to do a combo dish..with chicken parts, on a bed of
potatoes, carrots, and onions..seasoned with olive oil, rosemary, salt
and pepper. This is also extremely good.

In this case, I don't need much of a side.. Maybe a good salad..if
that.

Then it comes down to appetizers. I like to have something to serve
when people gather. Light, if possible. Maybe not something too
light.. Something that goes well with wine. I am exploring my
cookbooks now..and racking my brains for stuff....

I now have all my cookbooks out of storage...but they haven't all been
unpacked.

Anyway ..here is the new thread, Carol!!!

Christine