Category: Menus

A while back, a couple girls and I started a book club. We’re pretty informal. We alternate who chooses the book for the month, and that person hosts the book club meeting. November was my month. In honor of The Alchemist, whose main character is a boy from Spain, I chose to do a tapas party.

Book Review: The Alchemist

The menu: For those that don’t know, tapas are “small dishes” served in bars and cafes all over Spain. Tapas could be anything, from a little plate of olives to calamari and meatballs. Since there’s only a few of us, I couldn’t choose all my favorites, but below are a few that I enjoy.

Manchego Marinated in Olive Oil and Herbs

Patatas Bravas (Crispy Potatoes with a Tomato Sauce) – … not my favorite recipe, so make roasted potatoes and use the extra meatball sauce as a dipping sauce

Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic & Parsley

Spanish-Style Meatballs

(Marinated Manchego)

Dinner for 10

I was asked to “cater” a dinner party for about 10 people. It was to be a sit down dinner… here’s what we came up with:

Appetizers:

* Veggies & Dip; Bit of Cheese & Crackers

* Spicy Grilled Shrimp

* Bacon, Leek & Cheddar Mini-Quiches

Entree:

* Crown Roast of Pork with Fennel-Apple Stuffing and Cider-Bourbon Sauce

* Sauteed Green Beans with Sweet Potatoes and Walnuts

* Popovers

Dessert:

* Chocolate Ganache

* Pear Tarte Tatin with Almond Pastry

I recently threw my husband a birthday party. Usually I don’t have problems with the menu, but this one has been a pain. I won’t be serving dinner, but need to have some substantial options to balance out any drinking that will be going on. I also had to keep the menu easy for me to make after a busy week while keeping it tasty.

I had gotten a variety of feedback on the menu and had a whole range of opinions. Some said not to order chicken tenders from a local restaurant because it was childish, while others liked the idea. Some said to go with a soup while others thought it would create too many dishes, and recommended cocktail meatballs or sloppy joes instead. After much deliberation, here’s what I ended up with:

Crock-Pot Turkey Chili (Chili has gone over well at past parties, but I thought I’d try out a new one. Though it was a bit spicy for our taste, our guests made a serious dent in the double batch), served with tortilla chips and corn fritters

Corn Fritters (the one request from my husband)

Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

Cupcakes with Bailey’s Icing

Assorted Cookies

I also kept a stash of crackers & cheese and frozen mini-quiches in case I need to pull anything out, but we had more than enough food thanks to a couple friends who brought an extra appetizer and lots more cookies.