Let’s say you are having a dinner party, but you are a vegetarian and you aren’t sure what you want to include on your menu that will make everyone happy. Well, the truth is that you most likely won’t always be able to please everyone. However, you can make a great vegetarian menu that most of your guests will love and they may not even know that they are eating a totally vegetarian meal.

What should you include on your vegetarian menu? You should have a variety of foods that can be satisfying to a variety of people, but that doesn’t scream “VEGETARIAN”. Why is that? Well, even if your guests don’t know that you are a vegetarian, they should not face your dinner party with fear that they will have bland, tasteless food. Impress them and show them that meatless meals can be fun, beautiful, and delicious!

Here are a couple of suggestions for a vegetarian dinner party menu:

Small Dinner Salad

Fresh Asparagus Soup

Vegetable Cutlets

“Fried” Brown Rice

Bananas Foster

You could also try this vegetarian menu:

Easy Tomato Soup

Fresh Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil

Spaghetti Bolognese

Garlic Bread

Tiramisu

Another terrific vegetarian menu can circle around a Mexican theme:

Spicy Tortilla Soup

Bean Burritos

Refried Beans with Spicy Salsa Topping

Cheese Enchiladas

Chiles Rellenos

Sopapillas

Coming up with a vegetarian menu that will support your lifestyle but also please your dinner guests isn’t really difficult if you think about it. Just keep in mind what you like to eat and what you are good at cooking. Then make a menu that includes the following courses:

Appetizer

Salad/Soup

Main Dish

Vegetable

Dessert

It’s really that simple. Most menus include all of these components, and just because you want to make a vegetarian menu doesn’t mean you have to give up taste and presentation. If you present your meals with flair and prepare them with love, you will find that having a vegetarian dinner party with a menu that appeals to everyone attending is not as difficult as you might think.

Just sit down and think about what you are able to cook well and that your family enjoys. Chances are good that if your family enjoys the vegetarian menus that you present to them daily, your dinner guests will enjoy it as well. Be creative, be innovative, and be confident that your menu will please both your vegetarian friends as well as your meat eating friends as well.

Image taken on 2007-09-13 18:53:00 by size8jeans.

Are you looking for some great fun ways to make a romantic dinner for two that will sweep your sweetie right off his feet? There is nothing like a lovingly home cooked meal to show your man the lengths you will go to make him happy. This is more about making it a labor of love rather than the actual menu. Nothing beats candlelight and soft jazzy music to set the mood but sometimes just a pinch of imagination is enough to add that extra magic touch. Here are 5 top ways to spice up a romantic dinner for two.

5. Make it together – Why not? Two heads, two hearts and two pairs of hands are better than one. Lots of men these days love to show off their culinary skills for their honey. Food is a sensual experience. The very act of creating it together and then devouring it can be a perfect appetizer for a romantic evening together. Besides the merger of your Chicken Kiev and his Baked Alaska is greater than the sum of its parts. This is especially true if the menu consists of macaroni and cheese and his banana split for two.

4 Dinner for two under the stars – What can be more romantic than eating outside on a beautiful clear summer evening? If you live in an apartment this could mean dinner out on the balcony or up on the roof. Or if you have a backyard, lay out a blanket or set up the patio table. The fresh air is invigorating and the after dinner cuddling and stargazing will certainly make this a night to remember.

3. Pick a theme – Can’t afford a vacation this year? Create a Hawaiian or Mexican getaway right in your house. Accent a spectacular exotic meal with some ethnic theme music and decor and sweep both of you away on a mini vacation. You don’t even need to take time off of work.

2. Dinner and a movie with a twist – There are plenty of steamy and romantic movies that guys won’t hate. Whether you opt for a classic like “Casablanca”, a comedy like “Something about Mary” or a thriller like “Body Heat” or Basic Instinct”, instead of popcorn, try serving up a tray of hor d’oeuvres. You can easily cut up some veggies and cheese with crackers, serve with chicken wings, potato skins or a shrimp ring. Top with some fresh fruit with vanilla yogurt dip for dessert. How easy is that? Much more filling and nutritious than potato chips.

1. Fine dining in the comfort of your own home – Nothing beats the classics. Candlelight, wine and soft music, with a full home cooked meal of his favorite dishes lovingly prepared to perfection. Surprise him at the door dressed in your sexiest little black dress and who needs dessert? Top it off with some slow dancing in your living room and let the rest of the evening take care of itself.

Dinner for two doesn’t need to be boring. Whether you are preparing something special for a birthday or Valentines day, or just want to spice up a romantic evening together with something surprising and different, with a little imagination, some preparation and a lot of TLC, an ordinary meal can be transformed into something truly memorable. Take these ideas and imprint them with your own personality and put some sizzle in your romance.

There are no strict rules on planning a romantic night with your partner. You can make your night as passionate and memorable as ever. Being creative is the key factor to this. And it depends largely on what the two of you prefer. You know each other best. For a romantic dinner for two, here are a few easy and sure fire tips you can consider:

Researching Important Data about your Partner

Start with listing down the type of food your partner really loves to eat. These are the best foods to prepare. You could try a little ingenuity and create twists to the usual recipes to make the event more memorable.

Once you have listed down the type of food he loves, narrow it down to even the tiniest detail. For example, if your partner loves grilled meat, is it chicken, pork or beef? Does your partner prefer his grilled meat well done or medium rare? What are the side dishes he usually prefers? What sauce is appealing to him? Start from the appetizer to the dessert and the type of wine.

Next, plan the decorations, setups and the logistics. This pertains to even the placemats or napkins you will use that will match the theme and food you will prepare. It will create the perfect atmosphere you wish to achieve, and will show how much you took the time and effort for this dinner. It will reflect just how much you know your partner.

Themes you can consider would be Italian, Oriental, Mexican, East Indian, French or Seafood. After you have chosen the perfect theme, you can go ahead and look for the right trinkets, placemats, napkins, cutlery and the like that matches your theme.

Creating the Mood

This is actually a crucial part of your romantic night together. Again, you need to list down the tiniest details like the favorite CD or song of your partner. It is best that you play something sentimental. This will surely set the mood.

Try to dim the lights and use scented candles to enhance a romantic ambiance. Use the favorite scent of your partner.

Decorate your house or garden by filling the room with your partner’s favorite flowers. Color can surely add a great deal to the romantic atmosphere. Deep red is a good color for the flowers.

Along certain parts of the floor, scatter some rose petals, especially around your dinner table. You can also be as creative as making a rose petal pathway from the door to your dinner table.

You can drape fabric on some areas of the room for more elegance. You can also use this to hide unromantic sections of the room.

Preparing and Serving Dinner

Italian is one of the most popular themes used because many of us like Italian cuisines. Here are simple Italian recipes you can prepare and serve on your romantic dinner with your partner:

You could try Bresaolo con Rucola for the appetizer. Bresaola pertains to seasoned and salted beef aged for 2 to 3 months and then air dried. It is produced from a valley in the Alps along the Lombardy region of northern Italy called Valtellina. Its color is brilliant uniform red with a few thin and white streaks of fat.

Cut it very thinly to be moist and tender. Since it is very lean, it is mostly recommended to people who are dieting but it is a superb ingredient for refined and modern cooking.

Ingredients are a fistful of fresh arugula, 7 ounces of finely sliced Italian Bresaola, 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 cup of finely sliced Italian Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Place the Bresaola either on a large-sized plate or on 4 small plates. Make sure you overlap the slices to completelt cover the plate. Add the arugula and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the slices with salt, olive oil and pepper. Serve.

Your main dish could be Italian Meat Loaf called Polpettone. This can be made on the stove instead of using the oven.

Ingredients are 10 ounces ground pork, 10 ounces lean ground beef, ½ small white onion, 1 egg, 1/3 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, a pinch of fresh ground pepper, 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, whole milk and 1 teaspoon salt.

Use a 9- to 10-inch frying pan, heat some oil and butter. Cut the onion into big pieces and cook in low heat, occasionally mixing it. In a large bowl, combine the Parmesan, meat, pepper, salt and egg. Remove the onions from the heat after 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time but leave the butter and oil in the pan.

Put the meat mixture into the pan. Press it down using a spoon. Cook the meat mixture in Medium heat until it becomes golden brown. Turn it and brown the other side as well. When the 2nd side turns brown, add some milk until the meat is covered completely.

Lower the heat to minimum, covering and allowing it to simmer for an hour. Then, take off the lid. If there is still too much liquid, allow simmering again for another 15 minutes or so but leave it uncovered. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Chocolate Balls or also called Palline di Cioccolato can be served for dessert.

Ingredients are 1 cup Hazel nuts (shelled), 3 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon cold Espresso coffee, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 3 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa.

Grate the chocolate in a bowl. Put the hazel nuts inside the food processor and blend thoroughly. Mix the nuts with the chocolate, coffee, sugar and butter. Prepare a plate and put the cocoa. Roll the mixture into balls that measures approximately 1 inch, using your hands. Place the balls on the cocoa. When all the balls are ready, gently roll them on the cocoa.

Put them on a serving dish. Keep them inside the fridge until you are ready to serve them. You can use instant coffee as an alternative to Espresso. Almonds can be used instead of hazel nuts.

Image taken on 2006-08-11 20:57:48 by Noonch.

State Dinner a Hit with Bayless, Beyonce
Chicago chef Rick Bayless and singer Beyonce helped make the Obamas’ second state dinner a success. For all the world-class food and entertainment, deft touches and elegance of the evening, the dinner was as notable for what didn’t happen as what did.

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Most people love to throw dinner parties for their friends and family.  But, they may avoid serving wine because they do not know exactly what to serve.  Do you serve red or white with fish?  Will Merlot be okay if you are serving a Mexican dish?  Do not stress over it – there are some basic wine rules you can follow.

The number one rule of thumb when choosing wine is “red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat.”  This is not always true, but it generally works quite well when you are unsure.  One exception is chicken.  The meat is white, but a nice fruity red wine goes well with it.  The same can be said for tuna or salmon, so you do not have to always follow the rule of not serving red wine with fish.  The second rule is the rule of complements.  It is okay to match sweet seafood such as lobster with a sweet white wine.  The next rule is the opposites attract.  While you usually want to match like flavors, sometimes a contrast, such as a White Bordeaux with bluefish can be wonderful.  

Outside of the basic rules, there are certain things you can look for and certain things you can avoid depending on what you are serving.  Here are some hints as to what to serve with particular types of food.  

Salads and Appetizers

You should avoid serving wine during your salad, as vinegar and wine do not mix well.  But, if you are having an appetizer, you need to consider the ingredients in the appetizer to help you choose your wine.  If you are having a cheese tray, the type of cheese will help you determine the wine.  For example, cheddar is best with dry reds, Merlots, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Pinot Noir goes best with Swiss.  Camembert and brie are great with a Chardonnay.  The cheese we tend to think of as Italian such as parmigiano, romano, and reggiano go well with Italian dry red wines like Chianti and Barlol.  If you are serving something a fried appetizer, consider serving a crisp, fruity white or red wine to help cut the oily flavor.

Beef, Steak and Lamb

Do you remember the “red wine with red meat” rule?  That one is great to use when serving beef, steak, and lamb.  Choose a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or a burgundy like Pinot Noir.  You can also consider serving an Italian red such as Barolo or Chianti.

Fish and Seafood

To be safe, stick with a dry, crisp white wine.  Sauvignon Blanc goes well with white fish while Sancerre and Muscadet go well with oysters.  If you want to be different, try a fruity red wine (without tannins).  But, use caution when serving red, especially if you are serving white, delicate fish.  Cabernets with tannins combined with fish can leave a metallic taste in your mouth.

Poultry, Pork and Veal

For the most part, you want to follow the “white meat, white wine” rule with these.  White chardonnays and Pinot Blancs are great.  If you want to serve red with chicken, remember to choose a wine that is fruity like a Merlot or Zinfandel.

Turkey

Think back to Thanksgiving.  Do you remember how well your cranberry sauce went with the turkey?  The same rule applies here.  For turkey, since it has both white and dark meat, you want something fruity and tart such as a Beaujolais for red or a Riesling for white.

Spicy Foods

If you are planning on service something spicy like Thai or Indian food, a sparkling wine works best.  Avoid wines with tannins and look for something fruity.  And, make sure the wine is well chilled.  Cold wine goes well with spicy foods.

Dessert

The best thing to serve with a delicious dessert is a dessert wine.  In fact, you can skip the dessert part and just serve a dessert wine to your guests.  These are sweet wines often sold in smaller bottles as you don’t drink as much dessert wine as you do regular wine.  Wines such as Sauternes, Beerenauslese, Bermet and Cammandaria will make a great end to any evening.

The most important rule about what wine to serve is to avoid being snobby about wine.  There are no right answers, only basic rules to go by and even those, as you have seen, can be changed.  Do not be afraid to experiment with different tastes.  Chances are if you do not act like there is anything wrong with the wine you are serving, your guests will not either.

Most people love to throw dinner parties for their friends and family.  But, they may avoid serving wine because they do not know exactly what to serve.  Do you serve red or white with fish?  Will Merlot be okay if you are serving a Mexican dish?  Do not stress over it – there are some basic wine rules you can follow.

The number one rule of thumb when choosing wine is “red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat.”  This is not always true, but it generally works quite well when you are unsure.  One exception is chicken.  The meat is white, but a nice fruity red wine goes well with it.  The same can be said for tuna or salmon, so you do not have to always follow the rule of not serving red wine with fish.  The second rule is the rule of complements.  It is okay to match sweet seafood such as lobster with a sweet white wine.  The next rule is the opposites attract.  While you usually want to match like flavors, sometimes a contrast, such as a White Bordeaux with bluefish can be wonderful.

Outside of the basic rules, there are certain things you can look for and certain things you can avoid depending on what you are serving.  Here are some hints as to what to serve with particular types of food.

Salads and Appetizers

You should avoid serving wine during your salad, as vinegar and wine do not mix well.  But, if you are having an appetizer, you need to consider the ingredients in the appetizer to help you choose your wine.  If you are having a cheese tray, the type of cheese will help you determine the wine.  For example, cheddar is best with dry reds, Merlots, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Pinot Noir goes best with Swiss.  Camembert and brie are great with a Chardonnay.  The cheese we tend to think of as Italian such as parmigiano, romano, and reggiano go well with Italian dry red wines like Chianti and Barlol.  If you are serving something a fried appetizer, consider serving a crisp, fruity white or red wine to help cut the oily flavor.

Beef, Steak and Lamb

Do you remember the “red wine with red meat” rule?  That one is great to use when serving beef, steak, and lamb.  Choose a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or a burgundy like Pinot Noir.  You can also consider serving an Italian red such as Barolo or Chianti.

Fish and Seafood

To be safe, stick with a dry, crisp white wine.  Sauvignon Blanc goes well with white fish while Sancerre and Muscadet go well with oysters.  If you want to be different, try a fruity red wine (without tannins).  But, use caution when serving red, especially if you are serving white, delicate fish.  Cabernets with tannins combined with fish can leave a metallic taste in your mouth.

Poultry, Pork and Veal

For the most part, you want to follow the “white meat, white wine” rule with these.  White chardonnays and Pinot Blancs are great.  If you want to serve red with chicken, remember to choose a wine that is fruity like a Merlot or Zinfandel.

Turkey

Think back to Thanksgiving.  Do you remember how well your cranberry sauce went with the turkey?  The same rule applies here.  For turkey, since it has both white and dark meat, you want something fruity and tart such as a Beaujolais for red or a Riesling for white.

Spicy Foods

If you are planning on service something spicy like Thai or Indian food, a sparkling wine works best.  Avoid wines with tannins and look for something fruity.  And, make sure the wine is well chilled.  Cold wine goes well with spicy foods.

Dessert

The best thing to serve with a delicious dessert is a dessert wine.  In fact, you can skip the dessert part and just serve a dessert wine to your guests.  These are sweet wines often sold in smaller bottles as you don’t drink as much dessert wine as you do regular wine.  Wines such as Sauternes, Beerenauslese, Bermet and Cammandaria will make a great end to any evening.

The most important rule about what wine to serve is to avoid being snobby about wine.  There are no right answers, only basic rules to go by and even those, as you have seen, can be changed.  Do not be afraid to experiment with different tastes.  Chances are if you do not act like there is anything wrong with the wine you are serving, your guests will not either.

With the economy in such a slump it may be difficult to take the family out for a nice Mexican dinner. So why not prepare your own and a fiesta right in your own dinning room. You can set it up buffet style so there is need for a waiter/waitress.

Grab some festive “Mexican theme” sturdy paper plates and napkins and the only clean up will be the pots and pans you used to prepare the dishes. You can even pick up a few inexpensive decorations at a party store or dollar store such as; maracas, red, white and green balloons, and a sombrero for each family member or guest.

Here are my favorite recipes for quick and easy Mexican food. Keep in mind not all Mexican dishes have to be spicy hot, I prefer mild but you can adjust the recipes by simply adding a few tablespoons of your favorite “hot” seasoning to all of these dishes.

FAJITAS

Ingredients

4 cups of meat (beef, turkey, chicken, steak) your choice – cut it into bite size pieces.
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup onion
1/3 cup peppers (diced)
1/3 cup tomatoes (diced)
1/3 cup taco seasoning

- Add the oil to the pan and let it get warm.

- Saut?he onions, and peppers for 5 minutes.

- Add meat of your choice, sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat as it cooks, and cook until meat is done.

- Mix in the tomatoes and stir the mixture.

- Serve with shell of your choice.

RED BEANS and RICE

Ingredients

3 cans red kidney beans
3 cups white rice (cooked)
1 onion (diced)
2 jalapeno peppers (diced) – optional
1/2 pound salt pork
2 tablespoons of oil
2 cups of water

- Add the oil to the frying pan.

- Caramelize the onions and peppers about 10 minutes

- In a medium sauce pan and the 2 cups of water and boil the salt pork for about 20 minutes.

- In another medium sauce pan add the 3 cans of bean (with the juice), simmer for 30 minutes.

- Drain the beans in a strainer till all the liquid is gone.

- Put the beans back in the sauce pan and add the salt pork, onions and peppers and stir.

- Continue cooking for 10 minutes, remove the alt pork (you can leave any pieces that fell off.)

- Get your cooked rice out and warm it up then pour the bean mixture over the top of it.

BURRITOS

Ingredients

1 pound of meat (your choice)-cooked
1 medium onion (diced)
1- 12 ounce can of refried beans – warmed up
2 cups of shredded lettuce
1 cup of fresh tomatoes (diced)
2 cups of shredded cheese (any type)
1 cup of sour cream 1
Jar of taco sauce or salsa
1 – 8 count package of soft flat tortilla shells

- Preheat the oven 325 degrees and warm your shells for 10 minutes.

- Lay out all your ingredients, place the meat in the center in an even layer, and then add your beans and the other ingredients in a layer format.

- Wrap your burrito – tuck the ends in and roll the shell. – You can use sour cream, guacamole or salsa to dip the burritos in if you would like.

No Mexican dinner party is complete without an authentic beverage and dessert.

AGUA DE MELLON OR CANTALOUPE JUICE

Ingredients

2 quarts of water
1 whole cantaloupe
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of water
1/4 of ice cubes

- Pour the water into a 2 quart container

- Cut the cantaloupe in half, scoop out the seeds

- Cut the melon into small pieces

- Using a blender place the melon pieces, 2 tablespoons of water and 1/4 of ice in the blender and blend for about 2 minutes, until it is a liquid consistency.

- In a 3 quart contain pour in the melon mixture and the 2 quarts of water.

- Add the sugar and stir well.

SOPAPILLA CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

2- Frozen pie crusts (defrosted)
1- 8 ounce package of sour cream (softened)
1/4 cup of melted margarine or butter
3 tablespoons of chocolate coco
1 cup of sugar

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

- Place one pie shell in a 9 inch pie dish

- In a large bowl combine the softened cream cheese, melted margarine/butter, chocolate coco and the sugar. Mix well.

- Pour the bowl of mixed ingredients into the pie shell.

- Place the other pie shell on top and make 3 or 4 small slits in the tops crust to allow the steam to be released.

- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pie shell is a nice golden brown.

- Let cool.

All of these recipes serve six people. Serve and enjoy your at Mexican themed dinner party!

Obama honours Mexican president at lavish state dinner _ with tighter security this time
WASHINGTON – The White House promised tighter security for Wednesday’s state dinner — and it delivered. Among the hundreds who lined up to get in, at least one woman was turned away for lack of proper ID.

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