Dine for the Charleston

Next week I am hosting my book club to discuss Valley of the Dolls. I would like to do something fun that honors the time period. The book takes place in the mid to late 1960’s. When I look around for party ideas I get mostly hippie type things. The women were wined and dined and I would like a menu to reflect that accurately. Any ideas for food and cocktails?

Here’s some good recipes!
http://www.retro-housewife.com/1960s-recipes.php

Beef Strognaff, Baked Alaska, Jello Salad, Salmon mousse,
TV dinners, buttered nuts, chicken-liver pate, toast rounds and crackers, mushroom-stuffed eggs, tuna-stuffed eggs, cheese straws and twists, wild-rice pancakes, cream-cheese pastry turnovers, meat filling, cherry tomatoes, green and ripe olives.

Dinner drinks
http://www.arkivatropika.com/cgi-bin/tags.cgi?tags=%22pineapple%22

Formulate plans for the dining area of an early childhood program that will help to foster children’s self-feeding skill. Include a discussion of appropriate furniture and eating utensils. Plan a menu for one day.(one meal and two snacks) that will further enhance the child’s self-feeding skills.

Hmmm. Needing help with homework, eh?

I’ve always felt it’s important to serve and eat meals family style. Having u-shaped tables helps as the teacher can sit in the u part with children around her. She can reach each one if they need help. Even toddlers can serve themselves with help. Children can help set the tables.

Furniture should be the appropriate size for the age of child. They should be able to sit back on the chair with their feet on the floor and be sort of above the food on the table (so the table must be an appropriate height as well).

Utensils don’t really need to be a special size. I’ve seen even young toddlers handle normal spoons. However, having smaller cups is good as it’s easier for them to hold and, well, if there are spills they don’t spill as much. It’s also good to have milk at the table in small pitchers so they can pour their own.

I’m not going to plan a menu for you, but be sure each snack includes at least 2 food groups and the meal includes all 4. It’s best if the foods don’t require cutting or, if they do, it’s easy, like meatloaf. Depending on the age of the child, finger foods are great. Keep in mind choking hazards. No grapes unless cut in half. Hot dogs must be pre-cut as well. Raw vegetables should be steamed just a little for toddlers, so they’re not too hard and crunchy. Choose foods that stay on the spoon well (like macaroni with spaghetti sauce would be better than spaghetti).

Does that get you started? LOL

I’m going on the norwegian pearl and was wondering what the lunch menu’s were on the norwegian pearl…(dinner menus accepted too=p)

The best thing for you to do is to contact the cruise line. They will be able to get you the information you need. The menus do change, so the best way is to contact the cruise line directly for updated menus.

I am hosting a "Come Dine With Me" dinner party this week with my friends, if you haven’t seen the show before it’s where 5 people do a dinner party each and they get marked out of 10 for the evening. I have my menu sorted but I was wanting some unique tips and ideas to make my dinner party stand out from the other. i.e. favor ideas, decor ideas, finishing touches, etc. Thanks!

Plenty of wine, if you can afford it Champagne.
Putting a gift for each guest at their place setting- perhaps chocolates for the ladies, whisky miniatures for the men.
I also make home made bread which goes down very well.
Lots of candles, themed music (not too loud)

Have a lovely time.

I run a military dining facility overseas, and would like some ideas to improve the facility. It can be anything; new equipment, new serving techniques, improved menu items, etc.

Why don’t you ask your customers?????

It seems that restaurants are become so corporate and profit driven that they have destroyed the whole dining out experience.

We recently dined at DeVito’s in Miami and it was the most un pleasant experience we ever had. the Miami Spice $35 menu was nowhere to be seen, instead we had the sales pitch from the waiter.

Our bill came to a few cents short of $300 for two entrees and a mediocre average bottle of wine!

We were shocked. When we tried to query we were almost threatened by the nastiest manager we have ever encountered. His name was ‘Paulo’. As menacing as anything you’ve ever seen in Godfather 1, 2 or 3!

DeVitos has more hype than substance, it has to be America’s most expensive restaurant. Never again!

Whatever happened to good old Italian hospitality. Do you think certain restaurants are so crporate and greed driven that they are killing off the pleasantries of the dining out experience?

Its totally to the detriment of the dining experience! When they become "corporate" they tend to try to please ALL the people with bland "one-size-fits-all" food! You pay the same huge price but your food is now blah… there is nothing unique anymore. The corporate theory is that they can sell enough of their food to people who have no idea of what the food should REALLY taste like and make a lot of cash. The customers that actually love and appreciate food are forced to find it somewhere else. Long live the independent restauranteer!

It seems that restaurants are become so corporate and profit driven that they have destroyed the whole dining out experience.

We recently dined at DeVito’s in Miami and it was the most un pleasant experience we ever had. the Miami Spice $35 menu was nowhere to be seen, instead we had the sales pitch from the waiter.

Our bill came to a few cents short of $300 for two entrees and a mediocre average bottle of wine!

We were shocked. When we tried to query we were almost threatened by the nastiest manager we have ever encountered. His name was ‘Paulo’. As menacing as anything you’ve ever seen in Godfather 1, 2 or 3!

DeVitos has more hype than substance, it has to be America’s most expensive restaurant. Never again!

Whatever happened to good old Italian hospitality. Do you think certain restaurants are so crporate and greed driven that they are killing off the pleasantries of the dining out experience?

Its totally to the detriment of the dining experience! When they become "corporate" they tend to try to please ALL the people with bland "one-size-fits-all" food! You pay the same huge price but your food is now blah… there is nothing unique anymore. The corporate theory is that they can sell enough of their food to people who have no idea of what the food should REALLY taste like and make a lot of cash. The customers that actually love and appreciate food are forced to find it somewhere else. Long live the independent restauranteer!

have you watch the show come dine with me, where you host dinner partys
what would your menu be and what would make your dinner party special

mine would be
champane and strawberry reception
starter – roasted tomato soup
main – fillet of beef on a sweet potatoe rosti with wilted spinage
dessert of tiramasu
followed by coctails

what would your menu be and what do you think of mine

your is mouth watering

mine would be
coctail reception with mini burgers and salmon filo parcles
starter of chilli and corrander prawns
main of minted rack of lamb and baby vegetables
pudding of creme caramel
followed by cheese board and freshly brewed coffee
my special would be topless waiters for the ladies and big breasted women waitress for the men

I need to create a menu that combines Mexican and American food, that includes, appetizers, main courses, desserts, beverages, and everything else, so do you have any ideas? The menu must be written in Spanish so it would be helpful if you could include the translation, but I can also translate it on my own if necessary. The restaurant would be a more expensive/fine dining restaurant as well, so the food should probably be more sophisticated than the usual restaurant. Thanks in advance!

Here we go…
Appetizers
Pepinos, naranja y jicama, con limon sal y chile y si se desea un poco de tequila.
Main Courses
Sopa de Tortilla o Sopa de Lima
Camarones al Ajillo con Ensalada Verde o Pechugas de Pollo con Mole
Desserts
Helado de Vainilla con Fresas o Arroz con Leche o Jericallas
Beverages
Agua Dulce de Horchata o Agua de Tamarindo
Tequila Squirt
Bloody Mary
If you required recipes, I can give to you. This is a regular menu. For more sophisticated could be:
Camarones en Agua Chile
Crema de Frijoles o Sopa de Mariscos
Asado a la Plaza o Filete de Pescado con Perejil
Gelatina de Piña con Durazno o Gelatina de Cajeta
Agua de Jamaica con Limon o Escamochas

Has anyone gone to the tapas restaurant El Patio, as part of the Argus dine for £5 deal?
Was there a set menu to choose from and how many dishes were allowed?
thanks

NOT personally, and I have been told that it is very basic