Experiencing Some Technical Difficulties

Some of you may have noticed that my site has been up and down lately. After a struggle to figure out what was going on, our web host finally admitted that an upgrade affected my site and many others. I now realize that comments have been submitted and emails that were sent never reached me. If you have sent me an email in the last few weeks, I'm not ignoring you...I just haven't received it. My apologies and I hope this doesn't happen again. 

How to Form a Dinner Club

Dinner clubs focus around fabulous food and people who like to share it. They can be extremely fun and entertaining, and an event you will look forward to. Some of my fondest memories of food and friends come from dinner parties and the dinner club we formed in DC. Evenings were filled with exceptional food, delicious wines, and interesting conversation. What is the most challenging part of organizing a dinner club? It's not the cooking or the cleaning up afterwards; it is coordinating everyone's schedule to get together.

I think the key to forming a successful dinner club is communication. Nothing should be left to assumption. Every member should be actively involved in one way or another, and everyone should have a clear understanding and similar expectations. There are no rules when it comes to forming dinner clubs, but the more organized things are, the more enjoyable the experience is for everyone.

Here are a few pointers I can share:

1. Decide on the type of experience you want to have and find like-minded people who will want to share in an on-going experience. For example, pressure shouldn't be put on people that prefer casual potluck dinners to serve a gourmet 3-course meal.

2. Decide on the number of people. Is it going to be a potluck, family-style, or served courses? If you choose to serve courses, keep it small (6-8 maximum). The more elaborate the evening, the smaller the number should be. Less people equals less stress and the night will be easier to handle. For casual parties, based around potluck and family-style dinners, the numbers can easily be bigger. Confirm with the members, in advance, if you'd like to bring along additional guests.

3. Decide how often the group will meet.

4. Decide on who will be cooking and where the party will be hosted. Discuss themes (Italian, Asian, Mexican, etc.). Themes are easy to coordinate around and can be a lot of fun.

5. Openly discuss the cost. If one member intends to serve lobster and the other mac and cheese, people are bound to feel uncomfortable. Set limits or divide up the cost evenly each time. If you are involved with a like-minded group, these things won't be an issue.

6. Decide on matching beverages from apéritifs to beer, wine, and dessert wine. Discuss how the cost will be divided. Nobody should be stuck with the majority of the bill.

7. Add special touches by decorating the table. It doesn't have to be extravagant, but little add-ons make the evening that much nicer. Play music that matches your theme. Have board or card games on hand.

8. Discuss at each dinner where the group can improve for the next celebration, such as how to make things easier for the next time around or how to better modify the structure. Perhaps you will want to try different rounds that include gourmet meals, then a potluck, etc.

When I think back to our DC Dinner Club, we had a small and incredible group of multi-cultural people. We would try to meet once every two months and would rotate houses. The host for the evening would prepare the entire dinner from appetizer to dessert. Everyone brought a unique beer to start with and wine to match. It worked out really well. We all loved food, and it just so happened that each couple contained one person that loved to cook, and didn't mind spending hours in the kitchen preparing something special. It was a lot of work for the hosts, but it was always worth it and we all appreciated it.

Are you part of a dinner club? What has made your club a success? What were some of the challenges?

Tagged as: [ culinary howto tips ]

Easy Artichoke Dip

This artichoke dip is a hit at every party. It's definitely not for calorie counters, but a little goes a long way since it is packed with flavor. I serve it alongside baguette slices or crackers, and sometimes I place it in the center of a vegetable platter for dipping. Leftovers, if you are lucky to have any, are perfect for dressing up sandwiches or grilled portabella mushroom burgers. Your guests will want this incredibly simple recipe.

Ingredients:

250 g. cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup sour cream 1 cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste) 2 tsp. dried dill (or more to taste) 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 14oz. cans artichokes (in water), chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Drain and gently squeeze out the excess water from the artichokes. Chop and set aside.  

3. In a medium-sized bowl, stir the cream cheese until softened and smooth. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and mix until completely combined. Stir in garlic, dill, and Parmesan. Finally, stir in the chopped artichokes.

4. Pour into a suitable-sized baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown. This dip can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. You can also divide the mixture into smaller baking dishes to place throughout your party. Adjust the baking time accordingly.

Note: I don't add salt to this recipe, due to the large amount of parmesan cheese used; however, taste it before baking and adjust to your liking.

Tagged as: [ culinary recipes ]

Chefs to the Field Event | Sunday, August 19th - Richmond, BC

Mark your calendars! We are just 4 weeks away from holding the much-anticipated Chefs to the Field event. Please come and join us, rain or shine, for a day filled with delicious food, entertainment, and festivities. This fund raiser will help support the Terra Nova Schoolyard Society and the Organic Friends of the Future. Come out to learn and see what Chef Ian Lai (founder of the Terra Nova Schoolyard Society) has been busy creating. Refer to these posts for more information regarding his project:

Chefs to the Field will feature live entertainment, children’s activities, and a silent auction where wonderful local products, gift certificates, and memberships will be available to bid on. General admission is free, however, participating food booths, containing some of Vancouver's finest restaurants and schools, will be available from 11am to 2pm. Tickets to sample food items from these establishments are only $3.00 per plate.

The most exciting part of the day, for all of you foodies out there, is a Black Box Cook-Off! Between 2pm and 4pm teams of professional Chefs and one culinary student will compete against each other. The Chefs will be given one mystery ingredient just before the competition begins. They will then have one hour to quickly harvest produce from the gardens and use those items to create four separate dishes. Teams will be judged on: the care they took while harvesting the garden, flavor, presentation, originality, and organization. Confirmed participants, to date, include:

Come and see how these Chefs strut their stuff! It will be a fantastic competition to watch some of Vancouver's top Chefs in action.

Location: Terra Nova Rural Park (2631 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC)
Date: Sunday, August 19, 2007
Time: 11am – 4pm
Parking: Limited. Please try to bike or walk. A shuttle bus is being provided from the City Works Yard (5599 Lynas Lane, Richmond, BC) to the event every 15 minutes. 

I will be the on-site volunteer coordinator. If you would like to participate by being a volunteer, please contact me as soon as possible.

Tagged as: [ blackbox competition organic restaurants ]

Thinking Blogger Award

My friend, George Chef John, over at Food Wishes, graciously tagged me with the Thinking Blogger Award. Hmmm...Far too many good food blogs out there to choose from, so I'm turning the focus to some bloggers who make me contemplate the things they write about. Nice save; hey John?

Tagged as: [ blogs ]