I just moved to a small house. I’m having my ladies’ group (8 women age 50’s and 60’s) over for dinner, and I’m drawing a blank re menu. My dining table will only seat five comfortably. I want more than finger food and snacks. We can sit in the living room and eat off our laps, so fork food is okay, but maybe not knife and fork food. I have a giant coffee table.
I’m very much a foodie, and it bothers me that I can’t come up with anything. I think this move used up my last brain cell, including the one I was saving for emergencies.
It’s not a requirement that I cook the stuff myself. Costco/Trader Joe’s suggestions welcome.
My former house was ideal for having people over, but it was so far out in the country that people had a mental block about driving that far. This house is centrally and conveniently located (but tiny) and I plan to have dinners and parties a lot.
How about a Chinese/Asian food bar sort of thing? Stir fried foods and other bite-sized entree type things that can be piled on a plate and eaten with a fork or spoon. Non-fish maki style rolls, maybe some curried nuts or crunchy rice cracker mix set out for starters if people want to pick at something when just arriving. Big bowl of rice, big bowl of noodles, and several protein/vegetable combinations to go on top for main dish. Side with an Asian style salad and green tea ice cream with almond cookies for dessert.
More elaborate for the future could be Ethiopian or Indian food meant to be eaten with fingers and the respective style of bread to pick it up. I dunno, that might still get messy in a lap.
Some nice floor cushions for sitting at the coffee table might help.
No help offhand for the menu…but are TV tables acceptable? Little fold-out tables that you can put in front of a chair. One per person for wherever they are sitting.
I have a few of [these](Tv Tray Wood Natural - Plastic Dev Group : Target table). Took one to the Dolphins game last weekend and put the camping grill on it for tailgaiting. And they fold up and store nicely when not being used.
Soup and sandwiches? The plate with the sandwich can stay in your lap, and the bowl of soup can go on the coffee table when you’re not eating out of it. Or you can swap them back and forth if you don’t want the plate in your lap all the time.
You could also invest in or borrow a card table if you want to serve fork and knife type food. It’s been many and many-a since I ate a holiday meal at my grandma’s that didn’t involve sitting at a card table.
I’m trying to think of foods that don’t require cutting once plated, so how about:
Start with soup – maybe a creamy tomato basil that can be sipped from a mug. Then, serve shrimp remoulade, fruit salad, and rolls. Maybe serve a green salad after the soup or serve a green vegetable with the remoulade.
Good idea. There’s not a Lady in the bunch. We all love spicy. This is South Texas, after all. One woman is married to a Cuban, and he often cooks for our group-- very spicy.
It’s the dining room and house itself that are small. TV tables also a good idea.
The Asian food buffet suggestion was good. Things are already bite-size and easily eaten with fork or chopsticks.
We all love spicy. This is South Texas, after all. One woman is married to a Cuban, and he often cooks for our group-- very spicy.