Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dinner

Hammy ham!

missuswayne — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:08:00 -0800

Spiral sliced ham -- to heat or not to heat? And what do I do with this glaze I made if the ham comes already glazed? I have a glazed, spiral-sliced, uncured, ready-to-eat ham from Trader Joe's that I'm serving for Christmas dinner tomorrow. Originally I had planned to get a city ham and prepare it using a recipe for a bourbon, molasses and pecan glaze.

Well, I bought the TJs ham on impulse (I was there...I needed a ham...). A TJs employee said she recommended serving it cold or room temp, because heating it would make it leathery. My family is complaining, saying they want it heated. I took the ham out of the package, and it's really juicy -- I wonder if I could remove the slices, wrap them in foil, and heat in the oven. If I don't let them get too hot maybe they won't get tough?

Any other ideas for ways to serve this ham warm without turning it to shoe leather? I actually prepared the glaze yesterday, before I bought the ham. Think I can still use it, or would it be overkill?

Thanks, and merry Christmas!

What to do?

janelikes — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:06:45 -0800

to dinner party or not to dinner party? My partner and i have been planning for MONTHS to have our parents meet. We also invited our siblings and their partners and grandma. There are 11 of us all together. I have been menu planning and getting ready forever and we are super excited. Especially because my family is a bit noncommital and weird so it is kind of a big deal that they are making the 2 hour drive out here.

So wonderful boyfriend brought me a burger yesterday from Red Robin and it was the only thing I ate all day after spending the previous night up all night working on PhD applications. About 4 hours after I ate it became clear that I had food poisoning. I had already only had 2 hours sleep and spent all of last night in the bathroom- I'm a bit of a basketcase but finally feel better.

Should we cancel the party? First of all I don't want to gross people out that I'm cooking for them after being sick but I feel confident that it was not the stomach flu and was in fact food poisoning. I do however, want to be honest with them because I'm probably not looking all that great and... I don't know. I'm probably not going to eat much.(Side question- do I not tell them?)

It has been such a big deal to get everyone on board for this dinner and we're pumped and also concerned of how long it may take to reschedule the gig. My partner has been awesome and not only helped me out all night but said that it is up to me whether or not we cancel.

If we go ahead with the dinner I am making the big stuff and I delegated out side dishes and other food to others so I am not planning on cooking everything. Also if it matters I still had symptoms as early as 9 this morning. I think I'm on 5 hours of sleep over the course of 2 days.

Keeping it real (delicious)

theflash — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:45:44 -0800

Help me find a mid-priced restaurant in Brooklyn for New Years dinner! My friends and I (about 12 of us) want to have dinner in Brooklyn for New Year's eve. I would like to keep this to a reasonable price. I'm thinking $30-50/person, not including alcohol. Can it be done? Ideally we'd be in Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, or Cobble Hill. I think a prix fixe might break the bank. Bonus points for BYOBs. I haven't lived in New York in years and I'm stumped. Thanks, MeFi!

Where To Go For Christmas Eve Dinner in Portland?

pdxgirl42 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:15:12 -0800

Going out for Christmas Eve dinner for two or possibly three people, in Portland OR. I realize I'll have to book a table in advance. The question is WHERE? Each year on Christmas eve, I go to dinner with my best friend. It's sort of like our gift to each other. Last year, we went to Hubers, but the seating was really bad, and that made dinner challenging to enjoy.

I'm not sure what I'm hoping for exactly, food wise. There aren't any dietary restrictions. We'd like to keep the total price under $100 a person and have a really nice Christmas Eve dinner (whatever that means!)

Neither of us has a car and we both live downtown, so we'd prefer to limit our options to downtown / the Pearl / Goose Hollow or NW.

Help me wrap and present delicious but frozen food.

anderjen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:24:16 -0800

This Christmas, I'm giving everyone the gift of delicious and healthy home-cooked meals, but I'm blanking on how to wrap and/or present them at the Christmas Eve festivities. Everything will be pre-frozen, which probably rules out putting them by the tree with the other gifts, and the only other solution I can think of is leaving them in my car and letting everyone take theirs on the way home, which is lame. There must be a better way. As I'm picturing it, everything will be frozen and packaged into reusable Gladware-type containers. Once frozen, are there any cheap ways of keeping them cold and dry to the point where I could actually wrap them and set them under the tree for a few hours until we get to the gift opening, and then again until people can get them home? I don't want anything to defrost too much, obviously.

The one thing I really do not want to do is buy each recipient a mini-cooler and ice packs because that kind of defeats the purpose of a low-cost/all-consumable present in my mind, and also there are 10 people, which would blow my budget.

If I do have to leave them in the car (which is a viable option, as I live in Minnesota), any cool ideas on what I could use or make to represent the meals for maximum effect? The rest of the gift will consist of other homemade treats and snacks, so there will be something open for sure, but the main meal is kind of the piece de resistance, so I'd like to make sure it doesn't get missed in a pile of wrapping paper.

I am certainly open to better ideas and suggestions if you have any. Thanks, all!

Southern California Rehearsal Dinner Recommendations

theexpgen — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:23:05 -0800

Help me find a great Long Beach or North Orange County restaurant for my rehearsal dinner. The dinner is on the 7th of January, a Thursday, and somewhere between 20 and 30 people will be attending. I of course want the food to be good, but really, I care more about the overall experience. The place doesn't need to be fancy, but it can't be too casual. Bonus points for fancy Mexican food or seafood, a spot on the water or a private/semi-private room. Long Beach, CA is the preferred location but Northern Orange County or Southern LA could work as well. Thanks in advance.

Like a turkey trying to fly.

zoomorphic — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:37:49 -0800

I'm hosting my first Thanksgiving. I have zero idea what I'm doing. Advice, s'il vous plait! I got the bright idea to organize a Thanksgiving dinner for my fellow NYC transplant friends who aren't flying home for the holidays, doubling as an excuse to show off my cool new apartment. Oh, except, I can barely cook tofu, let alone an entire turkey. Today I saw a sign-up list at a grocery store for turkeys that ended yesterday, and I was mortified that somehow I'd missed the turkey lottery deadline. I need advice on everything.

My ten guests are bringing side dishes according to their household traditions, but I'm in charge of the turkey, the mulled wine, candied bacon ice cream and pumpkin pie. I'm a good baker and will do right by the desserts, but I need easy-to-follow advice on good places to acquire a bird (preferably free-range, organic) suited for 10 people, gutting it, basting it, etc. If you've got a good mulled wine recipe, send it my way. Any favorite Martha Stewart touches would be lovely. Miscellaneous advice related to large dinner parties would be much appreciated as well.

What should I serve as dessert after a heavy risotto dinner?

angryjellybean — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:13:55 -0800

What should I serve as dessert after a heavy risotto dinner? I'm making vegetables stuffed with risotto and roasted, which will be quite filling and heavy. I want to make a dessert that's quite light and sweet, and most importantly, can be made quite quickly/easily and preferably the night before (although I don't mind whether it should be served cold or can be reheated to hot).

I've seen a few suggestions online for rhubarb crumble/compote/sorbet, but anything else interesting would be much appreciated!

Make me an offer I can't refuse

scrutiny — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:07:01 -0800

NYC Food Filter: I am leaving New York City and want to get some great Italian food in the Bronx's version of Little Italy on Arthur Avenue before I go. What are your favorites? I'm willing to spend some money, but not a crazy amount. I'm thinking $15-20 per entree, tops, though I could be convinced to go higher if the food was really that good. I want a sit down place with the works, not just a pizzeria.

Cold nights, warm lentils, yes please!

anderjen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:45:59 -0800

While visiting San Antonio last month, I ate at Liberty Bar on Metafilter's recommendation and fell deeply in love with their warm lentil salad. I would love to recreate it at home for a fantastic winter dinner. Please help me do so. The dish was very simple, ingredients-wise, but I need some assistance in figuring out what spices/seasonings to add, and in what order I should cook/assemble everything. I'm pretty sure I tasted cumin, but have no idea what else might have been in it. The menu describes it as "sautéed lentils with spinach, bacon, onion, and garlic."

It doesn't have to be an exact replica of the salad I had; I'm sure anything with the above ingredients would be delicious if you have other ideas on how I might put them to work.

Bonus question: I really wanted to try the warm chickpea salad as well, but could not persuade my dining companion to order it. It's listed as "sautéed chickpeas, carrot, celery, garlic, onion, spinach, and feta cheese." Any idea what spices I could use to recreate this?

Thanks for your help!

Help me make last minute dinner reservations for a large group!

Loto — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:13:05 -0800

Where can I make a last minute (Saturday, 7PM) dinner reservation for a group of 15 in NW DC? My original plan fell through! So, I screwed up my own birthday and my original dinner plans fell through. I find myself in need of a place that can handle a group of 15 (+/- 5) at the last minute. Help?

Conditions:
Must serve beer
No Italian
Easily accessible by the Red Line
Within walking distance of other bars

Thanks, gang!

Where to go for a fancypants Montreal dinner on short notice?

alleycat01 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:47:35 -0800

Where to go for a fancypants Montreal dinner on short notice? Details inside... Hi Montreal MiFites! On short notice, my boyfriend and I are taking a long weekend trip to Montreal (the weekend after this one). Boyfriend wants to do a nice dress-up dinner one night, and neither of us has been to Montreal before, so I'd love your suggestions on where we should go. The main criteria are:

- He'll be wearing a suit and I'll be in a dress, so somewhere where we won't look stupid or out-of-place in our fancypants duds
- Preferably not insanely expensive. We'll probably do a shared appetizer, bottle of wine (... we tend to pick from on the lower end of the cost scale on these), and 2 entrees, MAYBE a shared dessert but only if dinner portions are small and we're still hungry. With tax & tip, it'd be great if this would cost around or under $150. (What is tax there, anyway?)
- Sadly we're not bilingual, so somewhere where the waiters are ... and, uh, bonus if we can read the menus
- We can still get a reservation (or don't need one) for a Friday or Saturday night
- Preferably French-influenced food, or at least something that's not a total import to Canada (no Chinese restaurants, etc).
- Totally open to BYOs as well, if you think that might be a good bet.

I keep reading about the apparent amazingness that is Au Pied du Couchon and I'd LOVE to try it, but it seems like a non-dressy place. We're usually pretty casual dressers/eaters, but since Boyfriend suggested it this time around I'd like to honor that thought. (Or do you think I'm wrong and PDC would work?) We'll be staying in the downtown area, but we do have a car & can drive if needed.

Is this doable, Montre-fites? What are your suggestions? Other thoughts on things we MUST do that weekend are also welcome, though I know there are tons of other threads on this subejct. Our current plans are just to relax in cafes, hang out, and eat poutine. Thanks, all!

Thanksgiving in New Orleans

batgrlHG — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:02:57 -0800

New Orleans Thanksgiving for out of towners? Restaurant recommendations needed! So we're checking out the information online and in guidebooks (and we've been to New Orleans several times before so we sorta know how to get around the place) to try and find a nice restaurant for us and the parental units. Something somewhat traditional - because the folks do like their turkey. We're looking to make reservations now so we're sure to get in - and find that there's not often any info on some restaurants' websites whether they're open Thanksgiving or not. (And I've seen a forum post with "it's hard to find any place that's open.") I'd be happy to call each of the choices - but I'd like to make sure I've narrowed down our options a bit, and get a little more info. We're staying in the French Quarter and would prefer to walk to dinner - but will be going to the Garden District, so we're not completely marking it off the List Of Potential Feeding Places.

So the rundown:
* Should have turkey as an option
* Not too formal (husband should get away without a tie)
* Husband says no turducken (I'd like some, personally!)
* Husband also not fond of drunken frat boys (those are his words, I think he's trying to say we're ok with an adult environment, but aren't looking to eat at the bar)

Anyone know any restaurants that stay open major holidays? I'll be pestering the NO natives from the MeFi meet up to see if they have suggestions - but then it occurred to me that a lot of other travelers might have ideas from their NO trips. Feel free to ignore price range at this point - I consider us to be window shopping before buying.

Er, but no gold plated turduckens.

Last minute catering help

cali — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:51:35 -0800

Looking for a caterer for a small dinner party at a house in Napa THIS weekend. Either Saturday or Sunday, 6-8 people, near Silverado, no dietary restrictions. What options exist, or where would be a good place to look?

Cooking Novice Attemps Salmon Dish in Quest for Love!

lemonfridge — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:00:32 -0800

I'm a complete novice cook, but I'm cooking salmon tagliatelle for my girlfriend on her birthday. I've made it twice for myself but I think it could be better... Ok, so far I'm frying the salmon fillets with a drop of oil till they are almost done, then adding some chopped spring onions to the pan during the final few min.

Then I'm adding cream and chives to the pan and mixing it all together, breaking up the salmon.

Add the salmon to the cooked tagliatelle, mix mix mix, serve. Serving with some nice bread and some wine.

It tastes fine, and my sister and dad have both enjoyed it. I just want to make it tastes a little bit more special. Any suggestions?

please note: I have never ever ever cooked anything before in my life. I don't enjoy it at all and I get extremely stressed during. Please keep it simple! :)

Is it alright to buy fresh produce on Saturday morning to be used on Tuesday night?

faeuboulanger — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:53:00 -0800

How far ahead can I buy farmer's market produce? So, I'm throwing a casual dinner party this coming Tuesday (simple, but elegant salade niçoise, some sort of berry pie or grumble, fig, melon, and proscuitto appetizer). I was hoping to use good, fresh, farmer's market produce since, well, it's august...what better time to do so? The problem: my local farmer's market is on Saturday morning, but I won't be cooking until Tuesday. Will the veggies (heirloom tomatoes, new potatoes, peppers, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries) hold up between then and now or would I be better off just going to my local grocery store and buying them on Monday? Thanks!

Why, yes, I'd love a free meal!

venividivici — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:08:55 -0800

When someone invites you to dinner or a party at their house, is there a tactful way to indicate that you can't bring anything, or to prevent them from asking? I've recently moved to a new town (in northern England) for about 9 months in order to finish up the field work for my dissertation. The people here have been incredibly kind and really "taken me in," particularly since I didn't know a soul when I moved here. They're constantly inviting me over for tea, dinners, parties on the weekends, etc., and all my fears about having no social life pretty much vanished by the end of the second week.

The problem, however, is that I'm absolutely, utterly broke -- fellowships and grants pay my rent and bills and leave me with only $60 a month for food (yes, that's dollars, not pounds, alas) if I'm lucky. I feel very uneasy, not to mention rude, that I can't reciprocate for these people. It's also extremely embarrassing to go to a party and watch everyone file in, dutifully handing over their flowers and bottles of wine, while knowing that I'm the only person in the room who hasn't done the same. So far, I've settled the issue by writing thank-you notes/cards afterwards, and this has worked well. Many have said what a joy it is to get a real, handwritten thank-you note in this day and age.

The problem now, however, is that when people invite me over, sometimes they will casually ask me to bring drinks or dessert or an appetizer. I'm sure it's never occurred to them (most are quite well off) that doing so would force me to blow 20% of my food budget on one evening, and that I'd have to skip meals at the end of the month to make up for it. I don't want to be vulgar by discussing money with people who are, in effect, no more than acquaintances -- and unfortunately I don't have a close friend here that I could use to spread the word on my behalf. But the situation now isn't working, and I get the strong feeling from several people that my constantly showing up empty-handed is coming off a bit rude. Which, really, it is.

A friend this weekend planned a big, lavish dinner for Saturday night and off-handedly said over the phone, "Can you bring over some Ben & Jerry's?" and after a pause I simply said, "No, I'm sorry. I can't." Extremely awkward silence ensued, of course. But isn't that far less awkward than telling these people (who, after all, barely know me) that I really am this broke? I don't know a tactful way to say, "I really appreciate everything you're doing for me, but if you're going to give a starving student a free meal, it really has to be completely and totally free, because otherwise I'm going to have to start lying and saying I'm busy."

I've mentioned to most of them, in other contexts, that I'm living on a very tight budget, and I'm sure this is why so many people are inviting me over. They're very kind people and I'm grateful. But they clearly don't understand the intensity of graduate student poverty, and it's getting awkward.

Making dinner for a girlfriend and I need your help!

OuttaHere — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:28:44 -0800

Making dinner tonight for a lady friend - Need suggestions! We'll be drinking lots of wine and I was thinking maybe something we could both do together.

She doesn't eat red meat, it's pretty hot outside and we may be grilling although it's not necessary.

I was thinking of something along the lines of chicken kabobs w/ veggies and a good summer salad. I'm pretty decent in the kitchen but don't want something I can screw up.

Thanks mefi!

What is a polite gift for Americans visiting Parisian couple for dinner?

tarthur — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:54:28 -0800

What is a proper gift to bring a same-sex Parisian couple when invited to dinner? My boyfriend and I are visiting Paris next week and were invited to dinner with two Americans who have been living and working Paris for the past few years. Both men are very successful in the business world and live comfortably in the city. We have been invited to dinner at their apartment on our first night in Paris.

Dinner Party!

roomthreeseventeen — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:25:03 -0800

Teach me how to be a great host. I'm hosting a dinner party for my SO's birthday in September. Give me some tips to make everyone (including the birthday boy and ME) feel relaxed and happy. We hosted a Christmas Eve party last year, which went okay, but I felt flustered much of the night, trying to help serve (we have a VERY small kitchen) the food people brought, etc., while SO played entertainment director. This time up, I will be cooking it all myself. I guess my primary question is how do I not become flustered, while trying to do it all?

Looking for a place is Vegas that has scantily-clad waitresses - not a strip club - not a Hooters

alrightokay — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:21:51 -0800

Bachelor weekend in Vegas - looking for a place that has great food and scantily clad waitresses. Not a strip club. Better than Hooters. Would be eating dinner there. The future groom is not interested in naked women - scantily clad women are fine, though! I'm not looking for a Hooters - something a little more upscale. Any help would be really appreciated.

Feed us in Frederick

xaire — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:01:27 -0800

Seeking great food in Frederick, MD area! We're looking for one or two tasty places to 'cater' (i.e., takeout) our small, laid back rehearsal dinner north of Frederick. Preferably casual food with a regional flavor. The internets are not offering up a lot--can you help? Our ideal menu would have (inexpensive) regional food, like crab or Maryland fried chicken, but we're open to other ideas, and we're not scared by hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The dinner itself won't be onsite--we're doing it at a cabin in Thurmont--so the space isn't an issue either.

We live an hour south of Frederick, so we can happily go taste-test any suggestions. Doc Geiser's? Rubes Crab Shack?

Cool Casual Bday Dinner in Dallas

flipmiester99 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:15:14 -0800

CoolCasualNotExpensiveEatinginDallasFilter: Its my wifes bday today and a few of us want to go out to dinner to celebrate. Unfortunately none of us have alot to spend. Any Suggestions? Looking for a cool place to eat with good food, good drinks, and good atmosphere. We are coming from Richardson also so we dont want to drive to far. No further than downtown. Thanks in advance. Also....The average age of all of us is 31.

25 and TRYING to COOK

designbyme — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:48:54 -0800

I'm 25 and starting to cook - What? Where do I get it? Why? I'm 25 and me and my roommate are just starting to cook on our own. Our add water and microwave days of college are over. Plus we like to have friends over sometimes, and ordering a pizza makes for a lame dinner party.

Basically this just feels like something we should be doing, it's fun to try new things and in general, it saves money!

Some things I always liked growing up:

• Big Mac 'N Cheese fan
• Anything with Cool Whip...
• Mom makes this breaded chicken that got baked...
• Love salads, been trying to broaden my horizon in terms of dressing

I also always struggle with whether to buy the brand names or the store labels. Does it make a difference?!?! What do you guys buy and why?

Anyway.... I'd love to hear your ideas. I'd love some new easy recipes, but I'm really curious about the art of grocery shopping too. Discount store? Upscale store?

Thanks in advance!! If your ideas are really good, I'll have you all over for dinner. ;)

Anniversary Dinner in Dallas

lateriser — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:30:39 -0800

DFWAnniversaryFilter: Poor planning on my part but its me and the old ladys 8th year anniversary. Im struggling with a place to take her to dinner tonight, i could use any and all suggestions. We love Roy's in Plano however i was just trying to think outside of the box a bit. BTW...We are located in N. Dallas around the 75/190 area.