Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with entertaining

Creative ideas for a party

Kateruba — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:56:11 -0800

What short, creative performances can guests put on at my party to entertain themselves? I'd like to have a holiday party. But not just another dinner party or a drinking party. I'd like all of my guests to put on little performances - whether that would be a short skit, dance/music, puppet show, parody, magic tricks, telling some jokes, monologue, poetry reading, juggling, sword swallowing - whatever! I just would like everyone to do something entertaining and creative, my expectations are pretty reasonable, I don't expect everyone to prepare and practice like prima ballerinas...

I am always ambivalent about hosting parties - so much stress in organizing and making sure everyone has a good time! And I am especially doubtful about hosting this one. Even though most of my friends/acquaintances are a creative bunch, a lot of my potential guests find my party idea intimidating. They are either shy or have no idea what to do for this "assignment", and hence are unsure whether they will attend at all :(

I'd love some suggestions for this which I can offer to my friends to make them less intimidated and more enthusiastic. Ideally, they would have all or any of the following qualities: creative, suitable for shy people, do not take much time or effort to prepare for.

And what would I do for my part? I would do something similar to Isabella Rosselini's Green Porno "Nothing Porno about it!" as she says. In the series, Rossellini enacts the mating rituals of various insects and other animals (including the dragonfly, spider, bee, praying mantis, squid, snail and housefly) with cardboard cut-outs and foam-rubber sculptures (wikipedia) - the result is very whimsical and reminiscent of an elementary school play in its aesthetics! If anyone is intrigued, you can view all of the episodes on

Help me find simple recipes for discussion evenings

modernhypatia — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:43:46 -0800

On a regular basis, I'm going to be having informal discussion evenings in my home, with two to four people at each one. They (and I) need to eat dinner, but the focus of the evening isn't the food. I'm looking for food ideas that meet a number of criteria, and trying to figure out more variety. I'll be providing the main dish (we potluck for some things, but not these discussions), and want to keep costs fairly low. People may well bring supplemental food (cheese and crackers, salad, desert, etc.) but will often be coming directly from work (so limited in what things they can easily bring along.)

These discussion evenings are basically religious education discussions, which I will be leading, so I want the food to be something that needs very little attention (and that will be ready to eat within 10 minutes of people arriving and settling down, so we don't need to disrupt the flow of the discussion.) People are usually on time, but traffic or other events can sometimes mean people run 10-15 minutes late, so dishes should be able to accommodate that.

Stuff that's worked so far:
- Soup + bread + interesting cheese
- Homemade pizza (if I get home early enough to let the dough come up to room temp.)
- Hot weather food plates (hummus, vegetables, baba ganoush, salads, etc.)
- Chicken wild rice stew (made in advance, reheated)

Me:
- Work full time, and would get home about 1-2 hours before the other folks show up. (School librarian: my day starts early.)
- However, work is a long day for me, and I'm not up for more than about 10-15 minute of food prep once I get home. (I need a break, plus usually need to do a little last minute tidying/moving of furniture, etc.)
- Live by myself (with a cat), and normally eat my main meal of the day at work (we have a great cafeteria): my meal habits are geared around that.
- I enjoy cooking, bake my own bread most of the time, etc. but prefer to do it in long batches on the weekend. (That said, long food preps like stew that can be reheated later in the week are great).
- Reasonable cooking skills, but nothing fancy.
- I do most of my food shopping at Trader Joe's and the local co-op or farmer's market, but also have a mainstream grocery (Rainbow and Cub) nearby.

My kitchen (in a 400 square foot house: space is limited):
- Gas stove/oven
- Smallish fridge/freezer (i.e. not tons of extra storage space after storing my own food that needs this space.)
- No microwave (and nowhere to put one that's accessible or safe for me to use.)
- Willing to consider a crockpot if I can figure out enough things I'd use it for.
- Avoid one-use-only tools, but do have a reasonable range of kitchen pots and pans, mixing bowls, storage, etc.
- Leftovers should be things I can either get through myself in a reasonable amount of time, or that can be easily frozen.

Other food notes
- Strong preference for avoiding highly processed foods. Recipes that involve 'add a can of cream of whatever soup', or 'pour in X amount of processed food' are things I want to avoid.
- I'd like to have a range of seasonally appropriate foods, though this isn't totally mandatory.
- I'd like to avoid protein heavy meals ("take 6 chicken breasts and X..."), I prefer sustainably raised animal protein when I buy it, and regularly feeding multiple people lots of that would be a big dent in my food budget.
- I don't do well with peppers; very mild chili would be fine, but not heavily spicy foods that rely on them.
- We are not currently dealing with significant food limits (allergies, sensitivities, vegetarians, diabetic, gluten free, etc.) but it's quite possible that'll be true some time in the future, and I'd like to have options that adjust for it.

My hopes:
What I really hope is that somewhere out there, there's a blog or six talking about exactly this, with lots of great recipes and ideas. Cookbooks that do the same would be great too. But I'll also cheerfully take links to specific recipes, or even ideas of what to look for. I've done a number of searches, but don't seem to be finding good ways to focus the specific stuff I want.

Thank you!

Come on over and have all this fun

neca — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:04:05 -0800

Tips for entertaining: I'd like to have more friends over to my apartment, but it's boring in here! It seems like I don't have a lot to do when friends come over except watch a big dumb TV.

I'm looking for ideas such as activities to do (play Celebrity!), but I am really wondering what "hooks" you have to make your place a destination. Classic examples might include a pool table or a poker night, and a more modern example would be a Wii. Along the same lines, Rock Band is great, but another friend has that covered. The less expensive, the better!

For some context, I am a mid-twenties male, and my friends are all around my age.

My first 'proper' dinner party with family, what should I serve?

JoannaC — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:37:44 -0800

My first 'proper' dinner party with family, what should I serve? After several years in cheap, small, cold basement apartments, I finally am in a proper place with room to have people over---nut just to 'look' and then go out, but to actually sit at a table, eat and schmooze. My dad, stepmom and two siblings are coming over tomorrow for dinner and I want to make something simple, but impressive. We'll probably do it buffet-style with everything set up in the kitchen and people lounging in the living room. He's told me not to go to any effort on his account and to keep it simple, but this is my first time really having people over for anything more than bagels and soda so I do want them to walk away feeling like they've had a nice time here :) Ideas?

September dinner party ideas

rossination — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:33:44 -0800

Late summer dinner party ideas? We are planning a dinner party for mid-late September and I'm trying to come up with some ideas for a menu. As much as I love to cook with fresh (local) fruits and vegetables, I don't usually give much thought to seasonal cooking, so I thought it would be fun to try to highlight foods that really capture the end-of-summer vibe (something like this squash and chickpea stew).

Some details:
-- Vegetarian meals preferred, although some meat/fish is definitely OK (we will have one non meat eater). Either way, we tend to prefer meat as an accent/seasoning, as opposed to the main course.
-- We don't have a grill, but we do have a broiler.
-- Other than the meat thing, we're a pretty adventurous bunch, and I'm willing to source weird ingredients if the recipe is worth it.
-- Dessert ideas are also welcome, as are wine/beer/spirits pairings.

An Introvert's Hosting Survival Guide Needed.

srboisvert — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:10:11 -0800

How can an introvert survive and hopefully thrive while entertaining short to medium term house guests? (Long term being out of the freaking question!) I'm not anti-social but I find it extremely exhausting to have guests stay in my flat for any longer than a day or two. My batteries just don't seem to recharge unless I get time alone in my own place. However, it feels rude to leave guests alone and I suspect it might also makes them feel rude/neglected.

How do other introverts manage it?

What are some good meals to cook for dinner parties/groups of people?

Hartster — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:31:39 -0800

What are some good meals to cook for dinner parties/groups of people? What are some good cooking tips for the same? What are meals that scale well for groups of 6-10 people? One of the things I'd like to avoid is having to spend too much time on the kitchen once people have turned up. However, at the same time, I'd like food that still has a bit of a wow factor (so while everyone loves, say, lasagne and it scales well and can be done easily, that sort of fails that criterion).

Also, what are good tips for preparing food for such occasions. (For example, the old "cooking vegetables before hand, then sticking in cold water, then reheating them through for a few minutes" trick). I'm thinking that restuarants must have plenty of experience here: how do they cook risotto and pasta? Is it always from scratch?

How to kick guests out at a reasonable time?

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:52:39 -0800

I love entertaining at home, but I also love going to bed. How do I encourage my guests to leave at a reasonable time? With the holiday season coming up, I'd love to throw a couple of parties for Xmas & New Year. We have a great apartment, with an amazing view, which is awesome for entertaining, and I love having people over. The problem is, after midnight I really struggle, and I like to go to bed at a reasonable time.

I've had a couple of (small, intimate) parties where I just couldn't get people to leave until after 3. Even the heaviest hints didn't work, and I'm too polite to say "HEY. I NEED TO SLEEP NOW, GOODBYE!"

I've tried yawning. Cleaning up the dishes. Turning the lights up etc., but some people just don't get it. I dread the end to the evening now.

Does anyone have any good suggestions so I can enjoy hosting my friends this xmas?

Where to feed and entertain children in Toronto

gesamtkunstwerk — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:13:47 -0800

Where do two foodies take a family with children in Toronto? And once we've eaten, what are the must see places for boys, 6 and 8? Two of my best friends from Wisconsin are coming to Torontowith their boys, 6 and 8. They're staying at Bay and Wellseley (not, IMHO, a great area for kids). I want to make sure that the kids have as much fun as the adults.

Can any downtown/ Annex parents recommend restaurants in the area that are both foodie and child friendly in that area?

I'm going to suggest taking them to the Science Centre, the ROM and Riverdale farm. What else shouldn't they miss? They're also going to Hamilton, a city I do not know at all.

Preparing Pantry for Parties

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:26:07 -0800

I'm looking for ideas for simple, make-ahead pantry-stocking recipes for things I can use as appetizers or nibbles -- spiced nuts, marinated olives, etc. I'd ideally like things I don't need to refrigerate (although I do know how to can things), but I'm also thinking of some made-ahead-and-frozen cheese cracker dough as well; I'd also like things that keep a while. I'd love to be able to just pull some crackers and bread out, grab a couple jars, and there it all is. I've already got recipes for tapenade, marinated olives and mushrooms, reconstituted sundried tomatoes, and spiced nuts, as well as cheese spreads; anyone have any other tips?

Single-ingredient recommendations are welcome too (i.e., "never be without a jar of artichoke hearts"), although I'm mainly looking for things I can make myself and sock away.

Thanks.

Am I "one cupcake short of a baker's dozen?"

richmondparker — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:47:29 -0800

1 Cupcake short of a Baker's Dozen...or how to arrange 12 cupcakes on a circular plate. OK, so I've followed the recipe and now have 12 delicious-looking cupcakes for dinner tonight. Try as I might, though, I can't seem to get them on a circular plate in any kind of a pattern that doesn't bug me to death. Is there a way to do this, or is that why a baker's dozen is called a baker's dozen ("Aw, screw it...I'll just make one extra cupcake so everything is nice and even."). Obviously, not earth-shatteringly important, but I'm curious...

Retro-Future Party Foods

hilatron — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:14:57 -0800

Dear Ask Metafilter: I'm searching for recipes from the future of the past. An entertaining group I'm a part of is throwing a "Christmas of the Future" party; the theme is futuristic as envisioned in the 50s and 60s (leaving quite a bit of wiggle room for personal aesthetics and wild inaccuracies).

The drinks will be:
Interstellar Blues (champagne punch with blue curacao)
Cosmic Kiss (a vodka-amaretto-cranberry drink)
Egg Nog (of the FUTURE! Using Egg-Beaters for the latest in modern sanitation! [see what I was saying about inaccuracies?])

We are trying to hammer out our food menu with recipes that fit all, or at least most, of the following criteria:

1) Can be prepared ahead of time, transported from the maker's home to the party location, and served with a minimum of heating/complex arrangement/etc. Thus, much to my dismay, Baked Alaska and other similarly fussy foods are right out

2) Has a futuristic "look:" old-fashioned foods in an unusual form, newfangled ingredients or combinations, strange colors, etc. The party decor is very much in the light, sparkly, minimalist vein, with white lights, unnatural Christmas trees, and giant glitter-bedecked ornaments. So anything that seems like it would fit with this look is great; but

3) Also has some claim to retro-ism; foods that reflect a naive and old-fashioned idea of what The Future would be like.

4) Yumminess has priority over sticking to the theme. We are not closed to the idea of, say, Jello mold, but want to make one that will not horrify the modern palate.

5) Speaking of the palate...it's easy to dress up sweets with powdered sugar, food coloring and nonpariels and call it a day, but it's a recipe for badness to have lots of liquor and only sugary foods. So ideas for savory treats of the Future are especially appreciated (although please share your knockout dessert ideas as well)!

I've perused the relevant threads here (like this one), and checked out the Gallery of Regrettable Food, the 1974 Weight Watchers Cards, and RetroLife, but I still hunger for more. Lay them on me!

What is a vegan dessert that tastes like real food?

BobbyDigital — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:57:35 -0800

Help me make a vegan friendly desert that doesn't taste like substitute food! Hi, I am hosting a dinner party tonight and unfortunatley one of the guests is a vegan, but he is still my friend so I want to feed him. My spagetti sauce is vegan on its own, so that is not a problem. But, I am stumpted as to what to feed this poor unfortunate for desert. I am aware that there are many websites that offer presumably delicous vegan alternative dessert options, but I personally do not like substitions, and would strongly prefer something that is vergan naturally as opposed to something that has been modified to be vegan.

Also in case any of you have been offended, I am just teasing, I think that fact that I am not just giving him a granola bar shows that I want to be considerate .

Give me your awesome recipes so we can see whose cuisine reigns supreme.

How to impress my foodie friends?

ms.v. — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:46:25 -0800

My friends are really into good food, good wine, good conversation. How can I throw a dinner party that will knock them off their feet? I am reasonably comfortable in the kitchen, and generally don't have a problem finding decent recipes. I want the party to seem effortless and casual, like it's not something I spent all of Saturday working on, but leaves them desperate for an invite to the next one. Give me your tips!!

Set all the dinner tables the same?

riverjack — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:49:57 -0800

I'm going to be doing some large group entertaining in the near future and I'm curious how to go about making sure all the tables look exactly the same for that "wow" impact when people walk into the room. Are there any tips and techniques for helping keep all the tables look the same even when using several people to set them all?

I want to entertain you!

comatose — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:54:04 -0800

Guitar playing (and guitar listening for those who dont play) What are some good songs to entertain on the guitar that do not require singing that are comperable to 'Little Martha' by the Allman Brothers? Guitar players know the drill. “Joe knows how to play guitar! Play something for us Joe!” So the Joe reluctantly starts playing the chorus to a song and everyone is like “Yea! That’s (insert song) by (insert artist)!” Then Joe stops because it isn’t entertaining to play that song unless there are vocals or a band playing with you. Everyone quickly gets bored and Joe puts down the guitar feeling rejected despite the fact that he is actually a decent guitar player.

I enjoy playing the guitar and have played in bands for a number of years but when someone asks me to play a song for them 1 on 1, I only know songs that require singing to be entertaining. However, I do know 'Little Martha' as performed by Duane Allman quite well and whenever I play that for people they absolutely love it. This is because it stands alone as a beautiful song that requires no accompanying instruments or vocals. It's not a relatively hard song to play and people love the simplicity of the melody.

I'm not looking for 'Eruption' type guitar stuff nor classical music. Im looking for songs that people would enjoy listening to a lone guitar playing. It doesnt matter if it is acoustic or electric guitar.

And you obviously dont need to play guitar to answer this post!

Ribs-for-football-game recipe needed.

docgonzo — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:46:26 -0800

Nothing better accompanies the StuporBowl than a huge pile of ribs. My problem: I need a great ribs recipe. There is, unfort, a higher degree of difficulty than usual: I lack a smoker and, shameful truth be told, even a charcoal BBQ in my new apt. I've found some boil-bake recipes -- might those deliver the tangy, fall off the bone, carnivorous glory I require?

Thanks for any/all help and recipes.

Party like it's 1956? Help plan my retro New Year's shindig.

libraryhead — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:54:11 -0800

Party like it's 1956? Help plan my retro New Year's shindig. At the last minute we've decided to host a small (<2 0 guests) new year's eve get-together for friends. i'm not big theme parties, but i'd like to have a midcentury cocktail party kind of feel (vs. Connecticut fabulous or hipper-than-thou). I need ideas for food, drink, and atmosphere. We'll be getting back from Christmas with the family on the 29th, so prep time will be short. Also, I'd like to not spend a mint.

Food: Looking for updated comfort food, not crocembouche and caviar. Maybe pigs-in-a-blanket with chicken sausage instead of weiners? Must be safe to leave out on a buffet for hours. The nut-allergic friend can't make it, and there are no vegetarians in the group, so go wild. Priorities: delicious, easy to serve and eat buffet style, fast to make, not too expensive, in that order.

Drink: I like the idea of a fruity, sparkling punch, but all the recipes I've found sound nasty. I don't want a zombie in a bowl, but something light -- no Hi-C, Crystal Light, or stupefying levels of alcohol.

Atmosphere: I need simple ideas to festive up the place in little time. What amenities have you really appreciated as a party guest? I have a great, long mix of Christmas music -- OK to play for a New Year's party, or do I need a new soundtrack? Are there New Year's-specific activities you've enjoyed? Some kind of structured toasts or resolution sharing? We have Apples to Apples.

Tips for planning a party of 25 people at home

madman — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 06:56:10 -0800

I want to throw my first major party and I need tips on fitting 25+ people into an apartment. I'm usually a private person. I don't throw parties. I've only done one such event and in my life that was just 6 people invited.

Anyway, I want to fight the blues over turning 31 yesterday and lots of people are clamouring for a party. I've decided to give in and do one. I'd like to enlist your help in making sure things don't screw up.

I made a potential guest list and so far it's come to 27 friends. Even assuming a few don't come, that's still close to 25 people. So... how best should I manage this? I only have seating capacity (chairs/sofa) for about 12 people. That leaves half the people standing.

What I have: a 3-bedroom apartment that's got a living room/dining room combined area of about 450 sq. feet. I also have a balcony that's about 100 sq ft. right outside the living room (I live on the 3rd floor). I don't want to use any of the bedrooms for entertaining, though I suppose I could use the one next to the living room in a serious pinch.

And any other tips for an event like this? I manage stuff like this professionally in my restaurant but there I've got lot of seating space and staff to help out.

When clowns and pony rides aren't enough, then what?

FunkyHelix — Sat, 13 May 2006 17:57:43 -0800

I'm looking for easy outdoor party themes and ideas. Do you have a memory of a good outdoor party? What makes an outdoor gathering memorable for you? I finally have our font and back yards where I'm ready to have guests come, it's gotten warm enough, and I'm suddenly feeling social instead of socially retarded. Thus, I'd like to have a small outdoor party.

I'm looking at 13 guests plus the three adults and one toddler that lives here, and we've already stocked up on a case of burgers and hotdogs. Ideally we'll have chicken, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes too.

Break out Uno and board games? Roast marshmallows on the fire pit? Make a fancy dessert or punch? Do I make a little favor?

Ask me to throw a toddler's birthday, and I'm gold. Trying to do something cool for adults seems a bit harder.

How do you impress your dinner guests?

CunningLinguist — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 05:06:28 -0800

Dinner Parties! I'm looking for impressive recipes. How did you last knock your guests' socks off? A few minor restrictions and links to previous great threads inside. My ideal dinner party recipes would involve minimal last minute rushing around, so while simple-yet-elegant dishes like seared fish or sauteed chicken breasts would seem like a good plan, in fact they are a pain if you have six or eight guests. But I also want dishes that look good. The last time I had people over I made a traditional coq au vin, which was insanely good and involved no last minute work at all, but didn't look very pretty no matter how much parsley I sprinkled.
I found great ideas in previous answers about starters and puddings, chipotle dishes, ginger recipes, Seattle fish recipes, special dinners for two, favorite recipes to impress, Christmas dinner for grandparents and vegetarian entertaining. Looking for more - how did you last make your guests ooh and ahh without spending all evening in the kitchen instead of having cocktails with them?

What should I do for my 30th birthday?

exceptinsects — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 11:16:54 -0800

I'm turning 30 in October, and I want to do something interesting to celebrate. However, I don't want to make the guests have to spend a lot of money or travel long distances, and they are of varying ages and physical limitations. I'm thinking of something along the lines of "How to Host a Murder," but I'm open to pretty much anything. The guests will range in age from mid-twenties to mid-eighties, with possibly two very small babies thrown in.
I don't mind doing a lot of preparation, and I like cooking and making up things (we did an elaborate treasure hunt for my cousin's birthday last month).
I live in San Diego, if that makes a difference.