Burns Night coming up...

General Cooking tips

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Stravaig
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Sorry I didn't reply before and thanks for your interest. Though I say it myself, it was a huge success and people were still talking about it for ages after. Even a couple of weeks ago someone said again how great the curry was.

Mind you, I had a lot of help with the event, although not in the kitchen - my choice. We had someone on the door to welcome guests and take their coats, live musicians, a waiter, perople making speeches, a wonderful Chairman/MC, and so on. All friends who volunteered to muck in. It was a real community effort.

Oh, and when I eventually plucked up the courage to tackle the kitchen the following day I discovered that two of the guests had already done it all! Or maybe they were magic elves.
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Kayburton
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Let's think backwards. When you come to a party, are you offered a personalized menu, or do you eat what the party organizers have prepared? I think no. To adapt to the wishes of everyone and to cook 3 dishes individually for everyone is not preparation for a party, but hard labor. You can make some kind of vegetarian dish, just in case. For example, grilled vegetables are eaten by everyone, both vegetarians and supporters of traditional food. As for me, the only thing that needs to be very clearly understood is the spiciness of the dishes. Not many people like spicy foods. Therefore, it is better to make curry slightly spicy, but prepare a spicy sauce separately, which everyone can add to the dish at will.
Stravaig
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I must've got it right. I met a few friends yesterday for a picnic. And they are still talking about that curry! :lol:
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Stravaig! It must have been impressive & quite a bash - how many did you have over? I always go for the smorgasbord for a crowd & ask one or 2 friends with a 'special' recipe to contribute a dish of their best.
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Stravaig
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Hi Westi, we had 15 people and a four course dinner at the Buns Night do.

Yeah, I know what you mean about a smorgasbord, I've done that before too. It's funny how a few delights from an Italian deli work wonders - and people enjoy them just as much as if you'd slaved for hours in the kitchen. No Italian delis here though and winter is imminent...

Everything's gonna change when it all ices over. I'm not a big fan of winter and sub-zero temps, but we'll just have to make the best of it. My indoor garden is looking pretty good. :D
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I'm in awe - you much have a huge dining room! The only thing better than a Smorgasbord is being invited to Greek friends celebrating a Saint's Day - the full works with the showpiece lamb on the spit being basted with the wild oregano oil, so crispy skin & pitta's that are a million miles away from the hard stuff you buy. The grans are so good I only contribute ETOH to these do's!

Hoping you have a short winter over there, but I suspect that is highly unlikely! Stay safe - get the mountaineering gear out & tucker down & stay warm!
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Stravaig
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Thanks, Westi.

We don't have a separate dining room, the dining table is in the living room. And it is indeed a very large room. You could fit the entire ground floor of our UK house into that one room. When we first saw the place we jokingly referred to that room as "the ballroom" but now we're used to it.

People didn't sit at the table for the do, they collected their food from the table and sat around on various chairs with their plates on their lap. It worked. But I don't think I would do it again, although people are asking... It was a heck of a lot of hard work.

The Greek feasts sound amazing!

Yeah, I can't say I'm looking forward to the winter. It's still like late summer here but the seasons can change quickly.
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