THE DISH ON
DAZZLING DINNERS
Staging Fun Filled, Impressive, Themed Dinners
From Invitations to Favors
With Guidelines for Recipes and Suggestions for Simplification
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 - JANUARY
A FEAST FOR GOOD FORTUNE
Inspiration: The New Year
Let's prod fate to grant our wishes with lots of lucky foods.
ALL WRAPPED UP
Inspiration: The dead of winter
Your guests will arrive all wrapped up and they'll stay warm and cozy with foods handsomely wrapped and suitably scrumptious.
Chapter 2 - FEBRUARY
KISS! Keep it Sweet and Sensual
Inspiration: Valentine's Day
Let's celebrate love with foods symbolic of romance and passion.
AN ACADEMY AWARD DINNER
Inspiration: Academy Award Winners
Stage a glamorous evening and serve dishes as deserving of awards as the Oscar-winning
"Best Pictures" that inspired them.
Chapter 3 - MARCH
A LACE CURTAIN AFFAIR
Inspiration: St. Patrick's Day
The Irish labeled those who made it in the new world "Lace Curtain Irish." This dinner is thoroughly "Lace Curtain" with upscale treatments of Irish traditions.
FAT TUESDAY CELEBRATION
Inspiration: Mardi Gras
With festive surroundings and platters of Cajun and Creole delights, each guest will feel like Mardi Gras's "King for the Day."
Chapter 4 - APRIL
GO GREEN!
Inspiration: Earth Day
Show ecological awareness by serving a vegan dinner with accessories and decor that honor the sustainability of natural resources.
!LOOF LIRPA (April Fool!)
Inspiration: April Fool's Day
Gastronomic gags galore: appetizers look like desserts, the entree poses as breakfast, desserts masquerade as appetizers, and the souvenir menu turns it all topsy-turvy.
Chapter 5 - MAY
VICTORY OVER FRANCE
Inspiration: Cinco de Mayo
Celebrate the victory on May 5, 1862 of the Mexican army over French forces with Mexican flavors dominating French preparations.
CELEBRATING THE ARMED FORCES OF THE U.S.A.
Inspiration: Memorial Day
Make Memorial Day memorable with MRE, aka Military Rations Extraordinaire.
Chapter 6 - JUNE
A CULINARY VALIDATION OF GRADUATION
Inspiration: Graduation Day
The new graduate shows culinary sophistication with childhood favorites in cross-cultural tradition.
SPRING INTO SUMMER
Inspiration: Summer solstice
Good cooks eagerly await the arrival of the fresh, young foods of late spring and early summer. Your guests will understand why.
Chapter 7 - JULY
THE ICE-CREAM DINNER
Inspiration: July is National Ice Cream Month
Ice cream in every dish. A kid's dream but not a dietician's nightmare. Indulge!
A COOL MENU FOR A HOT SUMMER
Inspiration: Mid-summer
Relief from the heat with fun foods formed in winter symbols and an icy decor. Cool!
Chapter 8 - AUGUST
GIFTS FROM THE GARDEN
Inspiration: The peak of summer blossoms and produce.
Showcase the gifts of the garden with fresh foods in floral presentations.
SEAFOOD AND CITRUS
Inspiration: Hot August days
Fishing for a feast that's cool and cooling? The classic culinary combination of seafood and citrus is cast in new guises guaranteed to hook your guests.
Chapter 9 - SEPTEMBER
BACK TO SCHOOL
Inspiration: First day of school
Keep your guests guessing with Culinary Charades.
GRANDMA'S FOOD - NOT! FOOD OF THE 50'S REFASHIONED
Inspiration: Grandparent's Day
Grandma might think she knows what these dishes are, but she'll be blown away by their sensational new tastes.
Chapter 10 - OCTOBER
TRICKS AND TREATS
Inspiration: Halloween
They'll bolt down the bats, gobble up the ghouls and goblins, and purely pig out on the pumpkins.
A CARIBBEAN COLUMBUS DAY
Inspiration: Columbus Day
Set sail on a voyage of discovery where Italian cuisine meets Caribbean flavors.
Chapter 11 - NOVEMBER
THANKSGIVING TRANSFORMED
Inspiration: Tired of turkey?
The bird is no turkey; the stuffing is elsewhere. Your guess will be thankful.
ELECTION DAY
Inspiration: Election Day, of course
A culinary staging of an election's stages. Unlike elections, there is no boloney here!
Chapter 12 - DECEMBER
RICH AND FANCY
Inspiration: New Year's Day
Food, fun, fireworks! Have it all with a rich and fancy, fabulous feast.
PRESENTS A'PLENTY
Inspiration: December holidays
Christmas! Hanukkah! Kwanzaa! It's the holiday season! This festive feast features elegant foods, some presented as symbols of the three holidays, others as presents, deliciously wrapped and tied.
