I started with a selection of cured Italian meats and Italian cheeses with crostini, then I started with a caprese salad, next was butternut squash ravioli in sage butter, then veal saltimbocca with roasted zucchini and potatoes, and we finished with lemon gelato and Italian cookies.

Local apple whiskey or fruit spritzer
Olive and pepper tapenade w/ artisan bread and crudite
beer, wine, juice or bubbly water
lasagna
salad with a variety of stuff from the garden
chocolate stout cupcakes (based on the guinness stout cake recipe here) w/ whipped cream

My last was a very casual type dinner, no real theme, just good food.

Steak salad (just greens with some awesome rib eye's sliced up)
Antipasto
Pizza and stromboli
BBQ chicken
Shrimp cocktail and bacon-wrapped shrimp
Fried Rice
Zeppoles
Frittelle di Mele (Apple Fritters)
Mint chocolate pudding pie

I obviously love to cook tons of food. I do stuff like this all the time. There's a lot of Italian-esque stuff, considering I am Italian...but then fried rice and bbq chicken -- just good food.

I made a traditional (or so says Wikipedia) Southern Australian fare as one of my guests was an Aussie. I served pie floaters, which is a meat pie floating in a bowl of green pea soup along with roasted sweet potato sticks. It was total comfort food and the two pared really well together to our amazement. For dessert we had vanilla slice, which I guess is a common dish over there but none of the other guests had heard about. It was a huge smash!

Kia, I LOVE chocolate stout cake! I always have a Guinness in the fridge in case an occasion arises to make one.

Casual as usual - and always new recipes. Our friends are all foodies and we love experimenting so it's never the same thing twice. New cocktails also a must.

If you want specifics - fish/seafood/meat and lots of sides.

As usual.......bacon wrapped dogs with ice cold Pabst.

Field greens with Blueberry Vinaigrette. Grilled chilli and cumin rubbed pork tenderloin with smoky mashed sweet potatoes and warm chipotle salsa. Roasted peaches, plums and raspberries with lemon pound cake and creme fraiche. paired each course with a wine and served it plated for 12. Great food and great time with close friends!

We had less than adventurous eaters over....so

Edmame with orange sauce
Salad with Gruyere, homemade croutons, tomatoes
Filet Mignon with Cabernet Reduction
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

My last dinner party was really informal...we had Porterhouse steaks, grilled onions stuffed with bacon bleu cheese butter, steamed zucchini with lemon butter, and strawberry shortcake.

we steak and i made stuffed baked potatoes and we had a big salad and fresh baked bread. i was just thinking today that we haven't had anyone over in weeks. need to do this again.

Last night!
Fusilli with zucchini & almond pesto.
Pork filet (sage, rosemary & garlic rub) with roasted peppers.
Affogato ice cream.

I made Pioneer Womans bacon wrapped jalepenos

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/

my last dinner party was served buffet style. i had a mixture of diners: one with soy allergies, one with celiac, and one vegan. i also had two people on a raw diet (they said they would eat before they came, but i wanted to have a few things for them to nibble on).

i made a bunch of sides that were enjoyed by everyone! including a (raw) cabbage & fresh corn slaw with orange dressing & cilantro, dijon herbed potato salad, and a wild rice, cranberry & pinenut salad. i also had corn chips and brown rice chips and raw veggies with a variety of dips: guacamole, salsa, romesco (gluten free version), and hummus. i also had a turkey with a gluten free marinade, and vegan buns for people to make sandwiches. for dessert, i had a fruit salad with mint, and made gluten-free, vegan almond joy bars with hemp milk (instead of soy). phew! it was so much fun for people to be able to eat most everything-- even though the majority of people had no dietary restrictions, everyone RAVED about the food!

Last week I had people over for a meal that's a family (and Navy) tradition- 21 Boy Curry. Everyone starts with rice and a mild curry base. I had laid out 21 toppings for people to then add to their liking- everything from hardboiled eggs, cheese and bacon to grapes, apples and coconut. It sounds crazy and maybe even a little gross, but somehow the mixture of flavors and textures is delicious and makes for a really fun meal.

my last dinner party was a bit of a potluck. i made most of the food but my friend brought a salad with greens from her garden and my friend travis made a pumpkin cheesecake from a pumpkin from his garden. surprisingly it was really light, not at all like the pumpkin cheesecake normally served at thanksgiving.
i made a five bean salad, grilled portobello mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese & spinach and a bulgur risotto
all in all, it was pretty casual since there were 15 people and we dined al fresco

Vegetarian fare for the vegetarian birthday girl. All served at room temperature:
--raw julienned red beet, pear, and feta salad sprinkled with pine nuts and a few mint leaves and lemon olive oil vinaigrette
--large penne with large fennel chunks
--asparagus frittata
--beer-crust olive oil tarts/pizzetas:
1)eggplant
2)mini heirloom tomato
3)onion
--lemon, olive, aged goat cheese risotto
--arugula with avocado salad
--birthday cake:
1)bottom layer: lemon fig olive oil cake (martha stewart recipe with a few alterations)
2)next layer: vanilla and honey ice cream
3)top layer: goat cheese cake
spread with melted ice cream on top.
--Drinks:
pomegranate/simple sugar/mint/lemon/prosecco

-cucumber lime spritzer
-iced tea with plums and thyme

-tossed salad :spring greens with grapefruit, avocado, shredded fontina and lemon vinaigrette
-spinach and herb frittata (parsley, spinach)
-balsamic strawberries with sweetened mascarpone cheese and homemade lemon biscuits