What wonderful ideas! Thanks so much Jane, Pesky and Les!! I loved everything you suggested, from food to decor, and thanks for confirming the buffet idea. To answer a few questions: I had thought to do a separate pan of ziti without the sausage, just in case, even though people often select where to eat based on the menus, which are sent out ahead of time. I will be using two long tables pushed together so everyone can sit around one large table. I will serve some hors d'oeuvres, so thanks for those ideas, too. I'm feeling a little more excited about this now that you have helped me devise a plan. Thanks again!!

Interesting thread! I don't mind being told what to bring but in my group of friends, it's pretty much understood that we'll bring something when invited. I'm also one who means it when I say Don't bring anything, so when someone tells me not to bring anything, I don't. But when someone tells me what to bring, I prefer it to be a category, such as appetizer or dessert. Then I can decide what I want to make. Unless they are specifically requesting a particular dish I've made before and want me to make again, which is fine too. But recently I was invited to a party and asked, what can I bring? and they told me a specific thing. Now the reason I didn't like that is because it was something that didn't require cooking, and I'm known in my circles as someone who cooks and I usually get compliments on whatever I make. This was a party where there would be several of my regular circle of friends in addition to a lot of people I don't know (or know very well). I did bring what they wanted, thinking that they probably had a set menu in mind, and this was the exact thing they needed to fill the bill. Well it turned out that it was a huge party, lots and lots o' food, no matter what I brought it would have been fine so the specific thing they requested was not specifically needed and I would have been happier bringing something I'd figured out on my own. No biggie really but I wondered if they weren't used to people asking WHAT to bring, and didn't really get that the best answer would have been a category instead of being so specific. I do believe most everyone just brought whatever they wanted because there was a pretty big overabundance of desserts, which, IME, is what you get when people decide what to bring without at least some guidance. Anyway, this party is an annual event, we went again this year and when I RSVP'd I just said, I'll bring an appetizer & wine, and left it at that. Easiest all around. It's a fun party and the savory food gets eaten as if locusts have descended and desserts are overflowing.

I can't see the pictures here at work, I've got to remember to check them tonight at home. The dinner sounds delicious and I'm sure will look every bit as good as it sounds. Congratulations on a job well done. So SWMBO was suitably surprised and good for the daughter, to allow that the soup wasn't totally "icky", LOL. Annie

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table =========================== Source: Elegant Entertaining Cookbook - M. Sable 1 loaf of white bread 1/4 cup melted butter 1 can escargot (36 to 50 size) 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 shallots 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) 1 bay leaf 1 cup whipping cream 2 cloves of garlic salt and pepper 1/4 cup butter 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley . preheat oven to 400° Cut crusts off bread and roll out very thin. cut 2 inch rounds and fit each round gently into a well buttered 1 1/4 muffin tin. Brush tops of rounds with melted butter and bake them for 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from tins and cool. In a medium sauce pan combine wine, chicken stock and shallots, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to 1/3 cup. Stir in cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce liquid to 1/2 cup. Add escargot. Remove bayleaf and stir in butter. Fill each croustade with 1 or 2 escargot and some of the sauce. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ================ Recipe of the Week We have a new participant in our Guest Chef series this week - Todd White of Cafe Normandie. Todd is the Chef de Cuisine (in other words the number 2 guy) at Cafe Normandie. That's right - the same fabulous Frenchtown eatery that is the showcase for all the good things that Georges Johnson (another guest chef) prepares. You know these young upstarts - they want to show everyone that they're just as good as the boss - and I guess this recipe proves it. Todd says that he's been told by diners that this particular dish is "better than sex." I'll leave that decision up to you. Todd White of Cafe Normandie Escargot Stilton 1 dozen large snails 3 oz Stilton cheese, cut into small pieces 1/2 cup white wine 3/4 cup heavy cream pinch of diced shallots salt and pepper to taste 1 pkg frozen puff pastry (I wouldn't dream of telling you to make your own - this is perfectly good) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Defrost puff pastry according to package directions. Place 2 large snails in 2" x 2" puff pastry squares. Fold corners in and enclose. Place on greased baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown, approximately 13-15 minutes. In a saucepan, place the white wine and shallots. Cook over medium high heat until reduced by half. Add the cream and again reduce by half. Remove from heat and add stilton, stirring until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, divide the sauce onto 2 plates and place 3 escargot packets on each. Just the appetizer to serve on a romantic occasion when the dining is a deux! Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ============================ 24 uncooked jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, deveined, tails left intact 1/3 cup cornstarch 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 3 large egg whites Vegetable oil (for deep-frying) Pineapple-Apricot Salsa . Butterfly shrimp, cutting each more than halfway through toward outward curve (do not cut shrimp in two). Open each shrimp (as for book) and press slightly to flatten. Mix cornstarch, salt and cayenne in medium bowl. Place coconut in pie dish. Beat egg whites in another medium bowl until frothy. Dredge shrimp in cornstarch mixture; shake off excess. Dip shrimp into egg whites, then press shrimp into coconut; turn shrimp over and press into coconut again to coat both sides. Pour enough oil into heavy large pot to reach depth of 2 inches; heat to 350°F. Working in batches, add shrimp to hot oil; deep-fry until cooked through, about 1 minute. Using tongs or slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to paper towels to drain. Arrange shrimp on platter. Serve with Pineapple-Apricot Salsa for dipping. PINEAPPLE-APRICOT SALSA 1 cup finely chopped peeled cored fresh pineapple 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 1/2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chili 1 small garlic clove minced Toss all ingredients in small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Makes about 1 3/4 cups Note: Original recipe called for 1/2 cup of apricot jam/jelly. I left it out because the pineapple was sweet enough. . Edited from: Bon Appétit Different sauce Made a sauce out of hellmans, sour cream, garlic lime, hot fresh green or red chili pepper and some mango chutney to serve with them instead of the pineapple salsa. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ================================ From the California Culinary Academy Crab Layer 1/2 pound crab meat, picked over and flaked 1/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 large eggs Spinach Layer 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 2 teaspoons flour 1/2 cup whipping cream 2/3 cup half and half 1 1/4 pounds cooked spinach Drained and squeezed to remove excess moisture 3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon sugar salt to taste Sauce Mix together, 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon finely minced roasted red pepper 1 clove of minced garlic salt and pepper to taste. Clives for garnish . Preheat oven to 375°F. For the crab layer: In a medium bowl combine the crab, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in eggs and set mixture aside. For the Spinach layer: Melt butter in a heavy saucepan until foamy. Whish in flour and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in whipping cream and half-and-half. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer slowly 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, scraping down the sides and around the bottom as necessary. Mixture will thicken as cooks. Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Let cool. Stir in eggs, one at a time then add black pepper, nutmeg, sugar and salt. To assemble the terrine: Grease an 8 cup loaf pan/terrine pan with butter. Spoon half the crab mixture in the bottom and cover with all of the spinach mixture. Spoon remaining crab mixture over the spinach. Set the terrine in a baking pan and pour 1 inch of hot water into the baking pan. Bake uncovered until golden brown and puffy. Approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Cool on a rack and then refrigerate. To serve, run a knife around the edge and invert on to a serving platter. Slice about 1/2 thick slices and place two on each plate. Decorate plate with a lettuce leaf and place a dollop of the sauce on the lettuce leaf. Garnish with a few chives. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ======================= 24 large Prawns/Shrimp 2 Avocados sliced 2 Tablespoons chopped chives 6 leaves of Boston or Butter Lettuce Dressing 1 cup of Mayonnaise (homemade or Hellmans is best) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped 1 clove of minced garlic (Note: Sometimes I use just hot red pepper flakes and sometimes I roast a fresh red pepper, finely chop and add to the dressing along with the hot red pepper flakes) . Peel and devein shrimp, leaving on tail shell. Cook. Cool and refrigerate Make Dressing by mixing all of the ingredients together. To serve, Place one leaf of lettuce on each plate. Place the shrimp on plate and place one slice of avocado between each shrimp. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with chopped chives.