In-laws coming!

[norgeskog]

I've invited the in-laws for dinner. I'm trying to make a good impression. Of course of been trying to do that for 11 years

Anyway, I need some food ideas. Something good but not too exotic. They like things rather plain. I also need a wine that we all can enjoy or can I serve 2 wines..one for me and one for "Mother"?( She's Boone's Farm I'm Robert Mondavi... )

So far, my menu consists of baked lemon chicken, pan roasted new potatoes with rosemary, mixed italian green salad with balsamic, and green beans. Are the green beans to "blah"? For dessert I am trying a lemon tart that was in the New York Times Sunday magazine 2 weeks ago.

Help, help, help!

Taboo, Your menu sounds great, you could add sauted crunchy shallots to the top of the green beans just before serving.

 

[norgeskog]

I've invited the in-laws for dinner. I'm trying to make a good impression. Of course of been trying to do that for 11 years

Anyway, I need some food ideas. Something good but not too exotic. They like things rather plain. I also need a wine that we all can enjoy or can I serve 2 wines..one for me and one for "Mother"?( She's Boone's Farm I'm Robert Mondavi... )

So far, my menu consists of baked lemon chicken, pan roasted new potatoes with rosemary, mixed italian green salad with balsamic, and green beans. Are the green beans to "blah"? For dessert I am trying a lemon tart that was in the New York Times Sunday magazine 2 weeks ago.

Help, help, help!

Taboo, Your menu sounds great, you could add sauted crunchy shallots to the top of the green beans just before serving.

 

[Taboo]

If you are making lemon chicken, why not try another dessert so you don't have lemon twice?

Any suggestions? These are some of my other options

Pears with gorgonzola
Fig tart
Ice cream with homemade raspberry cherry sauce
Apple crisp

Maybe I'll make that lemon tart for ME!

 

[Taboo]

If my memory serves me correctly, lemons are dud automobiles.

Here it just means dud daughter-in-law! Oh well I'll keep trying!

 

[Taboo]

Hi Taboo.

Sounds lovely. Would you be interested in serving some soup - i.e. French Onion or Carrot Bisque (think I have the recipes)? I have an easy cheese soufflé recipe (looks fancy, but, a no-brainer - though I know you'd like to keep it simple). Perhaps some hors d'oeuvre, to sit, munch & chat?

I have a bumper crop of carrots still waiting to be pulled perhaps carrot bisque would be a nice intro...What about hubbard squash could that be used like butternut for a soup?

 

[WayneT]

I have a bumper crop of carrots still waiting to be pulled perhaps carrot bisque would be a nice intro...What about hubbard squash could that be used like butternut for a soup?

I watched an episode of Iron Chef the other night and the theme was CARROTS. What didn't those guys make with the carrots is the big question? Even desserts.

 

[auntdot]

Taboo, the menu sounds fine.

Would recommend that you try out any recipe first, before the in-laws come.

One Christmas we decided to prepare sauerkrat from scratch (the in-laws loved the stuff) using a recipe from a cookbook whose recipes we had successfully tried a number of times.

When we unveiled the effort on Christmas morning, we found grated cabbage with fuzzy black stuff growing on it.

Also, it did not smell very good (to say the least, yechh).

Fortunately, the in-laws knew nothing of the effort, and we had plenty of food for the dinner.

What we learned is that if we want to impress company we will only use recipes we have previously tried.

Using recipes we have tried makes dinner preparation much more stress free than having to try to save a new dish while the guests are enjoying cocktails.

Just a thought, hope it helps.

 

[mudbug]

Here it just means dud daughter-in-law! Oh well I'll keep trying!

Taboo, basically I agree with auntdot, but if after 11 years they are still giving you some attitude, then I say give them whatever you feel like making for dinner. No matter how hard you try to please them, they've decided they're not gonna be pleased.

Don't drink their Kool Aid.

 

[Taboo]

Here it just means dud daughter-in-law! Oh well I'll keep trying!

Taboo, basically I agree with auntdot, but if after 11 years they are still giving you some attitude, then I say give them whatever you feel like making for dinner. No matter how hard you try to please them, they've decided they're not gonna be pleased.

Don't drink their Kool Aid.

I suppose you're right. And I really do want that lemon tart. No I'll do something that I know...and I'll be drinking the cocktails! 8)

 

[Bangbang]

This is what I did with my inlaws when my father inlaw was alive. They would come over and then my father inlaw(we were buddies) would leave and get something good to eat.

 

[mudbug]

Attagirl, Taboo!