How's About A Dinner Club

How's About A Dinner Club?

Lots of us are ‘foodies’, and like to watch Come Dine With Me, Masterchef and the like, and would like to try our hand at doing something similar. Friends of mine moved here from Cairo, where they were part of a Dinner Club, and it sounded like a really social idea, so we decided to do one here.

There are no hard and fast rules, and it’s a very flexible set up, but basically you need to round up 5 couples to participate and then meet once a month for Dinner Club. We have had South Africa, Scotland, TV Chefs, Tapas, and British so far this year, and have had lots of fun.

The host couple for any given month, are to provide drinks and snacks, and the hostess gets to decide on the theme for that night. The other ladies (or the men can be the cook if they like) then decide who is making what, its not like a pot luck where you turn up with a plate to share, but more organized so that we do not end up with four mains and no veg. We know in advance what the menu will be, and on the night the guests turn up at the host house with the food already cooked where possible.

Recipes are hunted down on the internet, ingredients are sourced, and cooking books are swapped around. It’s a really good way to test your skills… or not as the case may be. Three of our group are real ‘foodies’ and have made our dinners quite superb on occasion, one of our group, although she is able to follow a recipe, has not been much of an experimenter! So she has developed her repertoire in the catering department, and is certainly turning into a Delia! We have one lady who is totally hopeless in the kitchen, however, she has been very keen to learn. We have had a lovely time giving cookery class to her, and her family have enjoyed the spoils of her labour.

Some months, we go all out and dress up for the occasion, which also ends up in field trips to the tailor, and rummaging in all the little shops out and about for bits and pieces. (although I will say, that on the TV Chefs night, the husbands thought it would be a good idea if all the wives came dressed as Nigella Lawson, but NO, we didn’t go there). Ipod’s are loaded with music appropriate to the theme country, and in general we try to get into the spirit for the night.

If any of our group have had family staying with them, or have had houseguest, they are invited along as ‘celebrity guests’ so we have all had the opportunity to share the experience. Dinner Club has been a really good thing to do, and because the work of having a dinner party for 10 people is shared, the host is able to relax and enjoy her guests.

By Joyce M for EW