Oriental Express

All Aboard!

This is our 3rd neighborhood that we have started a dinner club and our 3rd time starting it with an Oriental Express party theme. So many people are intimidated by the whole Asian cooking idea and shun away from it so we typically take the fear out of it for everyone.

Last night we had 20 people (2 couples couldn't make it) come and at $40 per couple it is the best deal in town. After everyone paid, we supplied appetizers of Sushi, Thai Fish Cakes with a Plum dipping sauce (hot and spicy), Lumpia and a Tandoori Shrimp dish made with coconut milk and yummy spices, all of which Bob fantastically prepared in the wok on our outdoor stove/grill (didn't want to smell up the house IYKWIM). Then the main course, I prepared General Tso's Chicken, Shrimp Red Thai Curry and a veggie stir-fry (all of which I made). For dessert we had Sopapillas and Cream (basically fried wontons covered in cinnamon sugar that sandwich a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream and topped with a chocolate sauce). D-E-L-I-S-H!! Add sake, Japanese beers and plenty of red/white wine and we had a party fit for kings! We put all the food into chafing dishes and had everyone serve themselves.

We had all the food prepped and ready within 2 hours, Asian cuisine is about the easiest in the world to prepare (minus the sushi - we ordered in for that). The nice thing about it is the fact that because everyone pays, it pays for itself and while you have to to do the work, not having to beat the traffic, drive home after drinking or miss small conversations with your friends, priceless! I think that by the fact that every food and beverage was completely consumed and that the last few stragglers left at 2:30am after a nice game of poker and beer pong (ping pong played with cups of beer), the party was a resounding success!

Now it will be another 2 years before we have to host again, yeah! We just get to eat, drink and be merry for all the next parties!! If you have never tried doing a dinner club, you should, they are so much fun and so very easy. If you every want ideas or recipes, I'll be happy to share....I think the next host is planning a "white trash themed party", oooooh, I can't wait for that one, :D!!!

Til next time....