I am planning a small semi formal dinner party, and need help for the menu.?

Question

So for my 23 birthday party, I wanted to have a small get together 7 friends and me. I tend to be a bit more formal than most my age and I am planning a sit down dinner party. I would like some help with the menu to ensure everything works well with each other. 

I am cooking and baking everything myself, so I don't want to get too crazy or expensive.

Please tell me what you think about each of the courses and all of them together:

-spinach salad in a warm honey and balsamic vinaigrette
- a spicy salmon tartar
- roasted garlic and long beans with mushroom and Japanese sweet potato fries

and this is wear im stuck - i dont know what meat to make with this. im debating between a nice meat or chicken - i can always do both...but i dont what to do with them. 

Thanks for your help - i really just want a perfect party.

Alwayshungry · Accepted Answer

Hey - before becoming a caterer, I worked in a fine dining restaurant near Philadelphia.  We served chilled, sliced filet mignon (tenderloin) on decorated ice slabs.  We took lots of colorful veggies, sliced them very thin in a decorative way, and carefully arranged them on medium size serving platters, covered them with water and froze them - so that you wind up with a piece that is approx. 12" x 8" x 1/2" thick, piece of ice, with the veggies frozen inside.  Just a beautiful thing.  Then we would grill filet rare, let it cool, slice it thin, and arrange it on the frozen "plates," along with lots of small garnishes and 3 dipping sauces.  It was a lot of work, but it most of it could be done ahead of time. You've got a wonderful menu so far - this would be a delicious piece of art to go with it.

You can always go to Ask-a-Caterer and ask any party food question for free - get a personal reply:  www.party-recipes-and-ideas.com/ask-a-caterer.html

mogle · Answer

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? · Answer

Formal Dinner Menu

Anonymous · Answer

considering the low factor harmonization (not a bad thing, relatively) the kind of meat isnt really demanding a professional recomendation.i suggest you to choose with your own subjective opinion,you seems to know how to prepare your nice and interesting menu,apparently you should not have any cooking process technique problem,depending the kind of meat,i would put a juicy roasty chicken legs with the 
- roasted garlic and long beans with mushroom and Japanese sweet potato fries,should combine with the "tender" taste of the poultry,but,especially,don`t overcook the chicken!!dont let the chicken die extradry in vain!!!
u should worry about the dessert.like that         ,the a.b.c. of modern gastronomy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfG9Ixh9oZ0
sample

hope ive been helped

Anonymous · Answer

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Trish Thomas · Answer

i would go for chicken because most people like chicken, if you go with some kind of fancy meat , some people might not like it, and chicken is also easy to cook with because chicken can have basicly any flavor. i would also go with a dessert, try cake, brownies, lemon bars, ice cream sundaes or cookies.

Anonymous · Answer

Appetizer : shrimp cocktail braised prime rib asparagus rice pilaf

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I am planning a small semi formal dinner party, and need help for the menu.?

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