What To Serve As The Main Course For Your Dinner Party

By Jordi Shoman

Choosing the best meal to serve as the main course for a dinner party is often a dilemma. Hosts and hostesses want to make sure that they do not serve foods to which the guests may have an allergic reaction and when dealing with different cultures, they want to make sure the food is not offensive. For example, you would not serve pork at a meal where some of your guests practiced the Muslim religion. You would not serve roast beef or chicken if you know that some of your guests are vegetarian.

Fish is a dish that always goes over well at dinner parties. Try a fish dish that is not common, such as halibut. The dinner party that earned me the best compliments was one at which I served a recipe called Snappy Halibut Skillet. Along with being easy to prepare, it is quite tasty. There are many variations of this recipe, but the one that my family and guests prefer is as follows. You will have to increase the recipe for the required number of guests. This one is based on a dinner party for 10 people.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp. Thyme
2 1/2 lb halibut (allowing 1/2 lb. per serving)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped in small pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup green onions

Sprinkle thyme on both sides of each halibut fillet and cook over medium heat in hot oil. Test the fish to see if it flakes easily with a fork. This will tell you that it is fried. Remove the fish to a warming plate.

Using the same skillet, cook the garlic and onion until they are tender. Stir the cornstarch into the stewed tomatoes and then pour the mixture into the skillet. Cook until thickened. Return the fish to the skillet and let it heat through with the sauce.

Interested in Parties and Entertaining? Do you have articles to distribute about Parties and Entertaining? We provide in depth Free Parties and Entertaining resources. Free article distribution service

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jordi_Shoman

Brought to you by the Greatest Food Source

The mix in the melting pot: American mealtime options are as diverse as ever.

While Chinese, Italian and Mexican foods remain the "Big Three," other ethnic cuisines are entering the mix. As food varieties expand, manufacturers are awakening to the vast opportunities

by William A. Roberts, Jr.

While Hispanic flavors and foods may have mainstream appeal, the Hispanic demographic is powerful and growing. The group is the largest minority in the U.S. and is expected to account for 24% of the country by 2050. Present-day Hispanics hold a sizable degree of purchasing power (see sidebar "La Energia"), estimated at $700 billion by Hispanic Business magazine (Santa Barbara, Calif.). As such, it may be surprising to some that many categories have yet to tap the potential of this group.

Jim Corcoran, vice president of the National Confectioners Association (Vienna, Va.), believes, "There is no bigger opportunity for confectionery manufacturers today (than the Hispanic population)," and certain manufacturers are responding. While Atkinson Candy Co. (Lufkin, Texas) and Pop Rocks Inc. (Falls Church, Va.) have made tentative moves into Hispanic candies, Hershey Foods Corp. (Hershey, Pa.) has introduced a line of sweets targeting the demographic. "With over 40 million Hispanics influencing all areas of American culture--from food to music to fashion--and with purchasing power of $630 billion, the U.S. Hispanic market represents a tremendous growth opportunity," explains Thomas K. Hernquist, senior vice president and chief marketing officer with Hershey.

To appeal to the group, aside from a multi-year marketing agreement with Latina entertainer Thalia Sodi, Hershey has developed a line of products tailored to Hispanic tastes. Expanding its Jolly Rancher line, La Dulceria Thalia features Frutas Enchiladas Spicy Fruit & Chili Lollipops in three flavors: lime, mango and tamarind. La Dulceria Thalia Hershey's Kisses are made with white chocolate and filled with dulce de leche, while the Cajeta Elegancita Candy Bar consists of wafer sticks layered with cajeta-flavored creme and drizzled with milk chocolate.

Greatest Food Source