I’m throwing a dinner party, and YOU are invited. Considering the circumstances we are living in, purposeful community is more important than ever. Let’e redefine #socialedistancing and dine together —virtually—through the #caramelizedsupperclub this Sunday. Tell your family, your friends; get everyone involved, including kids. I’d love to have you there!
Below are the guidelines and further details surrounding the menu. Tablescape tips will be coming soon, too. The point is to use what you have and make the most of it!
COURSED MENU THEMES
Our dinner party prompts are broad, but not in an effort to stress you out; rather, these are intended to give you an opportunity to create your own custom menu with what’s already in your kitchen, explore this site and others for ideas, and bring your preferred palettes to the forefront.
This a no-judgment zone; so if cooking isn’t even your thing, reach for the prepared foods already on-hand (or call a local restaurant for curbside pickup!).
I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Feel free to message me for specific suggestions or for a second opinion, if you’d like.
FIRST: ONE-BITE APPETIZER(S)
Let’s start small. One-bite appetizers are the theme of our first course, which you can take as seriously as this Bon Appetit round-up or as leisurely as a cracker with a dollop of pimento cheese. Some of our household favorites are listed as follows:
White Bean or Pureed Pea Crostinis
Frozen Trader Joe’s Pigs-n-a-Blanket or Dumplings
SECOND: SOUP D’JOUR
Especially when we’re cozied up indoors, a serving of soup is medicine for the soul. Simmer and/or blend your favorite flavors over the stove. Prefer Campbell’s? That’s absolutely acceptable, too. Some ideas…
Rustic White Bean + Cauliflower
French Onion
Tomato Basil
Italian Wedding Soup
Lentil
Main: PROTEIN + GRAIN + GREEN
Come up with a combo that makes most sense to you and your dietary restrictions. Indulge in a dish you may not typically make time for on a weeknight. I also think this is the perfect course to crowdsource from a local restaurant’s delivery or curbside pickup! Some specific pairing ideas are below — but the sky is the limit!
Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair
Ribeyes + Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chimichurri
Chicken Tenders with Easy Mac (not kidding)
Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs over Pappardelle
Italian Sausage + Gnocchi with Kale
Stir Fried Tofu + Freezer Veggies over Sticky Rice
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The key is to share our dinner experiences with the collective. Here are the ways we’d love you to contribute — not required, but definitely helpful in order to document our community:
1. POST ON YOUR INSTAGRAM STORIES and tag @cara_melized and #caramelizedsupperclub. Prep, final shots, videos, you name it! Get creative! I’ll be sharing them throughout the night.
2. POST ON YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED and tag @cara_melized and #caramelizedsupperclub.
3. SAVE YOUR IMAGES + SUBMIT THEM via email to cara@caramelizedblog.com. I’d love to document all of our experiences in a gallery to recap what we’ve built together!