Tying A DInner Party Together

 One of the biggest problems for any dinner party is coordinating the courses . What is the perfect side for roast Cornish hens? Is a cheesecake appropriate for finishing a paella? In other words what works with what/ It is hard to figure out.

Usually a dish's ethnic origins can lead to what the side dishes and dessert will be. A pork shoulder with apples and onions on the side is basically Germanic in background. Think about serving sauerkraut or sauteed cabbage with bacon on the side. Spaetzles are a must if there's gravy.  Dessert could be a lush Black Forest Cake, rich with cherries and kirschwasser (a cherry liqueur ) or a creamy Bienenstich a 'bee sting " cake consisting of two layers of sweet year dough , pastry cream or whipped cream and a topping of whipped cream studded with almond slivers (hence the cake's name . The almonds are said to resemble stingers) Cassoulet or even duck a'orange are perfect dinner party main courses .It 's only right to have French sides. For cassoulet which is a rich stew consisting of pork, sausage and duck, it's just better to have an unassuming green salad with a plain vinaigrette and slices of warm, crusty French bread. What works as a dessert? Anything with an acidic tang such as a lemon sorbet or a lemon tart. You could also have the light  but chocolate-y pots du creme or creme brulee.

Flavor intense dishes such as paella are usually stand alone dishes. You could start it off with gazpacho shots for guests or shot glasses of just plain gazpacho, the chilled vegetable based soup. Also a simple salad works well along with slices of toasted baguette or Italian bread. As for dessert anything lemony as an antidote to they heavily saffron spiced rice and meats. Another option is the Spanish version of creme brulee cream catalana, . This is slightly different than its' French cousin because it has cinnamon added to the sugar on top. A fun dinner party meal is chili. There is nothing like a bowl of it. Of course the perfect side is a homemade cornbread. This can be baked plain or studded with chopped jalapenos. Serving it with nacho chips is also a fun and tasty way of enjoying the chili. Dessert after this can go two ways, You can have bowls of a light fruit sorbet such as lemon or strawberry or something rich and decadent like a molten chocolate lava cake served with a scoop of cinnamon flecked ice cream. A plate of Mexican wedding cookies would be a great touch too.

It is hard coordinating a dinner party menu. Yet remember where the dish came from and then go with it form there. Have sides and a dessert that represent the main dish's country of origin. It'll prove to be a more unified dinner party.