progressive dinner party
A progressive dinner party using the book, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for inspiration.
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bring your passports!
After reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, I was inspired to throw a dinner party. The only problem was that I had recently sold my home and hadn’t yet had a chance to ‘nest’ in a new home. Not to be denied, I came up with a solution and it worked out beautifully — a progressive dinner party! My part in this affair was to create the architecture of the evening and to ask a few friends to host the stages. Once I had pulled all of the pieces together, it was time to introduce the players to each other.
We all met at a local restaurant where introductions were made and I presented each couple with a “suitcase” full of things to assist them with their part in the progressive dinner. Inside the suitcases were; “Passport” invitations which provided the date/time/addresses, the itinerary for the evening, facts of interest for each leg of the trip, favors for each destination, place cards, cloth napkins, napkin rings, the soundtrack from the movie and a ticket for the movie. which we attended after our meal.
The Dessert Table
On a beautiful September evening, we began our journey to Italy where we enjoyed a wonderful selection of appetizers at McVilla Hills. I brought Smoked Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato Cigars as a contribution for the first course. We then traveled to India for dinner at Sanjughar where we enjoyed a magical curry. We finished our journey in Indonesia at Villa Stina for a wonderful rice based dessert.
Smoked Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato Cigars, Melons Wrapped in Prosciutto, Antipasto and specialty Vinegar and Oil favors for each couple.
Smoked Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato Cigars
INGREDIENTS
- 6 sheets phyllo dough
- 4 Tbls butter, melted
- 8 oz smoked mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 8 oz sun-dried tomatoes, drained
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
- Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on a clean dry work surface. Use a pastry brush to brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Fold the phyllo sheet in half lengthwise, resulting in a 12 by 8-inch rectangle. Brush the top of the phyllo with melted butter.
- Place a few slices of smoked mozzarella at a narrow end of the phyllo rectangle, leaving 1-inch on each side. Top the cheese with a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes.
- Carefully roll up the phyllo dough into a cigar shape starting with the cheese and tomato end. About half way through the rolling, tuck in the 1-inch ends of the phyllo dough, and continue rolling.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down, and brush the top with butter. Continue rolling the 5 remaining cigars.
- Bake until golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Smoked Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato Cigars
Ingredients
- 6 sheets phyllo dough
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 8 oz smoked mozzarella sliced ¼-inch thick
- 8 oz sun-dried tomatoes drained
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on a clean dry work surface. Use a pastry brush to brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Fold the phyllo sheet in half lengthwise, resulting in a 12 by 8-inch rectangle. Brush the top of the phyllo with melted butter.
- Place a few slices of smoked mozzarella at a narrow end of the phyllo rectangle, leaving 1-inch on each side. Top the cheese with a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes.
- Carefully roll up the phyllo dough into a cigar shape starting with the cheese and tomato end. About half way through the rolling, tuck in the 1-inch ends of the phyllo dough and continue rolling.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down, and brush the top with butter. Continue rolling the 5 remaining cigars.
- Bake until golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.
