Is it uncouth......

to invite friends over for dinner.....let's say a Sunday dinner and have them help you with it?

Yeah, I'm definetly letting everyone know in advance. I'm buying all the ingredients for Beef Burgundy. I'll make a copy of the recipe for everyone and we can have at it.

It could be fun to make everyone part of the cooking process........and if it sucks they can't blame me.

That sounds like a lot of fun, Manch.

Yeah, I think it'll be nice this time of year, something good and filling....I'll put on a nice crackling fire, some nice mood music, Edith Piaf perhaps....a bottle or 5 of Burgundy......

or 15...

Your mother raised you well, Manch.

Mmm... Beef Burgandy.

I'll often have my guests help by asking them to bring something.

"Terrance, could bring an appetizer?"

"Lucretia, you make the best dill pickles... Would you like to bring a jar on Saturday?"

"Maxine.... Well dear, you just come and entertain us with your drunken follies..."

It always works out. Well almost always except for the time Maxine passed out in her soup but the entertainment value superceded the need for her help in the kitchen.

I always provide the main course and I usually leave clean up till after they leave.

Friends will insist on helping even when you don't want them to.

Thanks I-Boi. Yeah, the clean up I'm OK with. That can wait, even overnight is fine. Yes, I've been the Maxine of the group at times. The floor show if you will. Well really, what self respecting gay guy isn't the floor show?

True Usher, they will help out. Mine usually wait till I'm floundering though and rush into the kitchen and take over. I want a more planned aproach this time.

Is it uncouth.........

Hell no, since the kids have all left home, we invite ethnic friends for the week end, that cook for us, we supply the meat and veg', and they buy the spices.

And we get the left overs after they leave.

Be careful, last time I did that my best friend and my husbands best friend got into some cozy cooking. Next thing I know I am buying a wedding gift and now she and I have to get our stories straight before we head home so when the husbands compare notes...well you get the drift. I will say that did cook a darn good Hawaii Black Sea Bass (Hapuupuu). Yum.

just name it a "kitchen party"

Absolutely not. Indeed, if you're relaxed about invitees helping it's almost a compliment. (I'm not relaxed about it myself!)

tilly: it's such posts which make ye still a star - sincerely.

Ha! Yes Tilly, I did that once, I invited friends over for a spaghetti dinner and they called before they left their house and asked if they could bring anything. I said..."Um.....Yeah....spaghetti!" I had completely forgotten to buy it.