======= Date Modified 13 19 2010 23:19:35 =======
Hi everyone, I think it would be a laugh to do Come Dine With Me on here, I'll dothe first night on this thread and you can be my guests, if you like.

In true CDWM fashion, ere is the menu ahead of the evening:

Starter - Garlic, chilli and five spice prawns with a light mixed leaf green salad to the side. Vegetarian option: a quorn version of the same.

Main - Beef Borgingon with douphanoise potatoes and green beans. Vegetarian option: mushroom stroganoff with boiled new potatoes and green beans.

Dessert - Nectarines poached in syrup made from sugar and Pineau (a sweet French fortified wine), still warm with home made vanilla ice cream.

Right, so I live in a beautiful farm house in the countryside and your drive to my place will be a picturesque joy (there is no pesky snow in fantasy come dine with me land) you approach my door as I await your arrival, cool, calm and collected.

For all those who don't watch CDWM: It's a tv show/cmpetition in which a group of people each take turns to host a dinner party on each night of a given week in their homes, the guests mark their hosts out of ten, and this the winner is chosen. Essential elements of this process are: the guests must nose around the hosts home before dinner, unovering telling and embarrassing items, there must be some drama between the contestants, very possible some drama during the ooking/hosting process, and plenty of hilarious, perceptive mickey taking by Dave, the commentator.

Ohh, this is intriguing. What are the conventions, as I've never watched CCDWM before? Do I just have to sit down and eat it now, or dazzle everyone with witty repartee and interesting anecdotes? By the way, probably because of where I live and the palette I've been brought up with, but I don't know what half that stuff is...:$

Hi Wally, I just put something of an explanation in the original post, hope it helps. But come in! Lovely to see you, thanks for the wine. Have a seat in the living room and I'll just go and get the canapes.

Not sure if you're staying Wally, but I brought some canapes: chicken liver pate on tiny pieces of toast, with melted brie and half an olive on toast for the veggies. There's also some champagne, here have some in a lovely elegant flute.

oooh Eska I LOVE Come Dine With Me!!!!! It's the perfect way to switch off the brain after a hard day's work (turkey)


Your menu sounds yummy - extra points for the vegetarian options (up) Still, I'll have to subtract you a couple of points for depriving your vegetarian guests of you famous dauphanoise potatoes (down)

I think I'll award you an 8/10 over all to reflect your exceptional hosting skills!!

Here, I brought you a snowman (snowman)

Sorry, Eska, I was too busy routing round in you living room land looking at your CD collection. Hmm, what have we here...Susan Boyle: I dreamed a Dream, PJ and Duncan: The Best Of and, oh my God, what's this DVD...Paul McKenna - I can make you the perfect dinner host. Tut, tut, Eska, that's cheating.
Let's move into the the cellar. Oh, a wine rack but wait, there's nothing classy about the bottles on it... a 3 litre bottle of White Lightning, a bottle of Cassini, several bottles of Lambrusco and, oh God, an entire crate of 20:20. Better get out of the cellar and move into the kitchen...
Well, I must say, I find it rather distracting in here - there seems to be a constant rattling noise. What could it be... Well, I suppose it helps make your idyllic farm house seem rustic, but twin tub washing machines were phased out in the eighties, Eska! Still the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine is a good touch. I wonder what meats you have in your fridge that we can cook on that?
Inside Eska's Fridge...Chicken nuggets - Eska, they really should be in the freezer. Reconstituted ham (20 % meat, 80 % water), trifle (please can I have this for afters if I behave?), a raw chicken on the top shelf (Eska, my hygiene level 1 certificate training suggests this should be on the bottom shelf), a half empty bottle of Asda Irish cream, and err - what's that smell? Mouldy tripe! Eska, get that fridge cleaned out!
I think I shall adjourn to the entertainment room... I wonder what cassette Eska has in her new swoosh music player...let's press play..."You're the air that I breathe, you're the light that I see, when I touch you I scream...yeeaahhhrrr!" Stop quick! Eska, I'm not much of a fan of Adam Rickett! Ouch! Just tripped over an aerobics step! Eska! Oh, I see a a 1950s wallnut dash TV with VHS player in the corner. I wonder what she watches? Wow, it's an Episode of The Equaliser - and doesn't Edward Woodward look young? I think I sit on the zebra print couch in the corner of the entertainment room and watch it. I hope the other guests don't think I'm being ignorant.
So far, I'm enjoying this dinner party. It seems Eska is a character or quite unique taste and exceptional character. Ouch, what am I sat on? A book? Hmm...The Weetabix Encyclopedia of Film Culture. Oh, and another one...Paul McKenna: I Can Get You Your PhD.

I've never watched CDWM (need to get a TV been planing for ever!)

But, Eska, this food is scrumplicious! You get a 10 on 10 from me (I'll need seconds of everything!) :-)

Can I be that bloke...what's his name...Dave Lamb, the guy who does the voice overs ?

Now I have to think of something witty to say!

Sneaks wanders into the kitchen while Eska digs fake homemade ice cream out of the Walls tub in the freezer. Sneaks spots the takeaway cartons from the local restaurant and the swinging door of the microwave (down)

Hmmm, and since I don't know CDWM either - not even sure it's on here - am also in the dark. But I do know how to behave at a dinner party (not that I go to any, anymore!!). I've brought a nice bottle of sauv blanc, have helped myself and poured some for you all, and am currently rifling thru your CDs, being appalled that they're not in alphabetical order. And their contents Walminski! But wait! I've brought a CD of some nice 60s lounge music, perfect to go with canapes and wine.

Yes, that's right, I have 6 months to go in my thesis...wait, don't walk away...

Hmmm, in true CDWM style I have donned my white cotton gloves and crept to the upstairs. Tut tut Eska, my gloves are streaked with the dust on your laptop! Clearly the menu planning has distracted you from your studies.

But the menu redeems you, seconds please and a class of cassini!

======= Date Modified 14 Jan 2010 10:42:40 =======
Heyyyy! How lovely to see you all here, have a top up and another canope - Wally, you've made my house sound fab! Apart from the music and dodgy drinks collection... Is that Dave Lamb, or is it ejc, who can tell the difference? They practically the same person!

Ev, there is plenty of daphounoise potatoes to go around, just thought they may clash with the stroganoff.

Sneaks, no, I made my own ice cream, honestly.

OOOhhh I really am enjoying this 1960s lounge music, who's that singing? Anyhow, I'll be putting the final touches to the main course while you continue nosing around my farm house - see you soon.

"Eska has promised an impressive menu, but can her local restaurant deliver? Will the food impress the guests, when the establishment offers Beef Borgingon as take-out? And will Sneaks keep schtum, in the hope of winning valuable points from Eska in return?"

damn internet just lost my reply...think i pressed cancel instead of post :$

I love CDWM. I've spent many a happy sunday afternoon watching the omnibus! always think about what I'd cook too.
#gonna move to the taxi home bit where I secretly score the night.

As a veggie I'm horrified that I go plain boiled potatoes instead of dauphinoise. Iok I know that was exlpained but on CDWM they never listed to the explanation and then bitch about the same thing in the taxi home!) I also hate mushrooms but that's not really your fault. The sauce and beans were nice. And the quorn starter an interesting idea.

Didn't notice the take away pots. Had too much champagne for that (hic)
Anyway the score/......oops managed to drop all the cards on the floor....wait grabbed the 7 I'll give that as my mark (hic) (up)

6 out of 10, the plates weren't warmed so the food was cold. But the hosting was good. Who's night is it now?