I am part of a dinner group and it's my turn next to host. We pick a theme (usually a country) and the host makes the main course and the three other couples bring appetizer, dessert and cheese course.

Naturally, I've chosen Italian cuisine. But I'm wondering, in a typical Italian meal, would a cheese course be served after dessert? In Italy we've seen cheese instead of dessert or cheese with the antipasti, but not as a separate course after dessert. But, since I'm somewhat obligated to have a cheese course, should I serve it before, after or with the dessert?

As for the rest of the menu it will probably be:

Antipasti: (outside with drinks)
Bruschetta or Crostini
Olives

Antipasto: (at table)
White Beans with Shrimp or Prosciutto e Melone

Primo:
Ravioli al Radicchio Rosso

Secondo:
Chicken Saltimbocca

Contorni:
Spinaci
Insalata Caprese

Dolce:
Panna Cotta or something with fruit

Your thoughts, ideas, suggestions are welcome...

-Krista

Traditionally, a cheese course was served as part of the dessert. Modernly, though, cheese is not usually served as a separate course: it's either served as an antipasto or seves as secondo ina light meal, seved with bread and, occasionally, with sweet preserves (this is a fashion that's been on for about ten years). I haven't seen a cheese sourse in a formal dinner (I typeset lots of formal menus) in ages.

That's one heavy menu!

I serve a cheese course with mostarde and/or marmellate instead of dessert. Hereabouts it is the dessert that is the endangered species after meals, anyway.

Some of my friends serve the same things as antipasto. Pecorino with honey, pecorino sardo with squash jam....

I meant to write before but the day has gotten away from me. Just one observation, an insalata caprese is not really a contorno. It is normally served as an antipasto or a main course.

Also, I find that red radicchio (traditional of Veneto) and Saltimbocca (Roman; and why chicken?) clash a bit. The fact is that itlay does not have one national cuisine, apart from a few basic foods and recipes that have gained national importance in this past century. Italian cuisine is still essentially regional: recipes, preparations, meat cuts, types of meat, vegetables, pasta shapes and types, even bread are sometimes hugely different from region to region. So, instead of aiming at an "Italian" theme, why don't you opt for to focus on a single region?

Yes, it's true this menu is sort of a hodge podge of different regional dishes. I don't think I gave it much thought and I think that's what we typically see here on menus in Italian restaurants. But for this dinner, maybe I should go for a regional theme. Perhaps Tuscan? Hmmmmm....

The hardest part for me is picking out a secondo. Some people don't care for fish, others aren't big meat eaters. Turkey and chicken are the safest choices around here to please everyone, but it's hard to find good party recipes for those.

I also want to come up with a different filling for the ravioli because radicchio isn't really a summer vegetable. This dinner party will be in late July, so I'd like to focus on what's in season.... tomatoes, green beans, summer squash, cucumbers, basil.

Maybe I should go with the Prosciutto e Melone for the primo and then instead of Insalata Caprese as a contorno make Fagioli all'Olio along with the spinaci. Does that make more sense?

-Krista

Oh, and as for the cheese, I guess I'll serve it with the dessert. People can have a choice of cheese or something sweet, or both.

-Krista

Summer calls for a summer menu! Let me try to squeeze something out of my brain.

For starters I would neatly skip most of the crostini and bruschette things. In central Italy, antipasti are often that kind of things, which are boring and even more arbs to sum up to the carbs in Primo and to the fact that oftene nough the side dish is potatoes. Boring even for a devoted carb eater like me. If there is to be anything like that, make it the most rustic bruschetta available: toasted bread (use a coarse type!), lightly (very lightly) brush with a garlic clove, few drips of good oil and a tasty, ripe tomato, cut in two and smeared, almost squashed, on the warm bread. Then make soimething that is an omnipresent, almost a haunting presence, at Italian buffets: caprese skewers! Spear a whole cherry tomato, follow up with a basil leaf and finish with a tiny mozzarella, or a mozzarella cube. Drizzle with oil and you are done. I skip salt, you can add a bit if you like.
I am not much of an antipasto fan: it spoils the meal! Yet, if you want to serve two antipasto courses, you may leave the caprese skewers along with olives outside, and serve the rustic bruschetta at the table, and remind your guests that bruschetta is to be eaten with the hands!

For primo, instead of making ravioli, which tend to be a winter course, you may opt for pesto lasagne. For these you will need string beans, a couple of potatoes, pesto, Parmigiano Reggiano, lasagne (the noodles, I mean!), some fresh cheese like prescinseua. Now I suppose that it's not easy to find prescinseua in the US! What you need is a creamy, ultrafresh cheese with a very light tangy flavor of serum over a substantially milky taste, like crescenza. If you can't find any, use the freshest and sweetest ricotta you can find, worked with the fork to a creamy texture and maybe added with just a little bit of milk, or maybe yogurt for the light tangyness. Boil the beans, cut them in pieces, boil the potatoes, peel and cube them. Stir toghether the pesto with the cheeses. Layer the blanched pasta with the other ingredients (pasta, smear with the cheese + pesto, vegetables repeat) ending with a layer of cheese + pesto. Bake as usual, just covering the pan with foil to prevent from drying. remove foil for the last few minutes. Serve warm.

Instead of serving a meat contorno, serve melone and prosciutto; the lasagne are a filling and satisfying dish already and, believe me, in Italian families melone e prosciutto (incidentally, my lunch today!) is often served as secondo, or even as one main course of the meal. For a variation, you could serve other cured meats alongside with prosciutto, like coppa or bresaola (for the cholesterol-conscious), and alternate the melone with watermelon (the cheap alternative to melone). Or figs if you can get any.

Serve the cheese as dessert, since you already served lots of fruit with the secondo, with some honey or sweet preserve.

After the meal, as a bonus, stick in some gelato. Or you may make baked, stuffed peaches. (I think I have posted the recipe in the past, look for it!)

Alice, those are excellent menu ideas. I love the idea of the caprese skewers, the pesto lasagne and serving the prosciutto e melone as a secondo. I think I may still want to do an antipasto course at table.

I know it sounds like a lot of food and maybe too many courses, but this group really likes food and it's a bit of an "event" dinner, so maybe since the secondo is relatively light, I'll go back to my idea of white beans. I have a recipe for them that tops them with a couple nice big sauted shrimp which sounds great.

The cheese for dessert will work well, especially with honey or some preserves. And since peaches will be season, I will definitely look for that baked, stuffed peaches recipe. Yum!

-Krista

You can use fresh nectarines, cut in half, sprinkle with a little sugar, top with pine nuts, then broil. Serve with a dollop of marcapone cream. YUM Easy, quick, and delicious!

Krista,

I'm available in July. It sound luscious. Alice, I was almost actually drooling. And Palma what a lovely light desert.

Ginger

Palma, didn't you make pesto lasagne for your GTG last year? I think I remember seeing pictures of it, I'll have to do a search and check.

-Krista

Krista:

There is a delicious recipe in June's Bon Appetit for Sweet Pea and Artichoke Lasagna. I made it last week and it was really good and pretty easy to make. My husband, neighbors (who got a piece to taste), and I liked it a lot.

Sandra

Peas and artichokes are Spring vegetables, though; and the dinner is to take place in July: Summer.

I often copy an antipasti platter from one of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa episodes. It works well for large gatherings, it's lovely on the summer table, and all ingredients can be picked up at the deli.

Take a large platter and arrange cured meats (rolled for ease in pick up), roasted peppers, olives, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Bunches of basil and others herbs are tucked in for garnish.

Then I usually take grisini and tuck them into glasses for those who like to nibble on bread.

Friends here (not Italian, of course) expect a dessert and not cheese so I will usually make a crostata or ice cream from fresh fruit in season, served with an assortment of biscotti.

Giada DeLaurentis (can you tell I watch a lot of Food Network?) has an excellent recipe for a summer dessert - watermelon and cataloupe balls tossed in a mint, sugar and amaretto flavored vinaigrette and served in the watermelon shell. Again, it's lovely on the table. That's something I look for when entertaining a large number. Not only does it cut down on the need for flowers, it makes the buffet table or side board look lush and abundant.

quote:

You can use fresh nectarines, cut in half, sprinkle with a little sugar, top with pine nuts, then broil. Serve with a dollop of marcapone cream. YUM Easy, quick, and delicious!

Palma

Dahling, I think I know this one from somewhere...

Well, actually, I won't be making the antipasti and the dessert. Each of the other couples brings something - appetizer, dessert, cheese. The host does the main course(s). But, of course, I can suggest recipes!

-Krista

That's how we do it too, Krista. I was confused by your complete menu listing.

Sounds like you have a wonderful evening planned.

I am working on a little dinner for Saturday night. Completely stumped because I feed these friends often and they are good cooks. We're old friends, don't have to impress and we've all suffered through each others failed recipes, but I would like to do something special.

After yard work this evening, I am piling cookbooks and clipped recipes in the bed. I'm hoping for a
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Busted! Those nectarines were served to us for breakfast at Diana's!!! I was in a REAL rush when I posted the idea for Krista, and I did NOT give proper credit!

I have made them at home for dessert too, Diana!

Palma dear, you can take my recipes ANYTIME!! I just did the same recipe this morning only with apricots, and served them warm with room temperature gorgonzola. YUMMY!!!