Entertaining Ideas
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Italian theme night
We're planning a huge surprise night for a friend for her 30th birhtday. We're hiring a professional chef to come to her house for in-home cooking lessons, service, dinner and wine. There are several girls going in on this theme night to make it special and a whole package deal. I need recs for:
1) Elegant Menu selections with Italian theme (3 courses)
2)Gift ideas for her with Italian or cooking theme
3)table& house decor and ambiance with Italian theme
4)After dinner activity with Italian theme
Re: Italian theme night
1) Agree with pp. The chef should be able to help you with that. Some things to maybe throw out there would be osso bucco, fresh seafood, herby Tuscan fare, basically, just think outside the cheesy, marinara cliches.
2) Cookbooks - Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita
3) Fresh herbs in terra cotta pots come to mind.
4) Not sure. When I think of Italian culture, I think of art, music and food, but I can't think of an activity involving those.
Menu ideas: traditional antipasti tray, foccacia breads, caprice salad, gnocchi with bolognese sauce, grilled veggetables, chicken in balsamic sauce, tiramisu or gelato for dessert; Drinks - prosecco (Italian champagne), pinot grigio, chianti - vin santo for dessert wine
Gift ideas: Italian cook book, flavored olive oil or balsamic drizzle (William Sonoma has some good one's), pannini maker, cute Italian apron, olive oil/vinegar ceramic set (italian painted), biscotti cookies, cappuccino maker, Italian chocolate candies, olive oil dipping bowls, wine decanter (we have one painted with olives on it), pasta bowl set
Decor - anything with lemons or grapes....it's everywhere in Italy. Also sunflowers.....red and white table cloth
Activity - if you can go outside, Bacci Ball (it doesn't get more Italian than that!)