Topic: Come Dine With Me

[George]

George's proposal to have a "curry meet" where members cook and taste each other's curries...This would be the ultimate. Throw a few local BIRs in wherever the (assume UK) venue is. Give me minimum 18 months notice and I will be there... granted its less than 20k km. I would love to meet George, JerryM, CA, SnS, Mick, Haldi, Unclebuck, Stew, Chinois, Curry King.... and the list goes on. Maybe Bruce Edwards would pay a visit.

Many thanks to several of you who have expressed a degree of initial enthusiasm for a meet-up of some type. One option is for a group to descend on someone's house, hold endless discussions and watch the host cook a meal. I fear it might quickly be a case of too many chefs spoil the broth; hence my suggestion instead for a series of regional dinner parties, something along the lines of the TV series 'Come Dine With Me'.

4-6 members in each region would agree to host an Indian dinner party in turn. That way, costs would be shared because you'd provide a meal for 5 guests, say, and then enjoy 5 meals in return.

People are hard to impress. My guess is that, with the best will in the world, we may think most of the meals are frankly 'OK, not bad' but hardly amazing. I hope I'm wrong and that everyone can lay on  a superb spread of BIR-type food which puts most actual BIRs to shame. Either way, it seems almost inevitable that a handful of dishes might stand out, to general agreement. These would be the dishes to focus on, subsequently. Even better, if one or two members stood out as true 'master chefs' people might be more inclined to believe what they say.

I do not envisage any attendance at the host's home while each meal is being prepared. We'd turn up, like at a restaurant or on 'Come Dine With Me.' Any drill-down into recipes to investigate 'how it's done' can be done later or in discussion, while we're eating, e.g. 'that's delicious - what's in it?'.

Also like on that TV series, we might not get on. There might be personality clashes and the thought of up to 6 dinner parties with the same awful people might fill us with horror. That would be part of the challenge. Perhaps we need to meet for a coffee and see if each group gets on, to some extent, before moving to the dinner parties.

There might also be issues if you have a partner/and or children. I live alone, so it's not a problem. I don't need to tell anyone to buzz off for a weekend, or that I'm booked for the next 5 Saturdays, in addition, going to CR0 members dinner parties, to which the partner is not invited.

With 11,000 members of this forum, there must surely be enough of an interest to hold dinner parties in, say, 8 regions x 6 people = 48 members, or however many people are interested. Perhaps try one region first, and see how it goes.

The overall objective could be described as a sort of 'calibration' to see where we're all at, in our search for the best BIR-type tastes. It should also be fun.

[Cory Ander]

That's great George!

So can you kick it off in  your region?  If so, you'd be looking for 3 - 5 other people to be interested in doing the same?  Which region are you in George?

I'm happy to do the same in my region (if anyone is interested!).  Any takers (Perth, Australia!)? 

[JerryM]

i'm happy to join in a north west eat.

mine won't be quite as refined as a come dine but my garage is not that bad and we do eat in the kitchen.

if it don't work out on a regional basis then my kitchen is actually quite mobile.

[Stephen Lindsay]

We need a Scottish contingent to step up to the plate (pun intended). I know Bobby Bhuna is from Edinburgh but not sure about other Jocks.

[joshallen2k]

My guess is that I'm the only cr0 member within a 500 mile radius of where I am. 

But I'd really like to see the London/Birmingham/Mancs/Glasgow members do as George suggests...

[George]

My guess is that I'm the only cr0 member within a 500 mile radius of where I am.

Thanks to a handful of people for their support so far. But where is everyone else? This forum has a reported 11000 members and at least 50 must be quite active.

If you think you might be interested in this idea, please say so now. No commitment - just an initial expression of interest in the concept.

Or if you think it's not for you, then please say why, e.g. you hate dinner parties!

I'm not talking about this year, either - more likely in 12-18 months time.

I should have mentioned that I live in the North London - south Herts area. Is there anyone else within 50 miles of here?

[adriandavidb]

Anyone in Surrey?

[peterandjen]

Ill have a bash at it, im near Berwick-upon-tweed, so edinburgh's what 60 miles away and the same to newcastle. People will be sat in an armchair witha plate on a tray though as i havn't got a Dining table, im common see.

[Cory Ander]

im common see.

But aren't all Scots? JUST KIDDING!   ;D

[peterandjen]

Peter<<<<<<<<<<<<Brummie till i die! ;D