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What Would Happen if Jon Snow Came to a BonAppetour Dinner Party?

What Would Happen if Jon Snow Came to a BonAppetour Dinner Party?

The news is out – if you want to avoid a dinner party disaster, please keep Jon Snow out of your guest list. Tried and tested by Seth Meyers of Late Night, the dinner party was filled with an array of silent pauses and awkward glances. More than once, Meyers had to pull Snow politely aside to instil a short crash course on how to make friendly banter with his dinner party guests. 

He might not have been the friendliest guest at Meyers' dinner party, but we like to keep our faith in the good of people. The dreamy Snow, with his chiselled features and tousled locks, cannot always be a terrible dinner guest…particularly not when he is feasting with the charming hosts of a BonAppetour dinner party!  

Inviting Jon Snow to a BonAppetour Dinner Party

With our bevy of genial and hospitable hosts in Italy, we are quite certain that the evening would not turn out to be a complete disaster, despite the myriad of warnings cautioning that the surly and taciturn Jon Snow makes for a terrible dinner party guest.

We cannot deny that it will present quite a challenge, for our hosts will be walking a tight rope when it comes to steering the flow of conversation. Judging by how Meyers' dinner party went, we advise the following: avoid discussions about the season (unless you want to be told in a deadpan manner that "winter is coming"), and do not make small talk about family. Questions about one's living location are fine, but only if you are well-versed in the geographical locations of the medieval Seven Kingdoms. If all topic starters fail, mildly suggest playing a game of charades. 

There is one comforting thought – we are quite sure that the array of Italian delicacies prepared by our hosts, such as crisp pizzas and classic Roman delights, will please Snow's palate, even if he is accustomed to a medieval diet. 

Dinner Party in the Tropics

Alternatively, what if we were to invite Jon Snow to a dinner party in the tropics, right smack in the bustling hub of Singapore

We cannot quite imagine the well-built man feasting on local favourites – the sight of Snow tearing apart a prata with his leather gloved hands is quite an unimaginable thought. If we had to recommend a dining experience, we would suggest a signature local dish, chilli crabs, or a hearty serving of nasi tumpeng.

However, we can foresee a difficulty that is likely to arise. Would the man be able to survive the sweltering heat of Singapore? We do not think this is likely, particularly when he is cloaked under a thick fur coat meant to ward off the freezing cold. Well, we like to keep some back-up plans in store in cases of emergencies – if Snow ends up sufferring from a case of heat-induced appetite loss, perhaps a dainty session of English Hi-Tea might do…

Image Credits: Geek Tyrant, Ew

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5 Quick ‘n Easy Dinner Party Tips

5 Quick ‘n Easy Dinner Party Tips

1. Practice Makes Perfect!

About a couple of weeks prior to your dinner party, stage a dinner rehearsal by preparing the dishes that you have planned for the party menu. This will help you to have an accurate gauge of the time you will need to cook the food. It is also a good chance for you to give the items a final round of taste test, and to make changes to the flavours and recipe if necessary.  

2. Create A D.I.Y. Bar

A D.I.Y. bar is a great feature to add to your house dinner party. Provide a selection of drinks, liquors, flavours, garnishes and basic mixology equipment, and let your guests have fun mixing up their own drinks!

There are several pros to doing this. You will not have to spend the night making one drink after another, guests can create their own unique concoctions, and it serves as a great ice-breaking spot for your guests to mix and mingle around.

3. Start Food Preparations in Advance

Rushing back from work to start preparations for an evening weekday dinner party can be quite a crazy affair. If you are planning to invite a fairly large group of people, it is likely that you will be waging a tough fight against time to prepare the dishes!

This problem can be fixed by making tweaks to the menu to include dishes that can be prepared as early as a week beforehand. Think pies (bake the crust a few days before), braised meat dishes (cook this a day in advance, set aside the cooking juices to chill in the fridge, and reheat the meat on the day of the party) and simple pasta salads.

    

4. Turn Brown Paper Bags Into Menus!

Apart from being a pretty sight, brown paper bag menus also serve as a budget-friendly party decor item.

You can also use the paper bag to serve your starters (like a yummy serving of piping hot chips!), to help you cut down on the number of dishes to wash after the dinner party is over.

If you are hooked on this idea, be sure to check this  article out for tips on making your own paper bag menu!

5. Transform Muffin Trays into Gorgeous Centerpieces

With some simple touches. your plain ol’ muffin trays can be transformed into gorgeous centerpieces!

You may place pretty tealights or insert vibrant blooms and miniature plants into the indents of the tray. If you would like to have a fancy centerpiece for a posh dinner party, fill up the indents with water, and place a mix of flowers and tealights in the tray. You will end up with a charming centerpiece containing floating flowers and flickering candlelights!

Image credits: HGTV, Cakebossbaking, Eco-beautiful Weddings, Legcloud, Atelier Christine

 

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Cultural Festivals to Go Before You Die

Cultural Festivals to Go Before You Die

Imagine yourself toasting a cup of beer to another stranger, or dancing along the streets with hundreds of others? There are so many festivals in the world that do not restrict to only the locals, foreigners are welcome too!

1. Bastille Day, Paris

Just like July 4th in the US, France is decked out in red, white and blue, but instead of beer and backyard barbecues, this more formal celebration features decorated military, lush banquets and red wine. Across the world freedom is celebrated with a bang at Bastille Day, and on this night, The City of Light shines brighter than any. It’s an honor to eat in a French home on Bastille Day; do your best to ingratiate yourself with a local. The meal is typically light with lots of fruits and vegetables, quiches, and salads. The largest celebrations take place in Paris, but other events occur throughout France.

2. Carnevale di Ivrea, Ivrea Italy 

This is a festival that celebrates the event when commoners rise up against an oppressive ruler. At the Carnevale di Ivrea , however, the battle isn’t waged with guns and swords—oranges are the weapon of choice. Every year, the tiny northern city of Ivrea in the Turin province stockpiles 500,000 kilograms of fresh oranges for a re-creation of a historic fight between townsfolk and a ruling tyrant. Teams wage a full-on fruit war, and not even a red-capped declaration of sovereignty can protect you from getting juiced Carnival of Venice.

3. Carnevale di Venezia, Venice 

The original Carnival of Venice took place in 1162 to honor one of Venice’s victorious battles when the city was known as the “Repubblica della Serenissima”. To best understand Carnival of Venice, you need to understand the importance of the maschera or masks. The mask allowed citizens to behave wildly and adopt alter egos without the fear of social consequence. This Carnival takes place for the period leading up to Ash Wednesday in watery Venice, Italy.

4. Infiorata di Genrazno, Rome

Many Italian towns hold an Infiorata, a festival of flowers that trace their beginnings in Italy to the 13th century but the one in Genzano is possibly Italy’s largest and and certainly the most renowned. The official year of origin of the Genzano festival is 1778, when it was started to celebrate Corpus Christi (Latin for ”body of Christ”). It’s a high holy day in the Catholic church celebrating the Eucharist, perceived by Catholics as the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

5. Paris Techno Parade

Meet street music turned up to eleven: DJs, subwoofers, and sound-mixers sit atop decked-out flat bed trucks, which ply through a heaving sea of 400,000 people—mostly young, cool, and determined to live out loud. Parade participants are quick to point out the unifying spirit of the music, which despite its futuristic electro-sound, draws inspiration from tribal rhythms. “The beats are so loud they hit you in the stomach; the only thing you can do is obey them, and dance,” says one participant. The organizers have been keen to promote diversity, erase class and racial lines, and bring everyone into the same heartbeat.

Image Credits: Walks of Italy, Carnevale Di Venezia, Paris Saint Honore, Travelever, Wikipedia

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Schnitzel Making 101

Schnitzel Making 101

Schnitzel – a tantalizing cutlet made from chicken, pork or even turkey that is traditional to most European countries was the menu for Sunday’s dinner with our Polish guests! A fun trip shopping together at the grocery store for the ingredients followed by our guests demonstrating the method of cooking, called for a fun-filled evening ahead. Now it’s time to share the incredibly crispy, succulent, mouthwatering Schnitzel recipe.

Ingredients (from left): Eggs, Breadcrumbs, Flour, Pork slices (hammered)

After dipping the pork slices into the eggs, coated with flour, back into the eggs and finally coated with breadcrumbs, they were shallow fried over a medium-high heat. 

While our guests were frying the Schnitzel’s away, we decided to cook up a Swedish classic – Rosti! Here’s Rinita preparing the Rosti.

A “sinful” dinner of fried rosti and fried schnitzel cooking away!

The happy chef plating away!

Finally, the outcome =)

The BonAppetour experience on a lovely Sunday evening of the Swedish winter =)

Signing off,
Hitakshi aka The Photographer =)

P.S. Our guests are chefs back in Poland, and they run an Italian and Greek cuisine restaurant! Dinner was extremely YUMMY!

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