Menu ideas for a dinner party!

Thoughts on how to feed 9 guests (a total of 11 people!), which Alex just keeps shaking his head about. He thinks it won't be fun or we won't have good interactions with so many people. I think it will be a nice first change away from sitting in lecture and studying and taking tests, and not be too personal, since we don't know each other very well yet. So a good first start, and then we can have smaller groups later---

• Roast chicken was denied (Alex doesn't love it like I do :)
• Tacos were his suggestion, but in San Antonio, tacos aren't really a dinner party food. More like a big party food- 20 or more people.
• Skewers? Too much work on the grill!

I love the idea of small plates- roasted cauliflower keeps sounding delicious to me- but am worried that it will take too much work. We are still resistant to potlucks, since they always have such a random mix of foods.

Several salad ideas:

• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brussels-Sprout-and-Apple-Salad-with-Blue-Cheese-and-Walnuts-102645
• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Apple-Salad-with-Roquefort-Cheese-and-Walnuts-2627
• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Farmers-Market-Salad-with-Spiced-Goat-Cheese-Rounds-239065

We COULD do an Italian meal- that would be fun! Hmm. Use the Silver Spoon and do some nice cheese and fruit, a simple salad, some pasta... maybe even carbonara... Mmmmm.

New ideas for a summer Italian meal under the trees (with bugspray on) or on couches:

• Salads: caprese with a twist?  and http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Raw-Artichoke-Salad-Celery-and-Parmesan-365182
• Main: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/The-Silkiest-Carbonara-395077 or http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt-srv/images/0610_Recipes.pdf from the Silver Spoon
• Sides (if have meat instead of pasta): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Risi-e-Bisi-365188
• Dessert: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Granita-365749