Hello and welcome to #FlavoursomeTuesdays.

Sunday last I invited a few of my old friends over to brunch. Now these friends were old both metaphorically and physically. The men were all over 60 and their wives were getting there. And I had known them for well over thirty years.

All of us were in the pink of health but still had some health issues to deal with . Each one of us was a seasoned traveler with a seasoned palate. This meant that I had to invite them for something that would agree with their tummies and their palates and their digestive systems!

That was a tall order.

Should  I go in for a Pot Luck where each couple brought in a dish?  This would solve my dilemma of one menu for all. Because in our group there was one person who ate fish but only Pomfret . Another who only felt satiated with something with rice . A third had only chicken breast . Some couldn’t eat red meat and some who had to restrict the carbs….. you get the drift don’t you ? Which meal would satisfy all?

The Pot luck is a concept that arose when a lunch/dinner was decided impromptu. The hostess had to improvise with whatever was left in her kitchen hence the name POT LUCK.

Later on this came to include a contributory meal where each guest brought along whatever was left in their home. An even more advanced version meant a contributory meal where the guests brought a dish that was decided in advance . This works out well for people with no time to make elaborate meals and don’t wish to cater out.

But Pot Lucks can be dicey so I decided to make everything at home within the parameters of fuss.

However, once the menu was decided, I was wondering about the time.

Mumbai dinners are notoriously late with guests arriving at 9 for an early dinner. Naturally this is after they’ve returned from a hard day at work , showered and changed and spent a little time at home with the kids.

On the other hand, they’ve also come home ravenous and had a bite before they brave the traffic and the trudge to your place. So when you welcome the guests at 9, no one is in a hurry to eat before 10 and even then, they just nibble because their stomachs are already full.

So I thought the best option is a Sunday Brunch– that meal in between breakfast and lunch-

Sundays are perfect to entertain guests, particularly casually – giving everyone the time to get up late and go home well in time for a leisurely siesta. Now all that was left was to actually come up with the perfect menu.

But inspiration lurks in strange places.

Thanks to a chance glance at the cherubic Jamie Oliver lisping over Chicken cacciatore while I was channel surfing for inspiration, I served my guests a boozy chicken cooked in a splash of Sula Zinfandel which I  substituted for the Chianti recommended by Jamie

This was accompanied by a platter of Roast beef in a mushroom sauce, Prawn Newburg on a bed of buttered rice and filets of Rawal grilled to perfection and served with a lemon butter sauce.

The asides consisted of a delightfully fresh watermelon and feta cheese salad, spaghetti in pesto sauce, a vegetarian lasagna and a bowl of creamy, mashed potato.

To round off this light meal, I had a bowl of chopped strawberries and a bowl of Christmas pudding . I kept a slab of vanilla and Hershey’s Caramel and Chocolate sauces so my guests could assemble their own sundaes.

After this sumptuous buffet where the conversation flowed freely, we all retired to our homes for weekly siesta.

Now isn’t that a great way to start a busy week?

What do you prefer ? A pot luck or a Sunday Brunch? Or do you prefer a formal dinner or lunch ?

Do let me know in the comments below .

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What is Flavoursome Tuesdays?

Last year my food blog, Foodities , died a natural death by mere neglect . However, being a foodie, I missed writing about food and memories associated with food . So I began #FlavoursomeTuesdays – a weekly post on food . Soon I found that  an enthusiastic blogger Shilpa of Metanoia  was joining in with her delightful stories . And occasionally we got Alana , Obsessive Mom and VaaydiPennu too.

This encouraged me to launch a Linky party.

Thus we give you, Shilpa and I, BellyBytes our first official #FlavoursomeTuesday. 

Incidentally both of us are technically challenged and learning on the go.  So if we do get anything wrong …. please bear with us.

One thing we do assure you is a good time with food and memories .

So do join us for this Pot Luck hosted by us on the first Tuesday of every month. The Linky will be open till the following Monday, giving you a week to join in with your own contribution.

Ingredients for a #FlavoursomeTuesday:

• Food memories
• Food stories
• Food photos
• Recipes & Restaurant reviews

All these are optional. You can bring in any of the above or all!

Method:

1. Write a blog post and hashtag it #FlavoursomeTuesdays
2. Drop your links in the comments on my blog and on Shilpa’s blog.
3. Visit  Shilpa’s blog and blogs of others left in the comments.
4. Leave some comments too and share the love on social media.
5. Sit back and enjoy the party.

Do feel free to share the badge on your blog to let the others know .

Looking forward to seeing you today and on the first Tuesday of every month !

Bon Appetit mes amis !

Please do visit the links of these guests.

1. Pins & Ashes

https://vaayadipennu.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/flavoursometuesday-the-goan-pork-vindaloo/

2. Alana Mautone

http://ramblinwitham.blogspot.in/2018/02/carolinas-gold-rice-flavoursometuesday.html

1. Anagha Yatin

https://canvaswithrainbow.com/two-for-jarabe-tapatio/

1. Mahati Ramya Adivishnu

http://www.fantasticfeathers.in/2018/02/a-healthy-mexican-wrap-rice-bowl.html

1. Esha

https://blogsbyesha.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/sweet-memories-nostalgia/