Host an International Food Dinner Party

Food connects us. By sharing a meal, we are experiencing a culture. Travel the world with your taste buds by hosting an international food dinner party.

Gather a group of friends (international or not) and start planning your menu. Assigning people different courses — appetizers, salads, main courses, desserts — will prevent an overflow of desserts. Most people stick to basic, safe recipes when making food for a crowd, but encourage guests to step out of their comfort zones.

Offer them suggestions by region, such as “make an appetizer from Turkey” or “bring a dessert from Mexico.” At the party, have guests try to guess the country or region each dish comes from. Ask guests to bring copies of the recipe they used, as well as a bit of background information on their dish. These tidbits of information act as great conversation starters. Encourage guests to share travel photos and stories from their recent adventures.

Your menu will be a bit eclectic — this potluck-style party is meant to be a sampling of world cuisines. Don’t play it safe, have an array of ethnic beverages and condiments for guests to sample. Play world music or popular songs from a different country. Above all, savor the different cuisines and sample the flavors of distant places.