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Dinner Party Menu ideas Agatha

victoria_jones_1 06 May 10 at 7:07 p.m. GMT

I'm hosting a dinner party and the theme is Agatha Christie.  Has anyone got any suggestions for menus - starter, main and dessert?  I would like to use food she mentions in her books - I have looked through several of them but really havn't come up with anything.

the setting will be 1920's/30's and I will be serving cockails (and that is as far as I have got).

Any ideas gratefully received.

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Mr_west 06 Jul 11 at 10:49 a.m. GMT

there is a fantastic blog called "Cooking Through Christie" which contain recipes for starter main and desserts from her books (for example: Toffe from The Clocks, sausages from Hallowe'en Party, Lemon scones from A Pocket Full Of Rye,gulasch from A Murder Is Announced etc.) 

there is a link: http://www.cookingthroughchristie.blogspot.com/

mirror 30 Jun 11 at 7:44 a.m. GMT

How about featureing the menue from 4 50 from Paddinton?

You'll see  some awesome  sweets like syllabub, peach fran, apple melenge, suguar talt, adn so on.

ampman 10 Sep 10 at 5:23 p.m. GMT

I have a brilliant book I got from America called Appetite for Murder. It has recipes connected with different detective story writers and their characters. AC's section includes the trifle from a Miss Marple story about a man poisoning his wife, stuffed duck from the story Herb of Death etc.Hercule Poirot's recipes are rather rich but they tie in with the books. Other detectives included are Lord Peter Wimsey Inspector Wexford and Morse to name a few.

Tommy_A_Jones 10 Sep 10 at 5:03 p.m. GMT

Cherry Brandy is mentioned in Murder At The Vicarage people could have that before they eat and have Tanzy Tea after Dinner.

MissQuin 10 Sep 10 at 4:46 p.m. GMT

I was reminded of your dinner party, when I saw the recipe for cake on here. How did it go? I'm just curious, it's sounded great :)

victoria_jones_1 24 May 10 at 7:48 p.m. GMT

Miss Quinn my party is not until middle of July.  I did find a recipe for an Omlet  by Agatha Christie.  Apparently a cook book was produced during the war calld "The Kitchen Goes to War" and various celebrities of the day had their recipes published - one of which the omlette by Agatha Christie.  So i have decided to do that as my starter, main will by Morrocan Tagine as it is one dish I cook fairly well :)  I will say that I have taken my inspiration from Destination Unknown for that one.  pudding is to be the trifle with hundreds and thousands from the Tuesday night club.

All i need to do now is to cook the omlet to see if that is suitable and I'm all set.  I will post back my progress!

Oh and I also have a CD of the theme music to play in the background.

MissQuin 24 May 10 at 2:36 p.m. GMT

Did your party go OK? I had an extra idea, omelette or souffle'. I have made those before, very nice!

Omelette's are mentioned a couple of time in Poirot.

victoria_jones_1 07 May 10 at 7:48 p.m. GMT

Ohhh Miss Quinn I'm liking the sound of lemon sole.

MissQuin 07 May 10 at 6:29 p.m. GMT

Sounds like such fun, can I come to your dinner party too?  lol

Main course, well on the TV adapt of Hickory, they had lemon sole made by Miss lemon of course! It's very tasty.

victoria_jones_1 07 May 10 at 6:04 p.m. GMT

Many thanks for your suggestions.  I did a bit of speed reading last night and have come up with 

starter - Canapes Diane from Three Act Tragedy

main - ??

dessert - Trifle with the Hundreds & Thousands from The Tuesday Club Murders (thanks Miss Quin)

and finish with Black Coffee (thanks GKC).

I love your idea GKC of the finding of something in the soup and may go with this as the starter instead.

I like the idea of the duck with sage stuffing and may do chicken instead perhaps?

I did have a quick read through Sparkling but it concentrates more on the drink.

I have decided to do a small goody bag for everyone.  I collect all the AC book covers and have many duplicates so will give one of these plus a DVD (also have duplicates).  They used to sell chocolate bars in the Torquay museum shop with Agatha Christie and a fingerprint stamped on the front.  As luck would have it I am visiting Torquay a week before the dinner party so hope I can still get that.  Will also get a couple of Torquay postcards referring to Agatha as well and pop them in the goody bag.

Back to the books.

MissQuin 07 May 10 at 3:34 p.m. GMT

You have great idea GKC. The Adventure Of The Christmas Puddin features lots of delicious food, but mainly Christmas fare.

GKCfan 06 May 10 at 9:14 p.m. GMT

To start, there's the soup from Hickory Dickory Dock– a diamond ring was found in one of the bowls.  Perhaps there could be a game where the person who gets the ring in their soup gets a prize– make sure people eat carefully so nobody chokes on the ring!  Maybe you could use a small bracelet instead, it might be safer...

There are many famous meals in Christie, many of them poisoned.  There's the infamous curry dinner in 4:50 From Paddington, the fish paste sandwiches in Sad Cypress, and the duck with sage stuffing in "The Herb of Death."  You could also have Poirot's vegetable marrows if you can find them.

For dessert, how about Delicious Death cake from A Murder is Announced?  You can finish with Black Coffee, from the play.

MissQuin 06 May 10 at 8:23 p.m. GMT

Your dinner party sounds like great fun Victoria. But I don't remember much food being mentioned in Chrisite novels, unless there's poison in it, like the trifle that had poisoned hundreds and thousands!

There was a cornflower dessert mentioned in Miss Marple. In Spiders web theres a chocolate mousse for dessert, but that's all I can remember.

Maybe have a look at 1920's cook books on ebay? It might help you get ideas.

TheButlerDidIT 06 May 10 at 8:10 p.m. GMT

Sparkling Cyanide?