Seven Deadly Sins Dinner

I received several emails this past week from people who liked the idea of the Titanic themed dinner and wondered if I've had any other theme dinners. The answer is YES! This past May, I held a Seven Deadly Sins dinner. I wrote a post detailing that incredibly devilish night. I thought I'd re-post it for you. Enjoy!

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SEVEN DEADLY SINS
A Delightfully Devilish Downward Spiral to the Dark side of Damnation

In other words: a Dragon Dinner Party

Prologue: Inspiration

The idea, like all inspirational ideas, was simple. I was watching an episode of Top Chef, where each contestant had to create a dish inspired by one of the 7 deadly sins. Great idea, right? Except the contestants’ dishes were less than inspiring. I doubt you could get a month in purgatory for what they came up with; let alone eternal hellfire. I can do better, I thought. And not just one dish. Why not do all seven?

And thus the Seven Deadly Sins Dinner was born.

Planning it out: WWTDC (What Would the Devil Cook?)

The first thing I had to do is figure out what these sins even were. This required a trip to Wikipedia. The seven deadly sins are: Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth and Wrath.

My overriding goal was to match the right Sin with the right Dish, slotted in the right Course. I also didn't want to make the “obvious” choices. You might expect Lust to come first, and perhaps Sloth last (as my guests could become slow and lethargic after a full meal), but I felt it would add an element of suspense if my dinner guests were never sure what was coming next.

I wanted to use as many fresh ingredients as possible, and I didn't want overly complicated dishes. I wanted my guests to feel they had been to a special occasion, but not leave feeling overly full and exhausted. I chose dishes that could be served in small portions, which would allow people to take more if they so desired.

My guests for this dinner were part of a loose “foodie” club we had going, meeting at each other’s houses from time to time. They were Kathy, Tim, Greg, Marg and Lynn. In particular, Kathy was a big help ahead of time, as a sounding board for different ideas, and helping me perfect my recipes. I spent about a month trying to decide what I wanted to serve, how each “sin” could be highlighted, and then another month “testing” various recipes and getting ready for the big night.

The Big Night – Showtime!

The night of my dinner, I had everything ready to go. I had the food preparation under control, as I was able to make a lot of it ahead of time. I set the table simply and added lots of candlelight to set the mood. Speaking of setting the mood, I went with the soft and soulful music of Norah Jones and Amos Lee on the stereo. Kathy and Tim arrived early to help me cook and they also brought the wines for each course. Kathy surprised me with printed menus to add to each place setting. At the end of the night my guests would be able to take home a souvenir of our sinful evening.

My guests arrived excited, and a little nervous, as any sinners should be! I took their coats and had them gather around my living room, explaining how the dinner would run, by courses.

“There is one small addition,” I told them with a wicked grin, “something I may have forgotten to mention. For each course, for each sin, you must each make a confession. And, at the end of the night, I’ll decide if you receive absolution for your sins.”

The meal was ready to begin!

Click on each sin or photo below to view the recipes, why I chose
the dish for the sin and some of my guests' sinful confessions.

Seven Deadly Sins Menu

WRATH
Apéritif – Spicy Sangria

GREED
Amuse Bouche – Herb & Cheese Savory Cookies with Balsamic Syrup

ENVY
Third course – Seafood Salad with Tomato, Avocado and Mango

PRIDE
Main course – Crown Roast of Lamb with Shallots, Mustard and Mint
Golden Saffron Rice
Minted Spring Vegetables

SLOTH
Fifth course – Aged Cheeses, Bread & Spiced Olive Oil

LUST
Sixth course – Luscious Chocolate Fondue with Sensual Fruits & Nuts

GLUTTONY
Seventh course – Profiteroles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Raspberry Coulis
Coffee/Tea

ABSOLUTION
Aprés Dinner - Brandy and Forgiveness

With Love,
Dragon

p.s. You can find out where to buy the seven deadly sins plates and tea set by clicking on their photos.

I would also like to thank my dear friend, Kathy for her help in planning the dinner and for helping me with the photos.