Last week, I blogged about preparing a 1920s-inspired dinner party (check it out here). This week, I’ll describe the 1920s dinner party menu I served guests, which, luckily, didn’t cause food poisoning – or any other malady, for that matter (at least my guests did a good job of hiding any discomfort).

My 1920s Dinner Party Menu

First off, I served each guest four stuffed mushrooms.  They’re simple and quick to make, easy on the eye, and packed with strong flavor (garlic, parmesan and mint, mmm). I used Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe, which you can find here.

Arranging four mushrooms in a square shape is a simple yet balanced approach to dot your plates come appetizer-time. You can also make triangle and star-shapes, depending on how many stuffed mushrooms you prepare.

Next came the entrée: chicken breast a la rose, accompanied by a Waldorf salad.  After researching popular 1920s dinner party menus, I came across a list of dishes the Waldorf-Astoria prepared during President Calvin Coolidge’s visit in 1924.

Photo by Rachel Perrotta.

Actually, this website provides the entire dinner menu along with recipes for each dish (how’s that for options?).

And last, but definitely not least, the 1920s dinner party came to an end with lemon chiffon cake.  Flappers and gents (supposedly) went crazy for chiffon cakes, pineapple upside-down cakes, and any other dessert containing exotic fruits. So, since I love lemons, I decided to bake a lemon chiffon cake using this recipe, which can be found on here):

Photo by Rachel Perrotta.

All the fun is in decorating the cake. Deciding on how to arrange lemon slices, cream, and other decorations permits room for expressing your personality and mirroring the type of ambience you’re trying to create for your party.

I think each entrée glowed thanks to different, yet strong, color schemes. Rich browns, dark, leafy greens and bright yellow not only excited the taste buds, but the eyes as well. I hope this little guide helps whenever you decide to plan menus for a speakeasy party of your own, and may the gods of 1920s dinner parties be ever in your favor.

Love,

J’Ochart <3