Whether you are hosting a small dinner for five friends or a party for 50 people, choosing what meals to serve can seem like an incredible challenge. What foods will everybody enjoy? Which will fit into your budget?
As the author of The 2AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure and founder of the Influencers Dinner, I have hosted over 900 people, ranging from famous actors and musicians to Olympians and members of royalty.
After hundreds of dinners, I’ve learned that you are probably not going to choose every guest’s favorite food, but you can make sure that it excites and stands out to them.
Spicy Sriracha Poke
Those who know me are aware that I consider Sriracha a basic food group that should be included with every meal. Poke is a famous dish that you will find everywhere in Hawaii. There are also hundreds of different ways that it can be made, and everyone seems to have their own style. The dish is essentially a raw fish salad packed with a delicious blend of Asian flavors.
Sriracha Poke
- Prep Time:10 mins
- Cook Time:2 hrs
- Total Time:2 hrs 10 mins
- Servings:1
- Easy
- Fresh fish that can be eaten raw ahi tuna or salmon
- sweet onions
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 pinch sesame seeds
- red pepper flakes
- brown rice
Ingredients
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Step 1
Clean and cut the fish into bite-sized cubes.
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Step 2
Chop the onion.
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Step 3
Create a marinade by combining the soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and seeds, red pepper and sriracha.
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Step 4
Combine the fish and marinade and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
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Step 5
Serve over cooked brown rice.
Ramen Crust Pizza
Pizza may be considered a boring meal if you make it with traditional ingredients and crust. When you throw some craziness like ramen noodles into the mix, it instantly becomes more intriguing.
Ramen Crust Pizza
- Prep Time:15 mins
- Cook Time:20 mins
- Total Time:35 mins
- Servings:4
- Easy
- olive or almond oil
- 2 packages ramen noodles
- pizza sauce
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- toppings choice
Ingredients
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Step 1
Boil ramen noodles in a pot for 1-2 minutes, so that noodles move and separate but aren’t soft. Drain the noodles.
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Step 2
Heat olive or almond oil into a deep dish oven-safe skillet.
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Step 3
Press in the ramen noodles into an even layer in the skillet and lower the heat.
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Step 4
Add in your cheese, tomato sauce, some more cheese and whatever other ingredients you want.
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Step 5
Put in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown at 425ºF.
Raindrop Cake
This trippy treat is sending people into a frenzy. Although it is called cake, it will be unlike any cake you or your guests have ever tasted. It looks like a raindrop and reminds some of fancy Jell-O, but it’s like biting into the freshest water you’ve ever tasted. You really have to try it for yourself to understand completely.
It is derived from mizu shingen mochi, a Japanese dessert. The main ingredient is agar, which is a vegan-friendly gelling agent. The ingredients are pretty simple, so you can even make it in your dorm room.
Raindrop Cake
- Prep Time:15 mins
- Cook Time:2 hrs
- Total Time:2 hrs 15 mins
- Servings:1
- Easy
- circular molds
- teaspoon agar powder
- cup warm water
- teaspoon sugar
Ingredients
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Step 1
Boil the water, then remove from heat and stir in the agar powder and sugar until completely dissolved.
#SpoonTip: You can also add tons of different ingredients like sprinkles, pieces of fruit or edible glitter to make it look even fancier. -
Step 2
Pour into molds and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Now that you've taken your meals to the next level, it's time to make everything more exciting. Check out my book, The 2AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure, and learn tips, tricks, and techniques for living a more exciting life, while hearing outrageous stories of my adventures from barely surviving being crushed during running of the bulls in Pamplona Spain to battling Kiefer Sutherland in drunken Jenga.
This article is courtesy of Jon Levy, author of The 2AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure. It has been given minor edits before posting.