Conference turris::cooks

    Hi, Terry!  Have a blast at your party.  I had one, too.  The same one,
    I think (Watersdown Affair?).  I held mine later in the year - June -
    when keeping cool was an additional issue.  It worked out great though,
    and you might want to consider it yourself.
    
    The night before the party, I roasted & sliced a turkey.*  The day of
    the party, I steamed fresh asparagus and made a raspberry vinaigrette.
    I served crackers, raw vegetables and cheese as appetizer while the
    preliminaries were underway.  Then we had a "cold" supper of melon and
    prosciutto, then salad, followed by sliced turkey, cold asparagus in
    the raspberry vinaigrette, steamed broccoli, and Near East Wild Rice. 
    It was very easy - the only things that needed cooking were the
    broccoli and rice, and they don't take that long.
    
    For dessert, I made a "trifle" with torn angel food cake, layered in a
    bowl with fresh strawberries, sprinkled with strawberry schnapps, and
    "pudding."  I made the pudding with instant vanilla pudding,
    substituting whipping cream for 1/2 the milk.
    
    We all had a great time.  The party was a huge success.  No one
    overindulged.  The only thing I screwed up was the coffee!  I only have
    a 10-cup pot, and didn't think to make one pot early, then put another
    on when we sat down for dinner.
    
    Have a terrific time!  I think a cold meal will make things easier,
    then you don't have to worry about getting carried away with the wine
    and forgetting the dinner in the oven!
    
    If you're intent on a hot meal, you could roast a chicken or small
    turkey, and put the potatoes in the pan with them, so they'll be done
    at the same time.  That wouldn't be too high in calories, there's no
    red meat, and it's easy (except for carving).
    
    
    Let me know how you liked it!  Oh, and check all the pieces of the game
    carefully - it wasn't until we started playing that I discovered we had
    two of one "script" and were missing another!
    
    
    Susan
    
    * I also cooked and sliced a small roast beef and served that cold.  
    

Incidentally traditional Yorkshire Pudding isn't all that fattening: it 
consists of flour, a pinch of salt, add water, whisk to a paste and bake
(no egg - despite modern predelictions to the contrary it really is just
flour, salt and water in the real recipe).

Furthermore it is served as a seperate course before the entree (Yorkshire folk
have a reputation for being careful with money - the Yorkshire pudding and
gravy fills the stomach, suppresses the appetite and reduces the amount of
expensive meat and veggies eaten in the main course).

/. Ian .\

    the best appetizer I've had at a murder dinner was herring in a tomato
    sauce.
    
    --Louise

    2385.3 - Hi Flo (Cherie), can't wait for May 5th.
    
    2385.4 - Thanks Ian for the info, I've only had the pudding once and it
    so was good and rich tasting, I was sure it wasn't on my diet program.
    Can you make it without Prime Rib drippings? By the way, BIG THANKS for
    all the great Thai recipes you've shared in this file.
    
    2385.5 - In a nut shell, it's a box game that involves 8 players. The
    game provides the story with a murder and all the players are assigned
    a roll to act out during the party. All the players are suspects of the
    murder and during the course of the evening, provided with clues from
    the game, you try to figure out who the murderer is. With dinner it
    should take about 4 hrs.
    
    2385.6 - Thanks Louise - It sound very interesting. Do you have a
    recipe for this?
    
    
                                             Cheers,
                                             Terry

    We also did the Murder at Watersdown castel.  It was a log of fun, we
    did not do costumes though.  We had a tenderloin, popovers, assorted 
    vegies, trifle for desert and scotch eggs and crackers and cheese for
    appetizer.  The food was excellent, the best part was that we had
    someone serve and clean up.
    
    The game takes quite a long time, it took us several hours.
    
    We also did another murder mystery game that took place in Denver Co.
    same idea but the Watersdown game was the best.
    
    If anyone knows of any other murder mystery games, please list them.
    We love playing them with our dinner group.
    
    Judie
    
    

    I left it to my guests whether they should dress as the character or in
    the style of the times.  I went to MT Pockets in Sterling, MA and
    bought an evening gown that seemed appropriate to the period.  E, my
    roommate (I can't remember the character's name!), and I all dressed
    formally in period costume (such as we could manage).  Randy Sheets
    came dressed in a low cut, tight dress - in other words, in character. 
    The men all came as their characters.  I can't remember all the names,
    but Donny (my "husband") came in a business suit, the golfer came in
    knickers and argyles, the doctor came in a lab coat with stethoscope,
    and the other guy (sorry, it's been two years!) came in a climbing
    outfit.
    
    We had a great time!  I have another game, called The Last Train to
    Paris.  I'm thinking about playing it this summer.  Watersdown Affair
    was a lot of fun, and the Last Train to Paris is by the same company,
    so...  They made a third one called Grapes of Frath about the
    California wine country, but I don't have that one (yet).
    
    As I said, E ( ;-), the main reason I went with a cold meal was my hot
    apartment!  I really *wanted* to prepare the roast with yorkshire
    pudding.  I, too, would like to know if you can make it without the
    beef drippings.  Would it then just be popovers, Ian?
    
    My boss played the same game with her gourmet group, and each person
    was assigned to bring something to the dinner.  That could make things
    easy, too!
    
    I don't check this conference daily, but I'll be checking in to see how
    your party goes!  I think you're going to have a great time, especially
    if everyone gets into their roles (it's amazing how a little wine and
    some 30s music can loosen people up!).
    
    Susan

          I'm so glad in all the interest of these games. Sorry for not
    replying early, but I've been waiting for my husband to call me at work
    (he's at home), to give me the info requested in previous notes.
    
    The Company is: Decipher, Inc.
                    P.O. box 56
                    Norfolk, Vir.   23501
                    (804) 623-3600
    
          The company has about 10-15 different games out. All are based on
    a murder and 8 suspects. They range anywhere from the english manison
    (the one we are going to play), chicago capers (gangsters), as
    previously mentioned - last train to Paris (1920's ?), China dynasty
    around 895ad, an archaeological dig around 1895 (this is the one we
    wanted to buy, but the was out), etc. etc.  You get the picture. 
    
    2385.14 - I live in Santa Barbara, Calif. and we just bought the game
              at one of the local speciality shops. I'd call the company
    and ask who would been the distributer to you.
    
          For anyone who is still interested in the base note, meaning me
    since I wrote it. We've sorta decided on the menu, as follows;
              
            APPETIZERS - Pate', Cheese, Crackers & Fruit
            
            MEAL       - Green Salad, Steamed Veggies, Marinated Turkey, 
                         New Potatoes w/ parsley, & Dinner Rolls
    
          Still deciding on desert, but if anyone has anything to add, feel
    free. 
    
    Susan - What a great idea about the music, I completely forgot about
    it. Oh, now wouldn't that be just special, all decked out, the
    atmosphere is perfect, and my husband slips on that special CD for the
    moment ( Bob Marley and the Wailers - tee hee). Any help on music would 
    be great !!!!!! Thanks Everyone !!!!!!!
     
                                         Cheers,
                                         Terry

    I just happened to receive a catalog in the mail called Myteries By
    Mail. There is a page devoted to Mystery Games/How To Host A Murder. 
    There are six different games available. The address on the catalog is 
    
    Mysteries By Mail
    P.O. Box 679
    Boonville, CA 95415-0679
    
    800-722-0726
    
    The games they have are: 
    
    The Waterdown Affair
    The Last Train From Paris
    THe Class of '54
    The Hollywood Premier of Powar & Greede
    The Chicago Caper
    The Grapes of Frath
    
    All are $27.95