Ethiopian Dinner Planning

I have my menu for the Ethiopian dinner party figured out. Now, I need to figure out the decorations and grocery list. The party is for 6 people total. I have made a list of everything I need. I have several of the pantry items as well as the herbs and spices, so I won’t need to purchase them.

Sites I referenced.

Things to Buy

Groceries

Costco List

1 bag of fingerling potatoes
1 bag of onions
1 bag Walnuts
Flowers – Something tropical looking or Gerber daisies

Grocery List

1 head of green cabbage
1 bag of mixed lettuce greens
3 large carrots
1 lb of collard greens
1 bunch of ripe bananas
1 package Spring Rolls
10 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
4 fresh lemons
6 Roma tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves
Fresh Mint leaves
5 heads of garlic
1 very large fresh ginger root, or 2 large ones
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 package of Beluga lentil
1 package of puy lentils (also known as French green lentils)
1 package of red lentils
Cardamon seeds
Smoked paprika
coriander
cumin
mace
allspice
cinnamon
turmeric powder
fenugreek seeds or powder
black pepper
2 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 lb ground beef
4-5 lb chuck roast

niter kibbeh
Berbere spice – I really like Frontier Berbere Seasoning.
Teff flour

Decorations

I’m going to use my black plates with my cloth red napkins. I’m going to put the table runner over my tan table cloth, though I may put it over my red table cloth, depending how it looks and use my back napkins. I am also thinking of either using my white bowls as finger bowls or making lemon soaked napkins (Douglas Adams reference, for those of you who are also SciFi fans) or wash cloths.

New Table runner – Ethnic African Elephant Grunge Tribal Aztec Art Table Runner Linen & Cotton Cloth (I like elephants.) If it doesn’t get here in time, I will use my black scarf as a table runner, and lay one of the red napkins on the black scarf as a diamond in the center
Black plates
One of my existing table cloths – tan or red
Existing napkins black and red ones
Lemon soaked wash cloths
Black tableware for dessert and in case guest don’t want to eat with their fingers.
Existing red pillar candles
Martini glasses for the banana whip
Woven baskets for rolled up Injera
Serving bowls
- Wooden salad bowl
- Blue bowls maybe, considering smaller black bowls check when setting up tablescape.
If I had a wooden giraffe or elephant I’d use them on the table.
I do have a hand carved crocodile walking stick that I am considering putting on the table.
Clear glass water pitcher

Recipe Locations

Teff Love recipe book
Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa recipe book
Links above in the sites I referenced.

Timeline:

1/23 – Buy groceries
1/24
- Tablescape
- 8:00 pm or later – Start Injera (made with teff and sourdough starter)
1/25
- 10:00 am – Start filling for sambusas
- 10:10 am – Make Injera, let cool, set aside the 6 best looking, cut the rest into strips, and put all in fridge
- 11:30 am – Make sambusas, up to baking, and put in fridge
- 12:15 pm – Chop up veg, grate ginger, mince garlic, nuts, etc – Use food processor to save time. Juice 2 lemon slice 1 lemon into 6 slices on the long edge and 1 lemon into thin slices on the short edge
- 1:25 pm – Fill pitcher with water and add lemon slices and sprig of mint, put in fridge
- 1:30 pm – Cut up meat and put in fridge
- 2:00 pm – Ye’misser Wot (Red Lentils in Spicy Sauce) – about 40 mins
  - 2:40 pm finished
- 2:30 pm – Ye’difin Misser Alicha (French Lentils in a Garlic-Ginger Sauce) – 30 minutes
  - 3:00 pm finished
- 3:30 pm – Ye’abesha Gomen (Collards) -about 20 minutes
  - 3:50 pm finished
- 4:00 pm – Atakilt Wat (Cabbage, Carrots and Potatoes) – about 35 minutes
  - 4:35 pm finished
- 4:35 pm – Pre-heat oven
- 4:40 pm – Spray oil on sambusas and bake
  - 4:50 pm finished – put on platter
- 4:45 pm – Set Injera on plates and put rolled up Injera on table
- 4:50 pm – Start Key Wat in Instant Pot
- 5:00 pm Guest arrive
- 5:20 pm – Make Banana whip and put in fridge
- 5:30 pm
  - Key Wat is ready for next step
  - Reheat Ye’misser Wot, Ye’difin Misser Alicha, Ye’abesha Gomen, Atakilt Wat
- 5:35 pm – Shred beef and add back to key wat sauce
- 5:40 pm
  - Dish up Key Wat, Ye’misser Wot, Ye’difin Misser Alicha, Ye’abesha Gomen, Atakilt Wat and put on table
  - Get water pitcher out of fridge and set on table
- 5:45 to 6 pm – Sit down to dinner
- 6:45 to 7 pm – After dinner, clear plates and bring out banana whip