Dinner Parties at Home and Top 10 Food Websites

One of the growing trends that has been seen, during the recent economic downturn is for a return to home cooking and hosting dinner parties at home. Visits increased by 32.8% between February 2008 and February 2009 as reported by "Hitwise United Kingdom - hitwise.co.uk".

We have always enjoyed entertaining at home and so this comes as no surprise to us. You will see that much of the content on the Dinner at Home website relates to planning a dinner party and other dinner party ideas.

According to Hitwise, the Top 10 Food and Beverage - Lifestyle and Reference websites, in 2008 are as follows:

1. www.bbc.co.uk/food
2. uktv.co.uk/food
3. www.deliaonline.com
4. www.waitrose.com
5. www.bbcgoodfood.com
6. www.channel4.com/food
7. www.qype.co.uk
8. www.jamieoliver.com
9. www.laithwaites.co.uk
10. www.sugarvine.com

I find it interesting to note that of all the supermarkets, only up-market Waitrose has found its way onto the list and with the exception of the London Review Guide Qype, all other websites are aimed at anyone looking to cook at home.

So join the rest of us in dusting off your recipes books and throw a dinner party! The Credit Crunch alternative to eating out.

Come Dine With Me

I've just realised that no foodie/cooking blog could possibly be complete, without the obvious mention of the brilliant, "Come Dine With Me" on Channel 4! Within my workplace everyone is completely addicted - from the twentysomethings to the old timers like me! I'm convinced one of my colleagues is going to pop up on there at some time in the near future!

A few weeks ago, my mother-in-law was asking what on earth does one iron to these days now that she has viewed the entire back catalogue of Grand Designs (yes - even the ones where Kevin McCloud has hair!) and has no new Location Locations to look forward to?
"Come Dine With Me surely?" I questioned tentatively? Surely any self respecting person with Sky Plus series links not just the daily ones but the Sunday night Celebrity Special?
What is great about "Come Dine With Me" is the fantastic mix of people they manage to find - all in one town! I love the fact that everyone thinks they are the best cook ever but invariably have never heard of a "buerre blanc" or a "halloumi cheese"! They'd last five minutes on Masterchef!
The entertainment is always excruciating but my favourite bit (to quote Chris Moyles) is when they are as tired as a newt in the taxi home!! Everyone is always "shattered" rather that had a few too many! My ultimate favourite was the glamour model who was so "shattered" she slept through her own dinner party!
Anyway - the mother-in-law emailed this morning to admit to her first forage into the world of "Come Dine With Me" with news that the rest of the series is well and truly series linked on Sky Plus! What ever did we do before that??