Total Recall
 

Yeah I was overcautious, oh well ;)

Menu Question
 

I'd go with the tomato basil, because I hate mushrooms, and so do a lot of other people.

Where's my invitation?

Menu Question
 

Whatever you pick, don't worry about it afterwards--everyone will enjoy your lovely menu and have a great time so just relax.

As you can tell, I have helped many people through their pre-party freakouts. Having tragically wasted an hour of my own life bawling over family guest-list pressure, I completely called it a day on wedding madness thereafter and had a blast. :D

Menu Question
 

I'd go with the mushroom, because I love them, and so do a lot of other people.:D

Menu Question
 

I would serve the Mushroom Asparagus.

Of course, it depends on the season. I think tomato for spring/summer, mushroom for fall/winter.

Certainly, some people don't like mushrooms, but some people don't like any one thing you may be serving.

Slot C Nation
 

Sparse offerings on TV last night, so in a fit of desparation, caught "The E! True Hollywood Story: The Hilton Sisters".

My question is this: Are there even other contenders for the title of 'show that leaves you most curious as to WHY it was even considered, let alone brought to air'?

It was entertaining enough to watch, but there's more substance in a Coors Light ad. The subjects are young, rich, apparently parentless* and reasonably attactive, but that's it. They haven't done anything! No achievements in the popular culture (a couple photo spreads and Paris' couple of minor screen credits don't count), the arts, business (ooh, Nicky designed a handbag). Even their controversial behavior is bush league. A catfight with Shannen Doherty? Who hasn't had one of those?

I was most disappointed by the relative lack of footage (they kept repeating the same visuals over and over), particularly caught-in-the-act sleaze. Maybe that's a tipoff that it was, um, a little too soon to be broadcasting a 'True Hollywood Story' about these people?

P (I'm just sayin') D

* yeah I know they have parents, maybe I'm just envious that I didn't get to party all night when I was 12.

Menu Question
 

all the other comments raise good points- but left out the 200 people. "subtle" is for a small dinner party- its tough to maintain subtle at 200 bowls. go with tomato.

Menu Question
 

I don't think you could get the 200 people in the room to agree on who had the best fries - Mickey D's, BK, Wendy's, etc. much less agree on a soup.

Not everyone will be able to eat/enjoy everything on your menu due to dietary restrictions, food allergies, personal likes and dislikes. Go with what you want.

Menu Question
 

True enough. Honestly, I don't like tomato soup either. But, when you invite me, I'll happily pick at either one, just to make you happy.

Menu Question
 

I recently went to a wedding where I had cold penne pasta covered with the equivalent of Ragu and a limp salad. Had fun anyway and didnt care bc it was all the booze you could drink. Please talk about something more manly,. str8, before you are permanently off the crush list. This is just very unsexy. and I dont want a bored full of wedding food posts today.

who won HOH on BB4 last night?> I missed the end.

Bennifer and J.Lo
 

CNN says that they did not split up. Darn.

Menu Question
 

Mushroom asparagus. It's the only option that will work with the rather earthy but not heavy flavors in your menu. Tomato basil has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of your meal, too bright and acidy. I am presuming it will come before the salad, which will also give you a nice "hot cold hot" rhythm, but it doesn't really matter in terms of the choice.

But PJ's right - don't worry about it, fretting about the soup is definitely one of those things that gets you minimal marginal return. Six things will go wrong that never even occurred to you, and it just won't matter.

Menu Question
 

I would go with tomato. I don't like mushrooms or anything that has touched mushrooms. Then again, I don't love tomato soup but being a pretty strict vegetarian puts me at a distinct disadvantage at these type of events (which is why I don't do them -- of course, it isn't like I regularly get invited to anything) so I always appreciate it when the host chooses an easy soup that I can at least nibble at so that I do not completely starve with only a small salad (salads at these events are normally not, shall we say, filling).

Of course, you don't have to worry about me because I will come with my cooler full of brewskies and sit in the corner and drink all night so as long as you have some nuts or pretzels I won't need the soup and salad (hell, I can bring my own peanuts -- I'll keep the shells in a semi-neat pile). When is it? Can I bring a date? How about my kid -- he won't be much trouble as long as he has somewhere to run around? Will there be a television in case it conflicts with a game I wanna watch? Underwear optional? Don't worry, I won't be a wallflower -- I will definitely let everyone there know that I am your good buddy! :D

Menu Question
 

Huh. I thought that, when one was offering menu choices at all, many people generally provided a few vegetarian meals. Having friends & family who are (i) quasi-kosher-keeping jews (i.e.: kosher at home and they will eat at non-kosher restaurants with goyim, but avoid ordering the bacon cheese burger), (ii) muslim, (iii) vegetarian, (iv) vegans and (v) some weird macrobiotic shit I don't understand, I just get some vegetarian thing for them, plus a couple extra for the unexpected, and warn the caterer who they are or where they are sitting in advance so you don't put "vegetarian" among the general menu choices and get everyone whose suddenly decided they're on a diet or ate too many canapes eating the real veggies' food. The caterers usually come up with either some pasta thing, or some grilled vegetable thing, which is usually unimaginative but fine.

Bennifer and J.Lo
 

I hope this is true, for it restores meaning to my existence. However, I remain skeptical:

"The magazine 'Us Weekly' followed that story with a report of its own this week quoting Ryan Haddon, the wife of actor Christian Slater, as saying they and actress Tara Reid had joined Affleck at the club on July 17, the same night a tape was shown of he and Lopez together on "Dateline NBC" talking about their movie and real-life romance.

Haddon told the magazine their entourage, including several strippers, also returned to Slater's rented home for a private after-hours party. But contrary to the Enquirer report, Haddon said Affleck was a model of fidelity during the entire evening.

"Ben did not cheat," she was quoted as saying. "He did not have sex with anyone. Ben was listening to music, hanging out, talking to people, that's it." "

Yeah, right.