Roman Murder Mystery Dinner Party

J and I hosted a murder mystery dinner party this past weekend. It was set in ancient Rome. My goal was to find palatable recipes that echoed what would have been eaten during the period. Pork was very popular with the elite of the day, so that was the main dish. More details below!




Drinks:

• Wines (Sparkling wines, Merlots and Chiantis)
• Roman Holiday Cocktail (modified)

Roman Holiday Original Recipe:
Muddle together double shot Sambuca, half of a lime, four raspberries.
Shake with ice.
Pour into tall glass filled with ice. Add 6 oz. of tonic water.

Our modified recipe:
Muddle together shot of Sambuca, half of a lime, four raspberries.
Shake with ice.
Pour into tall glass filled with ice. Add 6 oz. of lemon-lime soda (we used 7-Up).

Our dining room, set for eight.  

Appetizers:

• Crusty bread with basil-balsamic-olive oil dip
• Appetizer plate with grapes, olives, and cheese (a very tasty jack cheese with leeks, button mushrooms, etc.)



Appetizers!

Dinner (special thanks to Kels for the pork loin and roasted veggies/fruits recipes):

• Salad with yellow and orange bell pepper, Parmesan and dressings (Italian, Raspberry Vinaigrette)
• Prosciutto wrapped pork loin with thyme and honey
• Roasted sweet potatoes and pears

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Loin with Thyme and Honey Recipe:

2- 1.5 lb pork loins
1/2 lb. sliced prosciutto (about ten slices)
Fresh thyme
Honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse pork loins and pat dry. Trim excess fat.
Wrap pork loins with sliced prosciutto. Top with fresh thyme and drizzle honey over that.
Cook for 45 minutes in the oven, until prosciutto is crisping.
Let pork rest for a few minutes before cutting and serving!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears Recipe:

4 large sweet potatoes
6 pears
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut up sweet potatoes and pears in half inch strip pieces. You'll want to keep the pears and potatoes separate for now since they will cook at the same temperature but for different times.
Toss with olive oil to coat and salt and pepper to taste.
On a large roasting pan place the sweet potatoes. Cook for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add pears to potatoes and roast an additional 10 minutes.

Dinner menu...

Dessert (unfortunately, no pictures...):

• Pecan Pie (totally store-bought)
• Nutella Fondue with pineapple, strawberry, banana, and potato chips

Nutella Fondue Recipe:

Jar of Nutella
Cream
Bananas, Strawberries, Pineapple, potato chips (This is what we used for our party, but you can use any other fruits, pretzels, angel food cake.)

In a small saucepan (or a fondue pot) add as much Nutella as desired. Add cream as desired and patiently stir together until heated and incorporated. I used about three or four parts Nutella to one part cream, making a thicker fondue sauce. As the Nutella heats with the cream it will become less thick. You can always add more cream for the consistency you'd like, but you can't always take it out!