- Select a card at random from a shuffled pack.
- The suit of the card determines the theme of the challenge:
- Hearts = go out for dinner
- Diamonds = get a take away
- Clubs = 'Supermarket Sweep' - find something meal-worthy from your nearest convenience store on a limited budget
- Spades = 'Kitchen Cupboard Challenge' - cobble together a meal from a limited number of ingredients, also restricted to whatever is already in the house
- The number of the card (ace = 1 or 11, picture cards 10) dictates your menu choice if eating out or getting a take away, or your supermarket budget (in £), or the number of ingredients to use for your makeshift meal.
- Once the initial theme card has been selected, the rest of the group can take a card to add some different numbers to the mix if necessary.
Stop reading now if you get bored by hearing what other people have eaten (that's everyone then).
We picked the 9 of diamonds, followed by an ace, so went for an Indian take away, selecting options 1 and 9 from the starters, special mains and sundries. I would never have willingly chosen the 'girl curry' we ended up with, or a paratha naan, but I'm very glad the cards made me do it, as it was all delicious and experimental. We could also laugh about 'what could have happened' had the ace of spades come out (giant pile of fish fingers anyone?).
Verdict: A late 2013 goal for experimental living.
