We, the girls, chose the veggie dishes, starter and dessert. For the guys, the main dish - a beautifully trimmed fillet - and the onion dish.
"What's Brûléed?" said one as the cooking started. " Where do you keep the roasting pans?" asked another. "I think these knives need sharpening," shouted my husband, Peter.
It was becoming chaotic, even competitive as we vied for equipment, territory on the counter tops, gas hob and oven - and the dishes started piling up around the sink.
Clearly some of the chefs who'd written the recipes aren't the ones doing the washing up... It was time for another round of gin and tonics.
The detailed recipe cards with pictures - although a little wordy - made it easier, but in some instances the ingredients were missing in the method.
VERDICT
It was great fun. When the dishes started rolling out we were chuffed with our efforts - and hungry. Did ours match the photographs on the recipe cards?
The dishes were very generous - or perhaps in hindsight, we could have made a better menu selection.