The Perfect Dinner Party: Who Wins?

I'll admit it: As the mother of a teen boy, I'm a sucker for good answers from 14-year-old sons. So Paige Ladd is the first-place winner in my kitchen-stuff giveaway, for her answer to my question about which six people, living or gone, would be around the table at your dream dinner party:

"I read the paper in the morning while my 14-year-old son prepped for his school day. I posed your question to my son, then struggled to maintain my composure when he quickly and emphatically responded with simply the best answer possible (to me anyway): 'My family . . . of course.'"

Paige, you and your son get the set of Trudeau Stress-Less kitchen tools.

2nd prize, Pyrex's new Easy Grab baking dish, goes to Windy Sabin, for her amusing answer:
"Ben Franklin - kitchen gadget inventions. Julie Andrews - the REAL Mary Poppins. James Earl Jones - live 'Star Wars' quotes from Vader. Hugh Jackman - make sister jealous. Queen Elizabeth I - if she can save England, she can save awkward moments at dinner. Kermit the Frog - can't go wrong with a banjo-playing frog."

And 3rd prize, a copy of the book "Just Married & Cooking," by Brooke Parkhurst and James Briscione (Scribner, $30), goes to Joy Hardison: "Barbara Bush, Queen Elizabeth, Rachael Ray, Andrea Bocelli, Charlie Gibson and my husband, Lawson Hardison. Conversation is more important than the menu. Gibson asks the questions and perhaps Bocelli would sing for his supper. Rachael would help me if needed, and my husband would be there so I could talk with him about the evening for the rest of my life!"

And just for fun, here are a few more of the dozens of answers I received:

Cathy Nechin: "Julia Child (always wonderful company), Rachael Ray (love her warm personality), Craig Claiborne (for his urbanity), Kathleen Purvis (local food and organic cooking), Helen Schwab (mystery woman), and my sister, Belinda Hodges, an open-minded yet practical cook."

Pat Jampol: "Hero, Capt. Sully Sullenberger; religious leader, David Chadwick; philanthropist, Melinda Gates; musician, Paul McCartney; food guru, Rachael Ray; and the widow of Carnegie Mellon physics professor Randy Pasch."

Bob Bruzik: "Nostradamus, for reactions to his predictions past or future; Lee Harvey Oswald to see if he acted alone; both of my grandmothers as they passed away before I was born; Benjamin Franklin because of his creative thinking; and Martin Luther King Jr. to see how his 'Dream' has progressed or regressed."

Ron Gensemer: "Rick Harrison of 'Pawn Stars' - he knows a lot about everything. Bob Dylan - he's been there and done that. Criss Angel - a fascinating individual. Jodie Foster - one of the most brilliant women alive. Barack Obama - he seems friendly and well-rounded."

Kenza Wingate: "Rob Lowe - after reading his book, I have juicy questions. Steven Tyler - oddly fascinating. Lady Gaga - no telling what she would wear. Pat Conroy - I could listen to his stories all night. Ellen Degeneres - she seems like a genuinely nice person. My best friend - always excellent company at any event."