Childishness got the better of us. It was meant to be a scary prank but there was a dumb dumb casper looking ghost, Yahnee, just froze still. "What if he punched in the face!" that was her reasoning. Then came the baby powder that showered the floor rather and I forgot the toothpaste! But luckily for us, the shaving cream landed on him. Mission accomplished. We all had a good laugh and lot of fun.
This started two weeks ago, it all began out with a simple idea. Jess wanted to try the gunthers angel hair pasta I've made that i've posted on the blog. We began texting each other about dinner at home. Inviting friends over for a cosy dinner, The guest list was 6. Easy peasy isn't it? My idea was a sit down dinner, some salads to share, maybe steak for main, the pasta and a pretty dessert plus lots of wine. That was the initial menu planned. But then a fews days before the Sunday dinner The list escalated to 12 pax and dinner suddenly switched to MF prank party. We all want to get back at him big time.
I got a little frantic with this crowd and knowing all of them can eat a cow each! How to fit everybody into the tiny apartment? I can't have a sit-down dinner anymore. The menu need to be improvised. I found myself once again buzzing around at different kitchens - Cooking at home and prepping at his apartment during the day just so to keep everything hush. Prepping everything alone, enjoying every minute of the process baking, chopping, cooking… it's such an exhilarating experience, except for the house cleaning where he keeps messing up.
I love hosting dinner parties and I hadn't had one in the longest time. It feels like all those catering events I used to do. Only that it's a skewed down version and less demanding, less presentation on the plate and on the table. A little by a little, the menu grew to 10 dishes and 4 desserts. The menu I sent out on the last day consist of a huge seafood platter, oysters, prawns and clayish; guinness beef pie, smoked salmon, spanish meatballs, balsamic glazed pork ribs, duck confit, crab caesar salad, gunther's angel hair pasta, parma ham and melon, caprese salad. Dessert includes a huge palova, blueberry cheesecake, creme brûlée and tiramisu. There was load of food and I am glad to have some lovely angels help me pull these off.
My party tip follows...You want to enjoy the dinner party together with your friends and avoid the look of a disheveled host: hair matted, melted make up, running around a hot kitchen. A few things have scared people away from hosting dinner parties, such as the amount of work to be done, all the prepping and cooking and the idea of cleaning-up.
Tips for a dinner party
1. Plan the menu with dishes that can be made ahead and can be reheated in the oven or microwave. The kitchen will be kept nice and clean.
2. Prep as much as possible, all the dicing and chopping. Get all the sauces and dressing ready. All you want to do on that day is to plate up.
3. Start cooking a few days before and freeze or chill it. Choose dishes that actually improves in flavor overnight
4. Cook with your guests. Have some of your friends come early to finish up the dishes over a drink and set the table
5. You can always leave the clean up for tomorrow.
6. Enjoy and have fun!
- till next post, ss.
Labels: home party, how to host, party
