party cooking

As promised, I am back with some recipes from our little party a couple weeks ago. 

Now, I am not new to cooking for a crowd in a home kitchen (or professional one, for that matter, but there are fast dishwashers and fancy tools and generally more space in a professional kitchen), but it can be daunting to me too.

A few tips about planning I have learned along the way (I still have much more to learn, so if you have any good tips, please leave them in the comments section!):

I am a strong believer in lists; they will help you get and stay organized.  Besides, it is super satisfying to cross completed items off of the list (sometimes, I add something to a list that I have already completed, just so I can cross it off!). 

Figuring out how much of each item for each person can be a bit of a challenge.  My general rule of thumb is about 1/4 pound per person, depending on the item.  Keep in mind that when you cook foods, for the most part, they shrink.  Your veggies and proteins will not look as abundant as they did in your grocery basket!

I am a proponent of making too much and having leftovers, rather than having too little and hungry guests.  So when in doubt, get a little more. 

Because of our our picnic theme and our limited time to prepare these items, we kept the food really simple.  But sometimes, simple really is best.  It allows the food to shine without being too fussy.

Try to be realistic about what you are able to do in the time available.  Don't be afraid to ask for help or use items that make your life easier (have the bakery do your cake, for example).   

These are the recipes for our 60-person party.  Since you would probably like to prepare less than that amount, the recipes can easily be cut down to more manageable sizes. 

Green Bean Salad:

8 lbs green beans, blanched and shocked

juice and zest of 4 lemons
2 diced shallots

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine and store refrigerated until ready to serve.  Can be served at room temperature. 

Potato Salad

20lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, boiled, chilled, and cut into 2inch pieces

4 cups mayonnaise

1 jar whole grain mustard

2 lbs diced bacon, cooked

1/2 cup rendered bacon fat

1 bunch chopped parsley

1 bunch chopped chives

2 diced shallots

1/2 cup cider vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and store refrigerated.
If your salad will be out of refrigeration for more than 4 hours,  place the bowl in an ice bath to keep the salad chilled.

Deviled Eggs

5 dozen hard boiled eggs, sliced in half, yolks removed

2 cups mayonnaise

1 jar whole grain mustard

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

chopped chives

Smash yolks with a potato masher and combine with mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.  

Spoon filling into emptied egg white halves. 

Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and a couple chive pieces.

Sandwiches

Whole Grain Mustard, Ham, Dubliner Cheddar on baguettes

Pesto mixed with mayo (1:1), Turkey, Provolone on baguettes

Cake

Same as this one but with a new icing.

I doubled the recipe to make 5-9" rounds. 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Evenly pour cake batter into parchment lined cake pans.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let cool 15 minutes, then remove cakes from pans. 

Allow cakes to cool completely before icing.

Icing

3-4 lbs powdered sugar

1 cup dutched cocoa

1 lb butter, softened

1 tsp salt

hot water

1 1/2 tsp. espresso powder (or 1 pouch of Starbucks Via works well)

Beat together butter, salt and cocoa.  

Dissolve coffee in hot water.  Let cool to room temperature, then mix into butter mixture. 

Blend in powdered sugar, adding more for a thicker icing, less for a thinner, more glaze-like icing.

To Assemble

makes two 9" round cakes

Cut each cake layer in half lengthwise. 

Layer cake and icing in alternating layers. 

Ice the outside of the cake and place on cake stand. 

annibirthday surprises

I'm not very good at keeping secrets.   But for the last month or so, I have had to keep mum to my Mom, someone I talk with nearly every day. 

You see, my sister and I decided to throw our parents a little party.  They have been married 35 years, which it certainly reason enough to celebrate, but they also had milestone birthdays this summer.  So we combined it all in one big surprise "annibirthday" party.

It wasn't easy, seeing as how I live in SF, my sister lives in Spokane, and the party was to be at our parents' house near Portland.  Many text messages, phone calls, shared spreadsheets and Pinterest pins helped us to organize.  Our Mom commented several times, to both of us, "It's so nice you girls are talking so often lately!"  We were sure she knew something was up.  Moms always know everything. 

But somehow, we pulled it off.

We needed a reason for our parents to be in town that weekend (after all, they are retired and like to go traveling about!), so my sister asked to come stay for the weekend, "Sam has a golf tournament in Portland," she claimed.

They had no idea my sweetie and I would be there as well. We secretly flew into Portland, carrying cakes, cookies, and sheet pans in our luggage.  Mallory and Sam picked us up at the airport with their minivan packed with party supplies (and of course, golf clubs!) as they came into town.

We had a spreadsheet dictating our tasks and their intended timing that proved to be amazingly accurate.   Taking over our friend's kitchen, we tackled the prep list.  After working into the wee hours, Mallory and Sam slipped off to our parents' house at the time they would typically arrive, had they left Spokane after work.  Tim and I stayed at our friend's house to maintain the secret.

The morning of the party, Mallory gets Mom out of the house and crossed her fingers Dad would leave as planned, just behind them.  Unfortunately, the delivery of chairs and tables arrive while Dad is still at the house, but the quick-thinking driver claims he has the wrong house.  Dad thinks nothing of it.  He later told us he saw a party down the road and he assumed that is where the furniture was meant to go.  (Whew!)

While Mallory is off entertaining our Mom and Dad is showing his MG at a car show,  we swoop in to start cleaning, placing furniture, decorating, and finishing the food.  Thanks to a team of helpers, we finish well ahead of schedule and had time to play some games and visit with guests as they begin to arrive.   

There were two very special guests that were able to come: my uncle, who sees my Dad (his brother) approximately every 5 years and made the trip from Georgia, and my Mom's childhood best friend who traveled over 4 hours on the same day as her grandson's wedding to attend the party for a short time.

Once my uncle arrived to the house, he and Sam head to the car show.  John surprised my Dad near his car, sneakily asking him from behind how much he wants for it.  The two of them "decide" to leave the car show and drive up the hill in the MG,  Sam following in the minivan.

Mallory calls me and pretends that I am Dad telling her not to stop by the car show because he is planning to leave early (sneaky!).  Mom and Mallory head up the hill just in front of John and Dad.

They saw the cars parked in the field and the people in their backyard, but they still didn't think this could possibly be a party for them.  All pulling into the garage at the same time, my Mom sees John in the passenger seat of the MG.  A bit confused, definitely surprised,  and already tearing up, she then sees me come greet them in the garage,  "YOU are here, too?!"

Friends, family, celebration, games and food: It was such a great party that was truly a surprise to our parents.

Now we have 35 years before we do it again!

*all photos by the talented Tim Guffin. 
** I will share recipes from the party in my next post.

it's still fig season

School is starting.  The yellow school buses have come out of hibernation.  The leaves are starting to fall.  It is finally getting warm in SF.  All signs that summer is coming to an end.

This last weekend, as we said our goodbyes to summer in the annual Labor Day holiday rituals, my sweetie and I were asked to participate in a bake sale.  My first thought was, "Figs!  What can I do with figs?!"  Because I was lazy and didn't want to go to the store, I gathered together what I had.

In my refrigerator I found some butter, a grapefruit, and (luckily!!) some fig preserves (Last year, in an attempt to hold on to some of that late summer produce, I made a few jars of fig preserves - excellent with a little goat cheese on toast, speared along with some salty prosciutto, or just eaten with your fingers from the jar.  The syrup mixes into cocktails nicely, as well).

The result was a quick and easy treat that tastes like a summer afternoon.   Thankfully, we don't have to say goodbye just yet. 

You may have noticed by now that I have a thing for figs.  Don't worry, the season will soon be over and you won't hear about them from me for awhile.  But in the meantime, if there is just one more fig-based treat to eat, make it this one! 
 

Fig Crumble Bars

makes 16- 2" squares

2 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. cold butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1/2 c. sugar

zest of half a grapefruit

1/2 t. salt

1 c. Fig Preserves*

Preheat your oven to 325F.

Mix together flour, sugar, salt and zest.

Dice butter and add to flour.

Either use a food processor and pulse the mixture until combined or crumble together with your hands, until the mixture no longer contains large pieces of butter and resembles coarse meal.

Grease or line a 9x9" baking pan with parchment.

Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan to make a 1/4" of firmly packed dough.

Spread preserves over the top of the crust.  It does not need to be super even.

Crumble the remaining dough mixture on top of the figs.

Bake at 325F for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and delicious.

*To make fig preserves:  In a heavy bottomed 4 quart stock or sauce pan, combine 5 lbs quartered figs, water (to cover),  2c. sugar,  juice and zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange, and 1 split vanilla bean pod.  Cook until figs are tender and syrup is purple.  Gently spoon figs into sterilized jars.  Pour syrup to cover fruit, leaving a 1/8" headspace.  Cap jar, invert for 10 minutes, then return right-side up and let cool.  Store under refrigeration for best flavor and color retention.