Adventures in Catering
Scallop Ceviche in Cucumber Cups
So Thursday night I catered a cocktail party for 15 people and let me tell you, it took me all of yesterday to recover. The cooking itself was not particularly difficult, but combined with the menu planning, the inevitable readjustments, the shopping and the assembly, I had my work cut out for me. I spent all of Wednesday (til 3am…) cooking and baking and then Thursday morning I spent another few hours cooking and prepping garnishes. By the time 3pm rolled around, it was time for me to go to the client’s house and start setting up platters and assembling dishes. It was at this point that I started to realize why there are so few parties catered by a sole individual. This was a lot of work! Not only was I in charge of keeping the polenta triangles, beef, and chicken warm in the oven, but I had to use that same oven to toast the bread. This meant switching back and forth from the broiler to the lowest setting on the oven all night, while simultaneously assembling and refilling platters of appetizers and keeping the garnishes fresh.
Thankfully, the night went perfectly smoothly and everyone was delighted by the food, the atmosphere, and the company. I was very anxious about not having enough food, since 15 adults can be a vague number to cook for. Are they big eaters? Are they just interested in drinking and will nibble on something once in a while? Who knew? Not me at least. In the end, there were a few leftovers, but I calculated well. Those interested in eating balanced out those abstaining, and I never ran out of a dish, nor did I have too much left over. My menu is listed below, as well as a few pictures from the event. Please excuse the picture quality here, since taking well adjusted pictures was the farthest thing from my mind that night. Btw, if you’re ever interested in catering a party yourself, I highly suggesst making up some business cards. They’re no more than $10 on many websites, such as overnightprints.com, vistaprint.com, and 123print.com, and some are even free. The moral of the story? Cook as much as you can ahead of time, including preparing your garnishes, and you’ll be well prepared for a smoothly executed evening. Recipes will be posted tomorrow. Today, I rest. : )
Menu:
Muhammara Spread (on whole grain crackers)
Blue Cheese Mousse (on water crackers, made with Valdeon)
Homemade Blue Cheese and Pecan Crackers
Scallop Ceviche in Cucumber Cups
Crab and Avocado Profiteroles
Roast Beef with Pesto Cream on Homemade Garlic and Herb Focaccia
Rosemary and Lemon Chicken with Black Olives on Thyme-infused Polenta Triangles
Chocolate Meringue Sandwich Cookies
Boysenberry Bars
Coconut and Tropical Fruit Chewy Cookies
Mini Chocolate Rum Balls
Spiced Glazed Nuts
Pics:
blue cheese mousse
scallop ceviche, marinating
crab and avocado profiteroles
-M 
