Dinner for 30!

This past weekend A. and I had a party, for 30.  I did a lot of the cooking.   Yes, it was a bit hectic.  But it was also a lot of fun.

The key to catering your own party is to plan carefully and choose recipes wisely, so that you can finish everything in good time and avoid exhaustion (allowing you to enjoy the preparations and the party itself).  Last year I was a bit insane busy with last-minute cooking and the party ended up being somewhat of a blur, but this year things were more under control, and by the time the drinking started I was relaxed and rested and ready.

(Can I talk about cooking on this blog?  This isn't by any means a food blog, but it would feel odd to leave it out since I love to cook and do so often.  Anyway, dear reader, consider yourself warned.)

Last year I learned a few lessons.  (1) When people have been drinking and eating appetizers for an hour, they are not very hungry and eat only very small servings of the main courses.  (2) Hardly anyone actually wants a dinner roll with dinner.  (3) Lettuce wilts easily; for a crowd, stick with sturdier vegetables.  (4) The limiting factor is the fridge, followed by the oven.

This year's menu (there was a Scottish and French theme going on):

Gruyère gougères
Smoked salmon canapés
Endive spears with blue cheese

Poached salmon*
Rumbledethumps*
Caramelized onion and cauliflower tart
Asparagus and tomato salad
Butter and radish tartines

Cake*
Almond shortbread cookies

*I didn't make these

I think the food was good overall; it was definitely better than last year.  The highlights were the gougères, the tart, and the tartines.  And I learned more lessons!  This year's takeaway: (1) Completely avoid recipes that require last-minute fine-tuning.  The endive and blue cheese things were lovely when I tested them in small batches, but not quite perfect when I threw together a very large batch in a bit of a hurry.  (2) Purchased cake just doesn't compare to homemade.  (3) Most people want bread with their dinner if you put enough butter and sea salt on it.  And sliced radishes make it nice and pretty.  (4)  Buy less beer, and more white wine.  I'm surprised by this, but the evidence was irrefutable!  (5)  Have a backup bartender.  They have a tendency to get sick the day of the event and cancel on you, forcing you to hire the first person who answers your desperate last-minute craigslist plea, who will turn out to be very sweet and cooperative, but who will also ask you how to make a gin-and-tonic, thus letting you know that they do not in fact have any bartending experience.

It was fun though!  Really.