I hosted the 90210 party and quickly left town... very ‘Valerie-ish’ circa 1998. The party was not so successful as far as timing, however, any party that ends with one person ‘working things out’ and another swearing you to secrecy is 90210.
My infamous timing issue resurfaces again: my guests enjoyed, or rather, were subjected to a two hour cocktail hour, with a great appetizer combination: rosemary cornbread served with olives and cheese (thank you www.marthastewart.com for the quick breads article). I made two loaves of cornbread; one would have been sufficient. I wasn’t however, prepared to go through one pound of Gruyere within the first forty five minutes.
About thirty minutes after ‘Steve’ placed his tired head on his wife’s shoulder and declared a complete loss of patience, the meal was set for devouring. The menu proved a success among my famished friends with many coming back for seconds or thirds. Perhaps that is the key to a great response: starve everyone until it all looks good! Flourless chocolate cupcakes were popular; the plate of 20 mini cupcakes empty by night’s end.
In retrospect, I should have stuffed seasoned and tied the chickens before my guests arrived. Not only is it unattractive to be seen shoving things into the cavity of a dead animal, it was way more time-intensive than I planned.
Though it was not my proudest party; hungry people circling the kitchen as I stared into the oven willing the poultry to reach a non life-threatening temperature, it was still an enjoyable night. We laughed, traded stories, and prepared for the holiday to come. We‘re not family, but in our own way glad to come together.... or at least that’s what we said after 6 bottles of wine.
Cooking Notes:
Roasting sweet potatoes and onions before throwing them onto a bed of spinach not only made a great side dish, but served as a fantastic lunch the following afternoon. I look forward to trying this with more root vegetables.
Who’s Who of the party?
Who gets to be Dylan and who’s David Silver? Which girl gets the coveted title of Kelly Taylor, while another is stuck with Andrea Zuckerman? Since we were only able to label a Steve and his Korean wife, (anyone remember her name?) I guess it calls for a repeat with this group. I think I’ll do a make-ahead meal!
The Party in Numbers:
Parties Completed: 12
Weeks Before Deadline: 40
Justified Purchases: wine bucket (will no longer use the stock pot for this purpose)
Bottles Consumed: 6
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