I love everything about cooking for a party.
I love the shopping for your ingredients, especially if it involves something I've never used before,like smoked paprika, gold leaf, and saffron. In this case I even needed a paella pan. The wonderful Spanish deli I went to had an enormous one, it would feed a hundred, imagine that.
I love the books I accumulate along the way with sticky notes and pages of recipes and the plans I scrawl out over endless cups of tea. The friends that sit around with you and listen to your ideas, the way they try and reign your ideas back a little, they keep reminding you that the aim is that you have fun. The same friends that come around the night before to prep with you.
I loved most of all the communal cooking. It felt very Like Water for Chocolate.
We had corn-chip crusted crab cakes with lime and mango mojo, sticky pine nuts and artichoke, gazpatcho (which so looked like vomit I couldn't serve it), fire-roasted peppers with caramelised onion and goats cheese quesadillas, manchego (this sheep's cheese was so good, my husband would not stop making "love ewe" jokes) served with membrillo quince paste, belinis, empanadas (these were beyond good, it took two people to keep Aaron off them), and of course paella.
Oh, and of course, the cake! It was a chocolate almond from Julia Childs, with chocolate butter icing.
Did I go to far?
I love the shopping for your ingredients, especially if it involves something I've never used before,like smoked paprika, gold leaf, and saffron. In this case I even needed a paella pan. The wonderful Spanish deli I went to had an enormous one, it would feed a hundred, imagine that.
I loved most of all the communal cooking. It felt very Like Water for Chocolate.
We had corn-chip crusted crab cakes with lime and mango mojo, sticky pine nuts and artichoke, gazpatcho (which so looked like vomit I couldn't serve it), fire-roasted peppers with caramelised onion and goats cheese quesadillas, manchego (this sheep's cheese was so good, my husband would not stop making "love ewe" jokes) served with membrillo quince paste, belinis, empanadas (these were beyond good, it took two people to keep Aaron off them), and of course paella.
Oh, and of course, the cake! It was a chocolate almond from Julia Childs, with chocolate butter icing.
Did I go to far?
My goodness, it all looks so incredibly delicious! The paella and cake look particularly good. I've been admiring all the 20's clothes in the new Underbelly.
ReplyDeleteYUM! That sounds like an epic amount of preparation!!!
ReplyDeleteWas that Casa Iberica? I went there recently to get a paella pan and all the other goodies and I fell in love with the place! I now have paella at least once a week!!!
@ Phoebe that was Casa Iberica, I had never been before and thought it was amazing. They make really great empanadas as well, I had only bought 2 to share with 2 of my kids and they just wanted more and more.
ReplyDelete