"An intelligently planned feast is like a summing up of the whole world, where each part is represented by its envoys."
- Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in The Physiology of Taste
No wonder planning a party menu feels so overwhelming. In a sense, as we plan our holiday menus, we have the "whole world" in our hands.
How are your holiday entertaining plans coming?
I'm hosting a holiday supper buffet for 50 this weekend. The meal welcome vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, entice sophisticated chowhounds while not ignoring the less adventurous eaters. Everything must be affordable, good looking, reasonable to prepare in a small kitchen in a couple of nights and taste good even at room temperature. My partner and I want pieces of the menu to represent the British and American holiday flavors we grew up with.
Developing this menu has become my personal sudoku puzzle.
What's in? Here's some highlights: Stilton with Port-Glazed Walnuts, Curried Carrot Soup Shooters, Bacon Wrapped Maple Pork Loin, mashed potatoes, Christmas Clementine Cake, and Cut Out Sugar Cookies.
What's on your menus and how can we help? Any tips to share for preparing these "intelligently planned feasts"?
Image: detail from a 1906 Christmas Menu, New York Public Library
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
you're in with the Stilton with Port-Glazed Walnuts . . . that was the best thing at my partner's work party.
outrageously good in fact.
we had a party half that size this past weekend, and ended up ditching a few of the dishes last minute when it was going to impinge on our fun. So WHAT if we didn't have time to bake spicy channa snacks, or bake sage/squash rings! I had the basics very much in order - mole negro with seitan, mole rojo with chicken, a giant salad (greens from Evolutionary Organics at GAP Greenmarket), gruyere puffs out of Bittman's TBRITW (a big hit) and lots of cookies.
And cocktails!
Have a great party. Don't forget to eat and enjoy yourself.
Guido, what cocktails did you make?
I always ditch a few things as it gets closer to party time too. That, itself, becomes part of the tradition, you're right.
Hi...I've never posted before, but I had to share that I made Grant's chicken empanadas (from well fed) last weekend for a party and they were a HUGE hit. I will be making them again soon.
The rest of the menu was mini beef tenderloin sandwiches, bacon-wrapped dates, roast potatoes with blue cheese and bacon,carmelized onion dip, and plain ole veggie tray. It was my first time ever hosting a party that large, and although my menu was a little all over the place, I am pretty proud of myself!