A Cook's Illustrated Dinner( almost).....

You know how sometimes there are just days where you shouldnt be cooking. Well, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday were those days for me. Unfortunatly, I had a catering job that I could not cancel so I had to suck it up and do it even though I was so sick. I even called the client and told them I had a bad cold/cough but they were ok with it so cook I did.

We got back from Florida late Wednesday night. On Thursday, I made miniature lemon tartlets, mini vanilla bean cheesecakes and chocolate pot de cremes( CI). However, I read the recipe wrong( and left out 1 cup of heavy cream) so the pot de cremes, turned into bittersweet chocolate truffle ramekins with frangelico whipped cream.

On Friday I made the thai grilled shrimp w/ chili lime mayo( app) at home. At the event I made a warm spinach bacon salad( CI), pan roasted chicken breasts with sage/vermouth sauce, smashed red potatoes with garlic and rosemary and green beans with toasted pine nuts and browned butter. The original recipe called for toasted hazelnuts, but I burnt those at home so I subbed out Pine nuts. I told you, I shouldnt have been cooking. I had no sense of taste either ( due to the cold)so I brought an assistant with me to help with plating, serving and tasting. I'm happy to say that there wasnt one speck of food left on anyone's plate. Of course then I worried that I didnt buy enough food. I usually always have leftovers when I cook, but the one thing I learned working for Barb is that caterer's dont provide seconds. Everything is quoted as so many items per person.

Last year I made a soup/salad for this same client. Next week I'll be doing an office party for them however this one is thru Barb( the caterer).

I worked on Saturday and Sunday for Barb too and I definately should NOT have been cooking on those days either. Today is a day of rest, that is for sure!!