Tuesday, December 12, 2006
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!!
Wow! What an impressive meal, Randi. And you did it all practically from your death bed! Congrats. And I'm glad you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteOne question...where's a pic of the shrimp? Was it hot or cold? Just curious...
--Gina (lindseysluscious.blogspot.com)
P.S. I have tried to post this comment five times and it won't let me! I am going to post as "anonymous."