Catering?

I am catering my mother's annual department party. I have negligible catering experience. I am terrified. To preface, it is supposed to be real casual and outside, under the rental tent, so don't talk to me about menu appropriateness.

The numbers:

40 adults (estimated)

12 kids (estimated)

4 pm-8 pm

My menu:

Smoked salmon on toasted marble rye with cream cheese, capers, and dill(the salmon was a gift to my mother).

Various store bought chips and dip

cheese plate and crackers

roasted beet, shaved fennel, gorgonzola, parsley salad

chickpea, feta, chiffonade baby spinach, shallot, lemon vinaigrette salad

watermelon, jicama, red onion, blackberry vinaigrette

potato, caper, cornichon, red onion, tarragon, thyme, mayo salad

green salad

dinner rolls

sirloin tips with barbeque sauce

chicken breasts with lemon, garlic, oregano, thyme marinade

burgers/hot dogs/veggie burgers

fudge walnut brownies

chocolate chip cookies

lime curd bars

blackberries with sabayon

OK, I know it looks like alot. But all the desserts are made ahead. Most of the composed salads are made ahead, so all I have to do is some knife skills and dress them. I've made all the dressings/marinades ahead. And the composed salads can sit for several hours without fear of wilting.

So all I really have to do is man the grill for about 3 hours. And my brother in law will refill ice in the cooler and flip burgers for a bit if I ask him. I am still freaking out that I've taken on too much.

custardy goodness

I had to make eggnog for work this week. Last week I saw it on sale at Astor Wines, pre-mixed with booze, but it was all gone by the time I got there. So I made a basic imitation, creme anglais (1 qt heavy cream, 6 yolks, 1 cup sugar). It ended up in the fridge in the studio for a few days, and when I was cleaning out the fridge on friday, Inspiration!

So I brought it home and put it in the ice cream machine with two boxes of blackberries, which were also leftovers. I mashed the berries a bit with a pastry cutter (yeah improvization!) before mixing them in.

It is in the freezer now, and I'll take a picture if I don't eat it all.