I have probably had better ideas in my time....

[Jenise]

...it started with friends Gary and Jeff who wanted to give my husband a robe. Not just any robe, but a bright red robe that each one has. They want to create an Order of the Red Robe For Men of Leisure and induct Bob into same on his birthday. Gary said "Let's have it at my house!" and I said, "Let's make everyone wear jammies!", and there it was, on the agenda. I am supplying the food and wine.

We decided it should be a surprise party, of course. That will be next Saturday night. We've invited about 40 people. So all the food has to be made ahead of time and delivered to others to others who will be deputized to reheat/assemble/plate the foods on my behalf.

It sounded so easy a month ago.

But just about an hour ago Bob said he was going to take Friday off so, already short of time, I now have to finish what remains to be done (and delivered) by Thursday. What have I done so far? Well, last week 16 lbs of lean roast beef was browned, boiled and thinly sliced for cocktail french dip sandwiches. The jus was reduced and seasoned and poured over. About 8 dozen stuffed grape leaves (dolma) are also made, ready to be baked off. Both the beef and the dolma are frozen in large aluminum trays and sitting in the freezer. I have an 8 lb whole round of gouda and I bought a lateral slicer so that people can help themselves to cheese. A whole filet of white king salmon will be custom smoked in Seattle, picked up and delivered by one of the invitees whose primary residence is there, they're only here on weekends. I am going to make the blue cheese and walnut terrine I posted here a little bit ago. I'll make a huge bowl of Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts (brown sugar, cayenne and fresh rosemary glaze). For a vegetable, a huge pile of boiled asparagus with an anchovy-basil tapenade for dipping would be great, but of course the asparagus can't be done ahead. The typical crudite platter holds no appeal.

I just spent the last hour looking through recipe books for do-ahead ideas, and I rejected virtually every recipe because of timing issues. Anybody have any tried and true ideas to recommend?

Besides hiring a caterer.

Hmm.

Does the vegetable course need to be hot?

Could you do a cold haricots vert salad of some kind? Or a mustard vinaigrette potato salad using baby red potatoes? I have a recipe for a 7 grain salad that is really terrific. Or maybe an upscale pasta salad?

I'll keep thinking about this. And really, what were you thinking?

What is dessert?

[Jenise]

No salads--this is all tapas, finger foods. Things that don't require utensils to make life easier on both me and our hosts. Vegetables are just neccessary for the sake of color, nutrition and freshness.

Pasta salad--now THERE'S the seed of a great idea. How about little skewers of cooked tortellini, olives, mushrooms, and maybe thick zuccini slices, all marinated in a garlicky vinaigrette? That could all be prepped to the skewer point on Thursday and handed over to someone to finish very easily on Saturday! It's on the menu!

That would work, Jenise! And... yum!

How old is Bob turning? What time is the event and what's the address?

And dessert? What's for dessert? (Obviously, I am all about dessert..... )

[Jenise]

Speaking of "pasta salad", I'm overworking this (which is why my schedule's in trouble--AS usual!), but I'm suddenly picturing lengths of marinated zucchini wearing little rigatoni jackets, tied with little 'strings' of blanched green onion. HMMMMMMMM....

Dessert? What dessert?

Jenise, Bob hasn't noticed 16lbs of sliced beef in the freezer ?

What about chicken wing pieces ? Easy to do ahead and put them in the oven to cook when you get there. They are harder to hide, though. And pastry thingies - like curry puffs, or spinach and cheese in filo ? Satay skewers ? Or spiced skewered chicken fillets served with a yoghurt dip ?

Vegetables are just neccessary for the sake of color!

Yup, that about sums it up.

I like the idea of small stuffed pasta on toothpicks with a pesto dippig sauce.....

Did someone say dessert? A spread like this calls for a simple citrus pound cake (3 or 4 of them should do) drizzled with a lemon glaze. Serve with a fresh fruit medley and whipped cream on the side for those who are so inclined.

[Jenise]

Vegetables are just neccessary for the sake of color!

Yup, that about sums it up.

I like the idea of small stuffed pasta on toothpicks with a pesto dippig sauce.....

I like how you edited out "nutrition" when you quoted me.

[Jenise]

Jenise, Bob hasn't noticed 16lbs of sliced beef in the freezer ?

What about chicken wing pieces ? Easy to do ahead and put them in the oven to cook when you get there. They are harder to hide, though. And pastry thingies - like curry puffs, or spinach and cheese in filo ? Satay skewers ? Or spiced skewered chicken fillets served with a yoghurt dip ?

I can't do chicken wings because I can't tie up the oven (they only have one) with one thing for that long. The French dips (tray after tray running several times throughout the evening) will negate just about any other use, though things that bake quickly (like curry puffs) could be worked in/alternated.

Yes, I was able to hide all that beef in the freezer--they're on the bottom shelf in my side by side, covered by....TATER TOTS!!!!

it started with friends Gary and Jeff who wanted to give my husband a robe. Not just any robe, but a bright red robe that each one has

Are, um, Gary and Jeff straight? Not that there is anything at all wrong with them if they are not, but I've never known two or even one guy that would want to give me a bright red robe. For any reason.

[Jenise]

Are, um, Gary and Jeff straight? Not that there is anything at all wrong with them if they are not, but I've never known two or even one guy that would want to give me a bright red robe.

VERY straight. They're so straight they both voted for Bush. (rim shot) And the robes are gorgeous.

Say, here's a picture of Gary helping me serve at a dinner party. He didn't think the apron I handed him went well with the outfit he arrived in, so.... (Bill Spohn--recognize anyone?)

DSC02567.JPG

LOL! Is that Bob at the head of the table in the blue shirt shaking his fist and ordering the guy to put his trousers back on before the Mayor arrives?

[

But Gary's...unusual. Here's a picture of him helping me serve at a dinner party. He didn't think the apron I handed him went well with the outfit he arrived in, so.... (Bill Spohn--recognize anyone?)

DSC02567.JPG

Thank goodness he goes with boxers over briefs.

Jenise, you probably do your best work under the gun ! I have a couple of ideas for veg. I like the anchovy use so....1.an escalibada type platter of roasted vegetables - asparagus, red pepper, zucchini, eggplant, onions - your choice- I would do 2, 3 at most marinated in an anchovy/basil marinade This is more dressed ahead of time and left to deepen flavors and served at room temp. Any other marinade would do as well.
2. Boiled green beans tossed with EVOO and dressed with a vinaigrette of chopped anchovies, capers, lemon juice, EVOO, garnished with olives and basil.
3. If you have a nice variety of mushrooms- Fungi Trifolati - mushrooms sauteed in EVOO with garlic, chopped parsley at the end. Nice at room temp.
4. If you can find them, cipolline - those small, very flat Italian onions in agrodolce are also good at room temp. Many vegetables can be steamed and dressed and left to develop flavor in this way.
5.Along the green bean line...green beans,boiled crisp tender, raw celery root julienned to 1/8-1/4" dressed with a mustard vinaigrette
6. A salad that I turned my nose up when it was described but turned out to be a hit when served- crisp steamed sugar snap peas, small shrimp and quartered strawberrries dressed with lime juice, ginger, sambal oleek, honey,EVOO and chopped fresh mint. Not sure how well this would integrate with the rest of your menu though.

Sounds like the dessert may already be taken care of but I would second the citrus poundcake- I have a great orange cheese poundcake that gets baked in a 12" pan and serves 20. I also like the Italian cornmeal cookies -Zaleti- like a drier shortbread -great with coffee or the biscotti di Prato - almond biscotti for dipping in vin Santo.

What fun!

[Jenise]

Thank goodness he goes with boxers over briefs.

I think this was the point of undressing--those boxers are the Playboy boxers I gave him last year for a birthday present afer catching him out getting his paper in the aforementioned bright red robe, and dubbing him 'Hef'.

Yes, I was able to hide all that beef in the freezer--they're on the bottom shelf in my side by side, covered by....TATER TOTS!!!!

LOL ! Too funny, girlfriend !

Do ahead stuff?

Lasagna

Any item in any cookbook by Diane Phillips, the "Diva of Do-Ahead." We are partial to the Santa Maria Barbecue Tri-Tip Roast which can be cooked ahead of time and just brought to room temp or slightly warmed before slicing and serving. This is two tri-tip roasts rolled into a log and covered with a dry rub (paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, etc) and then roasted or BBQd to medium rare. Serve alone or with small buns for mini-sandwiches.

We also like the Green Beans and Smoked Mozzarella Salad. The cheese is cut into matchsticks then combined with the green beans and chopped scallions. Just before serving toss with a balsamic vinaigrette. Mix in some pine nuts and toss again. Garnish with pine nuts and parsley.

[Jenise]

1.an escalibada type platter of roasted vegetables - asparagus, red pepper, zucchini, eggplant, onions - your choice- I would do 2, 3 at most marinated in an anchovy/basil marinade This is more dressed ahead of time and left to deepen flavors and served at room temp. Any other marinade would do as well.

Christina, would you prep these two days in advance? Everything I make has to be finished and turned over to someone else by Thursday--I would worry about zucchini and asparagus holding up as they tend to weep overnight. The others you mention would be fine, and I love the idea of serving roasted vegetables. Just nervous about some of the components you mention.

Love the cipoline suggestion. We can get them here sometimes.

Love the green bean idea too, but green beans are really sad here right now. Or at least they were on Sunday.

What an interesting salad--I react as you did. Shrimp and strawberries are not, offhand, an intuitive combination in my world! But salads are basically out--this needs to be all large-piece finger food as the guests will mostly be standing all night.

I love the idea of the citrus pound cake, but I have ordered the cake. It's the one easy place to cut down on my workload, so I did it!

I've decided to add some crostini to the mix. Easy to do, easy to eat, great to look at. For a contrast in colors/flavors, I've chosen to do a feta cheese and green chile (thank you again, Larry!) combination, as well as grilled shrimp served on a saffron and red pepper rouille.

I am now at:

whole filet of smoked king salmon
mini hot French dip sandwiches
walnut and blue cheese terrine with rasin-nut crisps
marinated olive, mushroom and tortellini skewers
stuffed grape leaves (lamb and chicken)
bar nuts
gouda wheel
duck and black truffle pate
feta cheese and green chile crostini
shrimp and saffron/red pepper rouille crostini
fresh strawberries

I think I have a volunteer to cook the asparagus for me on Saturday afternoon, so I'll be able to serve that as a finger food/vegetable in addition to the skewers. Just have to decide whether to do the anchovy-basil dip (hope I can find the recipe, been ages since I made it--it's ugly as hell but absolutely delicious with asparagus) or just dress it with olive oil, lemon and parmesan.

Jo Ann's suggestion prompted me to make sure there's some fresh fruit on the table.

[Jenise]

Do ahead stuff?

Lasagna

Any item in any cookbook by Diane Phillips, the "Diva of Do-Ahead." We are partial to the Santa Maria Barbecue Tri-Tip Roast which can be cooked ahead of time and just brought to room temp or slightly warmed before slicing and serving. This is two tri-tip roasts rolled into a log and covered with a dry rub (paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, etc) and then roasted or BBQd to medium rare. Serve alone or with small buns for mini-sandwiches.

We also like the Green Beans and Smoked Mozzarella Salad. The cheese is cut into matchsticks then combined with the green beans and chopped scallions. Just before serving toss with a balsamic vinaigrette. Mix in some pine nuts and toss again. Garnish with pine nuts and parsley.

Mike, both are good ideas but I can't do lasagna or salads--this is a finger food only event. The tri tip is a great party idea, I don't have that book but I've prepared tri tips in a similar way and served it the next day--I'm always surprised to find out how many people like cold steak as much as I do. I probably wouldn't opt for another beef dish in addition to the French dip sandwiches that I've already made the roast beef for, but if I hadn't already done that, the tri tip is exactly the kind of thing I'd be looking for.

DSC02567.JPG

This reminds me of one night in a restaurant kitchen where I once worked. All of the line cooks got really, really drunk and we took off our pants (and underpants for those wearing them). We left our aprons on, though. It was just like in that picture, Jenise; just no pants at all.

rwj

Jenise,
You are right about the weepiness-especially zucchini. I would have no reservation about the asparagus and red pepper though-even 2 days ahead. Sounds like you may be set as you have listed. I thought of crostini -especially asparagus/Parm - since you mentioned wanting to do something with asparagus. The elements you have listed sound great. Have fun. Counting down.......

[Jenise]

This reminds me of one night in a restaurant kitchen where I once worked. All of the line cooks got really, really drunk and we took off our pants (and underpants for those wearing them). We left our aprons on, though. It was just like in that picture, Jenise; just no pants at all.

rwj

I think if any other guy had taken off his pants too, Gary would have gone there. As long as I live I will never understand the way otherwise straight guys like to get drunk and be naked together.

As long as I live I will never understand the way otherwise straight guys like to get drunk and be naked together.

Yeah, they say they're straight.....