Making 2 appetizers with multiple dips, 1 main with a vegetarian option, 3 side dishes and 2 desserts for 8 people may seem impossible for one man. Well if not impossible, then highly inprobable. Shortly after posting the invite it began to dawn on me that my biggest challenge would not be to make these dishes, but to have them done and ready at the appropriate time for serving.
So, I began working on my chart...Yes, I made a chart. With most of my cooking challenges I get myself a nice new notepad to take down notes, recipes, shopping lists, and make prep charts. I began working backwards from the night of the event to prepping, to ingredients, marinades, sauces, to buying ingredients, until I had it down to the smallest detail. Long streetcar rides are great for making charts.
Starting two weeks before the event I began purchasing all the non-perishable ingredients. I also attempted to make pre-made meals as to keep the kitchen free of any unnecessary ingredients or cooking. That didn't work out so well, but I tried my best to stick to sandwhiches and indian boil in a bag meals. I think I also made and froze some potstickers which had me up til 4 in the morning, I watched Solomon Kane, it was a grand ole time.
Week of the event I started buying the longer lasting perishables, onions, lemongrass, galangal, etc. and made my red curry paste and I also started the dessert, Ice cream will keep for a week, as will a couple of pie crusts. And slowly throughout the week I bought groceries, made marinades and sauces, and did as much as I could before the night of, thinking I'd just throw everything together and heat it all up. Easy Peasy...So how did I end up standing in my kitchen for 12 hours straight, madly squeezing limes and slicing mangos?
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