Because I really love to cook, I really love to host parties...so I can feed people. When I moved to Connecticut from THE city, I thought my social life was over. I mean, who of my friends was going to get on a subway, to get on Metro North, to cab it to my house just for a party? A three legged journey just seemed too much to ask of my Manhattanite crowd. So, the thought of a housewarming just seemed like a waste of time.
I was convinced no one would come. I figured the EVITE would have all NOs and we would be banished to the suburbs forever! Ok, a bit dramatic but when you have a party, you always want a great turn out, no? However, my husband, the eternal optimist figured we would invite everyone we knew and even if it turned out to be a few people, we would still have fun, and lots of good leftovers.
It turns out; I have some pretty amazing friends. We had a great party, with lots of guests and finally, a place with lots of space to enjoy. At one point in the night, as I was grinning from ear to ear, I turned to a friend and said, “I can’t believe you all came!” He looked at me and said, “Anna, do you think we would ever miss an opportunity to eat YOUR food?” Now that made my night!
So, the moral of the story is that if you want your friends to travel far and wide to come to an affair, you have to feed them and feed them well. Therefore, some nuts and pretzels aren't gonna cut it. Here are a few things I do to plan and execute a successful party:
1. Le Menu – Planning the menu is the most important part. I sift through cookbooks, web surf and review old menus of mine (yes, I keep them all) to figure out WHAT I want to serve.
2. Theme – This step goes hand and hand with menu planning. I decide if I’m doing one particular cuisine like Italian or Mexican. I also decide if I am doing all finger foods or maybe a sit down with a few passed appetizers.
3. SHOP! - As I’m picking recipes, I start making a shopping list of ingredients I will need. Then, I have one master list of all items for all the dishes.
4. Prep– A few days before I see what recipes or portions of recipes can be made before the big day. Then, on party day, I’m not cooking for 8 hours and exhausted by the time the guests arrive. I’ll even chop veggies and make dips because most items stay fresh for at least 24 hours. I also store ingredients together in the refrigerator so they are easier to grab as I make each dish.
5. Game Day – Get everything as close to done before guests arrive. Make sure all appetizers are out when people walk in so they can munch (and not bug you) while you work on last minute touches like plating and removing hot foods from the oven.
6. HAVE FUN! No point doing all this work if you are just going to stress around your guests. Whatever you do will be much appreciated as most people love anything that didn’t come from the frozen food aisle or a greasy paper bag.
This post’s recipe is Brie En Croute – Party Version. This appetizer is served in the middle of a serving platter garnished with crackers and maybe some fruit for color.
It is always GONE by the end of the night and so easy to make!
Brie En Croute – Party Version
1 Brie Round
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup dried cherrys or cranberries
1 square puff pastry
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350. Cut Brie in half sideways and remove top. Cover bottom half with brown sugar, then sprinkle nuts and dried fruit. Place top half and press down.
Roll out puff pastry to make it more pliable and place on top of Brie. Fold over sides so the brie is covered completely like a package. Beat egg and brush all over pastry.
Place in the oven and heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove once puff pastry is golden brown and puffed.
For presentation, cut one small sliver out so inside oozes out. Eat small sliver before guests arrive, haha!
