Creative Food

Here in Oregon most of my energies are devoted to planning and executing our youngest daughter's impending wedding. So much to do! So little time! I feel like the circus master of a three ring circus. (Or maybe a fifteen ring circus...)

In ring number one is the food....

This is a DIY wedding and I am preparing all the food for an estimated 100 guests. (I have been guilty of not RSVPing -yes, that is a modern verb- promptly as one should but never again since I am now on the other side of that custom. It is good to know how many portions of food to have ready.)

It is a mid winter wedding so we are having a warming, comforting, wintery menu that includes beouf Bourguinon (glorified beef stew); spicy, warming, chicken curry; soup for the vegetarians; winter salad, homemade cracked wheat rolls; wedding cake; home grown berry pies; and hot chocolate with marshmallows! All that will be preceded by appetizers including tiny hand pies, spicy nuts, meatballs and gruyere gougeres. Yes, that's a lot! I hope the guests will be sufficiently satiated but still ready to dance in celebration of the marriage.

So, I better stay on task and keep crossing things off my To Do list! Last weekend my creative endeavors all involved food.

I procured some oxtails from my local butcher to roast for beef broth.

Then I put them in my largest pot with some veggies. It simmered away all day until I had a nice beef broth for the beef burgundy. Samuel saw me putting whole carrots in the pot and said that I cook the same way Elmer Fudd does! Ha! But no "waskily wabbit" in sight!

Saturday I also had this birthday cake order to fulfill. The birthday girl had eaten my cake at another birthday party last summer. She raved so much about the cake that her daughter sought me out to make a cake for her celebration too. I was flattered. The colors of purple and fuchsia are the lady's favorites.

The same day I was also meeting two bridal couples to plan their summer wedding desserts. These were samples for them to taste. Yes, one wedding is cake and cupcakes, the other is pie for 250 guests. (Incidently, my best pie making assistant is getting married in a couple weeks and moving to Seattle. I am now taking applications to replace her!)

Finally, I spent my Sunday afternoon cutting up and cooking sixteen pounds of chickens thighs. (The photo shows half the ingredients) I cooked them in coconut milk and red curry paste with added ginger and garlic as a base for the curry. The week of the wedding we (my new helpers and I) will cut up red sweet peppers, onions, broccoli and cauliflower to add to the sauce.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be an exciting day as my oldest daughter arrives with five of my grandchildren! I am very anxious to snuggle with those little people!

Exciting days ahead!

Pam