cooking my birthday dinner for 15 friends

[jeniyo]

i *was* going to make myself a birthday dinner with a couple of my friends in 2 wks. as it turns out, the invitations went out and EVERYONE is coming. It is like my Christmas party crowd, we think they are deprived of holiday festivities half way through the year..

originally, i wanted to make a dinner a la julia child. Since her "birthday menu" features either duck, lamb, or chicken- i figured it is harder to sautee/3 or 4 chickens at one time.

in light that i have 15 + people coming for dinner (in my tiny apartment), i am not sure what i can make that would not kill me in the heat of august..

as a jumping off pt. i'm making TKeller's peas and carrots and what else?
a fish course?
is quiche wierd?
Verjus sorbet
simple cheese course

i'm making a big gooychocolate cake, that, i'm sure.

what to drink?

[jeniyo]

yesterday, i made a semi trial of this dinner.

Julia child's infamous chocolate mousse- very good! but quite boozy with all that grandmarnier~ hide the kids!!
buttermilk chocolate cake- in the freezer and ready to slice and stack tonite with aforementioned moose. will make a whipped ganache frosting also~ looking good; super excited.

quail escabeche, expensive tiny birds, with tiny little drumsticks does not par up to my expectations, a bit gamey, it is waaaay too small and scary looking for a main (tiny legs and wings may freak out friends.)

i am reconsidering the braised idea of either the lamb shanks or beef ribs a la bourgeone with julia's potatoes or polenta cakes.

[cassoulady]

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...
I made this braised lamb shanks with spring veggies recently, If you have two big dutch ovens you might be able to do them all, and you can make it all ahead.

[jeniyo]

Thank you! i've made this dish before also and it is very good. I always make big vats of this stuff and bolognese sauce. i'm going to talk it over tonight on what i should serve as the main~
I'm sitting here trying to visualize everyone trying to pick tiny bones off the quail... could be a nightmare.
my butcher sell his quails semi-boneless, should i leave them whole or cut them in quarters? i've never dealt with tiny birds before...

[Phurstluv]

Although I cannot picture what quail escabeche would exactly be, the bones your butcher leaves in are the leg bones, so as to give the bird some structure so it does not fall apart into a gloppy mess after cooking. Also, b/c it's very difficult & time consuming to debone the rest of the bird. Leave them in. If you think it'll be too messy a dish for the guests, consider something other than quail.

[souschef]

You can cut them in half. I think they are too small to be cut into quarters.

[normalheightsfoodie]

Contact Hardshell Lobster Company in San DIego, they sell shelled lobster meat, that might work for your crepes.

[jeniyo]

perfect. i'm in SD!

[normalheightsfoodie]

If your butcher is Iowa Meat farms they are in the same neighborhood.

[jeniyo]

cool!

[Phurstluv]

Are the crepes made ahead? I just remember what an a**pain it is to make crepes fresh for a crowd.

Is it a warm or cold crepe? Sounds like a lot of work, but you seem to be up to the task!!

[jeniyo]

it could be made ahead. I am going to poach the "meat" a day before and assemble in the morning. the crepes can be wrapped and filled on a sheet pan and lightly warmed just before plating.

yeah. lobsters are pricy. i think at this point, it is either lobsters or better wine/champagne...

[Phurstluv]

I meant the actual crepes. But good to poach the lobsters ahead & chill. Are you poaching them in butter??

And if you can get frozen langoustines, they are an acceptable sub for lobster, your guests may not even be able to tell the difference!! Especially if you're pouring good Champagne/wine....... ;)!

[goodhealthgourmet]

offering the counterpoint to Phurstluv's suggestion...if you want to spring for the lobster, you can certainly find good sparkling wines that won't break the bank.

[souschef]

If you go the lobster route you could always use the shells to make a bisque that you can use as a sauce.

[Phurstluv]

Oh, I love making lobster bisque for New Year's Eve - have done it two years in a row now!!

Shells can be frozen for later use, FYI. Nice idea re: sauce, sous chef.

[jeniyo]

i think i need at least one lobster body to make a glace that goes in the crepe. I am thinking i can get one lobster and the rest in langostine, mix it up together. AND still have the nice bubblies.

[souschef]

Not an original idea. I got it from a book called "Dining in France" , where it is used as a sauce with lobster ravioli; I have made it many times. One thing I like in particular is when you get a female lobster with eggs. The eggs add a wonderful flavour and colour to the sauce.

It is really amazing how much flavour there is in the shells.

[hotoynoodle]

it's illegal in maine to harvest egg-bearing females.

[jeniyo]

thank guys! it is always reassuring to have people to understand why i want to cook on my birthday. I already have volunteers for dishwashing duty =)

I think i like the onion and leek tart idea as well as the escabeche. a while ago, i saw a recipe for quail escabeche, I'm going to try it out this weekend.

so far:

black pepper biscotti and some cheese
cute little tomatoes tossed in vodka =)

onion and leek tart, one with anchovies&olives, one without

palate cleanser - sorbet? shaved fennel on citrus

lobster crepe with carrot ginger emulsion

quail escabeche/ sole meunier (need to look in julia's book tonite)
orzo salad/ quinoa cake/ bread
grilled vegetable terrine/ nice salad

big cake.

i'm excited!! this is gonna be fun.

[hotoynoodle]

the quail sounds great and is do-ahead. that sole has to be done to order.

i've done those lobster crepes and they are excellent, but lobster for 15 can get spendy. shrimp or salmon would also work in this dish. i don't think you need a salad if you do the terrine. i love doing terrines. they look impressive, are do-ahead and can be great on a budget.

you might want to offer some fresh fruit along with your gooey cake, lol. it's a very rich dinner!

[jeniyo]

oh. those crepes are awesome. i wonder if i can do a cheaper rendition of it with crab or langosta lobsters? humm... but they ARE rather small though, i'd say 5 or 6 crepes per large lobster?

i think i'm sold on the escabeche and terrine though. i'm gonna tell my friends to help with the fruit department.

[goodhealthgourmet]

- my first thought for a lobster substitute in that recipe was crab - it should work perfectly.
- for sorbet, my initial instincts were Citrus-Ginger or Lime-Basil:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fresh-Ginger-and-Citrus-Sorbet-5201
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

[hotoynoodle]

lobster is cheaper by far than crab in new england right now.

is this a sit-down? you could do 2 oz. lobster per person as a "delicate" app. you need 5 pounds of lobster, give or take, to yield about 1 pound of meat. for 15 ppl, you'll need about 10 pounds of live and kickers. even with local rock bottom pricing ($5-$6 per pound) that's a pricey starter.

[souschef]

What kind of chocolate cake ? :-)

[jeniyo]

I'm playing around with a (slightly sturdier) chocolate cake with chocolate mousse or creme burlee w/ crush pralines and a whipped ganache frosting outside.

[souschef]

Sounds yummy !!

[normalheightsfoodie]

This is a recipe for 40 Clove Garlic Chicken. You can purchase prepared chicken thighs and pre-peeled garlic, and you will save a lot of time. I think 3 thighs per person should be good. This dish is also inexpensive to prepare!!!

40 whole cloves of garlic, peeled (I bought the pre-peeled garlic cloves in the refrigerated section at Trader Joes and they worked great - if you are using heads of garlic about 3 should do it - dunk the unpeeled cloves in boiling water for about 1 minute to remove the skins.)
8-10 Chicken thighs and legs - skin on ( I used just chicken thighs)
kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons Cognac, divided or brandy(Cheaper)
1 1/2 cups dry white wine (I have used dry vermouth)
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (I used sage and taragon - the original recipe calls for thyme)
2 tablespoons Wondra or All Purpose Flour
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Small red potatoes

Preheat the oven to 350.Dry the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
In batches, brown the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork.

Remove the chicken to a plate and add all of the garlic cloves to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and all of the wine, raise the heat to bring to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil for one minute.

Return the chicken to the pot and add potatoes and sprinkle with the herbs. Cover and braise in the oven for about 45 minutes, until the chicken is extremely tender.

Using tongs, remove the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. (Be careful, it might fall apart.) and turn the oven up to broil. Place the dutch oven on the stove and raise the heat to high. Remove half a cup of the liquid and whisk in the Wondra or flour, then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. When the mixture boils, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Cognac and boil until it starts to thicken. Meanwhile, run the chicken under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes. Whisk the cream, salt and pepper into the sauce. When the sauce and chicken are ready - place the chicken on a plate and pour the sauce over. Pass additional sauce on the side.

I also served it with rice.

Serves 4-6.

[Phurstluv]

Love the 40 cloves recipe, but a little hot and heavy for Aug. Also would need to make 3 pots of it to feed 15.

[JEN10]

Cheese Fondue, steam up some asparagas wrap in procuitto, cut up pears, apples, bread of course, grapes. You would have to borrow a few pots, but so much fun. My favorite recipe is from ages ago, it says exported from MasterCook Swiss Cheese Fondue

[Stuffed Monkey]

If you put Julia and dinner party in the same sentence my mind goes straight to Beef Bourgeone. No last minute sauteeing. Nice with the peas and carrots. Everything else could work too (though I would do something besides Quiche)

[hotoynoodle]

just seems crazy heavy for august dinner. i always think sole meunier with julia, but that's a pain in the butt for 15.

[Phurstluv]

Gravlax or a poached salmon is easy to do ahead.

Instead of a heavy quiche, try a lighter tart, like a caramelized onion & leek tart. Or use your favorite quiche recipe and just cut down on the custard, and up the savory ingredients. Can be frozen before baked, or popped in the oven early, and served at room temp. Tomato tarts are good this time of year, also.

Verjus sorbet - don't know what to say about that. I like a palate cleanser as well. Try some Cava and rose wines work well with summery foods. Have fun!

[hotoynoodle]

i make "quiche" all the time, but make it without a crust. same ratio of eggs and cream though and make it in a deeper pan, like a springform, rather than a pie plate. voluptuous and silky this way. this weekend i made a mushroom with goat cheese and bacon with aged asiago and people were blown away. i served them room temp.

you could do a ceviche, escabeche or poached salmon with cantaloupe and mint to keep down the kitchen heat. pre-roast chicken parts, rather than whole birds, and save heat and time that way.

an orzo or potato salad with lemon vinaigrette and lots of fresh herbs and tomatoes as another room temp dish. with corn finally coming round, how about a corn and tomato salad?

[souschef]

Have you considered making it a cocktail party instead of a sit-down dinner? I did this a couple of months ago for my birthday (made lots of different finger-foods), and it was great.

I made all of the food ahead of time (hot and cold), and cooked/baked the hot stuff just before serving (no reheating).

I made a big gooey chocolate cake too.

I agree with the Champagne idea. That's what I did...well, sparkling wine.

[fmcoxe6188]

I did the same thing for New Years Eve this year-for about the same number of people. Lots of little finger foods which might be easier in a small space than having everyone sit. I did little crostini with fromage blanc, slices of medium rare steak, chopped parsley, and some pepper, a big bowl of Mussels- easy and fast-and stove top only :-), mini pizzas with a variety of toppings, steamed sugar peas with a variety of dipping sauces...

Not quite a finger food but I made a nice salad of grapefruit and fennel dressed with some honey mixed with scotch bonnet vinegar and the fennel fronds...very refreshing.

I agree with the champagne- and as an added cooling feature- I've added a small (less than a melon ball scoop) of sorbet - adds beautiful color and keeps it icy cold.

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful night!!!!

[perk]

If you're worried about the heat in the apartment from cooking, quiche can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature. Or a couple of great savory tarts. You could also roast chickens ahead of time....or buy them...which would keep things cool. Add a French style potato salad....something with a vinaigrette and maybe tarragon. Great cheese is always a terrific thing and Julia would agree with that, I think. And I agree that the beverage should be bubbly-- so much more celebratory! You could make the theme a terrific French picnic....serving everything at room temperature and toasting with champagne.
Happy birthday.....

[goodhealthgourmet]

first of all, wishing you an early Happy Birthday...and i like your style, jeniyo. some people might think you're nuts for wanting to celebrate your birthday this way, but it sounds like something i would do!

how many courses do you want to serve? i think you need to commit to a menu layout first to make it easier to decide what dishes will work.

oh, and as far as what to drink, definitely something with bubbles. after all, it is a celebration ;) seriously though, i think you need to hold off on that decision until you know what food you're serving. the beverages should obviously complement the meal.