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Cook Talk

25th anniversary party - heavy apps
Georgia Mom
11/25/17
I am planning my 25th anniversary party in my home. It will be between Christmas & New Years, starting at 7pm and we're anticipating about 25 guests. I am doing all the prep myself (with assistance from Costco, my husband & teen sons) but I also work full-time in retail and won't have a ton of time to prep. I don't mind heating up things during the party. Also, we don't celebrate Christmas so I don't have all that cooking, etc. The menu is part heavy apps & part buffet dishes but everything served buffet style. My two questions are (1) are my amounts correct (I tried to use the Appetizers page and came up with 36-48 bites per person per hour), and (2) is a spiral-sliced ham too similar to all the other parties that occur in December.

1) Cheese platter - 3-5 large wedges of cheeses from Costco (4-5 lb total) with grapes, dried apricots, almonds, crackers & baguette slices
2) Home hot-smoked salmon platter (3lb) with mustard-dill sauce (24 oz), cocktail rye & pumpernickel (1 loaf each), diced onions & capers
3) Greek platter - hummus (2 lb), tzatziki (1 lb 4 oz), homemade sesame-eggplant salsa (4 cups), olives, pita wedges & veggies (3.5-4lbs)
4) cocktail meatballs (like the grape jelly kind but completely from scratch), made ahead & frozen, warmed in crockpot - 5-6lb meat makes 160-192 meatballs
5) penne in vodka sauce with fresh moss & basil - will make 2 pans, each 1 lb pasta & only heat 1 to start. Can heat second halfway through or freeze
6) homemade asian chicken dumplings - made ahead & frozen, steams from frozen in about 10 min, 2 lb ground chicken makes 160 dumplings
7) warm dip TBD - crab or spin-art ???
8) honey baked ham, assorted mustards/sauces, rolls (how much to get?)
9) wild rice pilaf salad with pecans & dried cranberries
10) citrus, fennel & olive salad

THANKS!!!!

ellen
11/26/17
Congratulations on the anniversary!

You are doing well on the menu, lucky guests. Here are some suggestions on amounts and tweaks.

Assuming about 30 people.

1) Cheese platter - 3-5 large wedges of cheeses from Costco (4-5 lb total) with grapes, dried apricots, almonds, crackers & baguette slices. OK, about 2 pounds bread
2) Home hot-smoked salmon platter (3lb) with mustard-dill sauce (24 oz), cocktail rye & pumpernickel (1 loaf each), diced onions & capers, ok
3) Greek platter - hummus (2 lb), tzatziki (1 lb 4 oz), homemade sesame-eggplant salsa (4 cups), olives, pita wedges & veggies (3.5-4lbs)- mostly people just look at the veg, 2.5 plenty
4) cocktail meatballs (like the grape jelly kind but completely from scratch), made ahead & frozen, warmed in crockpot - 5-6lb meat makes 160-192 meatballs, way plenty, could do just 4 pounds
5) penne in vodka sauce with fresh moss & basil - will make 2 pans, each 1 lb pasta & only heat 1 to start. Can heat second halfway through or freeze- would do 3, esp w teens there
6) homemade asian chicken dumplings - made ahead & frozen, steams from frozen in about 10 min, 2 lb ground chicken makes 160 dumplings, plenty, don't omit 3-4 cups dipping sauce, less if thin
7) warm dip TBD - crab or spin-art ???
8) honey baked ham, assorted mustards/sauces, rolls (how much to get?) 5 dozen slider rolls, and what about sliced brisket, pastrami, or corned beef instead? Much nicer surprise this time of year. About 5 pounds ready to serve. Consider quart of sliced pickles w this.
9) wild rice pilaf salad with pecans & dried cranberries- gallon plenty
10) citrus, fennel & olive salad- gallon

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Georgia Mom
11/26/17
Thanks so much!! I just made my donations . In response to your suggestions: The only teens will be my two sons. I love the idea of pastrami since we make our own (brine the brisket, rub, and smoke) but is having two beef items on the menu (with the meatballs) ok? I would serve it with rye & pumpernickel & sauerkraut mixed with Russian dressing for people to make mini open-faced sandwiches with.

Desserts - I don't want to have to cut cake for 25 people so thinking cupcakes or mini bundt cakes. How many? Think I'll probably also have some candies like Hershey's Kisses, etc in silver foil (to go with the silver 25th anniversary theme).

Drinks - going to do a His & Hers cocktails premade in pitchers. (His is bourbon, pear nectar, ginger; Hers is a vodka lemon Collins) plus wine, beer, waters & sodas. Most of the crowd is drinkers & I think lean more towards bourbon than vodka/limoncello or wine.

ellen
11/27/17
Sounds delicious. Two beef items will make most people very happy.

Cupcakes are in. You could do 20 white and 20 chocolate with silver dragees to decorate the icing. Maybe all white icing with a bit of shaved chocolate added on the chocolate ones. I'm sure the guys can manage any leftovers.

The drink sound good.

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