If there were any doubt about my love of cooking for crowds, my sense of anticipation as I head into August would end it. I have two events for that month. The smaller event is a meet-and-greet for my beloved Cherry Creek Chorale. I’ll make some cookies and also one of my savory cheesecakes from my cookbook. Someone else will bring fruit and bottled water. This food will very much fit into the “food as fellowship” role. We’ll be meeting at 6:30, so after dinner. The food is simply a reason, an excuse, for people to come early, stand around, and talk. All perfectly legitimate.
The bigger event will be the last of the pre-service breakfasts being served at my church. We started these in April, and they’ve been very successful. Once we’re into September our schedule will change and these events will be over for the time being. So I’m planning on a big blowout, perhaps making one of my sweet-roll variations and also doing a bangup version of hash browns, using the magical freeze-dried ones from Costco and building from there. I’ll do sausages and fruit, too. It’ll be great.
And with that I’ll be plunging into a somewhat-normal year. We’re planning to start up our regular four-concerts-a-year schedule for the Chorale, with the first performances in October. I’m not sure what the post-concert receptions are going to look like this year, but I’m hoping for a return on that front. I’ll be doing the retreat breakfasts as usual. We aren’t having the Chorale picnic this year, but I’m sure there will be an annual dinner next May. The church women’s retreat is in October and the Christmas dinner/party in December. On the whole I’ll probably be in charge of one big event per month through next May. Woo-hoo!
I love the idea of planning out the menus and drawing up the shopping lists. Yes, there will be times for each of these events when I’ll be tired and tempted to cut an item or two from the lineup. I’m hoping, though, to put into effect the lessons I’ve learned over the many years I’ve been doing this: doing as much as possible ahead of time, resisting the temptation to say “oh, I’ll just finish it up in the morning,” and doing due diligence on delegating.
If you’d like to get the recipes for the dark beer brownies or the savory lemon cheesecake that I plan to make for the chorale get-together, be sure to get my cookbook!
There’s been a friendly rivalry of sorts going on at our church between another woman and myself over who gets to do what food events. Neither one of us is actually running a business per se, but we both enjoy(?) putting on big meals. I had done our church Christmas party dinner (60-75 people) for about three years, then I said it was just too much. So my friendly rival (henceforth designated FR) took it over and did a spectacular job. I stayed out of the fray except for making desserts and my famous pink eggnog for several years, but then I sort of missed it. Last year I asked the woman in charge if I could do it. “Oh, I’m so sorry, but FR already asked if she could do it again this year, and I said yes.” So I stuck with my usual role. FR had also done the food for our annual women’s retreat for a couple of years, with the 2018 one being especially good. She made her grandmother’s green chile (chili? I can never remember when to use which spelling), and it was awesome. Plus she made this cold strawberry soup for dessert. Man! Plus, she made some little chocolate tarts that were . . . vegan. And in spite of that drawback they were honestly one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. So rich!
Brownies, or some kind of simple bar cookie, are a great asset to have in your recipe box. You can pull them out, whip them up, and get them to the potluck or party in reasonably short order. You probably have a simple chocolate brownie recipe that you use; these two are a little off the beaten track. I’ve always had good success with them.