the show must go on

Entertaining is all about planning an event ahead of time. So when life throws you a curveball or even a cannon ball what’s a hostess to do? The answer often lies in the reason you were having folks over in the first place. If tragedy hits there’s no shame in canceling, your guests will certainly understand. But most of the time we entertain so we can have those who are near and dear around us. If that is indeed the case then perhaps the show should go on.

Recently I found myself in such a quandary. While I was getting ready for my youngest daughter to arrive from LA I got one of the hardest phone calls a daughter can receive. A week that was supposed to mark my baby landing a fulltime offer from one of the big four accounting firms became a blur of highway drives, ICU monitors, rescheduled flights, and hours sitting vigil next to my mother’s hospital bed. Miraculously my mom stabilized. And as the adrenaline slowly receded and glimpses of my past life came back into focus there was the invitation for my closest friends to come celebrate my baby’s big accomplishment.

Those of you who know me well know that most of this party was planned and prepped weeks in advance. The bar was stocked. Wine purchased. Silver polished. Paper products in place. Several of the hors d'oeuvres were made and stashed in the freezer, as was the pistachio pesto. So while I tend to preach “perfecting the done before they arrive” way to entertain, this time I’m super happy I have for there would be no way I could enjoy myself if I was running around exhausted trying to pretend everything was alright. Life, like entertaining, is a work in progress.

Here all the components of “Cocktails to Meet Molly”. The key is to have everything made and prepped ahead of time. Over the next couple posts I’ll take you through some of the recipes.

Foil is your friend. I line every baking sheet with foil so there is virtually no cleanup.

Right out of the freezer. Cheddar tartlets.

Hot sausage appetizers.

Cheese puff cups with fig preserves.

Everything is prepped and portioned for the serrano, manchego and cherry confit croutes.

It takes only minutes to put together and can be done 45 minutes before your guests arrive. Cover with a barely damp paper towel to keep fresh.

The components for the caprese skewers done hours ahead.

These can be threaded onto the skewers an hour ahead, cover and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Smoked trout stack.

These should be composed right before your guests arrive.

The watercress soup is made a day ahead.

Right before serving ladle into decorative paper cups.

Be sure to place the cups on the serving tray way in advance.

The pistachio pesto was made weeks ago and frozen. Earlier in the day the pasta was cooked and tossed in a large Ziploc bag with the pesto. Again eliminating any clean-up during the party.

Right before serving spoon into the plastic cups.

Placing the cups and forks on the tray earlier in the day really saves time, when last-minutes matter most.

For desert a tray of red velvet cupcakes monogrammed with my daughter’s new company logo and bowl of fresh strawberries.

Because even on a rocky road there are sweet moments to celebrate. Oh and my mom loved hearing all the details of Molly’s party. Proving once again party rehash is often the best medicine.