Thanks Darius, yea that was among the more creative on the presentation front…

Diva, I think foodbuzz accepts blogs from outside the US. You should check it out, and tell them I sent you;-)

Yvo, honestly, I didn’t have enough hands to hold a notebook and I didn’t take as many pics as you so I lost track of all the stuff I ate, but I think I enjoyed the variety and abundance of alcohol more than the food.

Thanks Lori Lynn, yea I subway one was one of those random thoughts I had as I was rushing into the station as the train came in, it was a bit underexposed, but it ended up working out pretty well:-)

Kian, you should sign up to go next year:-)

Elisabeth, thanks! I’m glad you came out of lurking. Hearing from people is really why I write this blog. Cooking for 40 is pretty intense and not something I’ve ever done, but usually when I have that many people to cook for I’ll usually do stuff that can be prepped ahead. If you’re having a lot of Indian guests (assuming they’re not totally vegetarian), you could make a big pot of Chicken Biryani. Another great one for large groups is pulled pork. That’s one of my versions, but i do another one that’s braised in beer that’s always a hit with guys (and girls). The trick is to use a cut of pork like pork butt that’s got a lot of connective tissue. It’s not very good when cooked for short periods of time, but when you leave it to braise for several hours, the collagen breaks down and makes the meat incredibly moist and tender. You could also braise other fatty/tough cuts of meat like ribs or shanks in red wine and moire poix and serve it over garlic mashed potatoes or something for something more traditional. One other bonus with these cuts is that they tend to be cheap. Let me know if you need more specifics and we can connect by email. Good luck!

Thanks Darius, yea that was among the more creative on the presentation front…

Diva, I think foodbuzz accepts blogs from outside the US. You should check it out, and tell them I sent you;-)

Yvo, honestly, I didn’t have enough hands to hold a notebook and I didn’t take as many pics as you so I lost track of all the stuff I ate, but I think I enjoyed the variety and abundance of alcohol more than the food.

Thanks Lori Lynn, yea I subway one was one of those random thoughts I had as I was rushing into the station as the train came in, it was a bit underexposed, but it ended up working out pretty well:-)

Kian, you should sign up to go next year:-)

Elisabeth, thanks! I’m glad you came out of lurking. Hearing from people is really why I write this blog. Cooking for 40 is pretty intense and not something I’ve ever done, but usually when I have that many people to cook for I’ll usually do stuff that can be prepped ahead. If you’re having a lot of Indian guests (assuming they’re not totally vegetarian), you could make a big pot of Chicken Biryani. Another great one for large groups is pulled pork. That’s one of my versions, but i do another one that’s braised in beer that’s always a hit with guys (and girls). The trick is to use a cut of pork like pork butt that’s got a lot of connective tissue. It’s not very good when cooked for short periods of time, but when you leave it to braise for several hours, the collagen breaks down and makes the meat incredibly moist and tender. You could also braise other fatty/tough cuts of meat like ribs or shanks in red wine and moire poix and serve it over garlic mashed potatoes or something for something more traditional. One other bonus with these cuts is that they tend to be cheap. Let me know if you need more specifics and we can connect by email. Good luck!

Love your photos, especially the subway!

Love your photos, especially the subway!