Merry Christmas

December 8, 2006 -- Hey future Mullen and Datta juniors, this is what your moms looked like before they had you. Aren't they gorgeous? It's because of you that they couldn't try one of my martinis. Be grateful for their sacrifice.

This was the beginning of the end. That is Patron Blanco we are preparing to shoot. The horror!

I just like this picture of Raquel and me because we both look (and are) genuinely happy.

Apparently, I can no longer upload via Flickr. Grrrr. Anyway, here are some pictures from my First Annual Christmas Party! A wonderful time was had by all. Because I am me, I am going to focus on what I didn't do and should have done:

(1) Take pictures of the spread and the room pre-party! After all of that work, it is the least I could have done and would have provided good narration for here.

(2) More champagne and red bull, less beer. Put the wine in a prominent place.

(3) Mingle more with my friends instead of fussing around! I tried, but you really have to make an effort.

(4) Light all the candles! Put out the awesome spicy mayonnaise I spent a long time preparing instead of FORGETTING about it and leaving it in the refrigerator. Label the cheese, which I painstakingly and carefully chose after much deliberation. It paid off, because everyone loved it, but I forgot what it was, exactly -- a mahon, a gruyere, and a brie, of course.

(5) Don't forget to apply my wonderful new Nars "Moon Beams" lip gloss I took an extra trip to purchase.

(6) Thaw the water that had been sitting in my car during the frozen week.


The menu:

For Drink
-- Pomegranate martini garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds
-- Chocolate peppermint martini (not creamy) with crushed candy cane rim
-- Wine, champagne, cocktails, beer, soda, water

Savory
-- Spiced nuts
-- Assorted vegetables
-- The aforementioned cheese and sliced baguettes
-- Medjool dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto
-- Polpetti (Italian style pork and beef meatballs) (thanks, Mark Bittman)
-- Warm goat cheese toasts with walnuts, honey, and fresh rosemary
-- Spinach and fontina cheese phyllo swirls (thanks, Swati)
-- The piece de resistance: Jumbo scallops broiled and wrapped in prosciutto, with spicy mayo and garnished with bibb lettuce

Dessert
-- Buche de Noel, a traditional French "yule log" almond cake with hazelnut buttercream, chocolate ganache, garnished with meringue mushrooms. Exquisite!
-- Assorted cookies

Can you see why I am so pissed I did not take pictures? I'm so mad! What I did right was send real invitations, which I feel set the tone of the party; pre-mix the martinis and put them in tasteful glass pitchers; have plenty of cold bottled water; have plenty to drink in general; make the polpetti in advance; sample some of the food before committing to the recipe; order dessert; select the music; take the day off from work; and complete the lighting and decorations in advance.

I learned that I love entertaining, I am lucky to have so many great friends, I love Christmas, and I'm not such a terrible cook. Cooking takes a lot of effort, but it's fun! I'm definitely going to have a second (and third and fourth) annual Christmas party, especially now that I have all of the proper serving plates, glassware, and cookware. As Ina Garten says, it's all about doing everything in advance. Next year, I think I'm going to do an Asian theme, beginning with a ginger martini. We'll see.

Happy Christmas, everyone!