Catering Parties

Yesterday I catered my friend Claire's birthday party. Here's what was on the menu:

• stuffed mushrooms (stuffed with zucchini, mushrooms and onion)
  
• curry cheese ball
  
• sweet and spicy shrimp with mint sauce
  
• zucchini rounds stuffed with spicy chicken sausage
  
• caramelized onions, blue cheese and walnuts on toasts
  
• mushroom pate
  
• goat cheese balls
  
• veggies with green goddess dip (yummm)
  
• endive leaves with smoked salmon mousse
  
• cheese/ crackers/ fruit/ bread and gluten free crackers for the birthday girl

This was the first time I have catered an event alone, besides dinner at home. Claire and I have been known to pull off good parties together, but the birthday girl couldn't work for her own party! (though she did help chop up veggies)

What would I do differently? Next time I don't think I will get such a stinky cheese (Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk - mind you it was delicious, so oowey-gooey, but man, did it stink, we had to put a dome on it, and every time it was opened, heads turned!), I would have had maybe only one cream cheese based thing, but at the same time, it is so well received and loved that it's hard to say. I am mostly thinking from a textural point of view (mushroom pate and curry cheese ball are both cream cheese based). 

Otherwise, no complaints. In fact I got so many compliments, it was kind of overwhelming. Quite simply, I love food and I love my friends, so it becomes very easy to do things like this for them. Would I like to become a caterer as some people suggested last night? I don't know. I've definitely thought about it, and continue to do so. But for now, I'm happy being able to experiment, and have the outlet to let my creative and hyper-organized sides mesh happily. Sometimes even more so than the cooking I like the planning. Just thinking about the world of options is so exciting, and then formulating a plan for execution, now that is the good stuff, but that's another post.