We made it through the party and are starting to recuperate! Overall things went well. All the food came out on time and I think people enjoyed themselves. I misplaced my phone and didn’t get a lot of pictures. I will try and post some from my wife’s camera when I get a chance. Here is a rundown on how it went:
For appetizers we made one large batch of hummus and divided it into three different sections. By adding pesto to one, garlic to another, and roasted red peppers to the third. we had 3 dips for the effort of 1. I also added a white bean dip with lemon and rosemary. It was a bit different and went well with the hummus. There was an assortment of crackers, veggies, meats, and cheeses to go with it. My wife requested smoked cream cheese; it went over well. I coated four 8 oz bricks in fajita seasoning and smoked on low for 1.5 hours and served it with rib candy.
The spinach and artichoke soup was very and a nice twist from the dip. However, the thing that really surprised me was how well the tossed salad went over. I have never had people ask for a doggie bag to take salad home in. I had someone else ask for the recipe. It was quite simple. I used the bagged spring lettuce assortment and mixed in mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, feta and parmesan cheese, with poppy seed dressing.
I was pleased with the way the pork loin turned out. I realized that in the past I’ve tried to put too much stuff in the filling and could not get a nice roll. The herb and goat cheese filling made for a tighter and more uniform roll. One tip I received somewhere along the line was to place it in the smoker with the seam facing up. This allows gravity to help keep the stuffing from leaking out. I had minimal leakage. I served it with a sweet cherry balsamic wine sauce on top.
The wet aged beef was a big hit. I had several people tell me how much they enjoyed the prime rib! As it turned out, I only needed to serve two of the three roasts. I saved the dry aged one to use at a family gathering just after Christmas.
The sides turned out just okay. The broccoli cheese casserole was not as good as I expected, but if you add enough cheese to anything, it is bound to taste good. The root vegetables (red potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and parsnips) were a nice combination.
My wife handled the desserts, table settings, and decorations. She exceeded expectations! The pumpkin caramel trifle with gingerbread cake was great. She made a cutting board out of chocolate like she did last year. There was an assortment of fudge on the board, dipped fruit, and shortbread cookies.
A friend of mine is a talented musician. He played Christmas carols to round off the evening. All in all, it was a good time, but I can tell I am not as young as I used to be!!
