HUGE Meal, TINY Apartment: The Saga of New Year's

Instead of my usual holiday one-two punch of Christmas Open House and New Year's Dinner for friends, this year I decided to put all my focus in a luxe (hopefully) multi-course New Year's Dinner Blowout—ostensibly to save a little dough, but also because my last Open House was sooooo successful, I need at least one more year to recover.

Was this a good idea? Only time will tell...

T-minus one month:
Invitations go out, to a group of varied friends. Some I am not in very close contact with or even know that well, but in my puppeteering of social interaction, I think they would contribute perfectly to a night like this. Immediately "Yes"s start pouring in. Panic descends; what if everybody says yes? Where will I seat them all?

T-minus three weeks:

Part of my prep...

Pour over my recipe cards to try and find delicious courses that don't need a lot of fussy time in the kitchen. As the pile of "ooh, gotta make THAT"s grows, I finally make myself stop at 6 courses. Six won't be too many, right?

T-minus two weeks:
Luckily some "No"s have balanced out the equation. Looks like it'll be at least five people, up to eight. I'm sad the regretters won't be in attendance, but I can handle these numbers. Move around all furniture in the living room so I can accommodate Christmas tree AND some kind of dining table.

Stickies for dish organization!

 T-minus one week:
 Final two "maybe"s have respectfully  declined; we're at six. A very do-able six.  Huzzah. Write out grocery list, make a stab at  writing out a timeline for my kitchen duties.

 T-minus four days:
 Pull out desk table from wall and drag  kitchen table in, mashing them together to  create enough dining table room for six. Spend an hour mintuely adjusting one inch this way, one inch that way, to maximize space. Pretend to eat at the spot where the tables come together to see if that will be obnoxious for my guests. Decide food will be so good, they won't notice.

The wine line-up.

T-minus three days:
Shopping day! In the morning it was pouring rain but finally stopped, so less of a slog with bags and bags of produce. And bags. Tossed and turned last night wondering where it would all fit in my TINY fridge; one step up from a dorm-room cube, I kid you not. Solution is utilizing wine fridge as well as windowsill with window open.

T-minus two days:
Spent ENTIRE day in transit and at family friend's for lunch, but managed to find an addition to giftie bags for guests. (Making them a little satchel with a coin, band-aid, pink peppercorns, and heart gift tag [today's addition] so they can start the New by bringing money, health, spice, and love into their homes.) One friend texted to ask to bring a buddy; I said no problem. The more the merrier! ...But, um, no more now, we're full up. Polished the silverware. Made place cards.

I'm prepared (tho only 2 were used!)

T-minus one day:
Cooked ALL DAY. Made the soup, coq au vin, and dessert. Wrote and re-wrote timeline for scheduling and think that it might just go off without a hitch. Set the table.

DAY OF!
Friend's buddy not able to come after all. Too bad! Re-set the table. Prepped all the rest of the food. Opened the wine and it was all sound (phew.) Texted bestie to bring me a bag of ice and would she mind toting along a cup of olive oil? I just ran out. No problem (again, phew.) Small surges of panic that I may not have budgeted time correctly so am keeping on myself to stay focused and plow ahead.

T-minus 2 hours:
Prep has taken on a life of its own. I realize I don't have enough burners to warm the buttermilk sauce but then hit upon a GENIUS idea: to heat it in the coffee pot. That way it definitely won't get hot enough to break. I'm a genius.

T-minus 1 hour:

Pot-roasted celery root
with buttermilk olive sauce

I used some bubbly instead of regular white wine for a sauce. So it's only natural that I pour myself a glass, right? I mean… it's open already. Prep stations now include top of toaster oven and windowsill. I feel good! Not in the weeds at all. I have earned my glass o' bubbly.

T-minus 30 minutes:
Bestie arrives with ice and olive oil. Celery root going in the pot. Soup on one burner awaiting reheating. Coq on another burner awaiting reheating. Salad awaiting assembly. Lamb, trimmed, oiled, and covered with rosemary in the fridge. I think this is going to work.

Guests arrive!
Everyone gets settled with bubbly and hors d'oeuvres in the living room, and I'm able to join them due to my amazing time-organization skills, thank you very much. When dinner service starts, one friend expertly assists with passing out plates and collecting empty ones at each course. (He's not even a waiter, but I think he wanted to assure he'd get great portions every time!) The timing is perfect, and I'm even able to wash a dish or two as I go. The wine pairings are SPOT ON. Everything's cooked perfectly. People are finishing every last morsel.

Green bean & fingerling potato
salad w toasted walnuts
and proscuitto

All in all, it was a SMASHING SUCCESS. (Except for one friend who told me as I was plating the lamb that he didn't eat red meat. I asked for allergies/preferences in the invite, people!!! My serving friend said it was no problem, he'd be more than happy to polish off the extra. But still, folks, if you have a preference, please let the host know PRIOR to the dinner party!!)

White chocolate-mint Pot
de Crème with white choco
ganache & candy cane brittle

We finished at the table (with only one spilled glass of wine) just in time to see the ball drop. And then a three-hour whirlwind of "Cards Against Humanity" ensued, while we all cheerfully digested. The last guest left around 3:30am, and I cleaned up for another few hours and fell into bed at 5:30am, exhausted.

In response to my question if this was a good idea, the answer is a hearty "YES!" I had so much fun with every detail, and I think my guests were happy, full, and had a great time ringing in the New. If this is how 2015 started, it's going to be a good year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, ALL!