Sore!

OH MY ACHING BACK! Literally! I think it all started a week ago when I had the client from Hell. She was so nice and buttered me up and offered me a cocktail and to mingle with the guests...then she turned off the faucet, told me to take off the apron and come mingle. So I did. After I left, and returned home, I realized I had left something in the oven so I promptly called her. I didn't want anyone to find it the next day. And then, that's when she let me have it. My husband and I tried to analyze why she was so brutally uncomplimentary and there were several things going on. But now, I have a very sore back. Nothing has taken the pain away so I'm going to have an MRI tomorrow to see what 's going on.
Last week when I was teaching, I noticed how easily stress made the pain worse! Last night my husband and I had a few of the leftovers from the party- you know, when someone really makes you ill, you want nothing to do with anything related to the situation- it took me a week to put away my cooking /catering items; and a full 8 days to have some of the leftovers- which really weren't leftovers. They were remnants. It was such a delicious dinner. In fact, it was the third time I had served this menu.

Potato Potato Dauphinoise
Tossed Salad with avocados, red onions, hearts of palm, hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, toasted pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Beef Tenderloin Steaks
Poached Salmon
Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

Ice Cream Sundae Pie

When planning the menu with the client, 7 days earlier, she did not care to have an estimate nor a tasting. And it was agreed that I'd get paid that night.
Here is a picture of the Potato Dauphinoise. The nice part about this dish is that it has to be made the day before. They are baked in the oven in a pyrex 9 x 13 dish. Then cooled and chilled in the fridge.


When you're ready to serve them, you place them on parchment paper and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

They are made with thinly sliced russets and a sweet potato.
And these were the leftovers that I trimmed that my husband and I recently had with our dinner:




I wish I had a picture of the tenderloin steaks- the flavor was so delicious- several guests came in to ask how I made it. The key ingredient was Sweet Vermouth! I wish I had more pictures from the dinner- it was so pretty.....
I kept thinking, ok, what did I learn from this....and when I shared this thought with a friend, who is very complimentary to my catering style, her response was " Jeannie, I've been trying to think about the same thing about something that happened to me, 10 years ago"!
I felt better.