Tanta Robina

Are we ready yet?

Where's the food?

Our friends and families are waiting… will we make it in time?

Yes! Let the feast begin…

with savory beignets, pea soup, veal stew…

and beef bourguignon.

Poached salmon and sturgeon…

herb encrusted sturgeon in the chafing dish…

not to mention the roasted legs of lamb…

and loads of neglected veggies. Yes, all those veggies we poached in wine and spices sat there forlorn in the middle of the lab. By the time our guests got to that table, their plates were already filled with meat and fish and they were eyeing the duck salad on the other side.

Poor veggies; how could they compete between the salmon and the cheesy creamed mashed potatoes?

Asparagus gratin, anyone?

The duck salad girls… someone please explain to me how come they always come out well in photos while I invariably look like an earthquake victim?

We used one lab to cook and serve most dishes, and another lab for people to get drinks and desserts and find a seat to enjoy their meal.

No wine, as usual. Remind me to say something about that when I get the next student satisfaction survey.

After all our guests were served at least once, we took turns in taking short breaks to go mingle with them and grab a bite to eat.

The desserts were so good. I was too busy enjoying them to focus on taking pictures.

Since yesterday I had periodontal surgery, I can only eat liquid or pureed food for a while and I couldn't taste anything other than the pea soup, mashed potatoes and the pot de crème.

Well, yes, I did grab a few strawberries from the strawberry tart.

A tired moment at the end of the day.

And a strawberry moment…

before the inevitable clean-up.

This was our first time cooking large quantities of food and also cooking for someone other than ourselves. Things turned out well and I enjoyed meeting some of my friends' families and friends.