Last Saturday was my third annual Passover Dinner for Mostly Non-Jews and it went really well. It's taken me a while to write about it, though, because I wasn't sure how to best do the experience justice. To that end, I decided that I'm going to split this post up into two parts: the pre-cooking shopping adventure where I outfitted my anemic kitchen, and the grand finale dinner for 12.
First off, I need to extend a special thanks to Roberta Chapman (and, by extension, her wonderful boyfriend Al) who spent the entire day with me helping with the planning, shopping, cooking, and table setting. She's a marvel, and my holiday dinner absolutely would not have come together without her.
Part 1: Outfitting My Kitchen
I had two main goals when I was shopping: 1) Get everything I needed to make this party happen, and 2) Spend as little money as humanly possible.
Probably the first question that comes to mind when I talk about buying all new stuff for my kitchen is "How did she get through the first two weeks without cookery?" And to that I have a simple answer: My fantastic former roommates had some amazing kitchen supplies (kitchen aid stand mixer, anyone?) that they graciously let me use. Right before I left for NY, I learned that both of them were leaving while I was away, and while I will miss their cooking utensils, I will miss their awesomeness even more.
Which is a long way of saying that I came back to my house to cook for 12 people and I realized I had bupkis. And so the shopping began.
Roberta and I started our adventure at Good Will. I will admit that I was a bit skeptical at first, but I quickly realized that it is a great place to buy dishes and glasses. For about $50, I got 7 dinner plates, 14 dessert plates, 10 bowls, and 10 chargers (big plates that are used as placemats), a purple plastic pitcher (say that 10 times fast!) and a mosaic vase for my centerpiece. I don't even want to think about how much that would have cost me new. Roberta also bought some gorgeous cut glasses that I borrowed for the night and haven't given back yet.
This is what my table settings looked like (I already had the big blue plates):
 |
A sneak peak of the meal! |
And here is that vase I bought with some gorgeous flowers one of my guests brought for the party:
Our next stop was TJ Maxx. I'd never been there before, but I'd heard about the great savings you can find on housewares, so I was eager to go. The first thing I have to say about their selection is that it is a lot more comprehensive than it seems at first glance. It wasn't a huge section, but I was able to find almost everything on my list, including a decent knife block, colored chefs knives, a small Cuisinart food processor, a microplane (great for zesting and mincing garlic), a 5 quart pan, and an omlette/sautee pan. I like how they put both the list price and their price on the label; even as I was spending money I felt great about how much I was saving.
 |
Aren't they pretty? |
Feeling pretty good about ourselves and the state of our shopping list (there wasn't too much more to go), Roberta and Al and I made our way to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I'm telling you, these people are the nicest, most patient people on the planet. Because I agonized. Over every purchase. The great thing about Bed, Bath, and Beyond is that it truly has everything. The bad part is that it has so many options, and many of them are way above my price range. The shopping trip was wisely structured so that only the last odds and ends were purchased there, which was great because I know my total would have been triple or quadruple the amount if I had been able to make a beeline for the pretty things at the start of my day. I walked out with a ladle, a cutting board, a mesh strainer, and a three piece set of pyrex bowls WITH LIDS! (And boy, did those lids end up coming in handy!) The bowls are really great because not only are they mixing bowls and storage containers, but they can double (triple?) as serving dishes because they're clear glass. You'll see all three of them down below on my Passover table.
Last but not least was Walmart. And God Bless it because I was able to finish off my entire shopping list in the span of one aisle. And even get the same silverware I'd been eyeing in Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $20 cheaper. With a metallic mesh organizer attached. Granted, it wasn't the heavy, multifaceted set I initially fell in love with, but at a little more than a third of the price for 12 place settings, it was perfect. I also found a green vinyl (read: easy to clean) table cloth that perfectly fit my elongated table, oven mits, pot holders, and fancy napkins.
 |
Cambridge Silversmiths Piermont Satin 60 piece silverware |
And because Roberta rocks, all of this was accomplished before my 4pm cooking deadline. Once we got back to my house, the mad dash to unpack and wash everything began. Each of the items from Good Will had an individual sticker label, so Roberta, Al, and I had to sit at the table and peel off each and every one before they went into the dishwasher. Even though I had obviously been there when we bought everything, seeing it all laid out everywhere made me feel like I was 6 again and I was opening a pile of birthday presents. Even the fiance got excited when he saw my haul - Brian's been talking about getting an omelet pan for weeks. (And on a side note - the next day he taught me how to use said omelet pan. I flipped an omelet all by myself!) Roberta and Al left to get ready for the party and Brian and I made sure everything was clean and raring to go.
Finally, it was time to cook.
No comments:
Post a Comment