Office Holiday Party

[suzilightning]

Some people were surprised at the linking of librarians and food in my blog. We had our annual Holiday party last night and I'm sorry to admit if forgot to take as many pictures as I should have. Here are a few from our festivities:

Appetizers

The hostess' husband kindly mixed up a batch of Cosmopolitans and I provided a bucket of margaritas. wine and soda were also available.

Dinner was mashed potatoes, green beans with garlic, salad, a penne with vegetables in cream sauce, a beef filet(this is what was left - I was too busy eating)served with a fig and vidalia onion sauce.

Chicken franchese

The group smiling just before the cutthroat gift exchange

After we exorcised our interior nasty selves fighting over christmas socks and a set of dessert dishes decorated with holly it was time for coffee and dessert.

mixed dainties

a cream poundcake with chocolate drizzle

a slice of tuxedo cake. the desserts were from Everything Homemade which i also had featured in my blog.

lunch today at work was leftovers.

how was your party?

[Shelby]

Suzi, all of that looks to die for! That cream pound cake *drooling* and those shrimp *sigh*

Yum yum!!!

[oneidaone]

Oh the cheese is it hunter with stilton? I used to know these things.........Your party looks like so much fun! Makes me wish I worked still to have such things to go to and participate in......but then again, no.........I am sure you had fun and thanks so much for sharing! You folks look like a fun group! Melekalikimaka and a hui hou!

[Niamh]

That does look lovely! I happened to have my work party last night as well, but unfortunately my camera didn't fit in my teensy, tiny handbag! The event (a sit-down meal for 22), took place in a private club. The service was great - the waiters appeared out of nowhere to refill your glass before you even realised you were coming to the end of it! I tend to eat in more...traditional...places where the serving technique of choice is the "plonk and grunt" method , so I was in awe!

We started with the ever-present jamon, manchego cheese, battered prawns, salted crisps (chips) and olives while we "mingled" with a glass of wine. The jamon was delicious, and cut into just the right lenghts for finger food, while the manchego was the semi-cured type. It was tasty too, but I think the cured would have better matched the standard set by the jamon.

We sat down to a set menu with no choices, something that idoesn't surprise me in Spain, but probably wouldn't float in other places (but the one vegetarian - the only one in Spain, goes the office joke - did get his own dishes. We started with smoked salmon served on thinly sliced waxy potatoes, sprinkled with caviar and served with a lemon-oil dressing. It was very good, and I was interested to see the potato base, something I have only ever seen before with octopus. The main course was slightly less successful - a beef stew of some sort, seved with rice. In its defense, the beef was tender and tasty, but the sauce was...well...brown, and that's about all that I can say about it!!

I gave dessert a miss, because I'm not really a dessert person, but it was a sweet-looking chocolate "cupcake" shell filled with vanilla mousse and served with slices of orange (the Spanish oranges are great at this time of year). Coffee and turron finished up the show - Navidad just isn't Navidad without turron! A lovely night all in all...unfortunately no leftovers though! We proceeded with general merrymaking and technically there was more food, but my 5am snack of cold noodles and Caprice des Dieux cheese wasn't exactly egullet-worthy!

[foodE]

I, too, am I librarian who is extremely interested in food. A group of friends (including another librarian_ and I are starting a cooking club. Most of these other friends are not librarians, as they are fans of good food and good cooking, we like them anyway! Our first dinner will be in January and I'm looking forward to it!

[snowangel]

Suzi, where was the party held? Too many office holiday parties are held in an office with absolutely inadequate cooking (or reheating) equipment, and a mess of folks who think that a tub of sour cream and onion dip and generic chips fits the bill.

But, my favorite office party was many years ago. The company I was working for at that time had five on staff (make that 10 at the party with spouses), and finally profitable enough to have a party. The boss's mom had a membership at a posh country club in an absolutely spectacular large private dining room, overlooking one of the Twin Cities most beautiful lake, so we had a posh dinner. Shrimp cocktail to start with, along with cocktails. For dinner, Beef Wellington, carved tableside. Caesar Salad, tossed table side. Roasted asparagus and potatoes. For dessert, Cherries Jubilee, flambeed table side. Remember, this must have been like 1981, and it was so fun and festive, and to have a holiday office party with only 10 people, all sitting around one table. Then, the men retiring to the deck, overlooking a lake, for cigars and brandy, while the ladies all had ladies type after-dinner drinks. Ah, a moment in time! Still, some 25 plus years later, I remember that night as if it was yesterday.

[christine007]

The hell with the booze, can I just face plant into that breadbowl dip?

and you had huntsman cheddar? I just may hate you!

Seriously, what a beautiful party.

Edited December 16, 2007 by christine007 (log)

[rooftop1000]

Last year I managed to have 4 count em 4 holiday parties, because I worked for a company within another company that lent me to a 3rd company....

So my company had a baked ziti, chicken francaise, salad event

Then the company I was lent to had a NY harbour cruise lunch for the "Team"

Then the big guys had a lunch for the "Team" at a local restaurant

And finally the Big Company had a huge company luncheon with stations scattered about the 2nd floor, every thing from sushi and Indian snack foods to pork in adobo and a roast turkey

If I get the job I am waiting for tomorrow I will go to the Big Company's party again this year as a guest...if not the place I am temping has lunch reservations for Friday ...somewhere

Follow that one?....me neither, but last year was good

tracey

[suzilightning]

Oh the cheese is it hunter with stilton? I used to know these things.........Your party looks like so much fun! Makes me wish I worked still to have such things to go to and participate in......but then again, no.........I am sure you had fun and thanks so much for sharing! You folks look like a fun group! Melekalikimaka and a hui hou!

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yes, it was hunter with stilton. we also hade an aged cheddar that just melted in the mouth - a 4 year old cabot.

[suzilightning]

Suzi, where was the party held?  Too many office holiday parties are held in an office with absolutely inadequate cooking (or reheating) equipment, and a mess of folks who think that a tub of sour cream and onion dip and generic chips fits the bill.

←

we had the party at one of the Patty's homes(3 out of 5 regular circulation staff are named patty and i joke when you go to cover the desk you must append that name onto your own so i am pattysusan). she is the third from the right in the back. this is also the third year she has graciously opened her absolutely gorgeously decorated home to this night of debauchery. she has stunning taste in everything and i think would give martha a run for her money.

[MarketStEl]

Oh the cheese is it hunter with stilton? I used to know these things.........Your party looks like so much fun! Makes me wish I worked still to have such things to go to and participate in......but then again, no.........I am sure you had fun and thanks so much for sharing! You folks look like a fun group! Melekalikimaka and a hui hou!

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yes, it was hunter with stilton. we also hade an aged cheddar that just melted in the mouth - a 4 year old cabot.

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Huntsman combines Cheshire, a Cheddar-style cheese, with the Stilton. I love to serve this cheese at holiday parties, along with Cotswold (Cheshire with onion and chive mixed in).

Is the 4-year-old Cabot the cheese in the front of the first pic (with the grapes)? Can't say I've had Cabot Cheddar that old yet. That must have been a wonderful treat!

I'm now in Week 3 at my new job at a software company in the historic Bucks County (Pennsylvania) borough of Yardley. I've been told that there is a potluck party thrown by the marketing, sales call center and inside sales staff, but I see no evidence of this event happening yet. (Fresser is urging me via IMs to prepare Green Bean Casserole for the potluck if it happens. I am resisting this idea with every fiber of my being, but I may have to relent if for no other reason than to reconnect my WASPy boss with her true cultural heritage. )

What I do know is happening is a catered breakfast tomorrow morning (Tuesday 12/18) in our conference center. The caterer does the food for the VIP seminars we host for customers using our legacy products, and I've been assured they do a dynamite job. I promise to do the eGullet thing and take pictures.

The next day, the boss is treating me to lunch at the Yardley Inn, the fanciest restaurant in the borough, right along the banks of the Delaware -- which means every spring of late, it's under water. That shouldn't be a problem on Wednesday.

[suzilightning]

The hell with the booze, can I just face plant into that breadbowl dip?

and you had huntsman cheddar? I just may hate you!

Seriously, what a beautiful party.

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The hostess tells me that to make that dip buy the Knorr vegetable dip packet but make it with chopped up baby spinach and water chestnuts instead of green onions. it was soooo goood.

[BeeZee]

The hell with the booze, can I just face plant into that breadbowl dip?

and you had huntsman cheddar? I just may hate you!

Seriously, what a beautiful party.

←

The hostess tells me that to make that dip buy the Knorr vegetable dip packet but make it with chopped up baby spinach and water chestnuts instead of green onions. it was soooo goood.

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I can confirm, that is hugely popular with my husband's family, they demand it for Thanksgiving every year. It's stupidly simple - mix the Knorr packet with sourcream, mayo, chopped spinach, and water chestnuts. Kids who won't eat veggies will scarf it down.