I celebrated my nth birthday last night. It was not known to all that it will be my birthday and some guests were wondering what is the occassion. Some called earlier if there is a special occassion since I did not indicate it in the invitation but I said it's just a get together with friends. I don't like my guests to worry about bringing gifts, close friends who knew it's my birthday did bring a bounty.  I was flowering too.  Steph and I have the same month and each year, we traditionally make a celebration for one of us. Last year, the celebration was in Steph's day, so this year is my turn.  Although, my friends gave me some treat on the day itself yet, I do a special dinner for the family when it's Dad's turn to celebrate. It serves us like a thanksgiving night.

      Just when I am about to do my hair, a call came in from Massachussettes, a dear friend  greeted me sounding like she is from Jupiter reaching to a dear friend in Mars. The distance was so obvious but the bridge which her voice had created make it really like as if she is just across the street. Thanks for the surprise & lovely call Ms. Babette. And.... a big thanks for the page specially done for me, truly a special gift! I just couldn't ask for more..

     Colleen assisted us in attending  to our guests. She did well, our guests are well settled and let the barman served them drinks and they chatted to each other. We have 40 people last night not to mention the invited friends of Alex

The house is ready to welcome the guests

The hostess i guess is checking the last minute details

The bar of the house is in place

And the smiles of the Celebrant to welcome her guests

Et la voilà, the guests arrived and cocktail was served

A few posed with Alcatel and French embassy guys

The treasurer of our school, Bangladeshi-British with his wife serving the sushi

A champagne toast with my dearly beloved Steph

A song from our lovely daughter Colleen

At the strike of midnight in Philippine time, I blew my candles

     Friends enjoyed so much the foods and the compliments were addressed to Steph and my husband i guess is enjoying the remarks.  I was cooking all the afternoon of thursday, then attending 2 dinners in the same evening and wake up at 8:00am the next day, Just well motivated to prepare for my day, kahit antok na antok pa ako.  But I want to supervise our Martha here, sometimes she forgot what is in the oven. We failed our Moussaka menu so I disregard it as she broiled the eggplants instead of frying it. The eggplants were all dark so I just told her a joke. Martha you are getting old and she will say "sorry" with baby like face when she is already a grandma.  I love this woman. I love cooking occassionally and dinner like this, I prefer to cook myself. Am happy doing it specially if the guests enjoyed the foods, it's worth the efforts. Although Martha and Bipha were busier than me. Martha always say, " Madam, sit, I will call you when all ingredients are ready"  After a while, with her funny sounding accent, she will come and say "Madam, kitchen ready" So I will be the one mixing all and seasoning all. The kitchen is a lively place having them around, so giving in time and in efforts, in french we say "trés serviceable". Steph assisted me in preparing the crab by putting bread crumbs and mozzarella cheese on it. He prepared as well the fruit salad and check the bar.

     It was a lovely evening having friends around. We have a little singing session initiated by my daughter, but mostly eat, drink and chat until 2:00am

     I blew my birthday candles the next day, the 4th of March when it was truly my day. More pictures coming up.

Just would like to share these things below while am on this subject.

The menu served were the following:

For Cocktail or hors d'ouevres and canapes:

We served: Salmon Mousse, Pineapple on a cheese stick, fingered fresh vegetables on seafood cocktail sauce, some chips and nuts and prawn on toast cocktail.

Entries: Sushi only

Main Dishes:

Fried Crispy Duck, Diced Chicken with cashew nuts, orange spared ribs, Deviled crab, Beef with oyster sauce, squask latik, Radish salad, herbed potatoes, garlic rice, assorted fresh stir fried vegetables, Sauteed  king prawns and Fish with black beans.

Cheese: Camembert, Brie, Leconte and with green bacon salad

Desserts: Nougat Glacé, Cheese cake, Cassava cake, Chocolate bday cake (offered by Kati)Lemon pie, Fruit salad in kirsch, calvados and sugar syrup and chocolate clusters.

Drinks: Champagne, kerr royale, Sancerre(white wine), San Remy and fronsat (red wine), hard liquor from our bar to choose and gold tequila at the end.

 How do I do my dinner

1. First, I make the list of people to Invite.   For simple dinner and just with closest friends, I don't send a card invitation.  Sms, phone call, verbal or email will do but if we have invited diplomats, I have to send a card with all the details from time, date, address and dress code. Although some friends close to us are advised by phone or sms  to book them that day in advance but once the invitation is ready, I will send it to them for the other details.

2. Then, I make the list of the menu I wanted to prepare. Once the menu is finalized, I make a list of the drinks.

 3. Then, for each menu, I make a rough list of the ingredients and check if they are available in the pantry, otherwise, they go to the shopping list with alloted quantity. I do the same for the drinks.

4.Then I sort out which one to buy first and which are to be bought just the day before like vegetables. So a time is alloted for marketing not only for foods and drinks but also for other stuffs needed for the party.

5.Then, I narrow down the menu list by sorting which of the menu can be done ahead and slowly I marked yellow things  which are done.

6. The day of the dinner, I make the list of the menu to cook and crushed it one by one until allis done.

7. In between is to prepare the table, cutleries, wine, beer, water glasses, flute, etc.

8. Then, I make a list of the tiniest details necessary for dinner because sometimes these are the few things forgotten and the same, I crossed it out once taken cared of.

 I find this organizaiton so effecient although being here in Dhaka is not easy since sometimes some ingredients are not available so we wait for the dinner day and make a try if it's available. This delay the objective of marketing early and there I am, buying the ingredients in last minute. Abdur is a great help although sometimes got no luck at all so I should have an alternative menu incase ingredients in one menu are not completed. Like for this dinner, I wanted to make the tiramisu but I can't find another substitute for mascorpone cheese. Amy, you are right, creme fraiche is not good. Barbs advised me to mix cream cheese with whipping creame but then I overbeat it and it has curdled. I guess this can work but I will try again.

*  Special dinner book

  The last but not the least, I have a dinner book, I listed in there the date of my dinner, the list of my guests and the menu offered. So everytime I have dinner, I know what foods have been served and then the next dinner, I will not repeat some of the menus. I introduce new menus and recipes to give variations. Although the most in demand menus are always around like my original homemade nougat glacé, nutted apple pie, cheese cake, sushi and fish with salted black beans. They are expected by my guests as they love it. Special dinners like christmas have special menus too. So the list is in fact....unending

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