Secret Recipe From A Surprise Party

I helped my friend Julie with a surprise birthday party she threw on her friend P.

Julie goes places with no complaint. But she hates cooking. That by no means diminishes her taste and ability to put up a picture perfect party with high quality food of excellent taste. I, on the other hand, love doing everything in the kitchen and around the house. And I hate going places. Having said that, I ran to four places amidst a snow storm to get my part of the list ready for the party. By 4:30pm, I called her and said, “Julie, tell me what else you need. Don’t be shy!” She thought I was cute. I thought it was my sacrifice. If I mop the floor or collect the garbage for her, I would thank her for the entertainment.

Without surprise, the surprise party turned out to be fabulous. The main course was salmon & asparagus. On the side was the chicken bryani that I have been after for the past 2 months. Compared to her tender salmon, the one I cooked in my kitchen was like a piece of wood. Mind you, she still hates cooking which I claim to love.

The appetizer table was full of stuff enough for a meal. I love Julie’s classic guacamole avocado dip. The other dip that P’s sister brought was to die for. I got the recipe from her. Imagine the wonderful mess of cheese, pecan and garlic etc. Included in the instruction is a line that says, "wear ski goggles" when handling the onions.