Cookout menu
 

I am hosting a cookout for a friend's birthday on Saturday. Unfortunately, I suffer from the same sickness that my mother does - the terror that there will not be enough food. So far, there are 6 confirmed guests (including me and the birthday boy). Wanna know what I have on the menu? You won't believe it:

Cod (I think about a pound or so with Dinosaur spice rub)
Goat cheese for appetizer
2 lbs shrimp (one classic old bay, one spicier)
2 lbs thin cut chicken breast (not sure on the amount or what flavor it will be)
corn on the cob
coleslaw
plus a yet to be named dessert (something that can be made ahead)


And I am contemplating making burgers. I was thinking of cooking the shrimp first, that way people have something to munch on besides the cheese when waiting for the rest of the food. I also just got the idea of making little mozzarella and salami finger sandwiches. I think I need to be put away for this!!!

Too much? What would you change?

I don't think you need cod, shrimp, chicken AND burgers for 6 people. Add more side dishes. Maybe bread, chips, baked beans.

I didn't want to make burgers anyways. There are only 6 confirmed. There may be more and they are all guys! Maybe I could put out tortilla chips and salsa, too. I don't think that baked beans will go with the seafood heavy meal.......maybe some kind of roasted potato.....

sounds good to me!

What's in the keg?

It's BYOB. That's how we roll down south. A lot of times people even bring their own cooler. We'll probably have some beer for the birthday boy and some tea for the cook (me).

I might even have to ask for chairs! I've never had that many people over at once!

sounds like a "wine" cookout (goat cheese, shrimp)--is there such a thing?

I can't stand beer with fish, yuk.

Cloud - I wish. Last time I had people over for burgers, I had out goat cheese to munch on. I just have some from the farmer's market and thought it was a good idea. I am still on the fence with that....I'm going to have to see how hot it is first

Had another thought. Maybe I should just forget the Cod and do some regular cookout items like brats and hot dogs. What if the guys want MEAT!?

Guys always want meat. But I say, stick to your guns!

I'm also thinking that if I save the cod, I can do that in a nice girly way. Or be able to experiment with it more over the grill like doing 3-4 different seasoning with smaller pieces that I don't have to worry about sharing. No, I don't want to share it. :)

Yeah, guys like all that pork-stuffed beef and beef-stuffed pork.

I'll come over for cod, though. Cloud, you in? ;)

Heh. I wish I had some girl friends that I could invite over for cod, shrimp, wine and goat cheese on the veranda (tiny back porch). Alas, I do not have that here. Barely had it back home.

(Makes a face at the fish). But I'm up for shrimp and chicken! I'll bring the wine.

But . . . where's the beef?

What about salad? coleslaw or potato salad are easy and you can do both of them the day before if you want to.

How bout making a chocolate cake for desert? Or a cheesecake? Either of those can be done the day before.

You could make trifle too. That's really easy to do. If you don't know what a trifle is just say so. I and a few other dwellars do and we can tell you what sort of stuff to put in.

faces are a popular thing to put in trifle.

Unfortunately, fans of faces in trifle are not also fans of decent quality video. this is the best i can find, but there are lots out there.....

How about some grilled fruits and veggies? Guac to go with you salsa and chips?

Well, talked to the birthday boy and figured out the final menu:
- The cod is being replaced by hot dogs and brats.
- The goat cheese is out and will be completely replaced by chips and dip
- The dessert is going to be a cake that my mother makes split into cupcakes (made the night before).
- Coleslaw has been included because the BB loves mine
- Debating right now between veggie dip (homemade dip) and salad
- Possibly skipping the corn on the cob unless I use the microwave kind, but not a fan of that idea

All the food will be prepared at least the night before so all I have to do is set up the day of and the cupcakes will definitely be made a day or two before. I am actually thinking of taking half a day Friday. That way it won't be a mad dash after work all week and I can actually enjoy putting all this together!

good for you bbro. :) I hope it all turns out just perfectly.

Thanks Ali!

The next stop is shopping for what I need. I think I am going to go to the dollar store (for plates, etc), Aldi (for bread, canned items), Wal-mart or Target (for the brats and dogs), and a seafood merchant for the shrimp. That is going to start tonight, then continue tomorrow when I am off work. Yay!

Sounds like fun bbro. :) Enjoy yourself.

I guess I shouldn't have worried. Out of all the people I asked only three showed. And only one of them ate something other than shrimp. One guest could only stay for a bit, so he got a to go box. The one that only ate shrimp apparently thought going to sheetz for a meatball hoagie later that night was better than the food I cooked.

I guess the upside is that now I have food for the week and don't really have to cook which is good since it is going to be HOT!!

I'm really sorry your friends let you down bbro. It's always disappointing when that happens, but it does happen to all of us.

I remember one new years eve I invited two couples over for dinner and drinks to see the new year in and only one of the couples showed up. I'd gone to a lot of trouble with dinner (baked a whole king snapper along with the rest of the meal) and at the time I was really pissed off, but then I realized that the friends I really cared about had arrived, and the other couple were just peripheral anyway, so they've faded out.

I hope the important ones were there for you. They're the ones that count. :)

Thanks Ali. I am still a little steamed at some of them. Not only for me, but for the person that the party was for.

You know what? I'll bet your friend really appreciated the trouble you went to, and after all, it's your friend who really matters isn't it? Forget about the rest of them. I'm sure they'll show up next time round...if you get more booze. ;)