For the record, I very much enjoyed last night’s dinner for “Society of the Secret Pickle”.  In fact, it was a kick-ass event in my book.  That is the way a party should be thrown.

It’s one thing to cater a dinner party – I have done many. “Order-prep-transport-setup-cook-serve-clear-repeat-clean-breakdown-go-home” is how I felt when I worked for someone else. Working for myself, and especially with the launch of Little Kitchen, I have had the pleasure of being able to interact with my guests more directly. I meet fascinating and engaging friendly people, understand their likes and dislikes around food, and generally have a great time. The first Secret Pickle dinner, “A tasting tour of Spain” was no exception.

Researching the dinner, as it was based on more traditional rather than interpretive ideas, was a great exercise as well. I’m kind of a “Spain-eophile” anyway, so it wasn’t as much “work” as curiosity. Coming up with a good way to present it was a bit challenging. I think I have some good ideas on how to improve my delivery for the next one.  I’m thinking “Charades”, “Name that mystery meat you are eating” game, or acting out each dish through interpretive dance (don’t laugh, I actually had to do that for a table when I was working in Portland).

All that being said, it was the guests that made the party. Meeting people and talking with them about food and cooking is really a large portion of what keeps me going. It was great to connect the names with the faces and personalities. Its great to see people from as far away as Montreal coming out for the dinners and for Birthday celebrations. I could tell people really enjoyed themselves; not just from the food, but also from the excellent wines and the hanging out parts.

It is the biggest reason for my love of open kitchens : dialog.  Seeing people enjoying the food  and talking with them about food is a great experience. I only wish I had more time to spend with the guests. I will ensure that future events should allow for this. Some cooks prefer to hide in the kitchen, away from the guests. I want to cook AND hang out.

The staff was kick-ass. I love working with professionals who know what they are doing. Love it.  They are difficult to find, but when you do, you hang onto them. I am looking forward to working with Simon (until he opens his own place – stay tuned) and Toby – who could run his own place. And the organizers – Ryan, Gerry, Cybelle and Alexa – really pulled the non-food stuff together. What a great event this turned out to be.

Recipes are forthcoming.  Presentation (in its entirety) is here. If you have any questions about that or the dinner, shoot me an email.  I’m looking forward to the next one.