Once upon a time, I enjoyed throwing parties. Due to the transient nature of our family in the first half of Simon's life, we didn't have them very often. In our previous house, I think we had two or three good parties (in three years), and then in this house, in almost seven years, only two or three. Then there was the pandemic. But we finally broke the streak earlier this year when we hosted a baby shower for a friend. Last weekend, we finally threw a general party, and it was pretty great.
We did catered TexMex once at the previous house, and decided to do that again this time. We got stuff from a place called Torchy's, and in the general sense, it's pretty good stuff. They put bits of corn in their rice, which I don't like (#autism #texture), but their brushfire chicken is so freakin' good. It's genuinely hot, in a flavorful way. Feedback from our guests was mostly positive. We supplemented with our own cilantro-lime rice, cheese, and black beans, because that was a cheaper way to go. I think it's worth the cost to go this route.
Of course, my favorite thing is to be amateur bartender. I think I'm starting to realize, especially when I have beverages in places that they're not that good, that my desire is less about the drinking and more about making the drinks. It's deeply satisfying when I get the mix right, or "invent" something. Based on a drink I had at a very capable tapas bar, I came up with a martini I call On Wednesdays We Wear Pink. I couldn't wait to make it for other people. I served several dozen drinks, across a wide range from our menu. Despite stocking up, I didn't empty many bottles because it was so spread out. People really seemed to enjoy it, and in some cases, I elevated my garnish game. I should've snapped photos of my old fashioned. Black cherries and bourbon smoked sugar...
We had quite a few people show up that we haven't seen in awhile, and Diana's work circle is a lot looser in the summer off-season. And the "Pink" drink was a hit.
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