Day 8 - NYE/Shit Show

December 31, 2010

So the day started early with a large party at lunch and more and more prepping for the NYE dinner. We were prepping all day for a total of 85 people, in the end, it turned out to be around 78 or so. This day was going to be long, and much like the rest of the week, there was no break in the day in sight, straight through from 9:30 am to 1:30 am. Not fun. However, the actual event was rather fun. We had a dishwasher come in so that I was freed up to work in the kitchen.

Just when I thought I might not make it, I had a moment in the kitchen. As I was washing black truffles, maybe like 2lbs of them, in the kitchen alone, on my feet for over 8 hours straight, ‘How to Save a Life’ by the Fray came on the Italian radio station. At that moment, I was overcome with a wave of smiles and realization, that I can do this, it is just like another quarter of school, 12 weeks, just in a different place. I suppose you had to be there in that moment because I had the biggest smile on my face since I have been in Italy!

Yes, I know that I have graduated from school, and yes I am aware that not everyone has worked in a catering event before, I am also aware that I do not know everything. With all that being said, how hard is it to go up and down rows of plated food and make them all look the same if not similar? One item on the plate at a time, efficiently and fast. Speed & Beauty (Chef Kennedy)!!! Even the sous chef Carlo, the cutest old Italian man, was starting in random spots and adding items to the plate out of sequence. Ridiculous. It all came together though, unfortunately, I did not have my camera on me to take photos, sad, but I am putting the menu below. It was also nice that we started out the dinner service with a nice bottle of prosecco.

After the crazy dinner service, it was time to clean up and go home, or out....1:30 am on NYE night, my roomies and I decided to stay out. Bad News, but initially fun. We were each given a bottle of spumante as we walked out the door, my first time in street clothes in almost a week. We headed to the Republic Plaza where a live jazz band was playing in the street. I have included some pictures and a little video. The drinking of spumante began almost as soon as we left the restaurant. You can drink on the streets in Orvieto with no issue, even straight from the bottle. From here we continued on with some of the Front of House staff to a bar that was packed, so we drank outside in a little alley with everyone. Mind you, we have a 2-3 mile walk ahead of us down a very, very steep hill...at 4am...in the drizzling rain...why didn’t we just go home when we had the chance??? At 4, we began to walk home, this was after I stopped to have my Tarot Cards read, this was my first time and I had to have it translated in broken english and Italian. Interesting year ahead of me...

At the precipice of walk home, Tyler went in one direction (directly down the hill) and Franchesco and I went the longer, yet familiar way home. About halfway down the mountain, my thumb picked us up a ride down, so grateful for this!!! However, drunky Tyler was no where in sight when we got home. This story will continue in the next post, as I have been rather long winded....

Ciao - To be Continued...

New Years Eve Menu

• Smoked Salmon with Peccarino Cheese mousse, red onion marmalade, and raddichio
• Cream of Spinach soup with Basil oil, bulger wheat croutons, and parm
• Black Truffle Rissotto with leeks, truffle, truffle sauce, Shaved fresh truffle, Guanchale (Pork cheek, Facon (fake bacon))
• White sauce lasagna with spicy pork and béchamel sauce.
• Pork stuffed with prunes, potato flan, sauteed peppers, arugula, and magic brown sauce.
• Panna Cotta Zabiglone with chocolate sauce and hazelnuts.
• Assorted pastries