Office Christmas Party

My boss just finished building his new house (the mansion is pictured above). It took two and half years to build. It is one of the most elaborate homes I’ve ever been in. It’s 9,000 square feet and has three floors. The grand entry way is impressive between the stairs and all the tile and woodwork. There are five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom (he has five kids). The master suite has two separate toilets (his and hers), a big bathtub, a shower that has so many jets the dirt just flies off of you and a fireplace. There is a living room, dining room, an eat-in kitchen with a family room off to the side. The top floor has the three girl’s bedrooms and a large common area. The basement has the two boy’s bedrooms, another family room, theater, exercise room, bonus room, pool room (changing area, lockers and full bathroom), wine cellar and bar. For those who are curious there are ten bathrooms and seven people living in the house. The oldest two children are away at school. The pool he calls a lap pools is two meters short from being Olympic size. It’s a very beautiful home.

My boss wanted me to cook a fancy meal at his home when it was complete. He’s been saying this for the last two years. My wonderful husband agreed to help me. Instead of going to work, I went to his house and got paid to cook Christmas dinner for the office staff and spouses. Tom and I cooked over six hours straight to get this meal together. I had a nice budget from the boss which I went over about twenty dollars.

We started off with appetizers: stuffed mushrooms, fresh mozzarella slices with tomato (seasoned with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices), artichoke hearts, olives, provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, cherry peppers and pepperoni. Next up was Shrimp Caesar Salad. The main course consisted of stuffed sea food shell dish in vodka sauce. The pasta shells are stuffed with ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, shrimp, crab meat and scallops. Tom made his version of individual Beef Wellington. It consisted of beef tenderloin, roasted red pepper, gorgonzola cheese, bacon bits, portabella mushroom wrapped in puff pastry. The side dishes were roasted potatoes mushrooms sautéed in wine sauce, glazed carrots and asparagus. For dessert we had cheese cake, fresh blackberries and raspberries with fresh whipped cream presented in a large bowl, and mini puff pastry shells stuffed with raspberries and whipped cream.

We were so tired and our feet hurt by the end of the night. I’m grateful I had Tom to help or else I would not have been to do it. My boss was very appreciative and everyone got to take home leftovers.

Below is a slide show of some of the food and the house.

© Nadine Z. 2007