There’s something about Christmas that makes me want to overextend myself. So, when planning my party last weekend, I tried very, very hard not to end up with dough on my hands, guests walking in the door and something burning away in the oven. I tried to keep it simple.
Still the party went off like a Top Chef competition. No, I didn’t slice my finger open with a razor sharp German-made chef’s knife. But in my frantic attempt to cook for 20 in only 3 hours (after having my kitchen renovations finished the day before), I did dump a tray full of rendered bacon fat on the floor, knock over a glass of wine and preheat the oven with a plastic baggy of screws inside (note to self: after buying appliances on Craigslist, be sure look inside the over before using it) which promptly melted to the bottom and started smoking.