Just like Glenn, A Menu by Matt does not come cheap, courses of the night include caviar, rabbit with foie gras, scampi tails, pheasant and a prune and Armagnac souffle. Most of which I have never eaten before, let alone cooked...Piece of cake. Not.
The idea to host this party started many months ago when I felt that familiar itching telling me I didn't really need any free time to relax and it was time to host another party. I knew it had been a long time since my last post, but only when I signed on this evening and realized my last post was 9 months and a new lap top ago did I realize how long I had been pushing the next party back. I do have a reason - promise. I started a new job this year, and not at an established school, but a brand spanking new one, and take it from me - schools do not establish themselves - it takes a lot of manpower (or as we are an 70% female staff, womenpower) a lot of hours to get it running smoothly. Plus I had to fit in trips to Thailand, The Gold Coast, Rottnest, Bridgetown and Margret River. Plus I'm still trying to knit a baby dress I started months agooooo. So anyway, I decided the gap between parties was well and truly big enough, and booked Glenn's birthday as an excuse to party.
As soon as I get a party confirmed, just about everywhere I go I look for things that I need for the next party. Lucklily for me, on the last school holidays while on a trip to the south west of Western Australia, Gavin and I went to Manjimup, and popped on in to the Wine and Truffle to by some truffle. We had just missed the fresh truffle season, but managed to buy 40g of frozen truffle for $50. As soon as I buy my first purchase for any party, I get excited, and that purchase got me excited. Gavin will attest to this as we drove around the south west for the next two days every half hour or so I would remind Gavin that 'I got truffle!'
Because I had managed to buy double the amount of truffle I needed I decided to listen to my boyfriends advice from the previous party a practice the most difficult recipes for the night well before the party. It began alright, I ordered the meat from the butcher, invited Glenn around to taste test and help and made sure I had all the right utensils. I had even read through the EXTENSIVE recipes and had a bit of an idea about what I needed to do. The next few hours are a bit of a blurr, but there was squealing (from me) when I had to touch dead rabbit and stuff truffle under the skin of pheasant, and more squealing (from Glenn) when I put my cold wet hands on his neck. At the end of the day though, all I can say is, its obvious I am NOT a trained chef. I tried my hardest, but my results looked nothing like Matt Moran dishes.
So lets leave that disaster for a minute and I'll tell you about the fabulous photography studio I have hired for the evening. It couldn't be more perfect. It looks and has exactly the same equipment as the studio in the book, and Pop Studios in West Leederville's owner Julian has been fabulous. I have hired the studio and as he is out on a shoot that day he is happy for me to pick up the key, let myself in to party and then return the key afterwards. It's all starting to really come together (probably a good thing as the party is in 48 hours...) this morning Australia Post delivered my latest eBay purchase of a gold cutlery set, and I have spent the last few afternoons after work trawling second hand shops and old ladies lounge rooms (with their permission) for coloured glass vases. I have the next two days mapped out in precision order like a bride on steroids, so fingers crossed and I'll let you know the result.
p.s. I have joined the world of iPhone owners so there will be more pictures this time too!
Sounds amazing Lyds! I can't wait to see all the photos!
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